# DWC

> DWC (deep water culture) suspends a plant's roots in an aerated nutrient solution, typically in a bucket with a net pot lid and an air stone.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/dwc.html
- Also written: deep water culture, deep-water culture, bubble bucket, DWC bucket
- Glossary category: Systems and media · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

Deep water culture is a hydroponic system in which roots hang directly in a container of nutrient solution, kept oxygenated by an air pump and [air stone](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/air-stone.md). The plant sits in a [net pot](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/net-pot.md) filled with [clay pebbles](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/clay-pebbles.md) or rockwool in the lid. It is simple, has few moving parts, and grows plants very fast when solution conditions are right.

## In practice

A typical home DWC is a 15-25 L (4-6 gal) bucket per plant. Key targets: solution temperature about 18-21 °C (64-70 °F), dissolved oxygen well above 5 mg/L, [pH](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/ph.md) about 5.6-6.2, and [EC](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/ec.md) rising from about 0.6-1.0 [mS/cm](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/ms-cm.md) for young plants to 1.6-2.2 mS/cm in flower. Top up with water or weak solution as the plant drinks, and change or refresh the solution every 1-2 weeks. Warm, poorly aerated solution is the main cause of [root rot](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/root-rot.md) (*[Pythium](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/pythium.md)*).

## Don't confuse with

- **RDWC**: several DWC sites linked to recirculate through a shared control bucket.
- **Kratky**: passive, unaerated water culture with an air gap.

## Related terms

[RDWC](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/rdwc.md), [Air stone](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/air-stone.md), [Dissolved oxygen](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/dissolved-oxygen.md), [Net pot](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/net-pot.md), [Chiller](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/chiller.md), [Reservoir](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/reservoir.md)

## Read more

- [Deep water culture (DWC)](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/systems/dwc.md)
- [Brown roots in hydroponics (DWC, RDWC, NFT): a differential](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/diagnosis/root-browning-hydro.md)

## Sources

1. Resh HM, 2022. Hydroponic Food Production, 8th ed. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003133254
2. Cornell CEA. Hydroponic lettuce handbook. https://cea.cals.cornell.edu/
3. Punja ZK, Rodriguez G., 2018. Fusarium and Pythium species infecting roots of hydroponically grown marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.) plants. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 40(4):498-513. https://doi.org/10.1080/07060661.2018.1535466