Very easy to grow in hydro, I did what I have done before, and did minimal defoliation. The plant drops some lower leaves herself as we go along anyway, as they begin to receive minimal light penetration. Northern lights had a shape that made it easy to grow with my light setup. The bigger buds were produced in the areas of the side lights, and let it also be known my harvest could have become a tad bigger if I hadn't picked off small buds and smoked them in the very end - must account for at least 30-40g or so, dunno precisely tho. The weed works like the usual homemade jazz, top notch. Top shelf. Northern lights did not disappoint, but I have pulled bigger yields of a White Rhino for example, made in the same manner. This is why it only get 8/10 stars. It simply lose two stars on yield, but the Rhino would also only have gotten eight stars, because it had deficiency problems on its own for example where this northern lights lady had zero deficiency probs - very stable plant. Recommended for both beginners and seasoned growers who are on the lookout for stable strains.