Soil is for Suckers - Page 2

Earl · #11 06-15-2008, 06:45 AM

What AL said.
.

sir smokesalot · #12 06-15-2008, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al B. Fuct

Disagree. It's much easier and faster to make corrections in hydroponics. If you overfertilise soil and must leach it, it is harder to remove ferts from soil than it is to simply change the nute strength in the tank.

Natually, you need the right tools for any job. If you attempt to do hydro OR soil without the necessary equipment, expect to fail.

There's really not much difference between setting up a grow room for either soil or hydro. The only functional difference is the watering system, which can be automated in hydro. Hydro also requires a pH meter and a nutrient meter, both of which have become a lot cheaper over the years. If you set up a proper grow room with suitable ventilation that can maintain the right temps and RH, about $150 more makes it into a hydro op.

My 130 plant perpetual harvest op can be maintained in as little as 10-15 mins/day, with marathon manicuring sessions and a batch of cuttings done every 2 weeks. Plants in pots of absorbent media are equally portable to those in soil.

Hydroponics in lightweight, disposable media is far easier for growers who move a lot of plants through the op. While soil may be re-usable, it can carry root diseases form crop to crop. The weight of soil, particularly wet soil, makes a big difference when you're managing a lot of pots full of the stuff.

If you've done hydro and gotten bad results, don't blame hydroponics. Blame the amount of research and effort you've put in.

At the end of the day, the increased productivity of hydroponics covers any cost difference over use of soil, many MANY times over.

oh i quite agree that when i went to hydro first i was completely unprepared, it wasnt anything to do with the system

it is far easier to make corrections in hydro than in soil, but if you fuck up and do something stupid that directly affects the roots (like molasses in a DWC

) your basically screwed, where as with soil the media acts like a buffer and a big fuck up is much slower to affect the plant and gives you more time to react if your not on top of things on a daily basis. but it also take longer for your corrections to go into effect too, but since i just grow for my own supply i dont mind the extra time that it adds

for someone with more experience as yourself, you guys have a much easier time with hydro or aero because you have a much greater knowledge base than the newer people. soil is much easier for a new grower to work with and get that experience before he/she jumps into hydro or aero.

Al B. Fuct · #13 06-15-2008, 09:48 AM

Funny thing about being experienced growing dope- the longer you're at it, the less you have to remember. I'm very frequently asked to write a grow book. 20+ years into this, I bet I could do one in under 20 pages. Once you pare away all the horseshit out there about growing weed (like putting molasses in your water...), there's not much to it.

sir smokesalot · #14 06-15-2008, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al B. Fuct

Funny thing about being experienced growing dope- the longer you're at it, the less you have to remember. I'm very frequently asked to write a grow book. 20+ years into this, I bet I could do one in under 20 pages. Once you pare away all the horseshit out there about growing weed (like putting molasses in your water...), there's not much to it.

maybe you, earl, fletch could collaborate

Al B. Fuct · #15 06-15-2008, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sir smokesalot

maybe you, earl, fletch could collaborate

nah, I annoy the shit out of most people. I work alone so I only stress myself out.

JarrettM · #16 06-16-2008, 01:43 PM

dude it was this cali strain and it took forever to finish flowering. I had about 10 planets in all.

bubblerking · #17 06-16-2008, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al B. Fuct

Funny thing about being experienced growing dope- the longer you're at it, the less you have to remember. I'm very frequently asked to write a grow book. 20+ years into this, I bet I could do one in under 20 pages. Once you pare away all the horseshit out there about growing weed (like putting molasses in your water...), there's not much to it.

couldnt agree with you more keep it simple and you are golden

DR. VonDankenstine · #18 06-16-2008, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al B. Fuct

The real magic of hydroponics is the ability to flow a lot of highly oxygenated nute soln through the roots. Various watering systems and media do this to a greater or lesser degree and with various quirks and caveats.

Highly absorbent media (rockwool, etc) tends to act somewhat like soil. Faster and more productive than soil but not quite the top performer among all media types. Lots of water storage, but because water is retained in the medium, you can't get more in until the plant has removed the last splash you gave it.

Less absorbent media like clay pellets can be watered quite frequently, often 3-5x per lights-on, dependent upon a few factors. The more often you can water, the more O2 to the roots. However, with little water storage, there's little tolerance for watering system failures (pump, timer, etc).

Medialess systems like DWC, NFT & aero are the ultimate in getting lots of oxygenated nute soln through the rootballs. However, they are also the most sensitive to watering system hardware failures. DWC in particular has an Achilles' heel in that airflow to the airstones/bubble curtains in the nute soln in which the roots are submerged must be maintained 24/7. An air pump failure or a power outage can be a disaster as without constant air supply, roots will drown.

At the end of the day, the best hydro system is the one that suits the amount of attention and effort you want to put into it.

I use pots of absorbent media in flood systems because the method is very fault-tolerant. I'm a stoned slacker and may not look in on my op every day. Flood systems are no-brainers- no way they can clog, no periodic preventive maintenance needed. If a water pump quits for some reason (air bubbles caught in the pump chamber are common), I have at least 2 days to catch it, given the 175mm dia pots I use. I used to use pots stuffed only with rockwool floc but have recently switched to Fytocell. Fytocell is a bit less absorbent than floc and can be watered 2x day, where floc could only be watered 1x/day in most cases. It still gives me a 1 day backup even in the case of large plants in late flowering.

I sacrifice absolute max yield for ease of running the op and low labor input. I could easily add 30-40% to my yields if I were to put more work into it.

You are the "HYDRO KING"----I have set aside a section of my room to give the AL B FUCT sog method a try just because he has the system down and I want to try something new. But I have to say that I've never had any problems with soil----Unless your growing some rare super-slow sativa strain there is no reason it should take 10 months.

donkeyballs · #19 06-16-2008, 04:41 PM

hydro is just chiller and less messy.soil will go from your hands to your pants to your sofa if your not careful. hydro its just water.

StinkBud · #20 06-16-2008, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sir smokesalot

having done both soil and hydro i think that soil is just easier and less time consuming than hydro.

I spent more time with soil than I do now with Hydro.

It used to take me a long time to water 25 plants. I always checked the soil with a meter first to make sure it needed water. Then I hand watered each pot. It's not too bad when the plants are small but when they get big they really start sucking the water down.

The plants still use lots of water but it's easier to fill one large reservoir than 25 small pots.

I do all my hydro chores in less than 15 minutes (with adjustments). That's with 4 reservoirs. If I had just one res, I could do it all in less than 5 minutes.

Then I just stand around for another 20 minutes in awe at the beauty of the plants. You guys ever go into your room and just set there? I love just hanging out around the girls, touching them, smelling them. You know what I mean? I'm a fukin pot pervert! By harvest time I know each and every one of my plants. I always feel bad when It's time to cut them.

With the right tools and nutrient formula hydro is too easy.