Done with SOIL!!!!!!

K

Kaiser Puff

Active Member
TwooDeff425 said:
I have nothing against hydro other than the fact that soil tastes much much better......there is nothing like hitting something grown by an amateur hydro grower and tasting nothing in your mouth but chemicals.....and to be organic in hydro is very very expensive....the costs don't outweigh the rewards for me.....not to mention all the cleaning that's required....taking it all apart so nothing molds, worrying about flooding.....if you forget to feed one time, you'll have a tough time recovering your plants.....soil is wayyyy more forgiving and like i mentioned, at least in my experience, its very rare to find something grown in hydro that tastes like stuff grown organically in soil :) good luck with it man
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No argument soil is more forgiving then hydro, but going organic in hydro is not that hard. There are many ways to introduce beneficial bacteria and fungi into a hydro system. I'm running Mayan Microzyme for beneficials, Pure Blend Pro for nutes and Liquid Karma and have had a completely balanced res for over 2 weeks now, not 1 pH correction needed. Expensive products like MMZ and Great White aren't even necessary if you can brew up a good tea. Another big plus to beneficials in hydro is they force out bad bugs like pythium (Aquashield does this but why pay for a product with just a couple benes when you can get all the good ones in your system by different means)
 
Sakca

Sakca

Member
Kaiser Puff said:
No argument soil is more forgiving then hydro, but going organic in hydro is not that hard. There are many ways to introduce beneficial bacteria and fungi into a hydro system. I'm running Mayan Microzyme for beneficials, Pure Blend Pro for nutes and Liquid Karma and have had a completely balanced res for over 2 weeks now, not 1 pH correction needed. Expensive products like MMZ and Great White aren't even necessary if you can brew up a good tea. Another big plus to beneficials in hydro is they force out bad bugs like pythium (Aquashield does this but why pay for a product with just a couple benes when you can get all the good ones in your system by different means)
Click to expand...
Soil just does it. Okay I get that all that water is great but BTW (who) WTF has room to put together a set-up in there closet that would out perform soil. Be mindful of space is all I'm referencing.:peace:
 
D

disposition84

Well-Known Member
I was using the waterfarm modules for moms for a while, they are good but need some modding.

1. Drill out the holes in the brown bucket with something a bit bigger to prevent from roots getting too big and clogging the holes.
2. Instead of the standard 90* angle for the level meter hose, use a T connector and put a 1/2" ball valve on the part of the T pointed downwards so you can easily extract the nutrients and check your ppm/ph.
3. Cover the top of the buckets with panda paper or something of the sort. I had lots of problems with splashing from the drip ring.
4. Install a bubble curtain/wand in the bottom of the bucket to help keep high DO levels.

If you're using the 8+ reservoir setup with the waterfarms I'd recommend converting it to a recirculating system as this will help you manage everything a lot easier.

I have also used an aeroflo 60 site, and a stinkbud system for aero and both worked really well and are super easy to maintain and keep up with. The aeroflo is a bit clustered for my liking and stinkbuds is a bit better with the spacing.

I've made some DWC roughneck containers when I was starting out and if you're on a budget they're not a bad option to keep things simple. The only problems I ran into with them was checking the nute solution ppm/ph as well as crowding as well.

A newer system I've been reading up a lot on and am currently building a DIY of is the Current Culture H20 system. (www.currentcultureh2o.com)
I've seen some really killer results with this type setup and it's very versatile letting you grow 2 or even 100 plants if you wanted to with enough light/space. They rely on mixing the nutes constantly and moving the solution constantly keeping it thoroughly mixed while also adding high levels of oxygen to the system to help keep the DO high.

As for messy, I agree, I ran some moms for a while in soil and just didn't like the dirt in my super clean rooms. But hydro can be a PITA too if you're not cautious with leaks and leak protection. I've flooeded my room a few times in my time growing and it fucking sucks, but with some tarps and a wetvac it isn't something a joint and 10 minutes can't take care of.

I think the main difference between soil and hydro is cost, yield, and taste. Hydro's been a much more expensive experience for me, while soil is very simply cheaper. I also feel that since you're able to control your nutes in hydro a lot more you're able to maximize your yield more than soil. Under the right conditions though, both methods can have great results and some people like the hydro smoke more and some prefer the soil.

In the end it really comes down to personal preference. Do what you like to do, and not what others tell you, and enjoy this hobby.
 
K

Kaiser Puff

Active Member
disposition84 said:
I was using the waterfarm modules for moms for a while, they are good but need some modding.

1. Drill out the holes in the brown bucket with something a bit bigger to prevent from roots getting too big and clogging the holes.
2. Instead of the standard 90* angle for the level meter hose, use a T connector and put a 1/2" ball valve on the part of the T pointed downwards so you can easily extract the nutrients and check your ppm/ph.
3. Cover the top of the buckets with panda paper or something of the sort. I had lots of problems with splashing from the drip ring.
4. Install a bubble curtain/wand in the bottom of the bucket to help keep high DO levels.

If you're using the 8+ reservoir setup with the waterfarms I'd recommend converting it to a recirculating system as this will help you manage everything a lot easier.

I have also used an aeroflo 60 site, and a stinkbud system for aero and both worked really well and are super easy to maintain and keep up with. The aeroflo is a bit clustered for my liking and stinkbuds is a bit better with the spacing.

I've made some DWC roughneck containers when I was starting out and if you're on a budget they're not a bad option to keep things simple. The only problems I ran into with them was checking the nute solution ppm/ph as well as crowding as well.

A newer system I've been reading up a lot on and am currently building a DIY of is the Current Culture H20 system. (www.currentcultureh2o.com)
I've seen some really killer results with this type setup and it's very versatile letting you grow 2 or even 100 plants if you wanted to with enough light/space. They rely on mixing the nutes constantly and moving the solution constantly keeping it thoroughly mixed while also adding high levels of oxygen to the system to help keep the DO high.

As for messy, I agree, I ran some moms for a while in soil and just didn't like the dirt in my super clean rooms. But hydro can be a PITA too if you're not cautious with leaks and leak protection. I've flooeded my room a few times in my time growing and it fucking sucks, but with some tarps and a wetvac it isn't something a joint and 10 minutes can't take care of.

I think the main difference between soil and hydro is cost, yield, and taste. Hydro's been a much more expensive experience for me, while soil is very simply cheaper. I also feel that since you're able to control your nutes in hydro a lot more you're able to maximize your yield more than soil. Under the right conditions though, both methods can have great results and some people like the hydro smoke more and some prefer the soil.

In the end it really comes down to personal preference. Do what you like to do, and not what others tell you, and enjoy this hobby.
Click to expand...
I started out with Stinkbud's rail system and ended up with a modified strongbox to address hazards of pump failure and spacing. There's still something to be said for growing it au natural though.
 

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homebrewer

homebrewer

Well-Known Member
The waterfarm single bucket is how I limped into hydro. Now 2/3rds of my garden is hydro because it's wicked easy and despite what people say, there is no taste difference. But as someone else stated, it can be messy with roots and sludge and slime and salt buildup. A broom cleans dirt but you'll need rubber gloves and a scrub-brush to clean your hydro equipment. Good luck!
 
C

chunchiba

Member
hydro is awsome, i used soil for my first grow which went so foul words cannot describe it. Yea its clean, sort of, its more of a mess then dirty. There is alot of stuff and alot of water. That's kind of messy, but it is definitely not dirty, no fecal smelling soil all over the floor. And the best part is, i don't have little mushrooms popping up under my plants! The only issue i am having is ph issues. The easiest and simplest part of this process from the reading context, and i simply can not adjust it. I either go way over or way under. But i must warn you, the rock wool smells like a wet ass, and i was certainly caught by surprise by the nastiness of the stench.
 
K

Kaiser Puff

Active Member
chunchiba said:
hydro is awsome, i used soil for my first grow which went so foul words cannot describe it. Yea its clean, sort of, its more of a mess then dirty. There is alot of stuff and alot of water. That's kind of messy, but it is definitely not dirty, no fecal smelling soil all over the floor. And the best part is, i don't have little mushrooms popping up under my plants! The only issue i am having is ph issues. The easiest and simplest part of this process from the reading context, and i simply can not adjust it. I either go way over or way under. But i must warn you, the rock wool smells like a wet ass, and i was certainly caught by surprise by the nastiness of the stench.
Click to expand...
Try coco gro for your grow medium next time
 
Vento

Vento

Well-Known Member
Heathro said:
Im switching over also, im in the process of building this AERO System.. https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=113425

Many Aero users say that AERO ISNT THAT HARD

This will cost you some money but he gets 1LB+ off a 3x3 flood table with a 600w hps
Click to expand...
I'm heading for DIY aero cloner for my next grow ( 3rd ) , Gonna take a read of your grow .. Thanks for posting :)


Wow you guys are all tight today lol ... The op just wants to try something new ...Prolly just useing the dirt being messy as an example :)

Let him have his new thing and all be at peace :) show some love to a brotha :hump:

OP .. Good luck man , Hope you floors stay dry and your bud's are mighty :)


:peace:
 
DownOnWax

DownOnWax

Well-Known Member
grow space said:
pick up the fucking broom and clean it up, thats what i do, or let you mom do it, i dont give a shit...Go with hydro man, do it, but u can fuck things much quicker...sorry, u will only get these kinds of replys form me because i am a retarded thread stalker and i have very lil experience with hydro growing...:peace:
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Hahahaha

Dude, if you have problems with soil then there is no fucking way you will be able to figure out hydro.

You will be back on here in 2 months saying that you are done with hydro because water keeps getting on the floor and it's messy.

Then, in turn grow space will tell you to get a mop and clean it up! :)
 
Banditt

Banditt

Well-Known Member
doc111 said:
Soil is too messy? What is messy about it? Hydro can be just as messy.:?
Click to expand...
totally disagree...

1. There's no dirt...dirt is dirty. :lol:
2. No bugs. (been growing in the same space for years and never even seen a bug besides a spider here and there)
3. You don't have to dispose of shit tons of dirt, just poor your left over nutrient solution down the drain or poor in your outside plants.
4. Reservoirs, pots, buckets etc all very easy to clean as they do not have dirt residue all over them.
5. You don't get dirt all over your grow area while moving or watering. Worst that happens is a little water gets on the floor and dries up in a couple hours.

Hydro is def. cleaner then dirt.
 
ExileOnMainStreet

ExileOnMainStreet

Well-Known Member
jsteezy1209 said:
...soil is messy meaning transplanting the shit gets everywhere...
Click to expand...
FWIW, I can count on one hand the number of times I've transplanted/re-potted.
Here's a pic of a seedling planted right from the peat pellet into a 5-gallon (ish) pot
It went right to harvest in that pot - about 5' tall with two colas, though they were small 'cause I'm still growing under CFLs. Now I plant the rooted clones right into 2L pop bottles where they stay until I chop em down - there's not much soil left by then, just a tightly packed root ball that goes into the compost.

I make the soil from peat moss and pearlite - it's so light that it sweeps/vacuums right up.

From the grow thread in my sig:


Still, I'm starting to play with hydro, too - specifically a compact 12V system. Don't know that I'll ever walk away from soil altogether though.
 
jsteezy1290

jsteezy1290

Well-Known Member
ya .. still sayin soil is a fuckin mess. id rather have a water mess then a dirt mess but thats just my 2 cents. i think ima start a lavender clone in my waterfarm
 
ExileOnMainStreet

ExileOnMainStreet

Well-Known Member
I hear ya - I always cringe about what would happen if my floor drain got plugged with dirt or trimmings. I'm not into jacking up the slab if a snake didn't clear it and I sure as hell ain't gonna risk the exposure of having someone else come in to do it !

A nute spill = no biggie, just $$
 
doc111

doc111

Well-Known Member
Banditt said:
totally disagree...

1. There's no dirt...dirt is dirty. :lol:
2. No bugs. (been growing in the same space for years and never even seen a bug besides a spider here and there)
3. You don't have to dispose of shit tons of dirt, just poor your left over nutrient solution down the drain or poor in your outside plants.
4. Reservoirs, pots, buckets etc all very easy to clean as they do not have dirt residue all over them.
5. You don't get dirt all over your grow area while moving or watering. Worst that happens is a little water gets on the floor and dries up in a couple hours.

Hydro is def. cleaner then dirt.
Click to expand...
Okay, dirt aside, hydro can still be messy. That's all I'm saying. With hydro if you get a leak in a rez or tubing you're gonna have nutrient solution all over the place. I know a guy who is giving up his NFT and switching to soil because he can't seem to get rid of his fungus gnat infestation. A lot more can go wrong with hydro. I'm not trying to argue here and I honestly don't care if the OP gives up on soil and switches to hydro, I just wanted to point out that there are positives and negatives for both. I don't have problems getting dirt everywhere even when I transplant. I put a tarp down and go to town. Any dirt left on the tarp gets put right back in the tote. Transplanting is really the only time where getting dirt on the floor is even an issue, and then I have a little shop vac and 30 seconds it's clean. I just don't want people thinking that hydro is completely without messes and work. Most hydro growers I talk to say it takes even more work than soil to make things work properly.:peace:
 
1gne

1gne

Active Member
dude all real old head grower wit tell yu soil it the way to go. damn if dirts the prob then yu must be sum kinda clean freak. hydro it so fuckin much to say the least. and 4 what?? a week off of grow time WOW!!! plus you have to worry bout alot more bull like ph. ec. water temps pumps and all dat other crap and 4 what a lost of tast, resin prodution, and yield YES i said yield. SO yu do what ya wanna but dnt frekin flip out over some dirt

-1gne
peace
 
Spread That Seed

Spread That Seed

Well-Known Member
1gne, your outa your mind or too medicated if you think soil puts out more resin and yield.



jsteezy, here are my experiences with hydro:

Aero - very easy to screw up and my plants struggled at the beginning. But after a week or two they took off and had the fastest growth

Bubble - Pretty cheap and easy to set up. Growth was a little slower than aero but the stems on the plants were a lot thicker

Hempy Bucket - In progress but plants started off slow but once the roots hit the res they took off. Very cheap and very forgiving. Might be a good choice to do your first hydro set up

Good luck nukka
 
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