Lazy Man's Way to Cleaner Hydroponic Cannabis

Budley Doright

Well-Known Member
Crazy. I see people having lots of issues finding a nutrient regimen and after all these years I understand why. There's a huge difference in hydro between using a nutrient balanced for cannabis and not. The effect pH swing differences have on quality are minimal, compared to the balance of the mix. Without a balanced mix, frequently dumping the res is necessary since you really don't know what's left over, after the plants have been absorbing it for a while.

I Believe Living in a Prohibition State Helped Save Me Frustration
I did a lot of research, 15+ years ago, and ended up using Lucas for a few reasons. In 6 months of researching cannabisworld.com and overgrow.com, the lucas formula and method had these things going for it. (It's important to remember it's a nute mix AND a res management method)

  • Had the highest number of newbies pulling off successful first grows (important as I was in Nevada and unable to ask questions)
  • Had the highest number of experienced growers answering questions from newbies
  • Had the fewest number of possible and consistently documented issues, with well documented information on cause/fix
  • Used nutrients I could find in any grow shop or online

I actually spent 6 months researching and building a micro-box, before I ever started my first hydro. Zero issues the first time out. :) Again, that was 15+ years ago and I've been working on improving my quality ever since. :)
My first hydro grow was my best one yet at GPW (not that that means shit either) and I didn't research shit really lol. Didn't even have a PH meter and built the first setup using scrap shit lying around the garage. Still trying to replicate those numbers
 

Douglas.Curtis

Well-Known Member
lucas formula is not even close to be balanced/designed for cannabis. this was made like 10 years ago lol. if you want to make a specific nutrients you need to make tissue analysis. He didnt.
My quailty beats the shit out of anything I've had the last 8 years. 8 years ago I ran across ONE grower with better. I kinda think that Mel Frank and pH and Lucas got pretty damn close. Without labs. And it was nearly 20 years ago now.
l
btw,you used lucas for the last 12yrs,you made research etc.... you should know even lucas recommended at that time dump rez every week because he stated the nutrient solution became unbalanced overtime...
:roll:
Show me where Lucas recommends that? I've been reading and re-reading his stuff for 15 years now.

Everything I have says differently. The only time he recommends dumping a res during flower is when you don't have a pH pen or meter or pH drops. There's a simple res management for that. (Edit: When you don't have a ppm meter. Sorry, you need at least pH drops or a pH pen for the Lucas method. pH drops are $7 and I used them for years)
 
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weedemart

Well-Known Member
lucas post probly gone by now, i remember his post in 2006.it was not 20 years ago.

btw he never made a nutrient profile, basically he just looked at mel franks profile and found the 1-2 ratio with gh that was close. mel franks profile are far from optimal in my experience, plant require far less P and K.Fruiting plant require a lot of P/K , foliage plant doesnt. In fact , foliage plant require almost more N than P/K combined

anyway, if you have success keep it up.


If you like to experiment things, take a water sample of your rez for analysis after 1 month.you will notice most of your ppm is calcium sulfur and magnesium.
 
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Budley Doright

Well-Known Member
I would have to read up on it again but I thought using his method you refill after adding back the total res volume over a period of time, if it takes three add backs to equal total volume then you would dump and refill the 4th time.
 

Douglas.Curtis

Well-Known Member
lucas post probly gone by now, i remember his post in 2006.it was not 20 years ago.
I ran across his info in 2001-2002, he'd been posting it for over 5 years at that point.
btw he never made a nutrient profile, basically he just looked at mel franks profile and found the 1-2 ratio with gh that was close. mel franks profile are far from optimal in my experience, plant require far less P and K.Fruiting plant require a lot of P/K , foliage plant doesnt. In fact , foliage plant require almost more N than P/K combined
You're correct, Lucas only pushed what PH came up with from Mel Frank's work.
anyway, if you have success keep it up.
Considering everything I've come across in 8 years is sub-par to what I grow, yeah... I'd say it works. Is there better? Most likely, but nobody in 8 years has handed me bud from it.

If you like to experiment things, take a water sample of your rez for analysis after 1 month.you will notice most of your ppm is calcium sulfur and magnesium.
Uhh, considering I'm adding nutes every 7-10 days, I'll have much different results than just Ca, Sulfer and Mag.
 

Douglas.Curtis

Well-Known Member
I would have to read up on it again but I thought using his method you refill after adding back the total res volume over a period of time, if it takes three add backs to equal total volume then you would dump and refill the 4th time.
Those are instructions for not having a ppm meter, just a pH pen or drops. (I said no pH pen or drops above, but that's wrong)
When you mix a ten gallon res and have added back 10 gallons of top off r/o, you dump it and start over. Should be just shy of 2 weeks when done that way.

Read the entire "Ask Lucas" thread and you'll see what I'm talking about.
 

weedemart

Well-Known Member
I ran across his info in 2001-2002, he'd been posting it for over 5 years at that point.

You're correct, Lucas only pushed what PH came up with from Mel Frank's work.

Considering everything I've come across in 8 years is sub-par to what I grow, yeah... I'd say it works. Is there better? Most likely, but nobody in 8 years has handed me bud from it.


Uhh, considering I'm adding nutes every 7-10 days, I'll have much different results than just Ca, Sulfer and Mag.
NPK uptake rate is a lot more imporant than micro, magnesium and sulfur. In the case of calcium, the uptake is passive, based on metabolism and environment, theres alway plenty calcium in any rez at anytime especially because calcium nitrate represent a large % of your nutrients.

So in resume

every 7-10 days your solution become depleted of NPK,causing imbalance so you had more nutes resulting in increased imbalance because of the calcium accumulating... like sulfur,mag,copper,zinc....

The only way to not cause that imbalance would be to use a starter solution and a refill solution(mixture of potassium nitrate and mkp) so you dont add everytime nutrients that build up.

Anyway, I wont make a post to explain you the element balance in function of element uptake but take the time to make the analys .I would bet anyday your ca/sulfur and mag represent 50%+ of your total ppm and if you test your buds you will see a high % of metals and shit. Guarenteed.


Nutrient Management in Recirculating Hydroponic
http://cpl.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/pub__9984184.pdf
 
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Douglas.Curtis

Well-Known Member
NPK uptake rate is a lot more imporant than micro, magnesium and sulfur. In the case of calcium, the uptake is passive, based on metabolism and environment, theres alway plenty calcium in any rez at anytime especially because calcium nitrate represent a large % of your nutrients.
Blah, blah, blah. All this is what you read, not what you figured out about cannabis. Show me your way that grows better than mine, thanks.

Everyone else around me, for years, has used other than the lucas formula and ya know what? Their cannabis sucks. In 3 months without dumping a res, my plants look great, with awesome potency and flavor. Beats the shit out of anyone I've come across dumping their res every 2 weeks, every time.

So what your paragraphs are saying is, nobody needs cal-mag (just mag). I've known this for years and always used r/o without cal-mag. Works great. :)
 

weedemart

Well-Known Member
Blah, blah, blah. All this is what you read, not what you figured out about cannabis. Show me your way that grows better than mine, thanks.

Everyone else around me, for years, has used other than the lucas formula and ya know what? Their cannabis sucks. In 3 months without dumping a res, my plants look great, with awesome potency and flavor. Beats the shit out of anyone I've come across dumping their res every 2 weeks, every time.

So what your paragraphs are saying is, nobody needs cal-mag (just mag). I've known this for years and always used r/o without cal-mag. Works great. :)
your right on one things, nobody needs cal-mag, not even mag , if you buy a decent quality hydroponic nutes.
 

weedemart

Well-Known Member
Show me a commercial tomato, hydroponic setup, dumping their res every 2 weeks. LOL Funny.
i just gave you a link to what they do. you either stupid or one of these trolls.

speaking of commercial greenhouse, you really think they use bottled nutrients.
 

Douglas.Curtis

Well-Known Member
your right on one things, nobody needs cal-mag, not even mag , if you buy a decent quality hydroponic nutes.
Lucas is shy in mag. It's fairly well balanced with the rest.
I'm sure if you lab test it, everything is being absorbed properly and there's little, if any, excess buildup going on. This happens in a lot of nutrients, yes, they're not balanced though.

GH is pharmaceutical grade and the mix is super simple. This is the Lazy Man's Hydro, btw, in case you forgot.
 

Douglas.Curtis

Well-Known Member
i just gave you a link to what they do. you either stupid or one of these trolls.

speaking of commercial greenhouse, you really think they use bottled nutrients.
I read the link, they're obviously using unbalanced nute profiles for their plants. Yes, they most likely used bottled nutes.

The only time you see a research group mixing up their own special formulations, is when they're researching a specific plant.
 

weedemart

Well-Known Member
on a last note, i figured nothings about cannabis because i treat it as i treat any other plants. I read horticulture arcticle ,yep.... I wont show anything because i dont have any interest to make a show or have attention on me.

your following a 10yrs old cracker jacker formula i think u didnt figure a lot on horticulture. :)
 

weedemart

Well-Known Member
Lucas is shy in mag. It's fairly well balanced with the rest.
I'm sure if you lab test it, everything is being absorbed properly and there's little, if any, excess buildup going on. This happens in a lot of nutrients, yes, they're not balanced though.

GH is pharmaceutical grade and the mix is super simple. This is the Lazy Man's Hydro, btw, in case you forgot.
I read the link, they're obviously using unbalanced nute profiles for their plants. Yes, they most likely used bottled nutes.

The only time you see a research group mixing up their own special formulations, is when they're researching a specific plant.
:facepalm:

lucas shy in mg and balanced ahah

where you think gh buy their salt? you think they manufacture salt?

brain washed by the hydro insdustries.
gg mate.
 
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Douglas.Curtis

Well-Known Member
:facepalm:

lucas shy in mg and balanced ahah
Mag uptake is one of the most varied traits between strains/phenotypes. It's as balanced as it needs to be for clean cannabis, while supplying at least the minimum for the 'average' cannabis plant.
where you think gh buy their salt? you think they manufacture salt?

brain washed by the hydro insdustries.
gg mate.
It's refined minerals, mined from the earth. Hello? Where did you dig up your nutrient info?

Btw, horticulture knows pretty much zip/zero/nada about quality, clean cannabis.
Post all you want, I've posted the truth and any intelligent grower will be able to use it to their advantage. I'm done responding to your ignorance on the subject.
 

weedemart

Well-Known Member
im so ignorant on the subject i can give a credible explanation with sources to all your bullshit but the only argument you have is'' my shit is better than yours'' lolll classic. atleast I wish you could post something to prove your points but nothing.

you knows pretty much zip/zero/nada about horticulture. end of story
 

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
im so ignorant on the subject i can give a credible explanation with sources to all your bullshit but the only argument you have is'' my shit is better than yours'' lolll classic. atleast I wish you could post something to prove your points but nothing.

you knows pretty much zip/zero/nada about horticulture. end of story
i saw a pic of one of his buds. didn't look all that great or clean to me.

wtf is clean cannabis anyway?

his funniest quote was that commercial growers use bottled nutes
 
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