Hydroponics or soil grow??

Growing in SoCal. Gonna get an AC infinity T4 & SF4000 for a 4x4, hopefully will help control the electricity bill.
As for water and being where I am, can I get away with watering 4-8 plants (if I expand) without fucking up the bill / environment.. please let me know cause I’d rather grow with soil, but have a feeling I might have to grow hydroponically

Hydro doesn’t save any water if anything it uses a bunch more.

93OG said:

Hydro doesn’t save any water if anything it uses a bunch more.

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Consider hydro plants are in a sealed pail. Not much evaporation. Soil plants are open and often hit by a fan.
Say 4 large plants in full flower in hydro will drink about 5 litres a day. What will 4. 5 gallon soil pots drink?

glizzyboyyyyys said:

Growing in SoCal. Gonna get an AC infinity T4 & SF4000 for a 4x4, hopefully will help control the electricity bill.
As for water and being where I am, can I get away with watering 4-8 plants (if I expand) without fucking up the bill / environment.. please let me know cause I’d rather grow with soil, but have a feeling I might have to grow hydroponically

Click to expand...

Is water expensive where you are? If your worried you can just buy RO water in large tubs.

Look into Sub Irrigated Plants (SIPs) you will not be disappointed! There is a thread on here on them also.

myke said:

Is water expensive where you are? If your worried you can just buy RO water in large tubs.

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That’s a great idea, thank you

myke said:

Consider hydro plants are in a sealed pail. Not much evaporation. Soil plants are open and often hit by a fan.
Say 4 large plants in full flower in hydro will drink about 5 litres a day. What will 4. 5 gallon soil pots drink?

Click to expand...

good point. And I don’t know how much the soil pots would drink but I see what you’re saying

93OG said:

Hydro doesn’t save any water if anything it uses a bunch more.

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damnnn ok thank you

glizzyboyyyyys said:

good point. And I don’t know how much the soil pots would drink but I see what you’re saying

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Remember in hydro you throw out the old res Water every change.

myke said:

Consider hydro plants are in a sealed pail. Not much evaporation. Soil plants are open and often hit by a fan.
Say 4 large plants in full flower in hydro will drink about 5 litres a day. What will 4. 5 gallon soil pots drink?

Click to expand...

A 5 gallon in full flower for me in 85 degree heat outdoors need water once every 3-4 days.

About a half a gallon to fully water. 3/4 gallon to get 20% runnoff

I’ve seen your posts. Stick to soil.

hotrodharley said:

I’ve seen your posts. Stick to soil.

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Lol word. Thanks

Brother, you are in California. The biggest state for agricultural production. Residential water use only accounts for 12% of all water usage. Big ag uses the rest. Even if all 35 million people deserted CA. And they Ag industry was left in tact it would make no effect on the drought. Big ag is destructive and is responsible for the lack.of water in CA. Also it only accounts for a small percentage of the economy, California's economy is the 6th largest economy in the world it is a power house.

If you want to be sustainable grow living soils and use only organic integrative pest management practices. Use less plastic, bottles nutrients come in plastic, plastic pollutes everything including the oceans.

Everyone should watch this documentary on water and power in the state of California to understand the depths of corruption

Also get your water tested, alot of water city and can be super hard and it can kill your plants. If there's too much of 1 mineral say like iron, it can lock other nutrients out slowly killing your plants. Or if there's alot of chlorine it will also slowly kill your plants. I suggest testing it and getting a reverse osmosis.