Hydro & soil?

[pete2]

All the time that I have been a member, I have noticed that a large amount of people use soil. I'm not knocking it, but I do see a lot.
I'm a hydro man, always have been. It's a bit more work, but every thing is clean. And you can harvest at least 2 X a year
Am I missing something? Thanks,

 

[AKgramma]

re: Hydro & soil?

Pete, I think soil is more familiar to most of us because we are used to growing vegetables, houseplants, and ornamentals. Some of us have just recently gotten into this hobby because it became legal.

The chemistry of Hydro, at least to me, seems rather intimidating, and the idea of an old aching body doing a lot of water changes is out of the question. It SOUNDS like changing out fish tanks (my former hobby), which I had to give up because of the physical work involved. I may be making wrong assumptions here, but the thought of a leaky hydro system on my rugs and floor scares me from even trying ONE pot.

So I, at least, stick to soil in containers small enough for me to lift and move around as needed.

Just my reasons, nothing against hydro, because for most hydro growers it works very well and is well respected as an ecological way to grow food.

Oh, and I have harvested 4 times since March 2015, a couple mature plants at a time (perpetual grow).

 

[Papageno]

re: Hydro & soil?

Well if I want I can harvest 4 times a year in soil. I even did perpetual in soil. All the very large pro warehouse grows are in soil.

I do both...for me it depends on what I want to do. Since I grow for my wife and myself now as a hobby I am going for the quality not the quantity. I can get enough out of 1grow for a year and then I get to spend 8 months not caring and I get to go on vacation.

Hydro can totally be done correctly but it is soooooo simple to optimize the genetics in soil. I have life in summer so I like to do it just in the winter and be done. I like to try new seeds. So I will do a seed grow in soil in early winter and a clone grow in hydro to get a quicky done in spring.

 

[AKgramma]

re: Hydro & soil?

it IS a learning curve, isn't it? And a fun journey! Each harvest I learn something new and improve my methods, even from hydro growers. I just set up a third "tent" (shelves covered in tarps) for the bubbelicious seed coming. Going to grow them one at a time as a totally opposite experience than my usual strain. I have sativa now, and the BBL is mostly indica.

Like waiting for Santa Claus!

 

[irishredneck]

re: Hydro & soil?

I have done both methods and I find that depending on your system and how many plants you have for what is easier. For example if you grow 12 clones at a time and do it all in soil you have to water all 12 plants every couple days in an ebb and flood system were you mix the nutes ph the mix and the system automatically floods the system at set intervals change the res every 7-10 days rinse and repeat which in turn give more time for training your ladies and topping the res is quick only takes a minute. Now if the same 12 plant grow was single bucket dwc it would be a pain having to top off and change reses every other day is a bitch. If your only doing one or two plants it don't make to much of a difference its when you start dealing with 10 or more plants the bigger hydro systems are a must IMHO if you are going to do hydro. Sorry if I rambled my meds are therapeutic today

 

[AKgramma]

re: Hydro & soil?

Thanks for your input, Irish!

Yes, I am going larger and fewer plants, and so there won't be any advantage for me to try hydro at this time. I'm only flowering 2 at a time, placed 1 month apart. As I harvest each one, I move another out of veg into flower. By that time, they are 30" tall and 30" in diameter, barely able to fit in the closet! But my-oh-my, do I have a lot of preflowers on the lady in waiting! I might have to cram her into the closet with the other two! She isn't going to wait much longer.

 

[irishredneck]

re: Hydro & soil?

I have had to do that before lol. What nutes do you use now? For your soil plants now

 

[AKgramma]

re: Hydro & soil?

I have had to do that before lol. What nutes do you use now? For your soil plants now

I'm not a heavy feeder, but what I use seems to work. For veg, I use an off-the-shelf all-purpose formula for vegetables that are to be consumed. I dilute 1/2 to 1/3 of recommended strength and feed approx once a week or so.

I also give all my Ladies a dose of Sugar Daddy (a homemade mix of TBs brown sugar + 2 tsp epsom salts to 1 gallon of water). I give about 1 quart to each of my plants in both veg and flower about once a week or so, after I've given them a thorough watering.

For flowering I use a tomato bloom formula with no N, also diluted 1/2 to 1/3 strength and dose once a week after watering. Because I don't soak them with the nutes, but dose them after watering, I keep them lightly fed. I don't have any problems with lockout or nute burn.

 

[irishredneck]

re: Hydro & soil?

Hmmm that's easy for hydro I would recommend jacks, silica, MOAB. You could even replace the jacks with maxibloom and if you really want to get down to the bare minimum you don't even need the MOAB. One other thing to always have handy is a bottle of calmag.

 

[AKgramma]

Hmmm that's easy for hydro I would recommend jacks, silica, MOAB. You could even replace the jacks with maxibloom and if you really want to get down to the bare minimum you don't even need the MOAB. One other thing to always have handy is a bottle of calmag.

My well water is high in Calcium (leaves white deposits on the fixtures)and the epsom salts add magnesium, so I think I am OK there. The other things you mentioned, I am unfamiliar with, which is why I went cheap and available. LOL! I don't make any money off the grow and its just for the family, anyway, so any nutes have to be bottom shelf or home made.

 

[irishredneck]

I know that feeling on the budget props to you for pulling it off glad to hear someone can pull it off my water is way to unstable to pull it off

 

[AKgramma]

I know that feeling on the budget props to you for pulling it off glad to hear someone can pull it off my water is way to unstable to pull it off

I enjoy the challenge of adapting my situation to the goal of producing the best buds I can under the circumstances. I know I won't get 6" colas, but the product will be as natural as I can get by with, using only food-safe nutes and mite sprays. And lotsa luv.

 

[irishredneck]

The more TLC you can give the ladies the happier and healthier they will be and you will get better meds in turn

 

[JimmyV]

Its all about da hydro all about da hydro(deep base added) its all bout da hydro da hydro da hydro. Yeah I guess you prob could tell Im all about the hydro! I actually have never grown marijuana in soil and started out in hydro. I just couldn't see myself growing indoors in any other way. Something about bringing dirt, ok I'll be nice "soil" into my house for a grow just doesnt sound like something id want to be doing. Then when you factor in what some soil has mixed in it like little pest, nah I just cant bring myself into doing that inside my house.

I know there are many many people that use soil for their growing medium. But for me I just cant ever see myself wanting to do it that way. As far as any learning curve, I dont think theres anymore or any less to learn when it comes to a soil or hydro grow. With both methods an individual has to learn the basics of each. I dont think one grow method is particularly easier than the other. I think it all boils down to a personal preference, and thats about it.

 

[G00ch]

My well water is high in Calcium (leaves white deposits on the fixtures)and the epsom salts add magnesium, so I think I am OK there. The other things you mentioned, I am unfamiliar with, which is why I went cheap and available. LOL! I don't make any money off the grow and its just for the family, anyway, so any nutes have to be bottom shelf or home made.

If you want to use the calcium that your water is providing for the plant look for NPK-RAW omniA(amino acids) you will never see limescale in your res again, it will all go into the plant

 

[G00ch]

My take on dirt vs hydro is a little different i suspect. I would love to grow in dirt but i need straight forward and logical and nothing organic is straight forward and logical. Dirt requires patience any changes made take a week to notice. Hydro is very straight forward you give it what it needs when it needs it and it gives you what you need when you need it. Changes can made almost instantly and be seen in hydro. It is very difficult to get indoor production out of dirt.

 

[rillos]

I started in soil and found it was very boring. I like Hydro making different set-ups, and knowing what my PH/PPM's are at all times is a big plus.

 

[irishredneck]

I had to switch back to soiless for a while due to temperature issues can't wait to start doing hydro again

 

[rillos]

I had to switch back to soiless for a while due to temperature issues can't wait to start doing hydro again

I made a chiller out of a old dehumidifier.

 

[irishredneck]

That is cool I want get or make an undercurrent system and for that I will be getting a chiller for sure just so everything stays at the right temp in the root zone