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Thinkin' About Hydro

rockinlespaul

By rockinlespaul
in Hydroponic Growing

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TajMahal Advanced Member

TajMahal

Posted
Posted

I gained a extra room :) so I was thinkin' about trying my hand at some type of hydro. I got all kinds of new stuff I want to run. :devil:

 

Gonna keep my dirt room going too though. What are the differences in the two and pro's/con's, thoughts, etc...

 

Thanks!

 

Hydro...speed n yield.

 

Dirt....they say taste, dunno, I can't taste the diff between hot sauce and a hot tamale, it is all hot to me LoL

 

 

I tried a hempy bucket, not a lot of joy (insufficient light)...it is still alive and healthy though, almost ready to put into flower. Very cheap and needs no electricity.

 

Going to try a single water farm soon.

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RevThad Advanced Member

+RevThad

Posted
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I gained a extra room :) so I was thinkin' about trying my hand at some type of hydro. I got all kinds of new stuff I want to run. :devil:

 

Gonna keep my dirt room going too though. What are the differences in the two and pro's/con's, thoughts, etc...

 

Thanks!

 

Very cool to read you are going to be trying something new. I think you will enjoy it.

 

With all of the different hydro types and setups out there, the first step would be figuring out how many plants you are going to run and how technical you want to get with it. The next question is are you going to DIY it or buy a system. There are some great pre-built systems on the market, they are a bit on the pricey side for what they include. There are also DIY plans for any type of hydro/aero you want to get into, and the best part you won't feel bad about making modifications to them because you didn't spend the $500 typical of a pre-built. If I had to recommend an inexpensive and easy to build setup, that will perform well, I would say go with something like the bubble totes (buckets) that Bubblegrower has shared on this site.

 

Now on to the pros and cons.

 

Pros:

  • No more hauling dirt (new or used)
  • Fast results
  • Excellent yields
  • Better oxygenated root zone
  • Adjustments to nutrients and ph are much faster

 

Cons:

  • Depend on constant power for oxygen and circulation
  • Loss of the buffer that soil provides
  • Lots of water means chance of flooding
  • Adjustments to nutrients and ph are much faster

 

Those are just a few of each. Overall it is a lot of fun, and there are a bunch of ways you can tailor each system to your personal and strains preferences.

 

Hope you have a great time with it, like I have.

 

Edited for list formatting

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herb green Advanced Member

herb green

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Maybe I'll stick to dirt, lol.

 

There is "natures necture" which is the only OMRI organic nutrient group

 

THere's botanicare? dont know...real hard to be truely organic in soluble complete nutrient

 

There's not the natural 'action' for lack of a technical term that goes on in soil

 

This THREAD is just Awesome...and easier organic more interesting ...try a few of these mixes or neptune fish method which is in there

 

BURN ONE ORGANICS THREAD PAGE 1

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=53792

 

But that's me...I believe in organic soil...its going to grow good medicine

 

Some people's minds are just tuned differently than mine...the whole hydro thing to them is exciting... maybe they would be bored growing in soil

 

If you want hydro follow bubblegrowers tutorial here...Its truely impressive results

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vender Advanced Member

vender

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Hydro is nice, you can leave them for weeks and not worry. Fill up your res and they take care of themselves. Kinda nice. Low maintenance. Takes a while to dial it in, but then its worry free. I will never go back to being a dirt farmer.

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RevThad Advanced Member

+RevThad

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Hydro is nice, you can leave them for weeks and not worry. Fill up your res and they take care of themselves. Kinda nice. Low maintenance. Takes a while to dial it in, but then its worry free. I will never go back to being a dirt farmer.

 

What are you running that allows you to leave the system and your plants for weeks? :blink:

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shishka Advanced Member

shishka

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Posted

Give coco a try. I've done hydro, soil and as of the first of the year gave coco a shot and love it. It's basically hydro with a more forgiving medium.

Get the speed and yields of hydro but a bit more buffer zone if a pump breaks or you miss a watering.

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reddy Advanced Member

reddy

Posted
Posted

Coco is neither dirt or hydroponics. It's a 100% sustainable recycled medium unlike Peat Moss, which the harvesting of is destroying wetlands across the continent. Not to mention all the Guano that folks are using are causing a lot of damage in the caves by the Human traffic, caves are very sensitive to intrusion of man. Dirt grown doesn't give you a better medicine. The grower's genetics, feeding levels, flushing and curing skill gives the quality we're all after.

 

Hydro buds do not suck when done properly. Rockwool, you can't recycle and you start fresh each time, fills up landfills. Bubbles, air, aero, DWC what ever you want to call it, is high proformance, but a higher risk in crop loss, your plants will die fast if you mess up, just ask BubbleGrower, he lost his whole crop and 180 gallons of water spilled everywhere. Expandable Clay Balls are expensive and hard to clean. Coco give you a buffer zone for your mistakes.

 

Coco requires no fancy drip or ebb and flow setup, it's optional, you can hand-water every day or 2. Results are amazing. Most Coco growers water once a day and the pH stays put.

 

Coco is also very cheap, about 70 cents a gallon, that's after it's expanded from a briefcase sized bale. I mix with 20% perlite. Do not use the Coco chips, roots cannot penetrate inside the chips, takes away your available root space.

 

Fox Farm Ocean Forest growers, try coco you will love it, Ocean Forest is not the same anymore, now it's low grade potting soil.

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Half*Baked*Bunny Member

Half*Baked*Bunny

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Only benefit I've witnessed with hydroponics is: You won't be a slave to your plants' thirst. Temperature of water is very easily raised by lights and equipment (or air conditioner/ventilation/timer failures.) RevThad said "Pros:Adjustments to nutrients and ph are much faster" but I really don't see that as a Pro; it means they can CHANGE that quickly so you DO still have to 'babysit' and keep a close eye on the system. PH, nutes, and temps can fluctuate drastically and fast. Say you wait even 4 days to check in? Anything that has changed due to another (or multiple) variant(s) could be enough to start killing everything and if you don't even notice the wilting or yellowing until a few days later (cause you're in week or more long autopilot mode) everything is dead and gone.. power goes out or a breaker trips/resets? if you weren't around when it happened, everything will be dead or darn close by time you check... Soil really maintains everything at a much more manageable level and changes much less drastically. I've tried (and in this order) dirt, aeroponics, fogoponics, hydroponics, dirt... ben back to soil (promix hp) for a while now. Quality people! I don't believe dro gets better yield/potency either... all about nutes/boosters, lights, and genetics. I must agree though; hauling new/old soil sux.. but that's my ONLY complaint. Good luck and... Keep it DIRT-Y! ;)

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Shadeleaf Advanced Member

Shadeleaf

Posted
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In March '09 High Times did an interview with a master grower, from Cali, they called "The Wizard". The Wizard had contacted High Times because he wanted someone to document a new soil growing process that he'd mastered. This guy has been growing for 20+ years then. It's a great read and here is a short quote from the article:

 

"Once he'd mastered hydroponics, the Wizard told me, he made the conscious choice to return to soil and organics, and ended up achieving the greatest results he'd ever seen. We had a long conversation about hydro versus dirt- agreeing that hydro gardens grow faster, but disagreeing about final bud size. But when it comes to buds raised in soil, said the Wizard, one thing always stands out in the end: the taste."

 

"Then we returned to his garden for a second look, and it became clear that he's way beyond anything a hydro farmer could ever hope to achieve."

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  • 3 weeks later...
reddy Advanced Member

reddy

Posted
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i always trust people who name themselves "the wizard" and proclaim to be a master grower.

 

give me a break. come try these hydroponic chemdog buds, not lacking any flavor. it's like a mouthful of garlic, hops, and pinecones. best bud taste i've ever enountered.

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  • 2 weeks later...
CannabisPatient#1 Advanced Member

CannabisPatient#1

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Only benefit I've witnessed with hydroponics is: You won't be a slave to your plants' thirst. Temperature of water is very easily raised by lights and equipment (or air conditioner/ventilation/timer failures.) RevThad said "Pros:Adjustments to nutrients and ph are much faster" but I really don't see that as a Pro; it means they can CHANGE that quickly so you DO still have to 'babysit' and keep a close eye on the system. PH, nutes, and temps can fluctuate drastically and fast. Say you wait even 4 days to check in? Anything that has changed due to another (or multiple) variant(s) could be enough to start killing everything and if you don't even notice the wilting or yellowing until a few days later (cause you're in week or more long autopilot mode) everything is dead and gone.. power goes out or a breaker trips/resets? if you weren't around when it happened, everything will be dead or darn close by time you check... Soil really maintains everything at a much more manageable level and changes much less drastically. I've tried (and in this order) dirt, aeroponics, fogoponics, hydroponics, dirt... ben back to soil (promix hp) for a while now. Quality people! I don't believe dro gets better yield/potency either... all about nutes/boosters, lights, and genetics. I must agree though; hauling new/old soil sux.. but that's my ONLY complaint. Good luck and... Keep it DIRT-Y! ;)

 

That is why you keep Mother plants in dirt. If a bad situation arises you don't lose your genetics. I love knowing exactly what is going on and the control that I feel I have with hydro. I am in a DWC tote and an original recipe Hempy bucket. My bud is going to help my through coco soon too.

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THC-Farmer Advanced Member

THC-Farmer

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Here's my take on this debate...

 

Hydroponic cultivation has some advantages over soil. However it also has many disadvantages. It all depends on which of the many different hydroponic techniques you choose to utilize. I don't really want to get into the semantics and details of each but I would like to express my opinion on some important points.

 

My opinion on hydroponics has always been that the advantages of growing hydroponically will never outwiegh the disadvantages. That and every single aspect of hydroponic cultivation is, by definition and functionality, completely unnatural!

 

The one disadvantage that has always deterred me and remains the same throughout all hydroponic cultivation techniques is that you are forced to provide the plant with every single micro, macro and mobile nutrient it needs to grow. To do this without the presence of the beneficial bacteria and microbes that help break nutrients down and provide a good catalyst for the roots you have to provide the plant solubles and non-organic compounds. There is no TRUELY organic hydroponic cultivation technique. It's simply not possible biologically. AND you have to monitor many different aspects of that solution to be sure the plants can even utilize it. It can be quite difficult finding the right nutrient solutions that work and keep it consistant. In this aspect Hydroponics seems to me like an incredibly redundant and daunting task... Especially considering there's no real GREATER reward over organic soil grown plants in the end for all the extra hard work hydroponic cultivation entails.

 

Another negative mark on hydro for me is the initial cost of equipment such as meters, tubes, pumps, air stones, more tubes and reservoirs... It all seems a bit excessive.

 

Not to mention in the event of a prolonged power failure (say 1-2 days, like in the event of a storm or something) most hydroponic systems will completely fail at keeping the plants alive through the ordeal... I don't know about you, but in my opinion, this type of situation would have a medical marijuana patient ripping thier hair out after months of hard work goes down the drain.

 

Then you gotta deal with leaks... Oh my god the leaks can be DEVASTATING to a grow room. Better hope all your tubes are EXTREMELY secure.

 

Don't forget hydroponic waste pollution. All those non-organic compounds and all that fertilizer used in those reservoirs gets literally dumped down the drain and washed right into the environment. That's not good for anyone or anything... It's not natural.

 

Don't have to haul dirt? I fail to see how that is a positive aspect of hydroponics. Now, instead of hauling dirt, which can easily be vacuumed up if spilled, you have to haul a ton of water, which if spilled, can't necissarily be just vacuumed up... So really it's just offset to a slightly more unstable load.

 

Soil cultivation just seems so much more simple in my opinion. In almost every aspect too... It's not very difficult to purchase or create very effective organic soil mixtures...

 

The detrimental variables are far less in soil cultivation than in hydroponics... There is no question about it...

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Grow Thread Advanced Member

Grow Thread

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Here's my take on this debate...

 

Hydroponic cultivation has some advantages over soil. However it also has many disadvantages. It all depends on which of the many different hydroponic techniques you choose to utilize.

 

However, in my opinion, the advantages of growing hydroponically will never outwiegh the disadvantages.

 

The one disadvantage that has always deterred me and remains the same throughout all hydroponic cultivation techniques is that you are forced to provide the plant with every single micro, macro and mobile nutrient it needs to grow. AND you have to monitor many different aspects of that solution to be sure the plants can even utilize it. It can be quite difficult finding the right nutrient solutions that work and keep it consistant. In this aspect Hydroponics seems to me like an incredibly redundant and daunting task...

 

Another negative mark on hydro for me is the initial cost of equipment such as meters, tubes, pumps, air stones, more tubes and reservoirs... It all seems a bit excessive.

 

Not to mention in the event of a prolonged power failure (say 1-2 days, like in the event of a storm or something) most hydroponic systems will completely fail at keeping the plants alive through the ordeal... I don't know about you, but in my opinion, this type of situation would have a medical marijuana patient ripping thier hair out after months of hard work goes down the drain.

 

Then you gotta deal with leaks... Oh my god the leaks can be DEVASTATING to a grow room. Better hope all your tubes are EXTREMELY secure.

 

Instead of hauling dirt, which can easily be vacuumed up if spilled, you have to haul a ton of water, which if spilled, can't necissarily be just vacuumed up...

 

Soil cultivation just seems so much more simple in my opinion. In almost every aspect too... It's not very difficult to purchase or create very effective organic soil mixtures...

 

The detrimental variables are far less in soil cultivation than in hydroponics... There is no question about it...

 

no doubt this debate will loom forever...... as it should IMO.

 

there are pros and cons to each, no doubt. but for the sake of "telling the other side of the tale"............... here i go :)

 

"The one disadvantage that has always deterred me and remains the same throughout all hydroponic cultivation techniques is that you are forced to provide the plant with every single micro, macro and mobile nutrient it needs to grow. AND you have to monitor many different aspects of that solution to be sure the plants can even utilize it. It can be quite difficult finding the right nutrient solutions that work and keep it consistant. In this aspect Hydroponics seems to me like an incredibly redundant and daunting task..."

------- yes this is true, but its not as bad as it seems. nutrients have been specifically designed for hydroponic applications and with the right nutes/knowledge mixing a gallon of nute/water for hydro is no different at all than mixing a gallon for dirt. i can put 8ml of one liquid and 16ml of another liquid into a gallon of water and have every nute necessary.... micro and macro.

 

 

"Another negative mark on hydro for me is the initial cost of equipment such as meters, tubes, pumps, air stones, more tubes and reservoirs... It all seems a bit excessive."

---- very true....... depending on what kind of hydro you decide to grow with. yes, some aero systems can go well into the thousands of dollars with EASE. but as i have illustrated, a 2-plant hydro system can be built for less than $30. add together your dirt and grow pots for 2 plants and you are close. but the hydro system is 100% reusable, whereas when you are done you have dirt to dispose of, and you are left with a reusable 5 gallon bucket or whatever you grow in originally. after 3 cycles, that $30 tote has pumped out 6 plants. now do the math on your dirt for 6 plants plus pots......... it becomes much more competitive.

 

"Not to mention in the event of a prolonged power failure (say 1-2 days, like in the event of a storm or something) most hydroponic systems will completely fail at keeping the plants alive through the ordeal... I don't know about you, but in my opinion, this type of situation would have a medical marijuana patient ripping thier hair out after months of hard work goes down the drain."

----this is where you have hydro under the gun depending on what form of hydro the grower is using. and this is also one of the MAIN reasons that i grow in bubble buckets and not in a true aero system. if a pump should fail, or a power outage occur, a plants roots can sit in absolutely still water for 3-5 days before any major major damage begins to occur. up until that point, it is nothing to pull out of for a plant in a bubblebucket/tote. a true aero or even an ebb and flow system on the other hand?? all dead in 24 hours without that pump. now lets turn that around for a minute or two. say i want to leave my grow room for a whole week straight? a dirt grower couldnt do it without an automatic watering machine or something. i could walk out right now for a week and leave the bubbletotes assuming they are not in mid-flower and drinking a gallon a day anyways...... i could conceivably leave a freshly rooted clone that has just been planted into a fresh bubblebucket for 2 weeks if a had to. they dont drink that much water..... and my bucket/tote will never dry out in that amount of time with such a small plant in there..

 

"Then you gotta deal with leaks... Oh my god the leaks can be DEVASTATING to a grow room. Better hope all your tubes are EXTREMELY secure"

----- hydro nightmare for sure. precautions must be taken at the beginning for this disaster, and yes that may mean a little more initial startup cost.............. but lets check out the real "pros" of hydro:

 

first off, especially for a newer grower, you have no idea what is in that soil/mix/whatever. no clue at all. you can read the manufacturers specifications, you can read other peoples grow journals, and you can get a good idea of what to do with it...... but do you really ever know 100% exactly what nutes you have and when you have them?? never. in hydro, you know everything, right down to the milliliter.

 

the biggest "pro" for hydro is faster growth. period. i either get more meds in the same amount of time as a dirt grower, or i get the same amount of meds in less time. any dirt grower that says they can get a plant to grow faster than in my bubblebucket is a straight-up liar. it's science and its common sense. in soil, the roots gets air when you let them. after you water, you flood the roots. still (non-moving) water contains no oxygen. oxygen to the roots is simply the #1 aspect of rapid growth. use any nutes you want.......... if the roots dont get air, your plant wont grow. in soil, the roots begin to get air little by little as the soil begins to slowly dry out over the span of a day or two........ and then you flood them and choke them again.... in bubbles, we are forcing oxygen directly at the roots 24/7. there is no down-time. its all grow all day. in an ebb-n-grow you flood the roots for a hot minute and then drain all the water instantly away leaving the roots exposed to straight air until they get just dry enough that it is time to flood them again. this is MAX growth IMO but as i said, there are some probs with aero as well.

 

i have never ever ever ever had a bug in my water. most of soil growers cannot say the same about their dirt. soil is a natural habitat for many garden variety pests. a tub full of nutrient water is like hell for them and they avoid it at all costs.

 

the long-time deal with the taste issue has gone to the birds as far as im concerned. as a matter of fact, i will turn the tables on the dirt grower now.

a 10 day flush in hydro will give me 100% cannabis taste and nothing else. you can flush for a year and wont get 100% taste. you are getting dirt no matter what. do i prefer the dirt taste? yes. but thats not the point.... the point is that there is no other 100% flush other than having your roots in nothing but clean water for 10 days. flush = clean. as clean as you can get it. my roots in dirt isnt clean. a 10 day flush in hydro 100% assures you that nobody could ever possibly say anything at all about the way your meds taste. if they do, its the strain, not the grow.

 

before i forget, but there is a pro and a con for dirt that shouldnt be overlooked for the budget grower. in the early veg stage, having buckets full of wet dirt will DRAMATICALLY increase your humidity....... this is perfect for the veg room. but then when they hit flower, you have a problem with high humidity. the bubblebuckets are sealed and therefore any moisture that is going to seep into the air to help create humidity is going to be the tiny tiny amount that may evaporate through the hydroton pebbles. very minute amount. so i just make up for it by misting the plants in veg to help raise humidity..... and when i get to flower, i have way lower humidity (naturally and without the aid of equipment) than any dirt grow.

 

the pros and cons are endless and THC could go back and forth for hours..... but one thing i know we both agree on..... its all up to the grower.

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THC-Farmer Advanced Member

THC-Farmer

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"The one disadvantage that has always deterred me and remains the same throughout all hydroponic cultivation techniques is that you are forced to provide the plant with every single micro, macro and mobile nutrient it needs to grow. AND you have to monitor many different aspects of that solution to be sure the plants can even utilize it. It can be quite difficult finding the right nutrient solutions that work and keep it consistant. In this aspect Hydroponics seems to me like an incredibly redundant and daunting task..."

------- yes this is true, but its not as bad as it seems. nutrients have been specifically designed for hydroponic applications and with the right nutes/knowledge mixing a gallon of nute/water for hydro is no different at all than mixing a gallon for dirt. i can put 8ml of one liquid and 16ml of another liquid into a gallon of water and have every nute necessary.... micro and macro.

 

Agreed! But a major difference still remains; Those Hydroponic nutrient compounds are not organic by any means. The only concern I have with non-organic nutrients and compounds is the issue of them leaking into the environment. It's never a good idea to pour hydroponic waste water/spent nutrient solutions down the drain, in the toilet, or anywhere for that matter. So the question is, what do you do with your left over non-organic solutions?

 

"Another negative mark on hydro for me is the initial cost of equipment such as meters, tubes, pumps, air stones, more tubes and reservoirs... It all seems a bit excessive."

---- very true....... depending on what kind of hydro you decide to grow with. yes, some aero systems can go well into the thousands of dollars with EASE. but as i have illustrated, a 2-plant hydro system can be built for less than $30. add together your dirt and grow pots for 2 plants and you are close. but the hydro system is 100% reusable, whereas when you are done you have dirt to dispose of, and you are left with a reusable 5 gallon bucket or whatever you grow in originally. after 3 cycles, that $30 tote has pumped out 6 plants. now do the math on your dirt for 6 plants plus pots......... it becomes much more competitive.

 

But see, that $30 tote is much more than a $30 tote when you factor in the nutrients you put into the water, the pumps required, the tubing and the water. You forgot to mention those factors. And they are important because they all add up. More competitive, sure. More efficient? Not really... I pay roughly $80 for all the soil I need to do twelve 5 gallon buckets, filled to the brim, and quite a few 1 gallon pots for vegetative growth. Fertilizer lasts 4 times longer in organic soil mixtures because the soil itsself as a medium also provides months of nutrients for the plants. So while you use up a bottle every 2 cycles, mine lasts for 4 cycles or more!

 

Not to mention soil allows for beneficial bacteria and micro organisms that are impossible to support in a hydroponic system. This aspects of biology are very important to NATURAL plant growth. This is also what enhances the natural flavors and aromas of the plants... Something no hydro system can EVER achieve!

 

"Not to mention in the event of a prolonged power failure (say 1-2 days, like in the event of a storm or something) most hydroponic systems will completely fail at keeping the plants alive through the ordeal... I don't know about you, but in my opinion, this type of situation would have a medical marijuana patient ripping thier hair out after months of hard work goes down the drain."

----this is where you have hydro under the gun depending on what form of hydro the grower is using. and this is also one of the MAIN reasons that i grow in bubble buckets and not in a true aero system. if a pump should fail, or a power outage occur, a plants roots can sit in absolutely still water for 3-5 days before any major major damage begins to occur. up until that point, it is nothing to pull out of for a plant in a bubblebucket/tote. a true aero or even an ebb and flow system on the other hand?? all dead in 24 hours without that pump. now lets turn that around for a minute or two. say i want to leave my grow room for a whole week straight? a dirt grower couldnt do it without an automatic watering machine or something. i could walk out right now for a week and leave the bubbletotes assuming they are not in mid-flower and drinking a gallon a day anyways...... i could conceivably leave a freshly rooted clone that has just been planted into a fresh bubblebucket for 2 weeks if a had to. they dont drink that much water..... and my bucket/tote will never dry out in that amount of time with such a small plant in there..

 

Yes, the DWC buckets definitely help out if you had to leave your garden unattended for an extended period of time. Very good point there! Possibly one of the best solutions for a situation where the patient isn't able to tend to thier garden everyday would be your basic DWC bucket system.

 

but lets check out the real "pros" of hydro:

 

first off, especially for a newer grower, you have no idea what is in that soil/mix/whatever. no clue at all. you can read the manufacturers specifications, you can read other peoples grow journals, and you can get a good idea of what to do with it...... but do you really ever know 100% exactly what nutes you have and when you have them?? never. in hydro, you know everything, right down to the milliliter.

 

I disagree... I'm confident that certain soils are just as accurate as anything else. Manufactured organic soils, such as Fox Farms Ocean Forest and Fox Farms Happy Frog are extremely accurate mixtures. They are all mixed with precise amounts of the ingredients listed on the package. I have yet to have an inconsistent outcome. However, not ALL soil media are accurate. This is where a little research and understanding of the origins and process of your soil are extremely important.

 

the biggest "pro" for hydro is faster growth. period. i either get more meds in the same amount of time as a dirt grower, or i get the same amount of meds in less time. any dirt grower that says they can get a plant to grow faster than in my bubblebucket is a straight-up liar. it's science and its common sense. in soil, the roots gets air when you let them. after you water, you flood the roots. still (non-moving) water contains no oxygen. oxygen to the roots is simply the #1 aspect of rapid growth. use any nutes you want.......... if the roots dont get air, your plant wont grow. in soil, the roots begin to get air little by little as the soil begins to slowly dry out over the span of a day or two........ and then you flood them and choke them again.... in bubbles, we are forcing oxygen directly at the roots 24/7. there is no down-time. its all grow all day. in an ebb-n-grow you flood the roots for a hot minute and then drain all the water instantly away leaving the roots exposed to straight air until they get just dry enough that it is time to flood them again. this is MAX growth IMO but as i said, there are some probs with aero as well.

 

This is not entirely true... This is where technique and knowledge become important. I don't flood my soil with water. I use a ZERO RUNOFF policy when watering my plants. My soil stays thoroughly moist all the way through, ALL THE TIME. There is no dry out period. It requires some very tedious watering but it pays off in the end. In the event that these conditions are met properly, as nature would provide, growth rates will be optimal.

 

The only TRUE way to increase growth rates beyond natural rates is to add abnormal amounts of C02 into the equation. In this event plants reserve the genetic ability to increase thier growth rates far beyond what natural levels of C02 would allow. This is the ONLY way to increase growth rates beyond thier natural tendancies under natural conditions.

 

i have never ever ever ever had a bug in my water. most of soil growers cannot say the same about their dirt. soil is a natural habitat for many garden variety pests. a tub full of nutrient water is like hell for them and they avoid it at all costs.

 

Agreed... While I have never encountered any soil dwelling pests through my experience, it is most definitely a relavant concern! But proper treatment of your soil (don't store it outside, don't bring outside soil in, always store your soil in a cool, dark, sealed area) and a properly sealed and sanitary grow room should be enough to thwart off any intruders!

 

the long-time deal with the taste issue has gone to the birds as far as im concerned. as a matter of fact, i will turn the tables on the dirt grower now.

a 10 day flush in hydro will give me 100% cannabis taste and nothing else. you can flush for a year and wont get 100% taste. you are getting dirt no matter what. do i prefer the dirt taste? yes. but thats not the point.... the point is that there is no other 100% flush other than having your roots in nothing but clean water for 10 days. flush = clean. as clean as you can get it. my roots in dirt isnt clean. a 10 day flush in hydro 100% assures you that nobody could ever possibly say anything at all about the way your meds taste. if they do, its the strain, not the grow.

 

This is one topic I completely disagree on. I always will.

 

In an organic soil cultivation the soil is teeming with organic life such as mycorrhizae and all the rhizobacteria family. Hydroponic cultivation completely lacks this aspect of the plants growth. This is the most important benefactor when determining the plants flavor, aroma, and overall complete developement. See, these bacteria and microbes all provide nutrients and other added benefits to the plants root system that dramatically affects the plants vigor, nutrient uptake, and it's overall development.

 

Plants have adapted to utilize these bacteria, microbes, and thier byproducts very effectively. Hydroponics strips them of this evolutionary ability and the side affects of this are quite obvious... :(

 

This is the main reasons that only organic soil grown Cannabis is allowed for entry in the High Times Cannabis Cup.

 

the pros and cons are endless and THC could go back and forth for hours..... but one thing i know we both agree on..... its all up to the grower.

 

I couldn't agree more!

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