I’ve been growing for awhile, dabbling in different techniques. I’m a master of none, but feel they all have one thing in common. That’s listening to what your plants are telling you, and adjusting conditions to keep them happy. That said, I would like to do a four way “Face Off” with clones of my Rainmaker strain, in four different growing methods. I will use the same nutes, from the same res for comparison. Per 5 gallons: 6g Masterblend 4-18-38 6g Calcium Nitrate 3g Magnesium Sulfate ProTekt Silica SP-90 Powdered Humic Superthrive Flower Fuel bloom boost 1/4 teaspoon per gallon during Flower in addition to base nutes I wanted to see if this something the GC community would be interested in and what methods you would like to see in the comparison. I was thinking: - coco drain to waste - Perlite hempy or SIP style - DWC bubble bucket - My homemade Supersoil You can view my setup in my journal Soil2Coco’s Indoor Multi Strain Journal Any feedback and/or input is welcome.
@MickFoster @Tbone Shuffle @Robbie714 @Schplakken @trojangrower Have you guys tried anything similar? I know I’m asking for trouble but I love to experiment. This won’t happen until winter as I have to cycle through my current plants. Might even have a new QB setup by then @Tbone Shuffle Anyway, I value every one of your opinions so fire away.
I've done all of those grow styles over the years brother, but I have never done a side by side. I'd be interested to learn the results.
I’m having pretty good results with my tomato’s outside in DWC (first timer). I’ve always done well with my supersoil, been doing coco for awhile now, and after talking with @Talkative i wanted to try his hempy Perlite style.
My next grow is going to be hempys - I did it about 10yrs ago with great success and no problems. Talkative definitely pushes the hempys - more people need to do it - especially beginners. Nothing simpler.
I have a hempy experiment too. It’s in a gallon of coco, lol. I just feed it my runoff water a few times a day. She’s getting thirsty.
I’ve did bagged soil and bottled nutes, until switching to no-till a little over a year or so, but would be Subbed in seeing a side by side done by you whichever technique you’ll be using. your already an experienced grower @Soil2Coca Thanks for the invite Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I see your doing Good in Coca. Yeah @Schplakken has been doing the hempy pots for a while to. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
People don't realize, or they don't want to believe, that you can grow a tree in a very small container of coco because of multiple feedings. Because of the "soil mentality" they think they need a 10 gal. container to grow a large plant.
Yes he is. We chatted a few weeks ago. I should have plenty of bud, with 5 different strains after the next two cycles, so I’ll probably cut clones when I finish this cycle
I just harvested a multi strain run when I talked to you last. I think you were harvesting around the same time I was if i’m remembering right. how was your yield on your last run, I know you had some Nice plants going when you had about 10 days left. how did everything turn out Bud... I’m going with regs next run unless I grow a couple autos in between from that comprehensive grow, not a big fan of autos but there getting better. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I love this idea and I think it would be quite popular. I would like to actually see one of those be promix HP in a fabric pot instead of the Hempy example but it's your experiment. To me especially commercially promix is one of the most popular hydro methods next to coco. I'll tell you one thing, my DWC plants are usually the most stout out of the methods I've tried. They just take more work. I'm willing to take the slight 10-20% hit in yield to use promix which is an easier method.
I will take that into consideration. My tomato is taking off in DWC now that the roots almost fill the bucket. They’ve been outside in 90 plus all last week too with no issues. Only topping off daily now that they drink half a bucket a day.
Leave the hempy and replace the coco with Promix. You already know the results with coco - so you replace a soilless dtw with another. But it's none of my business really.
oi boys, just got back from a 2500km road trip. Just got home so sorry for the late response. Anyhow, I've mostly grown in hydro; dwc, ebb'n'flow, NFT, etc and this last time I tried the peat mix and ... I don't like to use peat. I can, but if veg goes too long, it seems the pH goes really acidic and its a real bitch to prevent lockout. Hydro, you can fix it in a matter of seconds but not so with peat. I am trying coco atm, seems ez enough, but I think both these methods are more work than hydro (in the long run). These methods also use more water and nutes and are (imo) wasteful. I gotta say Soil2Coco, I also have a tomato plant in a bubbler atm and she is loving it! All the (hydrofarm/doesn't matter) bubblers rock! I also think what you are planning is a 'fun' experiment, but you already know that all those methods will work if you follow protocol. From the commercial facilities that I have visited in Canada (three now, spoke to others), they grow in rockwool. Some of the were experimenting with a pyramid rockwool-type hydroponic grow, but ultimately its all about how much space you have available. Also, the upcoming Canadian legalization includes some pretty cool rules, like 'growing your own weed' and of course decrimilization, but it also includes the 'no more than four plants' clause, as well as 'no plant will exceed one meter of (vertical) growth'... So the thing is, each of those methods you describe will work, some better than others considering nutes and lights and CO2 ppm, but how much space is available and/or going to be legal? I know myself its not a matter of the media (well, not including peat!) but more a case of how you grow them. That's why I've been pushing scrog with pcb lights trying to get it mastered for height/production. Its an interesting set of experiments that you are planning and I will be following so count me in please and thank you! BUT I have to admit that I am planning on re-veg'n this strain (after this week's harvest), cloning, and its back to hydro for me. I am also thinking of converting one of my tents into a hepa-filtered flow hood and doing plant tissue cultures. I am a scientist and have decided that if the government won't fund me, I'll just have to do it myself.
I'll predict that DWC will win. If you do Hempy it will be right behind DWC. Coco or promix will be third. Soil will be last in all out yield.
I only harvested my Sharks. I get a pretty standard ounce per plant from them. With 3 week veg from clone. They don’t stretch during Flower at all, just little bushes. The Rainmakers are up next, getting chopped in about a week and a half (if they finish)
I respect everyone’s growing techniques to the fullest, and don’t knock anyone’s way of growing. there’s pro’s and con’s no matter what method you’ll be using. yes Hydro will get you bigger yields but not by much if your making your own soil and have it dialed in correctly, but that’s just my opinion. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I’ve grown every method except the perlite hempy. There are advantages and downfalls to each method. I’m excited to exploit and highlight both this coming fall