Why isn't everyone growing organically? I grew several attempts and in the fox farm fashion, pH meters, flushing, etc. One messed up watering and the whole plant is dead or stunted. You all know this is true. So I looked for another way.. a water only way.. a no pH adjusting way.. and its just amazingly easy. If you are smart enough to figure out this feeding schedule, nitrogen now, phosphorus later crap then why not spend 5 min figuring this out? I have tomatoes growing, a hosta I've had for years that all the sudden bloomed.. i didn't know it could bloom! I didn't even repot that.. it just got a sprinkle of extra soil i had and some kelp meal. Seriously if you skipped the rant above at least read this: Its cheaper. Its water only. Its easier, way easier. The components are less suspicious. I spent about 30 bucks on amendments. Can you even start growing for less using chemicals? I whipped up more soil today, cheap bags of top soil, cheap bag of mushroom compost, some coco coir bricks, 20 dollar bag of earthworm poo and about 4 bucks of amendments and bam I have another 30 plus gallons of soil. Its like magic pixie dust, any plant is better off with this stuff. I can grow with only using water, ya you can use teas and stuff but you don't need to if your soil is alive. .
You just need to learn the hydro trade, Its easy once you know how. If you jump on hydro with no knowledge about hydro growing you will fail. Its not a case of just water and watch it grow.
Guys seriously, its better. This hydro shit has got to go. Stop convincing new people of it. The salts are terrible for you and the eco system. The money is outrageous. Good bud comes from good genetics, period.
Look up the definition of trolling and these two posts are there as an example. This discussion is moronic
If you are getting problems then you aren't doing it right. I have trouble free grows in soil and hydro and hydro is by far the easiest method
Why you were misinformed? Listening to people who don't know what they are talking about is a common reason for that. The reason why hydro is easier is because you can give the plants the exact nutrient strength they want and change it as the plant's needs change. You use a digital meter to do this so you don't have to guess by looking out for ill health. Keep PH exactly where it's best and can adjust any time by using a meter, again no guess work. You can give the roots way more oxygen very easily with hydro. Soil suffocates roots by staying wet for long periods of time. Oxygen levels are directly linked to growth rates and therefore yield. With soil you have to water on the day the soil demands it. But with hydro you top off the reservoir whenever you want to. When watering a high number of soil pots they will eventually all need watering at different times so you have to check each one every day. With hydro you can run all your plants off one reservoir. Preparation of soil, buying soil, mixing and disposing can be a pain and time consuming. Most hydro mediums are reused and do not break down or degrade. When I said hydro is better, it was just a response to a stupid question. Soil has its applications and can be better for some people, especially for someone who is growing a single small plant or outdoor grows. But hydro is easier than soil, no doubt about that. The most common soil problems are wrong dosage of nutrients, and watering at the wrong times causing the roots to suffocate. Hydro fixes these two problems completely
By definition hydro is not organic. Period. There is no way to produce the correct compounds "organically" that means they have found out what the plant absorbs for nitrogen/phos etc and then synthesize it and sell it you as a salt. This is the same thing with aspirin. No ones is grinding up willow trees for salicylic acid. Heck you synthesize it in Organic Chem labs at college. Trust me. Organic is all about microbiology, and I am all about microbiology.
You're wrong, you can use nutes that have been converted by organisms in your hydro res, and you can also have that conversion taking place in the res itself. It's not something I practice myself as I feel you miss out on one of the benefits of hydro but people do do it
Thats Aeroponics if you mean you are using a pond or water res with an aquatic food cycle to produce nutrients... but that hardly would provide enough nutrients to grow bud. Thats used for lettuce or as a way to water soil with some extra kick. But how do you control the mold if its a constantly wet system? Im referring to the FF stuff labeled organic.
aquaponics is when you grow fish and food. Thats not aeroponic. Mold? the air pumps do the work. its a babbling brook not a swamp.
No its not, and I think you are thinking of aquaponics anyway. That wasn't what I was talking about but that can be another form of organic hydro and if done correctly it can work. Although it's not very efficient so I wouldn't do it myself Mould is not an issue, it isn't a suitable environment. Damp soil is a much better environment for moulds
Thank you for the best most concise post concerning how easy Hydroponics is. Its going to be key in solving world hunger now and in the future. To the other poster who does not know hydroponic can be done organically . Im doing it now and loving it. Here is a good read by a very credible source. http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/homegrown-hydroponics-zmaz77mazbon.aspx#axzz35QxbaovO
Again fine aquaponics and guess what this is THE SAME THING as organic growing, its just making a tea and only using that, in essence.. i have no issue with that Im talking about fox farm, advanced nutrients and all the bullshit that goes with.