General or Advanced

[EL_JABO]

Hi All,

I'm new here, first post. Getting ready for my first grow in 30+ years. I'm settled in everything with the exception of nutrients. I'm torn between General & Advanced Hydroponics.

General seems solid. And no pun intended but just general. Advanced seems to be more engineered specifically for cannabis. With alot more detailing in its products.

This will be my first hydro grow ever so any advice from you veterans would be most helpful, as well as much appreciated.

 

[stinkyattic]

General hydroponics basic line is a classic to pot farmers, be assured it works! Even if I'm doing dirt, I always keep a bottle of the Flora Micro on hand for foliar deficiency correction.
Also look into Botanicare, which is another classic full line. In hydro I absolutely swear by Power Plant / Power Flower. And a good splash of Canna Cannazyme in the res is nice to help break down sloughed off dead root cells before they have a chance to rot.

 

[Daxtell]

I started out with General Hydroponics Trio and am starting my fourth grow. While General won't publicly admit it and will refuse to even talk or give any advice about pot, their products work. I picked them because I was only in it as a hobby and didn't want to spend too much money. The amounts suggested on the directions are too high for most growers and burn plants. Especially younger plants. One half strength is better. I run hydroponics, biobuckets, bubblers, and am starting hydroponic sprayers.

Other more experienced growers prefer Botanicare line of products and I will switch over when I start my fifth grow. I want a clean break so I have a good comparison for my type of growing. Hydro, and as I am learning, especially misting hydro are efficient at transferring nutrients via small root hairs. Hence not too strong of mixtures.

If you haven't already, consider investing in a pH pen and a conductivity measuring pen. These are the tools you need for measuring nute strengths. I use ones in the $10-20 area and am happy with them. I calibrate my pH meter every month.

 

[EL_JABO]

Thanks alot. I had never considered Botanicare until the helpful replies. I looked into they're products and am most impressed, and will be ordering straight away.

As to the advice on PH Testing by Dax, I purchased two of Blue Labs Guardian Inline Connect Monitors which also handle conductivity. EC, CF, ppm 500 & ppm 700, also temperature. They allow me to get live data whenever and wherever I am. Also I thought this would kill any "oh shit" moments if something starts to go sideways.

The Guardians I've mounted to the reservoir tanks of both systems for 24/7 monitoring. I have read many times where having the probes in the nutrient solutions is a bad idea due to build up causing inaccurate readings. But on my end I cannot see why it wouldn't work with a frequent cleaning of the probes.
Thanks for the advice, and please feel more than free to chime in with more!

Cheers

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I used to use General Hydroponics all the time, but when they sold out to Scott's, I simply had to quit using their products. Monsanto is poisoning the earth and its people and they don't care as long as the big bucks keep rolling in. I cannot in good conscience support them in any way. Side note: While I am sure that I buy many products under the Monsanto/Scott's/Miracle Grow umbrella as it is huge, I will not knowingly purchase any product made by them. Please, for the sake of our earth and its people, pick another line. Okay, picking my soapbox up and heading home....

 

[umbra]

Both advanced nutrients and general hydroponics work. IMHO, AN is way over priced. But that is not what the controversy about the companies are about. Big Mike owner of AN has been arrested for child pornography and GH was bought by Monsanto. Both equally disgusting owners, and financially supporting them is a moral question and not one of efficacy.

 

[stinkyattic]

HempGoddess, don't think of it as,a soapbox; think of it as a PSA. I think we as a community do need to be cogniscient of this stuff of we risk falling into a sort of hypocrisy. If we as custodians of traditional healing plant can't stand for basic ethical agriculture, what CAN we stand for?

Umbra- that's good to know. Yikes. I've never bought any of their stuff. I was a bit put off when they put their branding all over stuff actually recognizable as HydroFarm equipment for product placement during the show Weeds. I thought it was a more than a bit smarmy.

 

[Rosebud]

Go organic peeps. Monsanto doesn't want to invest in worm and guanos.

 

[stinkyattic]

Who makes a good 2-0-0 micronutrient supplement suitable for foliar application? I'm kinda happy my GH got lost in the mail and Amazon has offered to simply cancel the order...

 

[stinkyattic]

Go organic peeps. Monsanto doesn't want to invest in worm and guanos.

Ironic, considering some of the shenanigans they pull are legitimately bat s4it crazy...

 

[umbra]

Monsanto bought Gavita, the DE light manufacturer also. In the goldrush, the pickaxe and shovel suppliers were the ones that got rich.

 

[oldfogey8]

Who makes a good 2-0-0 micronutrient supplement suitable for foliar application? I'm kinda happy my GH got lost in the mail and Amazon has offered to simply cancel the order...

I did a search for ‘GH micro substitute’ and see Humbolt Nutrients has a ‘micro’ that according to their site is a substitute. Screen cap of their analysis below...

 

[stinkyattic]

Oh yup that looks tasty thanks!

 

[oldfogey8]

Thx a lot @The Hemp Goddess and @umbra. Now I need to find a new nutrient line. lol. In all fairness, I have wanted to ‘branch out’(the pun is for THG) for a while but have been confortable with General Organics(which is a subsidiary of GH). Time to invest in supplies for a tea brewer...

Edit:because iPhone auto-correct sometimes makes my posts look like I am unable to put together proper sentences unless I proof read them...

 

[EL_JABO]

Wow. Thanks all, I had no idea of the correlation between Monsanto and GH, nor the pedarist at AN.

And just as a side note to @The Hemp Goddess, by all means break out your soapbox anytime. Especially when speaking logic and truth. We may have to get some boards & nails, & turn that soapbox into a proper lectern.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Umbra, thanks for the info on the creep that owns AN--I did not know that.

When I moved to Oregon, I had the opportunity to go organic and did. Rosebud was the one who introduced me to organic and has held my hand along the way. I encourage everyone who is able to check into organics.

 

[umbra]

Remo distanced himself from AN and started his own line of nutes.

 

[FutbolGuy024]

Anyone use FF trio w/hydro? What else I need to avoid root rot?