Hydroponics

[Havingfun]

What are the benefits over soil grow. I was thinking about switching. Does it seem to be more picky on getting it to grow then dirt?

 

[BackWoodsDrifter]

I likes me dirt pilgrem never tries this Hydroponics but reckon be few folk round here that do and be able to gives ya better idea. In mean time surf some threads take to readin some here while yual waits fur the answers to come. They will

BWD

 

[ShecallshimThor]

Depends on what you want imo
Supposed to have faster/better veg growth. I believe flower they are similar.

If taste and smell of final product is what is most important it seems you'd want organic soil. Few ppl around here use different super soils and water throughout the grow with very little feeding.

 

[Havingfun]

I have soil grows going on now. My main thing is good yield and taste.

 

[Hushpuppy]

I have done both but found using organics in soil to be tricky and unforgiving when problems occur. With hydroponics and "synthetic" nutes, it is more straight forward as you know what you have all the time. There are certain rules to hydro that you have to understand but to me its actually easier to get really nice yields. If you have problems, they happen fast but can also be corrected fast as well.

The down side of hydro is that it is higher maintenance on a weekly schedule and the flavor of the smoke is not as good as organics. It still has decent flavor but not at all as good and rich as organic.

I have never grown in soil with synthetic nutes so I can't comment on that.

 

[Havingfun]

Thanks again Hushpuppy. That is what I was wondering. I will keep with my dirt.

 

[pcduck]

faster veg time.

Taste is that of the taster. Never had anyone able tell me if my buds were grown organic or hydro with synthetics, heck I cannot even tell once they get mixed up.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I like growing DWC. Although hydro is a little pickier than soil, I feel it is easier than organics, which I am still a real newbie at. I also believe that they grow a bit faster in veg than soil, but flowering is the same regardless of method. Like pcduck, I cannot tell the difference between soil, hydro, or organic after a proper dry and cure.

 

[skullcandy]

I would say hydro if you can in my opinion it grows faster and even though it is a little more effert in it, its not as bad as having to clean a tent after watering. plus theres all sorts of nutes that a person can add to hydro for taste and aroma it thats what there after.

 

[Havingfun]

I was looking at this
hxxp://www.ebay.com/itm/6-SITE-HYDROPONIC-GROW-BOX-SYSTEM-KIT-5-GALLON-COMPLETE-W-NUTRIENTS-pH-TEST-/151045918214?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item232b09ce06

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I was looking at this
hxxp://www.ebay.com/itm/6-SITE-HYDROPONIC-GROW-BOX-SYSTEM-KIT-5-GALLON-COMPLETE-W-NUTRIENTS-pH-TEST-/151045918214?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item232b09ce06

That is only big enough to house 6 plants for a little while--you could never grow 6 plants to maturity in anything that small. I will start with multiple plants in a single tote like that, but they do not stay in anything that small for long. You could get by with 2 in one 5 gallon tote if you flowered them before they got large.

They do not list the nutrients they send, but it appears to be a small amount that will not get you through the grow. Also a pH test kit is not accurate enough for hydro. You absolutely need a meter and with it pH up and down, and calibration fluids.

Most of these "system" deals are not really a deal at all--you can put together your own setup for far less than the $55 they want for that one. Totes can be found all the time for under $5. A small air pump, stone and tubing under $10. Net pots and hydrotron--probably $6-7 bucks. Since the pH kit they include is useless, it doesn't even count in the worth of the system. The nutes they send are probably only a few bucks worth. If you are at all handy, you can do this all yourself and use containers that fit the size of your space.

 

[kal el]

I used to veg in hydro and flower in soil all the time.
Hydro gives you faster crops. I can do 3 hydro crops in the same time as 2 soil crops.
As far as flavors... 25 years of growing has taught me how to get amazing flavors in both soil and hydro.

 

[Havingfun]

So to do it right do I need to do the bucket ones that are 5 gallons and do 1 in each bucket? If I am going to do something like this I only want to do it with out being told that I would have had a better grow if I would have used this or that. LOL

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Well not necessarily--everyone has their own opinions. While you do not need to go with 5 gal buckets or totes, I can guarantee you that you cannot take 6 plants to harvest in a single 5 gal tote. The dimensions of that tote are about 16 x 12--about the same size as 2 pieces of paper. I think that if you lay out 2 pieces of paper and try to imagine 6 plants in that space you will see that it is just too small.

I have 5 totes that size that I do use sometimes, but I only put one plant in them. I have a couple of 10 gal totes that I will put 2 plants in, but only if they are somewhat small and the same strain for even with a 10 gal tote their is limited room for the girls to spread their limbs.

You do not necessarily have to use 5 gal buckets, any plastic container that does not let light through will work. You just want it large enough to hold enough nute solution so that you are not running dry in a day or 2. I have found even 3 gal a pain to work with. Remember that you cannot fill with nute solution to the top of the tote. I also like to use individual totes so that I can raise and lower plants to maintain an even canopy. I also have plants that like different concentrations of nutes.

That system could get you started and you could probably veg in it for maybe 3-4 weeks. You would need to check your nute solution a lot to make sure you don't run dry. You would have problems if the plants grew at different rates, however. If you want something like this, you should make it yourself as you could probably make it for under $20. But like I said, this would just be for a little while, while the plants are small. You would ultimately need something larger to finish.

 

[Havingfun]

I am looking at getting 5 gallon buckets and just buying the type of lids that have the built in 6" pod formed into it. If I do this I will start with 4 buckets 4 plants.

 

[skullcandy]

I did alot of digging into the hydro and finaly went with the DCW single gal. bubbler system I put it together myself cost under 100 dollars to get everything I needed to make it work except the water, seeds and nutes. it also is works out good cause the single 5 gal. buckes can hold one plant easy . of course you will need good nutes for your plants as well

 

[Havingfun]

These are the bucket tops I am looking at.
6" Mesh Basket Lid 3-5 Gal Bucket

 

[kal el]

Read up on dwc to learn how to use them.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Those will work just fine. If you do not have the tools to cut large holes in plastic, the are absolutely the way to go. You will need hydrotron.

I did the same as skullcandy and researched hydro before settling on DWC and 5 gal buckets, although I use other totes, too.

 

[YYZ Skinhead]

I use 14-18 gallon Rubbermaid Roughnecks when I do hydro, both drip and aero. I drill 3" holes in the lids with a hole saw and use 3" mesh pots with hydroton after germinating in 1.5" Oasis foam cubes. The primary hardware I use is a hand drill with a hole saw attached to it (I bought my most recent set of hole saws on eBarf) and a PVC cutter (which IIRC I bought on eBarf, though it may have been Amazon). The submersible pump I get from Discount-hydro.com, and the aquarium heater you can get at PetSmart, though eBarf and Amazon as well both sell them.