ThatGuyMike
- 19
- 3
I am a first time grower. Exactly as stated above, I've inherited some fantastic home made potting soil and smart pots and such from a dear botanist friend who left to college. He used this dirt for growing many kinds of vegetables and fruits. The soil part originates from a home kept compost from same friend just in case some of you who are wondering. What i have is a medium composed of 67.5% soil, 25% perlite, 7.5% hydroton. I want to get the experts opinion on this medium because i am currently using it for 4 young indoor clones in vegetation. Will nutrients need to be a coco coir type and a soil type mixed or because soil is present, the regular soil nutrients alone will work? It doesn't hold water as well as just soil but but it holds more than enough to sustain these girls before draining out. (Roughly holds 70-80 percent of what soil would hold). There's a drainage rack under the pots where water flows into a drain tupperware underneath the tub and i empty often and slowly re add to plants to get max saturation and to avoid water standing issues, i also add hydrogen peroxide rarely to help keep solutions aerobic. Have never had over or under nute situation. I feed with Advanced Nutrients 2 part and apply with spray bottle to saturate medium slowly to allow it to better absorb and hold water. I'm very critical of watering my plants and feeding them with PH'd water, and feeding them the maximum amount of nutrient solution they can absorb before showing stress. (usually around 4-4.5 ml per part in 1 Liter PH'd water for my outdoor plant) (Bottles recommend 3-4 ml per part per Liter of PH'd water for GROW and BLOOM). For the clones i use 2-2.5 ml per part per Liter (50% strength solution). I also water once a week just water solution to flush. These pots are 8x8, have 1/2" hydroton at the bottom to help airflow to the roots systems. My question now is, Im obviously trying to get the best of both worlds here, Hydroton for better airflow and keep dirt loose for root growth and Soil for the ease of watering and feeding and lack of pump systems etc. The medium is a sort of spongy feel. My hopes is that the looseness of the medium will promote healthy root system. The plan is to send them outdoor in about 2 months to get some late season flowering with there mom is who currently in 3 weeks 5 days into flowering in a 90% soil, 10% perlite solution. Strain is Blue cookies. SO since you now all know kind of what i got going, let me know your thoughts on this potting medium! It has shown incredible results with these young clones and i cannot wait to put them outside and see the awesome results they give me!
