Cannabis growers... are totally lame.

[Marks370z]

Are those set-ups the same as a fodder system? Though,IIRC, fodders are for feeding livestock, the ideas are sparking like crazy in my cabeza. The possibilities!

http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...1&langId=-1&division=FarmTek&productId=614017

I've been looking into fodders, but cost is so high and can't seem to find smaller scale builds that suits cannabis growing.


Super interesting, though.

 

[caregiverken]

 

[Seamaiden]

Wondering why their tomatoes tasted bad or if it was the way they are grown or why would anyone want to grow tomatoes?

I'm wondering why anyone would want to grow tomatoes hydroponically, given all the trouble that you relay of your own experience, especially the price points. I guess I'm also wondering why, if they were really organic, they tasted so terrible, especially in comparison even to conventional market tomatoes, too.

 

[Coir]

I'm wondering why anyone would want to grow tomatoes hydroponically, given all the trouble that you relay of your own experience, especially the price points. I guess I'm also wondering why, if they were really organic, they tasted so terrible, especially in comparison even to conventional market tomatoes, too.

Well.... Tomatoes are still the largest selling vegetable(fruit) in most countries which is why so many people grow them commercially. The thing is that with most "commercial" products, compromises are made so that you can keep the masses supplied. In the case of tomatoes, most people have never had a really good one and don't know any better so they keep buying the mass produced "grocery store" type happily. Since that is the largest market segment, many growers happily oblige the public by pumping out tons and tons of the flavorless product because there is a profit in it.
I have been growing and selling tomatoes for the last 25 years and have learned a lot over that time and for me, I would rather serve a smaller market that wants flavor over anything else. Of course, that demands a much higher price but the customers don't mind as long as the product meets their standards. The market I pursue is much , much smaller than the giant commercial growers but it's there so I continually look for varieties that will produce enough as well as taste really good.
Just because they are grown hydroponically does not mean they taste bad! I have had different varieties side by side getting the same food, light, water, heat, love, and care and one will be amazing while the other is horrible. It has nothing to do with the way they are grown but the genetic traits of the specific variety. And as far as organic or not, I was certified organic for the last 9 years and I can tell you that tissue samples of the certified organic crop versus the conventional crop were virtually identical and so was the taste. Again, it's not how they are grown but the genetics. That said, if a grower has poor cultivation methods, it won't matter if it's organic or not or even how it's grown, it's going to suffer in quality and taste.
I would put my product up against any outdoor organically grown product in a taste test any day and feel confident that people would not be able to tell it was from a greenhouse or hydroponically grown and that is how it should be. In fact, I have had many of my farm market customers tell me they have quit growing tomatoes all together since it's easier to just buy mine and they taste as good or better than their own did.

 

[reloader]

Well... and believe you me, I really hate to say this but I cannot tell a lie--they probably taste like shit.

We've got a local place upcountry from us, organic hydroponic tomatoes. They are AWFUL. We've tried 'em three different times, I know they sell to Whole Paycheck down in Folsom, but the tomatoes taste like shit.

Dingleberries probably taste better, but I've never had one. :p

This is why I grow in dirt. I have many friends who have moved on to hydro with great success, but I like the taste and quality of organic grown mj. I know I could get more yield from hydro, but I don't feel I could get the same taste and quality from hydro. So I will stay with dirt.

 

[WiseGorilla]

That greenhouse is awesome but I actually think Cannabis growers are not lame (zero offense to you cap, I am a huge fan of OG BioWar and use it every run).

We've actually managed to make some incredible hybrids while remaining underground and often operating illegally.

Organic Soil Light Dep is the holy grail of growing and the future in my opinion. 4 harvests a year in Southern US, 3 anywhere in North America.

 

[baba G]

pretty sure ive seen that tennis court before...lol

 

[WiseGorilla]

This is not my pic btw. Just a nice picture of a light dep operation. If you have a small indoor mother room and a cloning area the light dep is really the best way to do it. Auto light deeps even better. The buds harvested in late July are usually ridiculously amazing due to the strength of the sun.

 

[Capulator]

thats a badass picture.

 

[Califlower]

@Coir - an excellent, tasty, high-yield cherry tomato is Chadwick Cherry (open pollinated, and bred for its virtues). But perhaps not as sweet as the Sun Sugar. I'm told for taste it's hard to beat Black Sea Man (slicing tomato).

I recently read a book about home plant breeding. It was pretty good, and the author said commercial crop plant breeders are looking for shelf life, transportability, yield, and disease resistance. Taste isn't really considered. This is true of many crops, including flowers. Apparently you used to be able to smell a carnation from across the room. Breeders took the carnation and bred it so it could travel longer without wilting. At the same time they bred out the scent (somehow it was tied to shelf-life). What you should do is breed your own tomatoes. The book I read said heirloom tomatoes are indeed tasty, but they actually share a relatively small set of genes. A good idea would be to breed a disease resistant commercial variety with a tasty heirloom to get the best of both worlds.

 

[Coir]

@Coir - an excellent, tasty, high-yield cherry tomato is Chadwick Cherry (open pollinated, and bred for its virtues). But perhaps not as sweet as the Sun Sugar. I'm told for taste it's hard to beat Black Sea Man (slicing tomato).

I recently read a book about home plant breeding. It was pretty good, and the author said commercial crop plant breeders are looking for shelf life, transportability, yield, and disease resistance. Taste isn't really considered. This is true of many crops, including flowers. Apparently you used to be able to smell a carnation from across the room. Breeders took the carnation and bred it so it could travel longer without wilting. At the same time they bred out the scent (somehow it was tied to shelf-life). What you should do is breed your own tomatoes. The book I read said heirloom tomatoes are indeed tasty, but they actually share a relatively small set of genes. A good idea would be to breed a disease resistant commercial variety with a tasty heirloom to get the best of both worlds.

I have not had the Chadwick but have been growing an heirloom black cherry this year that is now my second favorite. Still can't find anything as good as the Sun Gold or sun Sugar though! The Black Seaman is a determinate type which doesn't work for my type of growing but I have heard good things about them as far as flavor goes. It's a fine line between flavor, yield, and firmness to keep me in business. I refuse to grow the new greenhouse hybrid types which although beautiful, high yielding, and immune to pretty much everything have a brix of around 3 at best(which leads to the very long shelf life) and are completely flavorless. I have tried hundreds of varieties and since I am growing commercially, I need to be sure the fruit can hold up to the travel to the market as well as the hundreds of people that walk by and feel the need to pick each one up and squeeze them. It's a really good thing next Saturday will be my last day at the farmers market as I have lost all patience with stupid people and their children who they can't seem to teach to not destroy everything within reach.
So, I have narrowed my selections down over the years to try and hit that sweet spot of flavor, yield, durability, and uniqueness that other growers are not willing to do. I will gladly sacrifice total pounds per plant for something I can get more money for and am proud to offer to my customers.
As far as breeding goes, I am not interested in taking on that challenge at this point. The ROI just wouldn't be there as I only plan on another 10 years max at commercial farming. If I can't get to retirement by then, I am just going to do what everyone else does and let the government pay for my existence! Health insurance, food stamps, an I-Phone, damn, that all sounds pretty good to me! ;)