An argument of behalf of dirt

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GreatWhiteBud

GreatWhiteBud

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The great divide is for the present going to consist mainly of growers using either dirt or hydro for the foreseeable future so that begs the question which one does what better?

I have been growing plants indoor and out of all kinds since I grew up and I have never once had the bravado to try my hand at hydroponics, but the more and more I look at hydroponics gone wrong the more I feel like dirt is a more stable way to go simply from the perspective that problems don't hit as hard or as fast giving ample time to correct deficiencies with out turning them into crispy chips.

Anyone a hydro convert out there able to give good guidance on why to try hydroponics if it's not a necessary evil?

P.S. of all the hydro setups I have researched ebb and flow tables sound like the best possible way to go, any thoughts?
 
GreatWhiteBud

GreatWhiteBud

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Same here, a little extra water and my plants are good for almost 5 days, my question is why even go the hydro route to begin with?
 
Edinburgh

Edinburgh

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Plants of all kinds since the beginning grow in dirt with few exceptions, I allways grow in dirt, ie fox farm ocean forest with few problems, growing hydroponic is more expensive, you need a higher level of skill and good adaptation to chemistry, and dirt is cheaper, I don't knock people who grow hydro and have seen some great plants, but dirt is easier to work with, but however you grow your weed and if it's done correctly who am I to judge?
 
growsince79

growsince79

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Plants of all kinds since the beginning grow in dirt with few exceptions, I allways grow in dirt, ie fox farm ocean forest with few problems, growing hydroponic is more expensive, you need a higher level of skill and good adaptation to chemistry, and dirt is cheaper, I don't knock people who grow hydro and have seen some great plants, but dirt is easier to work with, but however you grow your weed and if it's done correctly who am I to judge?
I used to do hydr. It's not much harder or more expensive imo. No need to be a chemist, just be able to measure nutes.
 
Dub_City405

Dub_City405

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Why go with hydro? Because it's easier cleanup and it is a better way to water consistently and constantly. More oxygen to the roots. You dial it in you will get 4 ounce plants at 30% thc. Pressure.
 
freezeland2

freezeland2

3,421
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I used to do hydr. It's not much harder or more expensive imo. No need to be a chemist, just be able to measure nutes.
It’s all that but it is more labor intensive. It’s why I switched to soil.
 
P

Petrochemical

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Great topic. I've been planting into 20 quart burlap type bags...reamending (as needed) manure compost made by a local company. In fact indoors and outdoors I've used the same reamended medium for 6 seasons. Ideally a medium full of roots etc etc is a big sponge of ph and stuff lol
 
Backyard_Boogie

Backyard_Boogie

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Hydro is more upkeep but can come out bomb. I had a buddy doing all hydro and since he was a relatively inexperienced grower he was having problems constantly. If you are a bit more experienced and good at measuring nutes and taking notes hydro can be great. Personally I like soil because of the lower maintenance.
 
SofaKingHigh

SofaKingHigh

705
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The great divide is for the present going to consist mainly of growers using either dirt or hydro for the foreseeable future so that begs the question which one does what better?

I have been growing plants indoor and out of all kinds since I grew up and I have never once had the bravado to try my hand at hydroponics, but the more and more I look at hydroponics gone wrong the more I feel like dirt is a more stable way to go simply from the perspective that problems don't hit as hard or as fast giving ample time to correct deficiencies with out turning them into crispy chips.

Anyone a hydro convert out there able to give good guidance on why to try hydroponics if it's not a necessary evil?

P.S. of all the hydro setups I have researched ebb and flow tables sound like the best possible way to go, any thoughts?
I really like using coco to grow in. It gives you the best of both worlds IMO. Coco is definitely more hydro style of growing but I think it’s a little more forgiving than a true hydro setup. Also if you just read the plants you can correct any problems much faster with coco vs dirt. From my experience coco also seems to have a much faster growth rate vs dirt.
 
Homesteader

Homesteader

3,473
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I grow in soil (coco sand and peat based) and have built my methods around it and have never seen diminished quality once I got my soil correct. I don't like smoking herb that is hydro to be honest. I just taste the metal in the back of my teeth every time I smoke it, although I don't get around much. How much of the nutrient waste ends up in our waterways with hydro? Are people still draining their waste?
 
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P

Petrochemical

Supporter
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Harvesting mycrohyizor lol I forgot how to spell it damn it...uget my meaning.....from older hardwoods,willows, bamboo even type soils with rice in nylon stockings once the ground is 55f up ......I let mine sit 2-3weeks ...then go back and break up the "mound" to put jnto my containers.
 
Cashmeh

Cashmeh

2,007
263
Lol... I wouldn't reccomened anyone growing in dirt, ever.. If you can't figure out how to hydro, starve and die for all I care.

Now coco/perlite drip methods, aka passive hydro, in 2022 I would tell people to do that over soil. No need to wait on bacteria to make nutrients available again.

The learning curve for active hydro is more than other methods due to lack of people doing it. I started with hydro, never grown nothing in dirt or outside, let alone hydro indoors. After a year and during the year I've had no regrets and no urge to ever use soil.

As to leaving town with my hydro running.. Easy, I'll just make a fresh batch and come back in 8 days for the ph to have only drifted up from 5.6 to 5.9, late flower..

Id say if more people understood active systems better, which is happening, well then it will only get easier and more user friendly.
 
GreatWhiteBud

GreatWhiteBud

135
43
So essentially if you're more patient and willing to accept lower yields than hydro but want a more stable growing environment that's easier and less expensive to maintain in the long run go with soil.

But if you want killer gnarly bud and shorter grow time you gotta risk it for the biscuit and bone up on knowledge about nutrient ratios, hydro is the path of choice.

At the end of the day it comes down to accessibility and personal preference too, people can be proud about owning a beater car, it only make sense that growers would have a personal preference toward growing medium regardless of the other options.
 
growsince79

growsince79

9,065
313
The great divide is for the present going to consist mainly of growers using either dirt or hydro for the foreseeable future so that begs the question which one does what better?

I have been growing plants indoor and out of all kinds since I grew up and I have never once had the bravado to try my hand at hydroponics, but the more and more I look at hydroponics gone wrong the more I feel like dirt is a more stable way to go simply from the perspective that problems don't hit as hard or as fast giving ample time to correct deficiencies with out turning them into crispy chips.

Anyone a hydro convert out there able to give good guidance on why to try hydroponics if it's not a necessary evil?

P.S. of all the hydro setups I have researched ebb and flow tables sound like the best possible way to go, any thoughts?
I used to grow hydro ebb n flow. Yes, you can grow more in less time.
Changing the tank every week was a pain, and cleaning hydrotron at the end of each grow sucked. I'm using new promix each plant nowadays.
 

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