Pro Opinions - Smart Pots Vs In Ground

[papapayne]

it was tested second, sorry posted the first test, not the complete one.

 

[MrBlah]

NH3-n ppm .6
no3-n ppm 8.4

Gotcha.

Yeah, it's really low in nitrogen, low in sulfur, low in boron, high or excessive in P,K, Ca, Mg, and all the rest of the micronutrients.

 

[aunaturale20]

I'm no pro, but anyways. I grew with 30 gallon smart pots one year and was happy with the results. That was with bottled nutes. I also put one plant in the ground and fed the same regime as the smart pot plants, and also used the same amount and same type of soil in the hole I dug. They had the same yeild, and maybe the in ground plant has more of an earthy taste. The ones in smart pots of the same strain had purple buds, while the in ground one did not. Most likely due to root temperature, my best guess anyways.

I've now switched over to 100% organic using raised beds and really like the taste and quality, along with not having to water nearly as much. This year for the first time I'm trying to accomplish a living soil that I can use year after year. I was under the impression that this was pretty hard with smart pots or any containers, but never tried it so I can't say. So I have chose raised beds, open to the ground, assuming from what I have read that this helps with soil life.

Open to sharing if you nute regiment includes both microbes + nutrient blends? Any particular brand you would suggest?

Thanks man!

 

[Underthesun]

Open to sharing if you nute regiment includes both microbes + nutrient blends? Any particular brand you would suggest?

Thanks man!

In reference to a past grow in my previous post I was using the Fox Farm line up and followed their schedule but a little weaker. Fox Farm grew nice plants but the bud burned shitty. I'm not big on suggesting anything as I'm still searching for what works best for me, for my particular climate and setup. I've tried several different organic mixtures and learning new things everyday. (Fox farm lineup is not organic). This year I'm following a recipe off of "Build A Soil" website with my own homemade compost and vermicompost. I may consider paying $30 for a soil test here to see how things are looking. I'm hoping this is the year I decide to stay with this mixture, if done correctly it will be a living soil and I can use it year after year with a little amending.

 

[Underthesun]

Open to sharing if you nute regiment includes both microbes + nutrient blends? Any particular brand you would suggest?

Thanks man!

From what I understand and have read is that if you are growing organic and counting on microbes doing the work for you, that you shoud go 100% organic. So I have decided to stay away from any bottled nutes, but people on here have great results using them. Organic is just fun for me, and I live above a stream.

 

[badger999]

I'll second what Bulldog and Seamaiden said, they hit the nail on the head. Raised beds are hands down the best way to go, after that, smart pots will give you the 2nd best rate of growth and yields. Growing directly in the ground, in most cases, offer no advantages other than it is cheap and easy initially. However since the growth rate and yield are almost always always less than smart pots or raised beds, your return on investment is less, making it far less efficient in the long run.

Burying smart pots in the ground is utterly pointless, it won't do a damn thing to help you; if anything it will stunt your root growth and eliminate all of the advantages of smart pots, just like Bulldog said. Smart pots will use more water in drier climates, but the larger the volume of soil, the less water you will use and the faster your plants will grow and the bigger they will get. One of the simplest, easiest ways to not only increase growth and yield, as well as to cut down on the amount of water you use, is to give your plants a greater volume of soil to grow in. So my advice - go as big as you can, and use either raised beds or smart pots. You won't be disappointed, I promise.

Hi, I'm using 100 gal SP's , does it make any difference if you only bury them 6 to 10 inches in sandy desert dirt? I wet the holes before putting SP's in and watched to se if it puddled up or drained, and yes it did puddle after everything got wet. But also leached out pretty fast. What do you think.
Life Is Good

 

[Seamaiden]

It should help reduce water loss, but if you're on very sandy earth I'd want to do something more to help prevent water loss. Not sure what. Maybe the mix could be adjusted, or adding something directly under the pots to hold a layer of water...