OK, I'm just going to have a little laugh to myself
You have some nice plants, but you're not going to convince me that soil is easier than basic hydro
Adjusting your pH is like brushing your teeth – only easier.
Step 1
Test pH
Step 2
Add a few drops of pH Down/Up. Or not. (Some hydro nutrients don't need pHing).
In fact, you only need to set your pH once when you mix your nutrient. After that, you can let it naturally rise to facilitate a wider range of nutrient availability.
As for Soil vs Hydro . . .
Soil
* water
* big bloom
* epsom salt
* silica
* honey
Vs
Coco
* water
* Two part nutrient
* silica
* pH Down (when needed)
I see you grow vertically – as did I for many years until I switched to LED – so I'm glad we have an apples to apples comparison. And of course, this is not aimed at you personally, as I'm simply trying to dispel the myth that soil is easier than hydro. (I wasn't laughing at you, just the notion that pH is some sort of "voodoo", when really it's as easy as pissing in a pot.)
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The bottom line is, even if you find a good soil to work with, you never really know what's in it, and there are few soils that can take you all the way from veg to bloom without any additives, such as lime (calcium and magnesium) or potash (PK boost). That's why you often see soil plants fade during flower due to salt build-up, nutrient imbalance or deficiency – something that's easy to avoid in hydro.
Soil is also slow and finicky when it comes to watering – especially in big pots – as it takes a long time to address nutrient imbalances because you can't just dump your nutrient mix or flush all the nutrient out to fix a problem.
You can grow organically in hydro, as I do (using organic based nutrients instead of straight mineral salts), and if you also use an organic medium – such as coco – you get a slow release of potassium right when you need it, during flower. Then you can either reuse your coco for the next grow or compost it to your garden.
With deep water or shallow water culture, you simply dump your old nutrient into your garden. If you have problems, you start with a fresh mix – and you can do that as many times as you like.
Each to their own, but let's not pretend that hydro is complicated when it's not. It can be as easy as hand-watering a coco pot, or as complicated as a climate-controlled aeroponic system – with various levels of complexity in-between.
Again, this is not aimed at you – as you clearly have experience – but I find those who say hydro is complicated are usually those who have never tried it. Or have overcomplicated it themselves.
). And like I said, I have done hydro, and I had outstanding results. RDwc and eb and flo. And it was cool. And I do kinda dig what some cats do with coco. But as I recall, the title of this thread was, "If you were teaching a new grower...". And that is the subject I was speaking toward. I just believe as much as new people worry about silly things and make (strange) mistakes, soil gives them a better buffer for success. For that matter, we could say, screw the pot all together. If a new cat just puts a plant in some good ground and makes sure it has enough water, they will more than likely make it to the finish line. After they watch the entire life cycle of the plant and learn its tells, they could and probably should move on to other methods. It can be lots of fun. And heck, that person might discover something really cool along that journey. It could be a game changer for all of us ,,,and that is always cool....
And good luck doing it!
