House and Garden long term product review/discussion

[furbolg]

@furbolg what is your opinion on the finished flower from the DTW vs soil grown?

The best run I ever had using Roots Organic soil and dry amendments was on-par, possibly a bit superior than the product I produce with DTW hydro. Especially in terms of smell.

Just to put it into perspective, i paid about $70 for a 25lb bag of nute salts that will last me ages.

When i just started growing, i walked into the room my previous grower friend was using. He probably had $1000’s worth of gallons of advanced nutriens and the like. He couldent grow shit either and it broke my heart.

I hear ya. But also some perspective: My power bill, water bill, and rent come out to about $4000 per month, or $48,000 per year. My nutrients come to about $250 per year. So again, while I am not opposed to mixing nutrients myself to save a bit of money, it is not at the top of my priority list.

 

[FireBoy918]

TLDR: Aqua flakes A+B, Bud-XL, and Top Shooter are the four bottles essential to the line in my experience.

Hello. I wanted to share a little information that I have amassed over some years of growing with House and Garden nutrient products. All information will be applicable to DTW hydroponics using peat/perlite as a medium. I live in Southern California and have been smoking for 20 years, throughout prohibition, medicalization and legalization, and growing for about 10 now.

I began growing with this method 7 years ago. I purchased H&G Aqua Flakes A+B, Roots Excelurator, Amino Treatment and Bud-XL.

Over time, as bottles ran empty, I opted not to replace any of the additives, and slowly my feeding became extremely simple, with my entire nutrient solution consisting of only Aqua Flakes A+B. I did not notice a difference in yield, potency, or overall quality of the finished product. I grew with this simplified method for a few years, with successful perpetual harvests eliminating my need for a dispensary. I was very content with my product.

One day, I was at the hydroponics supply store when a man noticed I was buying a large container of Aqua Flakes and offered me a complete House & Garden starter kit, containing every additive and product they make. I was blown away by the kind gesture. I kept the following products to experiment with for myself: Algen Extract, Nitrogen Boost, Amino Treatment, Roots Excelurator, Multi-Zen, Bud-XL, Top Booster, Top Shooter (shooting powder), Rhizo force.

For several cycles, with two different strains, I implemented the full range of products from House and Garden, and after several harvests, what I have found has surprised me. First of all, overall quality of the flowers did improve. And more than I expected it to. An overall harder, stickier flower lead to higher realized yields in live resin production as well as improved smell and taste. The numbers, while quantifiable, are not as different as the impression you get sticking your nose in the jar.

In successive cycles, I opted not to use many of the products out of sheer convenience as I speculated which products were doing the heavy lifting in the improvements. And I share with you now the products that I have settled on using, and replacing each time bottles run empty. These products are: Aquaflakes A+B, Bud-XL, and Top Shooter. I believe these 4 products used together provide the "sweet spot" between flower quality and convenience of mixing (as 9-10 bottles is just ridiculous to me, 4 is okay.) As I have reduced my solution down to these 4 products, again I do not notice a decline in overall quality. Of course this is subjective, but for better or worse, these are the products I've chosen to stick with long term.

I would be interested in hearing from fellow long-term House and Garden users about which products they use and if they have ever tried truly running them all!

If you had to choose only of the two additives, would you choose bud xl or top shooter?

 

[furbolg]

If you had to choose only of the two additives, would you choose bud xl or top shooter?

I think I would go with the top shooter

 

[Kaiate]

Good discussion. Long term HnG user here. I choo n change between using the additives. Always use bud xl though. The one thing I did notice makes a difference is their Amino product. Pretty sure it's their silica amendment. Using PowerSi instead currently.

 

[Dadanga]

I'm a long term HnG user as well but mostly got onto the nutes because the guy who taught me swore by them. I've dropped most and only using what's left. CocosAB/Multizyme/BudXL/Top Booster. I have toyed with the idea of picking up a sack of soluMKP (100aud) for PK requirements when the BudXL/Top Booster runs out.

 

[Jeeyah]

I just use the A&B and epsom salt.. I was shocked when I saw how much the additives cost.

 

[ketamine_disposal_unit]

Here's the same strain, same time flower (about wk 8, will pull them wk 10)

Without Top Booster, Top Shooter only


With Top Booster and Top Shooter
MUCH denser tops, although slightly less frost



And another pheno

Without Top Booster, only Top Shooter


With Top Booster and Top Shooter
Same frost, enormous lower buds, much denser flowers.




I run (coco DTW, keeping pH between 5.8 - 6.1 pretty religiously)

-coco A+B
-Roots excelurator only up to the first week after transplant
-Multizyme until flower (might actually drop this altogether)
-Bud XL from first signs of flowers
-Top Booster for 4 days at wk 6 flower (this time)
- Top Shooter wk 7-9
- last week flush with water
- Mammoth P



Seems Top Booster does work. And Top Shooter definitely works, too. A mate added into his last run and said his yield increased by a few Oz. By my experiment it looks like Top Booster works as well. I will continue to run both Booster and Shooter from now on. The lower buds are fucking MASSIVE this time. Some of the lowers on the #2 pheno are some of the biggest lowers I've seen. Can't wait to see them finish in a cpl of weeks.

 

[ketamine_disposal_unit]

Good discussion. Long term HnG user here. I choo n change between using the additives. Always use bud xl though. The one thing I did notice makes a difference is their Amino product. Pretty sure it's their silica amendment. Using PowerSi instead currently.

I stopped using amino ages ago. But I didn't know any better. What do you think it does?

 

[HBCA]

TLDR: Aqua flakes A+B, Bud-XL, and Top Shooter are the four bottles essential to the line in my experience.

Hello. I wanted to share a little information that I have amassed over some years of growing with House and Garden nutrient products. All information will be applicable to DTW hydroponics using peat/perlite as a medium. I live in Southern California and have been smoking for 20 years, throughout prohibition, medicalization and legalization, and growing for about 10 now.

I began growing with this method 7 years ago. I purchased H&G Aqua Flakes A+B, Roots Excelurator, Amino Treatment and Bud-XL.

Over time, as bottles ran empty, I opted not to replace any of the additives, and slowly my feeding became extremely simple, with my entire nutrient solution consisting of only Aqua Flakes A+B. I did not notice a difference in yield, potency, or overall quality of the finished product. I grew with this simplified method for a few years, with successful perpetual harvests eliminating my need for a dispensary. I was very content with my product.

One day, I was at the hydroponics supply store when a man noticed I was buying a large container of Aqua Flakes and offered me a complete House & Garden starter kit, containing every additive and product they make. I was blown away by the kind gesture. I kept the following products to experiment with for myself: Algen Extract, Nitrogen Boost, Amino Treatment, Roots Excelurator, Multi-Zen, Bud-XL, Top Booster, Top Shooter (shooting powder), Rhizo force.

For several cycles, with two different strains, I implemented the full range of products from House and Garden, and after several harvests, what I have found has surprised me. First of all, overall quality of the flowers did improve. And more than I expected it to. An overall harder, stickier flower lead to higher realized yields in live resin production as well as improved smell and taste. The numbers, while quantifiable, are not as different as the impression you get sticking your nose in the jar.

In successive cycles, I opted not to use many of the products out of sheer convenience as I speculated which products were doing the heavy lifting in the improvements. And I share with you now the products that I have settled on using, and replacing each time bottles run empty. These products are: Aquaflakes A+B, Bud-XL, and Top Shooter. I believe these 4 products used together provide the "sweet spot" between flower quality and convenience of mixing (as 9-10 bottles is just ridiculous to me, 4 is okay.) As I have reduced my solution down to these 4 products, again I do not notice a decline in overall quality. Of course this is subjective, but for better or worse, these are the products I've chosen to stick with long term.

I would be interested in hearing from fellow long-term House and Garden users about which products they use and if they have ever tried truly running them all!

Thanks for your post! I’m currently using House and Garden Coco‘s (3/4 strength) plus 1/2 strength of Bud XL and 1/2 strength of Botanicare cal/mg & silica. I’m in week 6 of flower and these are the biggest buds I’ve grown. (Been growing 4 years and have grown 6 crops.) Plants are super healthy, sticky and smell amazing! AK-47 & Gorilla glue #4. Second time using House and Garden, works really well!

 

[HBCA]

Thanks for your post! I’m currently using House and Garden Coco‘s (3/4 strength) plus 1/2 strength of Bud XL and 1/2 strength of Botanicare cal/mg & silica. I’m in week 6 of flower and these are the biggest buds I’ve grown. (Been growing 4 years and have grown 6 crops.) Plants are super healthy, sticky and smell amazing! AK-47 & Gorilla glue #4. Second time using House and Garden, works really well!

I grew the same strains last time using HG cocos, Bud XL plus Botanicare cal/mg. I used a quantum later today dial in the light too. My personal best! Total yield for two plants was 14 oz. About 1.2 gram/watt. Been growing 4.5 years, 7 crops.

 

[rkymtnman]

Hey there! I love House and Garden magazine and I think it's a great idea to have a long-term product review and discussion. It's always helpful to hear from others about their experiences with products over time, as it gives a better idea of their durability and value.

me too!

 

[TheWholeTruth]

Funny thread. Most people have who put negative coments up probably have never used top shooter. Top shooter is the same as shooting powder which is cheeper in my opinion. Shooting powder is actually well respected in the horticultural industry for doing what it says, and no using your normal base nute's ect wont do the same. What it actually does and this is extensively tested and documented by many forum users is, once your plants have put out all thier flowering sites and the flowers have grown and are hardening this when you add it. It actually trigger a strong fresh new flowering spike. This will be seen in new layers forming on top of all your developed buds, or can come out in huge long foxtails. You can manipulate its uses by adding it at to your plants at other than the recommend weeks.

 

[TheWholeTruth]

Their roots exelorator is one of the most powerful on the market too. And is also highly respected in all the professional horticultural industry.

 

[TheWholeTruth]

With the shooting powder alot of people stop using it as the new layer (about 30%increase) will not be as ripe as those buds that started to develop much earlier and are hardening and going into ripening stage wen its added. This is how you tell youve added it at the right amount and tims and its working. Ive been able to use it at different to recommended times and strength and have got it to give alsorts of results.

 

[rkymtnman]

that's some expensive monopotassium phosphate! but it does come in a cute little sachet packet.

 

[TheWholeTruth]

that's some expensive monopotassium phosphate! but it does come in a cute little sachet packet.

I think thats just the declared bit, plenty dont get declared. Youd be surprised.

 

[rkymtnman]

I think thats just the declared bit, plenty dont get declared. Youd be surprised.

it only matters if you think it works.

 

[TheWholeTruth]

it only matters if you think it works.

It does do what it says. But its not for everyone and because its so strong its easy to completely mess the plants up, burn them, stress them out bad to the point they all flop over or lock them out. As most of these additives and nutrients , they arnt worth using for a 3-6 plant grow of for small hobby growers. I think for hobbyists its more important to just keep the plant healthy and get all other conditions as good as possible throughout plant life. Plants dont care about brand names of their nutrients they just use them no mater. Most nutrients makers especially cannabis targeted think cannabis users are slow and dumb and they can come up with fancy words and big claims and were going to buy into it. Alot of the time most growers fall for the crazy claims. But a plant just needs its basics. There are however a small number of products on the market that can have very good results or can manipulate crops and its usually via combinations and different concentrations of hormones. Its a messy industry and people should be careful uour right about that.

 

[ketamine_disposal_unit]

It does do what it says. But its not for everyone and because its so strong its easy to completely mess the plants up, burn them, stress them out bad to the point they all flop over or lock them out. As most of these additives and nutrients , they arnt worth using for a 3-6 plant grow of for small hobby growers. I think for hobbyists its more important to just keep the plant healthy and get all other conditions as good as possible throughout plant life. Plants dont care about brand names of their nutrients they just use them no mater. Most nutrients makers especially cannabis targeted think cannabis users are slow and dumb and they can come up with fancy words and big claims and were going to buy into it. Alot of the time most growers fall for the crazy claims. But a plant just needs its basics. There are however a small number of products on the market that can have very good results or can manipulate crops and its usually via combinations and different concentrations of hormones. Its a messy industry and people should be careful uour right about that.

What's the earliest uouve used top shooter? I start it about week 6 on a 10 week strain and cut it week 8 to give rhe new layer or flowers time to finish

 

[rkymtnman]

they arnt worth using for a 3-6 plant grow of for small hobby

yeah, that 20% increase in yield they claim is kinda crazy. i imagine all commercial ops use shooting powder then given that increase.