BENNIE'S 'V' STERILE

bradburry

bradburry

Well-Known Member
iv recently been talking to a hydroponics guy and he told me useing the sterile technique of hydroponics is easier and the only way to go.

he said this is an on going argument within the hydro community.......bennies or no bennies ( sterile ).

his argument was that if your root zone is healthy theres nothing for the bennies to do? and end up just dieing and leaving a mess to clean up?

he said bennies are invaluable for soil ......but hydroponics should be clean and sterile.

i see his point and are not starting this thread for point proving purposes..... but which is correct and why?
BENNIE'S or STERILE ?
 
waterdawg

waterdawg

Well-Known Member
Thats a good question!!! Wondering that my self, just started using benies and plants seem to like them, roots seem to like them. But never had any real issues using H2O2 either except the price!
 
bradburry

bradburry

Well-Known Member
iv heard some hyrdo vetrans saying theres no need for bennies? guess someone will come along and say different............waiting ........
 
esinohio

esinohio

Well-Known Member
Ok I'm FAR from an expert here as I've only been at this for like four years. I know I have read in the soil realm at least the beneficial microbes help facilitate the transfer of nutrients into the roots. I'm thinking I've read somewhere that in hydro there exists a similar relationship in addition to their duties in munching on the bad stuff. Personally I've run both ways and in the end the piece of mind of using the bennies to just keep things in check seemed worth the extra money for me.
 
GrowerGoneWild

GrowerGoneWild

Well-Known Member
Neither..

My tap water has enough chloramines to keep most of the nasty stuff at bay. I don't intentionally dose my tank with bennies, or myco, I dont add molasses to my hydro tank either. I dont add chlorine etc..

The theory is this, a healthy plant that is in proper temp range for hydro can defend itself from pathogens. That the rhizosphere has exudates to defend its rootball even in a hydro solution.

Observations: I have a basil in rdwc hydro that has never had anything special added to it, the clone has survived for years with nothing more than a basic chemical feed. The most care it gets is an occassional spray out of the tub. No bennies or any sterilization has been done to the plant.

I have a mom I treat in a similar way, just a simple bubble bucket. No bennies, no chlorines or H2o2 added. No problems. Just a simple rinse out between bucket changes.

Not saying you cant get pathogens, but if your plants are healthy and you try to keep your tank cool you shouldn't have any problems, that the plant can defend itself.
 
waterdawg

waterdawg

Well-Known Member
esinohio said:
Ok I'm FAR from an expert here as I've only been at this for like four years. I know I have read in the soil realm at least the beneficial microbes help facilitate the transfer of nutrients into the roots. I'm thinking I've read somewhere that in hydro there exists a similar relationship in addition to their duties in munching on the bad stuff. Personally I've run both ways and in the end the piece of mind of using the bennies to just keep things in check seemed worth the extra money for me.
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The cost of adding benies is way cheaper for me. I brew my own actually. I may just add the product directly as the cost is still negligible. I do believe the plants seem happier but not doing a side by side test. I am doing a nute comparison though and the results are amazing.
 
waterdawg

waterdawg

Well-Known Member
GrowerGoneWild said:
Neither..

My tap water has enough chloramines to keep most of the nasty stuff at bay. I don't intentionally dose my tank with bennies, or myco, I dont add molasses to my hydro tank either. I dont add chlorine etc..

The theory is this, a healthy plant that is in proper temp range for hydro can defend itself from pathogens. That the rhizosphere has exudates to defend its rootball even in a hydro solution.

Observations: I have a basil in rdwc hydro that has never had anything special added to it, the clone has survived for years with nothing more than a basic chemical feed. The most care it gets is an occassional spray out of the tub. No bennies or any sterilization has been done to the plant.

I have a mom I treat in a similar way, just a simple bubble bucket. No bennies, no chlorines or H2o2 added. No problems. Just a simple rinse out between bucket changes.

Not saying you cant get pathogens, but if your plants are healthy and you try to keep your tank cool you shouldn't have any problems, that the plant can defend itself.
Click to expand...
I and many others do not have any disinfectants in the water as it comes from a well. The temps are another issue that I deal with when its unseasonably warm and have heard this helps. This is all just what I have read and have no real experience. For the three years I have been doing hydro it was strictly a sterile res and had no issues. I started this as an experiment and to lower costs. I do believe the plants are happier than in the past but no clue if its the benies. All I can say is try it and see, they didn't die so thats a bonus lol.
 
esinohio

esinohio

Well-Known Member
waterdawg said:
I and many others do not have any disinfectants in the water as it comes from a well. The temps are another issue that I deal with when its unseasonably warm and have heard this helps. This is all just what I have read and have no real experience. For the three years I have been doing hydro it was strictly a sterile res and had no issues. I started this as an experiment and to lower costs. I do believe the plants are happier than in the past but no clue if its the benies. All I can say is try it and see, they didn't die so thats a bonus lol.
Click to expand...
GrowerGoneWild said:
Neither..

My tap water has enough chloramines to keep most of the nasty stuff at bay. I don't intentionally dose my tank with bennies, or myco, I dont add molasses to my hydro tank either. I dont add chlorine etc..

The theory is this, a healthy plant that is in proper temp range for hydro can defend itself from pathogens. That the rhizosphere has exudates to defend its rootball even in a hydro solution.

Observations: I have a basil in rdwc hydro that has never had anything special added to it, the clone has survived for years with nothing more than a basic chemical feed. The most care it gets is an occassional spray out of the tub. No bennies or any sterilization has been done to the plant.

I have a mom I treat in a similar way, just a simple bubble bucket. No bennies, no chlorines or H2o2 added. No problems. Just a simple rinse out between bucket changes.

Not saying you cant get pathogens, but if your plants are healthy and you try to keep your tank cool you shouldn't have any problems, that the plant can defend itself.
Click to expand...
I completely get what your saying. I've had several runs that used nothing but tap water and nutrients with no problems. I think the idea is even though you're starting with an already healthy plant, spiking the res with the bennies will somehow make things "better". Of course I've got jack sh%$ to back that up. Just the loose visual evidence that my plants seemed healthier using the bennies. I'm sure somewhere out there is a scholarly journal with the specific answer.
 
bradburry

bradburry

Well-Known Member
it sounds like an on going argument which by the sound of it so far wil always be.

i can see there point in soil with the nute breakdown but in hydro the only thing theve got to do is feed off bad roots ......if your roots arnt bad in the first place there useless.

maybe im wrong?
 
bradburry

bradburry

Well-Known Member
GrowerGoneWild said:
Neither..

My tap water has enough chloramines to keep most of the nasty stuff at bay. I don't intentionally dose my tank with bennies, or myco, I dont add molasses to my hydro tank either. I dont add chlorine etc..

The theory is this, a healthy plant that is in proper temp range for hydro can defend itself from pathogens. That the rhizosphere has exudates to defend its rootball even in a hydro solution.

Observations: I have a basil in rdwc hydro that has never had anything special added to it, the clone has survived for years with nothing more than a basic chemical feed. The most care it gets is an occassional spray out of the tub. No bennies or any sterilization has been done to the plant.

I have a mom I treat in a similar way, just a simple bubble bucket. No bennies, no chlorines or H2o2 added. No problems. Just a simple rinse out between bucket changes.

Not saying you cant get pathogens, but if your plants are healthy and you try to keep your tank cool you shouldn't have any problems, that the plant can defend itself.
Click to expand...
your lucky with water but we all dont all have that.
 
bradburry

bradburry

Well-Known Member
waterdawg said:
I and many others do not have any disinfectants in the water as it comes from a well. The temps are another issue that I deal with when its unseasonably warm and have heard this helps. This is all just what I have read and have no real experience. For the three years I have been doing hydro it was strictly a sterile res and had no issues. I started this as an experiment and to lower costs. I do believe the plants are happier than in the past but no clue if its the benies. All I can say is try it and see, they didn't die so thats a bonus lol.
Click to expand...
maybe its just your extra experience that your plants "belive" to look happier.......just saying.
 
GrowerGoneWild

GrowerGoneWild

Well-Known Member
waterdawg said:
I and many others do not have any disinfectants in the water as it comes from a well. The temps are another issue that I deal with when its unseasonably warm and have heard this helps. This is all just what I have read and have no real experience. For the three years I have been doing hydro it was strictly a sterile res and had no issues. I started this as an experiment and to lower costs. I do believe the plants are happier than in the past but no clue if its the benies. All I can say is try it and see, they didn't die so thats a bonus lol.
Click to expand...
I think your use of bennies is valid, little water temp control.. no disinfectants in the water.. etc.

I've dumped kelp/seaweed tea leftovers into my tank.. I"m sure there was bennies in there but I was after the other properties of the tea.

I guess i have alot of positives going for me tho' I run large tanks, ~50 gallons each. So I have alot of chloramines that will have to work its way out of the system. And its a dryer style of hydro, dutch pot recirc. I do have moms in DWC.

Another problem I have with bennies is the "hostile" environment in hydro. I think we are looking for a symbotic and antisymbiotic action of our microbes and fungi in a solution. I need a microscope to prove that there is enough life to support the benefits.

I think air and having an air gap between the netpot and the top of your solution is more important than bennies.
 
bradburry

bradburry

Well-Known Member
i want someone to post..." everyones talking shit and ill tell u the facts mother fuckers".

but its all up in the air at the moment.
 
waterdawg

waterdawg

Well-Known Member
GrowerGoneWild said:
I think your use of bennies is valid, little water temp control.. no disinfectants in the water.. etc.

I've dumped kelp/seaweed tea leftovers into my tank.. I"m sure there was bennies in there but I was after the other properties of the tea.

I guess i have alot of positives going for me tho' I run large tanks, ~50 gallons each. So I have alot of chloramines that will have to work its way out of the system. And its a dryer style of hydro, dutch pot recirc. I do have moms in DWC.

Another problem I have with bennies is the "hostile" environment in hydro. I think we are looking for a symbotic and antisymbiotic action of our microbes and fungi in a solution. I need a microscope to prove that there is enough life to support the benefits.

I think air and having an air gap between the netpot and the top of your solution is more important than bennies.
Click to expand...
I use low pressure spray nozzles and used kind of an nft set up before. Again to many variables to say if they are helping but like I said they aren't dead lol. And yes I believe that while running non organic nutes they will die if no bad stuff to feed on so I use it more for preventative measures, and possibly a symbiotic relationship with the roots.
 
bradburry

bradburry

Well-Known Member
waterdawg said:
I use low pressure spray nozzles and used kind of an nft set up before. Again to many variables to say if they are helping but like I said they aren't dead lol. And yes I believe that while running non organic nutes they will die if no bad stuff to feed on so I use it more for preventative measures, and possibly a symbiotic relationship with the roots.
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sounds right to my ....useing them as a preventative measure like using h2o2 now and then.
 
bradburry

bradburry

Well-Known Member
waterdawg said:
Yes it is, as is pretty much everything here lol. Thats why I try it for myself lol.
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the organic nutes for hydro are allready broken down so the bennies have one less thing to do and eat if the roots are healthy.....thats why some say there piontless ......heathy roots produce healhy roots. idk he must have beeen drunk too.lol
 
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