dwc hydro / soil: side by side

After years of growing in organic soil I have been doing my first rdwc and I today they are 4 weeks old and are huge compared to the same time in soil. I'm giving them another two weeks and then going to flower vert I took this photo yesterday. I had to swap them around so the other side gets a turn right under the lamp, hence why the ones on the right seem smaller.

Tupur will stick with it id put money on it and be more consistent

nugsNjugs said:

Day25 of flower and the dwc is killing the soil.

This was my first time doing dwc hydro buckets n it's super simple to get better results than soil.

Here's a photo, just look at the height and stem structure differences, the 1 in soil equals just one of the tops on the hydro plant. I'm guessing the 1 in dwc will yield 4-500% of the soil.

Why would anyone do soil indoors, or
What does it take to match the performance/results of dwc, using soil?

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You can never match the "speed" of hydro!
I can get close, very close to matching yields. So close that I quit the time consuming measuring and metering and adjusting of hydro (along with the failure rate of DWC during times when res temps go over 70F) and went back to 100% organic soil.
Not to mention - You will never have the flavor of my organic soil. Build my soil. - Put my plant in it. - Water it, walk away!

The urge to do some DWC with a cpl of new nutrient lines has me looking at digging out some DWC buckets to try them out. Never said it wasn't fun! I have a little 2x2 Ebb system I built for dialing in strains to used nutrients. maybe get that out a minute too.

Like I said, I can just about match yields. I find a 100% (or more) "guess" at yield difference as you didn't do something right in the soil run.

Also looks like you topped at least one of the DWC plants more, or at least more effectively!

But, please! Run what style makes you happy!

nugsNjugs said:

Why would anyone do soil indoors

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Because it's easier.

Dr. Who said:

You will never have the flavor of my organic soil

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Gross!! You eat soil??

Cyrus420 said:

Because it's easier.

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Because it's harder.

churchhaze said:

Because it's harder.

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Yeah ill agree. My rdwc has been a cake walk so far. I like knowing that I just need to tend to it once a week yo change the RES out. Which takes me 15mins compared to hand watering them all.

Sure I can see that if dwc goes bad, it will go bad real fast, which soil wouldn't.

churchhaze said:

Because it's harder.

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kiwipaulie said:

Yeah ill agree. My rdwc has been a cake walk so far. I like knowing that I just need to tend to it once a week yo change the RES out. Which takes me 15mins compared to hand watering them all.

Sure I can see that if dwc goes bad, it will go bad real fast, which soil wouldn't.

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Both of you are full of it.

DWC yes when set up properly and dialed in can be left alone for a longer time then soil but you still have to consider nutrients, water ph, setting your DWC system up in the first place, and no doubt the equipment for it would cost more than a bag of soil and a pot.

An organic soil grow is as simple as put soil in pot and water when dry.

I don't even understand how you could begin to suggest it's easier in a broad sense. Easier if you like a bit of automation to your grow but certainly not easier for the new comer. Even @kiwipaulie here admits that when a DWC goes bad it goes bad. Soil is more forgiving so wouldn't it be safe to assume it's easier?

Cyrus420 said:

Both of you are full of it.

DWC yes when set up properly and dialed in can be left alone for a longer time then soil but you still have to consider nutrients, water ph, setting your DWC system up in the first place, and no doubt the equipment for it would cost more than a bag of soil and a pot.

An organic soil grow is as simple as put soil in pot and water when dry.

I don't even understand how you could begin to suggest it's easier in a broad sense. Easier if you like a bit of automation to your grow but certainly not easier for the new comer. Even @kiwipaulie here admits that when a DWC goes bad it goes bad. Soil is more forgiving so wouldn't it be safe to assume it's easier?

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And you need to consider dragging gallons and gallons worth of soil into your home. I just fill my totes with water an inject them with an equal part of A+B. Does it have enough lime? What's even in it? Who knows!! Good luck !

Tote needs refilling? Pump it out and dump it down the drain. Refill. Equal parts A+B. No soil on the floor.

churchhaze said:

Gross!! You eat soil??

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Many claim that organic soils provide a better taste to their bud. This process of thinking is generally backed by the idea that an organic grow does not rely on manual addition of non-organic salts and compounds that affect the flavor of hydroponically grown cannabis.

I think both are mighty tasty and have a hard time telling the difference between hydro vs soil but then again I'm of the mindset that everything effects your bud not just how you grow it and the dry and cure is probably the most important place when it comes to flavor and smell factors.

churchhaze said:

And you need to consider dragging gallons and gallons worth of soil into your home.

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I'm not a weakling so lifting a single bag of soil from the front door to sit next to my closet was no big deal. Twenty gallon bag isn't as big as it sounds and was enough for my current grow. Even had plenty left over so I put some tomatoes out on my front porch with it.

churchhaze said:

And you need to consider dragging gallons and gallons worth of soil into your home. I just fill my totes with water an inject them with an equal part of A+B. Does it have enough lime? What's even in it? Who knows!! Good luck !

Tote needs refilling? Pump it out and dump it down the drain. Refill. Equal parts A+B. No soil on the floor.

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You need to do more work therefore it's not easier.

I'm not saying DWC is bad in any fashion and it's probably how I'm going to grow once I can pump more money into my tent to get things set up the way I want.

I've never spilled soil on the floor either.

And what is the bit about not enough lime? Are you talking about your own DWC or mocking soil users? If you're wondering whether you have enough of something in your DWC then maybe you should check that instead of dismissing it...if you're mocking soil users I don't get it?


Either way when it comes to learning the basics of growing an organic soil will be the easiest to set up and the most forgiving medium. It may not produce the biggest and best results and may not even have the same level of automation a DWC has but when it's as simple as water when dry I fail to see how you could suggest growing in soil is harder.

You're just wrong on that.

Cyrus420 said:

Many claim that organic soils provide a better taste to their bud. This process of thinking is generally backed by the idea that an organic grow does not rely on manual addition of non-organic salts and compounds that affect the flavor of hydroponically grown cannabis.

I think both are mighty tasty and have a hard time telling the difference between hydro vs soil but then again I'm of the mindset that everything effects your bud not just how you grow it and the dry and cure is probably the most important place when it comes to flavor and smell factors.

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Plants take up inorganic salts and nothing else. They also breath inorganic CO2. I don't buy the argument that organically grown plants inherently taste different than hydroponic plants.

churchhaze said:

Plants take up inorganic salts and nothing else. They also breath inorganic CO2. I don't buy the argument that organically growth plants inherently taste different than hydroponic plants.

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Nor should you. Whether you grow in soil or hydro will never alone determine the quality of your crop. Things such as potency, taste, growth habits are all stored in the genetics and it's up to our skill as growers to bring out these desirable profiles in our plants.

It wouldn't surprise me if there are strains of cannabis that prefer soil over hydro set ups or the other way around. There is so much out there at this point it's hard to really know anything without trying it out for yourself.

Cyrus420 said:

You need to do more work therefore it's not easier.

I'm not saying DWC is bad in any fashion and it's probably how I'm going to grow once I can pump more money into my tent to get things set up the way I want.

I've never spilled soil on the floor either.

And what is the bit about not enough lime? Are you talking about your own DWC or mocking soil users? If you're wondering whether you have enough of something in your DWC then maybe you should check that instead of dismissing it...if you're mocking soil users I don't get it?


Either way when it comes to learning the basics of growing an organic soil will be the easiest to set up and the most forgiving medium. It may not produce the biggest and best results and may not even have the same level of automation a DWC has but when it's as simple as water when dry I fail to see how you could suggest growing in soil is harder.

You're just wrong on that.

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Technically, just carrying a 20lb bag into the house alone is more work than pouring 4 gallons of water into each tote and injecting 40ml of A and 40ml of B. I am talking about soil users not having a clue what's in their mix. If there's anything wrong at all with soil, you will have to guess at the problem and chances are you're going to screw it up more. In DWC, that will never happen because I start with water and know exactly what I put in.

Another thing to bring up... Most people who run DWC or some variant will eventually stop using meters to check pH and ppm. I don't check ppm or pH anymore since I know that it comes out the same ppm and pH every time. Once in a while I will check the pH to make sure the tap hasn't changed on me.

kiwipaulie said:

Yeah ill agree. My rdwc has been a cake walk so far. I like knowing that I just need to tend to it once a week yo change the RES out. Which takes me 15mins compared to hand watering them all.

Sure I can see that if dwc goes bad, it will go bad real fast, which soil wouldn't.

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I feed twice a week besides that don't even need to go up there I'd say very easy 9 strains same nute mix some get 2.5 gallons others 3.5 but same mix and 9 strains that's why rdwc sucks is running multiple strains in same system they are all way more sensitive I feed at 2800 on the 700 ppm last week now feeding water but here's from the other day I'm gonna pull 2.5 a light def over two but I'm guessing 10lbs from these 4 lights I mean technically I'm in the middle of hydro and soil I use tupur which is coco perlite and organic matter from Oregon forests and it's a flood to drain system originally but I all my plants sit in dishes and dishes are never emptied they are just there to let me know I watered fully and the plants drink it right back up.

Btw thats the original OG cut from '91 that's the huge ones

Afgan King said:

I feed twice a week besides that don't even need to go up there I'd say very easy 9 strains same nute mix some get 2.5 gallons others 3.5 but same mix and 9 strains that's why rdwc sucks is running multiple strains in same system they are all way more sensitive I feed at 2800 on the 700 ppm last week now feeding water but here's from the other day I'm gonna pull 2.5 a light def over two but I'm guessing 10lbs from these 4 lights I mean technically I'm in the middle of hydro and soil I use tupur which is coco perlite and organic matter from Oregon forests and it's a flood to drain system originally but I all my plants sit in dishes and dishes are never emptied they are just there to let me know I watered fully and the plants drink it right back up. View attachment 3696460 View attachment 3696462

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Yeah totally if your running different strains it would be a bitch. Don't even think you could do rdwc, so stand alone dwc would be alot if work.

Nice bud!!

Cyrus420 said:

Both of you are full of it.

DWC yes when set up properly and dialed in can be left alone for a longer time then soil but you still have to consider nutrients, water ph, setting your DWC system up in the first place, and no doubt the equipment for it would cost more than a bag of soil and a pot.

An organic soil grow is as simple as put soil in pot and water when dry.

I don't even understand how you could begin to suggest it's easier in a broad sense. Easier if you like a bit of automation to your grow but certainly not easier for the new comer. Even @kiwipaulie here admits that when a DWC goes bad it goes bad. Soil is more forgiving so wouldn't it be safe to assume it's easier?

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I didn't say anything about dwc. I said I'm running a rdwc and it is much easier than soil. As churchhaze said the soil issue is a big one for me as when I grow in soil I use 35l pots and in flower they would want a drink twice a week. That's alot of water carting for me. Then I have to get rid of the soil at the end, I could reuse it, but I'm not that Jew.

Now I can just fill up a tank, mix up and the water pump distributes it all.

Every soil grow I've done there has always been little issues with deficiencies etc that need correcting. Fucking gants and so on. Have not had that issue with hydro, you can read and fix plants much quickly.

I have a rule to help me not fuck up my nute mixtures as this I think is where the problems come from and its - no getting pissed before mixing haha