from hydro to soil????? WAAAAt????

what up yall i got a few questions and id really appreciate the help.. im a 3th time grower and my first 3 grows have all been success' with each one being better than the time before... anyways ive done all of my growing hydroponically and have no experience or knowledge at all about soil growing.

but i thought id switch it up a littlebit and experiment and go soil for once.

so ive got a few questions here..

1.i know your spoced to transplant into bigger pots as the plant and root system gets bigger.. why not just start out with a big pot to begin with?

2.are there different soils used for veg and bloom? or does the soil remain the same?

3.lets say i use a 10 gallon bucket of soil- how many gallons of water would i use per watering?

4.how do you collect the excess run off water after a watering,because doesnt it leak out of the bottom of the pot?

5.would a 5 or 10 gallon bucket work? and if so should i drill holes at the bottom of it??

thank you very much for your time appreciate any feedback

1. I honestly don't know the answer to this question.
2. Theoretically you could use different soils for veg and bloom. But you'd be better off just using your nutrients to adjust what the plant needs. But you can use soil additives depending on the cycle you are in. For instance, Blood meal is high in Nitrogen (10-0-0 I believe) where as Bone meal is high is Phosphorous (0-10-0). When you go to transplant (So I guess this could be one reason to transplant, but I'm sure it's not the best reason) you could amend the soil you're using with additives for the correct cycle you're in. For instance, when you transplant for the first time mid-way through veg, you could add in a couple tablespoons of blood meal to make your soil high in Nitrogen, allowing it to photosynthesize efficiently via chlorophyll and create new growth. Then when you transplanted right before, or during, flower, you could add in a couple tablespoons of bone meal to make your soil higher in Phosphorous (which allows plants to create sugars and oils, as well as encourage blooming).
3. Water until there is 15% runoff. So if you water with 1 gallon (3.7ish liters) you should get about a half of a liter of water runoff from the bottom of the pot.
4. Under your pots you put little base things. You'll see what I mean when you go to your local Home Depot/Garden center. It's essentially a dish that catches run-off.
5. I would work your way up to a 5 gallon bucket. I start seedlings in a small pint size pot, then move up to a 3 gallon pot, then finally to a 5 gallon. And yes, you should drill holes in the bottom of it.

juicy j mack said:

what up yall i got a few questions and id really appreciate the help.. im a 3th time grower and my first 3 grows have all been success' with each one being better than the time before... anyways ive done all of my growing hydroponically and have no experience or knowledge at all about soil growing.

but i thought id switch it up a littlebit and experiment and go soil for once.

so ive got a few questions here..

1.i know your spoced to transplant into bigger pots as the plant and root system gets bigger.. why not just start out with a big pot to begin with? Some people do just start in a big pot, others put plants into bigger pots at different points throughout the grow as the see fit/when its needed, personal preference is all.

2.are there different soils used for veg and bloom? or does the soil remain the same?
Soil remains the same, so does the pot, just the nutrients that change
3.lets say i use a 10 gallon bucket of soil- how many gallons of water would i use per watering? This is entirely dependant on an individual plants needs and watering/feeding schedule

4.how do you collect the excess run off water after a watering,because doesnt it leak out of the bottom of the pot?
Some people catch the run off by watering over a sink/bath/outside etc, other use plant pot trays(like a big saucer the plant pot sits in)
5.would a 5 or 10 gallon bucket work? and if so should i drill holes at the bottom of it??
Most people use between 3-7gal pots, however some growers use upto 10/15gal pots for specific types of grow
thank you very much for your time appreciate any feedback

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Hope this helps

Also, it's courtesy around here to not double post a thread.

well sorry mr courtesy officer, i needed questions answered. ASAP im doing an autoflower experiment and i needed to start the soil one asap so i could compare to the hydro one but i appreciate the help

juicy j mack said:

well sorry mr courtesy officer, i needed questions answered. ASAP im doing an autoflower experiment and i needed to start the soil one asap so i could compare to the hydro one but i appreciate the help

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I don't mind you double posting and it's ok to ask questions here THAT'S WHAT MAKES RIU BETTER THAN THE REST. If people want to answer then that's their opportunity to exercise generosity. It's all about sharing and helping each other grow god's greatest gift.

There are some pretty good reason not to double post, it saves a lot of confusion.

Now the thing about ASAP. It's not any of our fault you got an ASAP so don't put it on us to save your ass just because you're in a hurry. heheheh.

Expanding the space for roots to grow, or giving them a lot of space to grow in the first place allows them plenty of distance to run and keeps them healthy and active.

Incrementally increasing your pot size is more efficient in many ways. You use less water, soil and nutes by keeping the smallest pot possible without stunting the plant. You only add the next size up when the plant is ready for more root space. It's also easier to manage the plant when it has a small pot. The larger the pot the harder it is to move the plant.

juicy j mack said:

1.i know your spoced to transplant into bigger pots as the plant and root system gets bigger.. why not just start out with a big pot to begin with?

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roots go straight out and hit the sides of the pot and then starting winding around the inside edge of the pot. This leaves most of the soil area where the moisture and nutrients are free of roots. The root are all on the edge where it's bad. So growing in a small pot keeps the root ball small compared to the plant. When you then transplant to a slightly larger pot there is a larger root mass in the center of the soil able to get nutrients.