Soil to Hydroponics

calvinjones1200

calvinjones1200

Member
So ive had little success with soil so i want to try hydroponics. I come here today for a little advice so hydro experts I need your help please! I was browsing ebay for a cheap hydro system but came across a set for 20$ all I need to do is buy my own 5 gal bucket which is like 2$ at lowes and It comes with 4 months worth of nutes.

Is this a good kit? http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-SITE-HYDROPONIC-GROW-SYSTEM-SETUP-KIT-W-pH-TEST-KIT-NUTRIENTS-NO-BUCKET-/191055895640?pt=US_Hydroponics&hash=item2c7bd19c58
 
Adjorr

Adjorr

Well-Known Member
what problems have u been having with soil? if anything hydro is more difficult to manage
 
vostok

vostok

Well-Known Member
Soil is so easy...insert seed and water every 7-10 days !!!! ...unlike DWC that is gonna take some education on your part ...Oh and the cost ...? wait and see!
 
MOON SHINER

MOON SHINER

Well-Known Member
I've grown in soil for a few years and am on my second year of coco. However I'm falling in love with a DIY aeroponic designed and built by me. I'm in the first phase of using it with two Purple Buddha Clones vegging under a 400w mh. Sure you have to (or at least should) check PH every day but with the nutes I'm using its rock solid for at least a week.

Other than a few mums in coco I will have an aero system replacing everything I have.

Like Vostok said the cost is little more up front than soil or some other set ups but you NEVER have to buy any medium or worry about disposing of it or the mess it makes when you tip a bucket or pot over. My DIY system cost about $250 total. Good luck with your choice and I hope to see an awesome system come from you !
 
S

StanlySpedowski

Active Member
Yep, if you cant grow in soil, hydro isn't the answer. Stick with soil and figure out what you're doing wrong. What exactly are the problems you're having in soil?
 
calvinjones1200

calvinjones1200

Member
Thanks guys for the responses and I'll try Hydro because with soil it seems I always can never get the stem to become thick by week 6 but it always has a lot of vegetation though
 
DirtyJerzey

DirtyJerzey

Well-Known Member
Ive had a few failed grows in soil. Gave it a break for a couples years, then jumped back into it but in DWC buckets. Its working out great! I made the buckets using a tutorial on here. Im only using CFL's. I use CNS17 nutes. Change my res and nutes once every two weeks. Top the res's off with just water occasionnaly when needed. Im in my grow room once a day for about 15 mins tops. No Problems here. I love that you can monitor ALL aspects of growth if you want. The roots are very accessible, and you can see everything. How cool is that? Plus the growth is outstanding compared to soil! Hands down. Extra costs? Of course. Awesome? Hell yea.

Main stalk from my plants are about 1 inch thick.
 
justugh

justugh

Well-Known Member
listen to them

soil is forgiven .......hydro is not

soil is less money to start and grow
hydro u have cost u never thought of

if u are dead set on doing a hydro .......cheap it is not

here is a dwc
this one

now u need to buy several other things
1 a bigger air pump
2 abetter air stone..........look for micro pore
3 black air line
4 t connectors for air lines
5 ph testing.........i would get the battery op meter since the water is already colors so the droplet test does not work so well since u can not ID the color
6 calibation solutions 7.0 and 4.01 .............to make sure your meter is reading correctly
7 a whole new line of feed that is set for hydro ........not all feeds are the same some have small particals in it others are pure chemical 100% desolved
8 ph up and ph down .........so u can keep the ph lvl in the water correct
9 pippettes 1 ml and 3 ml.......so u can mix up the feed in the water and add in the PH to adjust the water
 
DirtyJerzey

DirtyJerzey

Well-Known Member
Forgiving or not. Im on first grow, and (knock on wood) have been smooth sailing. I do not test my ph anymore because I now trust in the regime i have in place.

1 air pump for each bucket - $10 each
1 rectangular air stone - $2

Buckets and Lids are around $5 set

CNS17 nutes $15 for Grow and Bloom Each they are liquid

RO water from local dispenser $1.75 per 5 gallons

Aluminum tape (not duct tape) $8 roll - 1 roll will do three buckets
 
WDIK

WDIK

Active Member
Try Hempy Buckets. From what I have read they are pretty easy.

On a normal day, I am gone from home 11 hours a day. A couple times a month, I am gone for 2 days. Because of that, I will probably always be a soil grower. From what I have read, conditions in a DWC can change in a hurry. It's not for me, but may work great for you.

Do your research and go for it.
 
DirtyJerzey

DirtyJerzey

Well-Known Member
Yes, things can change fast. And you have to keep you res temps cool. Warmth will murder your plants 9 times out of 10. Maybe 10/10. I grow in the basement so my temps are always cool. No tents or small grow ops
 
topfuel29

topfuel29

Well-Known Member
They both have there advantages, and dis-advantages.
As mentioned if you don't have a green thumb in soil hydro isn't any easier.

Save your money and make your own bubble ponics system.
It's easy to do. you can find some guides here in the "DIY" section of the forum.

Don't waste your money on air stones.
Use a stainless steel screw @ the same size as the air-line
You can adjust the air flow by screwing in in or out.
It will never plug up like a air-stone will.

RO/DI system 6 stage, 7 stage if you can find one.
The better the water the better the grow.

Good Luck on Your Grow.
 
neo12345

neo12345

Well-Known Member
calvinjones1200 said:
So ive had little success with soil so i want to try hydroponics. I come here today for a little advice so hydro experts I need your help please! I was browsing ebay for a cheap hydro system but came across a set for 20$ all I need to do is buy my own 5 gal bucket which is like 2$ at lowes and It comes with 4 months worth of nutes.

Is this a good kit?/QUOTE]

Don't be scared of hydro, it's really quite simple. As for that kit it is very basic and I can't see what the nutrients are, and it may be worth investing in a PH pen as those strips aren't very accurate.

There are plenty of people here to help you and guide you.
Click to expand...
 
S

StanlySpedowski

Active Member
calvinjones1200 said:
Thanks guys for the responses and I'll try Hydro because with soil it seems I always can never get the stem to become thick by week 6 but it always has a lot of vegetation though
Click to expand...
You're problem with soil is that your stems aren't thick enough? From the first post I thought you're plants were dying on you or something. Do you have any pics of your plants that you're worried about?

If thats what you're expecting to change in hydro, I dont think you're gonna end up with the results you want.

Try dynagro...designed for hydro and has everything the plant needs. Super cheap too. No idea about those nutes in the ebay posting.

I would buy everything locally, if you can. If you have problems with any of the pumps, Im assuming it would be a hassle to get a replacement from this guy.

Good luck.
 
DirtyJerzey

DirtyJerzey

Well-Known Member
Those nutes pictured are powdered? Youll have to take that extra step and dissolve it before you add. Thats a pain in the ass imo. Go liquid nute. Yes, that kit will get you going. Can you build for a tad cheaper maybe, but it wont be all four. and If your going cheap with air, one cheap pump per bucket. Like the $10 pump for walmart.

But in todays day and age people want it all setup for them. So I would just buy the kit. Follow any directions given in the kit. And go from there, youll be back with more questions, and we'll answer them. Give it a try, youll know if its right for you when you start to have issues. For one, if you use RO (reverse osmosis) water. Youll need to supplement with cal/mag or epsom salts. I use the epsom with one plant, my indica. My sativa never told me it wants it, so i never add it.
 
calvinjones1200

calvinjones1200

Member
justugh said:
listen to them

soil is forgiven .......hydro is not

soil is less money to start and grow
hydro u have cost u never thought of

if u are dead set on doing a hydro .......cheap it is not

here is a dwc
this one

now u need to buy several other things
1 a bigger air pump
2 abetter air stone..........look for micro pore
3 black air line
4 t connectors for air lines
5 ph testing.........i would get the battery op meter since the water is already colors so the droplet test does not work so well since u can not ID the color
6 calibation solutions 7.0 and 4.01 .............to make sure your meter is reading correctly
7 a whole new line of feed that is set for hydro ........not all feeds are the same some have small particals in it others are pure chemical 100% desolved
8 ph up and ph down .........so u can keep the ph lvl in the water correct
9 pippettes 1 ml and 3 ml.......so u can mix up the feed in the water and add in the PH to adjust the water
Click to expand...
I already have everything set :) I brought all supplies I have meters,CFLS,PH up and down, buckets and everything , nutes
 
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