Soil vs Hydro ?

And soil can yield just as much as hydro in my opinion, it just takes longer to get the same yield. But seeing as time isn't a problem, I believe soil is an easier route once the plant has started growing. No checking ppm, or
EC, or worrying about air pumps going bad. Simply just water.

Budgoro88 said:

Soil is less maintenance and more maneuverable and taste is way better

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Taste is better? You my friend havent smoked good dro, no way possible. When it comes to taste Hydro is the cleanest wiff of weed youll ever get, the plants roots are in nothing but water its entire life cycle, you cant get any fresher than that.

Smokenpassout said:

Take it from a beginner. I bought a basic hydro setup. Followed directions to a tee. Played with it for weeks, never could stabilize pH!
plant barely grew. Now in soil. Plant growing well. No more adjusting Ph. Just water and leave it.

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You gotta educate yourself on it a little more is all bro, I read DWC hydro bucket is the easiest of em all. Suppose to be set it and forget it.

Yeah, as much as Bubble Buckets are THE SHIT for growing Massive plants, and bringing a plant to their genetic potential the hydroton screws beginners a lot of the time and turns them off of hydro.
If you don't Soak that shit for 2-3 days in PH'd water until the ph stables out your PH will run up for weeks. The problem is no one tells you how to prepare the stuff. Also, well meaning people touting the benefits of bubble buckets often forget to mention that each batch of hydroton can be different and needs to be prepared before use. I've quit using it because it's too much work. I use plain ass river rock from Lowes, and the hydroton to top up the netpot to block out light since it's lighter. I never let it come into contact with my nutrient solution though. Just too lazy to soak the shit, and for me hydro is about simplicity.

Dannyb131 said:

Hello, I am curious about the 2 options for my next grow. How much more beneficial is using a hyrdo operation vs a soil operation ? Im only growing for hobby, 4-8 plants. Any feed back would be appreciated.

Also when using CO2, is it supposed to be a CO2 rich environment or do you just spray the plants on a schedule ?


Thanks

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I don't normally post in the newbie forum but I like this topic.

Hydro is cleaner (both in terms of grow room cleanliness and the final product), it yields more, it's completely automated, issues can be corrected instantly, less waste is produced after a 'cycle', and growth rates are wicked fast. The downside is that one usually needs to grow one strain per hydro setup given harvest times and the fact that one res feeds all plants in said setup. One can't move plants around too easily should one grow too big or get infested with pests. Hydro has a much steeper learning curve but once things are 'dialed in', it's a cakewalk. The start up cost is pricey both in terms of the actual hydro system and the meters needed to properly run a setup.

Soil (living soil) supposedly tastes better but I never could tell the difference. One might get a good feeling knowing they're growing 'organically' but ironically organic plant foods contain more heavy metals than their mineral-derived counterparts. Plants can be moved around easily when growing in containers, one can grow multiple strains at a time, and if one plant is problematic, it can be yanked in a matter of minutes. The downside is that soil doesn't yield all that well, it's friggin dirty, bags of animal waste and slaughterhouse byproducts roughly equals the number of bottles of mineral-derived plant food bottles on the hydro side so it's not like soil is a 'KISS' method. I'd even venture to say that soil can be more expensive to run given all the amendments one needs to properly build up a good soil mixture but that depends on one's plant food choice. Savvy growers may even recycle their medium but if they don't, they've got lots of waste on hand after a plant is harvested.

I think a brilliant in-between is promix. It's not even close to 'hydro' but it has all the benefits of container gardening without the so-so yields of organics and all those organic additives. Multiple strains can be grown at once, the medium can be recycled a few times, and growth rates are pretty darn good for not being 'hydro'.

I've grown in with all three methods but these days, I stick to promix and hydro.

All organic soil grown nugzz are definitely tastier and smellier than hydro grown......hands down......this is an old argument and hydro growers will come out the wood works to defend hydroponic budzz but if you haven't grown both dialed in you don't know what your talking about......I grow both, hydro at my co ops for yield purposes, and my personal is all organic......yield in hydro with same veg yields at least 30% more in my case....but all organic just taste better and smells more fragrant........soiless mixes are alright but I still notice a richer taste and smell with all organic soil mixes.....to each his own.....soil nugs in my joint/bong..... hydro for weight commercial purposes......

a bit off topic guys.. but does the price of a seed determine the quality of buds it will produce? thnx 4 all opinions.

how bought soilless

209 Cali closet grower said:

how bought soilless

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Read the whole thread,it has already been mentioned a few times....

I have just finished my last grow of soil and hydro i just do 3 hydro now. My first grow was 2 hydro and people saying "you will FAIL if you do hydro first time" i got to disagree, Yes i had minor problems. ph out here and there nute burn but very easy recovered from and got 7oz under 1 400hps what really was not bad.Read up on hyro before you try it. I did and helps alot! Then 2nd grow was just soil and went good and the weed was VERY nice but 4oz and the mess and hassle was unreal.So after doing more grows of hydro and soil i have finally had enuff of having to pull the soil ones out and watering every 3 days when the hydro just sit there drinking the 40Ls of juice looking pretty. So basic what im trying to say is... HYDRO!!!
Marcy

WeedPublican said:

You gotta educate yourself on it a little more is all bro, I read DWC hydro bucket is the easiest of em all. Suppose to be set it and forget it.

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There's no "setting and forgetting" in DWC. I have to adjust my PH at LEAST twice a day. By week three of veg, four plants were drinking a little over 5 gallons of water every day. It was ridiculous. Include the waiting 45 minutes to fill the damn bucket with RO water and then the 10 minutes to adjust the PH plus waiting another 45 minutes for the PH to settle, add the ph balanced RO water to the remaining water in the buckets, and repeat the process. Hydro isn't easy, but I have no experience with soil. I can't vouch for the taste, yield, or potency because I never got to harvest my crop. From what I've seen and heard, soil is far less maintenance and tastes better (sometimes). There's much more down time when growing soil.

After trying soil, dwc, and hempys. I think hydro let's me feel like I have more control. As with soil I would always be chasing the ph because of the organic material throwing off the ph. Hydro and soiless grows give you way more control as you add the nutrients so you know what's already in there. I grow my SOG plants in hempys and my mothers in dwc. I use to be all about organics and growing in soil. Now ever since I made the switch I will never turn back! And I've never noticed a taste difference with hydro either that is a myth. But I have noticed they are faster growing, easier to maintain the ph, and I get more buds and keef to make wax with.

gargantuanganja said:

There's no "setting and forgetting" in DWC. I have to adjust my PH at LEAST twice a day. By week three of veg, four plants were drinking a little over 5 gallons of water every day. It was ridiculous. Include the waiting 45 minutes to fill the damn bucket with RO water and then the 10 minutes to adjust the PH plus waiting another 45 minutes for the PH to settle, add the ph balanced RO water to the remaining water in the buckets, and repeat the process. Hydro isn't easy, but I have no experience with soil. I can't vouch for the taste, yield, or potency because I never got to harvest my crop. From what I've seen and heard, soil is far less maintenance and tastes better (sometimes). There's much more down time when growing soil.

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Soil is definitely harder then dwc. I always set my dwc and forget, dont get me wrong i go check the air stones every day. but i havent had one ph fluctuation with dwc, as in soil its like im chasing down ph. constantly flushing to fix ph is just annoying and a pain in the ass. id rather fill a bucket with water and nutrients ph the water and your good to go. you have total control of the ph. And keeping your ph in check is one of the most important things about growing.

All organic soil mix.......I don't ph nuthing.....dank ass nugzz that stank like no other.....Not as big as the hydro but definitely tastier