I’ve spent many $$ and and killed a few plants using rockwool/mesh cups in 3.5gall food grade buckets. pH around 6.8. Temp high with lights on 84-86 w/exhaust fan running when lights are on, 78 when off. Humidity range from 50-60. Input fan runs 24/7 and oscillating fan 4-5 hrs/day. I add 2t H2O2 every 5 days, sterilize buckets and new water every 2 weeks. Light is on 16/8 vege setting 1000w LED full spectrum was at 40" now at 37" no dimmer switch. I’m thinking about switching over to an organic soil grow but having wasted $$ irks me endlessly. Thoughts? I’ve seen some soil recipes that are more complicated than Gordon Ramsey’s beef wellington, definitely not interested! Just a basic organic soil for seedlings would be appreciated or should I stay with DWC?
Thinking of switching from DWC to organic soil for indoor grow
- Thread starter Dorf
- Start date
Tracker
Well-Known Member
I use soil now...mostly because it's more forgiving with buffering pH swings and doesn't needing as much attention to oversight. I'm doing FFOF and GH Flora nutes for base, so no organic.
I used to grow hydro in the past, nft, lp aero, and dwc. When any of those methods are dialed in, they were significantly more productive than soil is for me now. If the grow environment is too warm, managing the temp of the reservoir is a must. The biggest problem I would have with hydro was stem damping off. If I took care that the base of the stem and just below that where the roots start did not stay too wet constantly, especially when cloning and during early veg, the plants would do really well.
go go kid
Well-Known Member
soil is the way to go, start off with a good quality potting compost and get some chicken manure pellets, some fish blood n bone and seaweed meal to add to it.
you can then top dress with some good soil every 3-4 weeks to keep the nutrients up when the amendments start to wear out. theres a bunch of stuff you can top dress with that give great results.
potting soil will last about 4 weeks on its own, but much longer with the amendments chicken, fish blood bone and seaweed meal. you only need a small handfull of each in the soil to give you some great plants.
and seaweed solution and fluvic acid as a PK boost just before and during flowering to give you lovely crops
you can then top dress with some good soil every 3-4 weeks to keep the nutrients up when the amendments start to wear out. theres a bunch of stuff you can top dress with that give great results.
potting soil will last about 4 weeks on its own, but much longer with the amendments chicken, fish blood bone and seaweed meal. you only need a small handfull of each in the soil to give you some great plants.
and seaweed solution and fluvic acid as a PK boost just before and during flowering to give you lovely crops
Pacoson71
Well-Known Member
should be 5.5 to 6.5 for DWC.
Your buckets and supplies will be waiting for another try in the future for sure.
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
If you like to micro manage your grow, I'd stick with dwc, but if you don't mind eyeballing shit and not ph'ing your water, I'd go soil.
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
I didn't see that. Yea you definitely want your pH lower. Id let mine drift up from 5.5 to 6.2, then I'd adjust. Now with soil, I haven't used my meter in months.
bigunyun
Well-Known Member
Things are simpler with soil. I use 7 gal fabric pots, they're cheap and they work great. Regular hardware store organic potting soil. Seedlings are good for a few weeks before I start feeding them. Then it's just mixing powdered nutes by the gallon and feeding each plant every day or two, depending. These are all in soil...
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
Looks good!