Why does soil taste better than hydro?

J

jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
I have had consistent results growing in dirt when it comes to high, taste, and aroma. A few years back I tried hempy buckets with interesting results. The growth rate was much faster and the yield much higher with fewer plants. After drying and curing the buds snapped, crackled, and popped when burned and produced an extremely harsh smoke. The bowl burned to a black hard charcoal like ash. It was a very disappointing experience to say the least. I feel as though I over fed the girls throughout flowering and failed to reduce fertilizer strength toward the end of flowering.

I just completed another grow where I did all dirt except 1 which I grew in a hempy tote. After drying and a brief cure my dirt plants all produced an aromatic, good tasting, and good burning bud. My 1 hempy girl produced much larger buds than any of the dirt girls, but not nearly as resinous. After drying and a brief cure the hempy buds have a noticeable chemical aftertaste that is not present in the dirt grown girls. I also noticed that the dirt buds are hard and dense whereas my hempy girl's buds are large but have no density.

I'm about to start a new grow and I'm trying to find out why exactly it is that dirt grown pot tastes better and produces more aromatic flowers? I've been reading a bit about the brix factor which is very interesting. Is hydro grown pot just producing a low brix flower compared to a high brix flower produced in dirt?

I have had great tasting and potent hydro from other growers. I just have not been able to produce those same results myself. Soil however produces the same excellent result every time. Even with synthetic nutrients, dirt still produces consistently. I just need to find out why that is...
 
bearded.beaver

bearded.beaver

Well-Known Member
The way I look at it is hydro or chemically grown bud compared to soil grow in a living soil is like humans eating only chicken for protein, potatoes for carbs. Yes it will sustain us but we need a variety of foods to get all the vitamins, minerals, nutrients macro and micro, fats etc. Plants need a whole bunch of different things just like humans. Not just the NPK that the bottled nutes have. That's why a lot of hydro growers are starting to go hybrid and use beneficial microbes along with bottled nutes.
Plants evolved to utilize everything at their disposal,within the soil. Soil isn't just dirt it's a living Web of microbes breaking down decomposing biological matter as well as fungal colonies breaking down minerals. It's a entire system starting at the smallest level smaller then bacteria working all the way up to mamals eating plants and then digesting the material down to go threw the cycle again. And it goes on and on over and over to the point we are at now.
And when things break down its not just a single nutrient like nirogen. Its a whole bunch of things that work together. The entourage effect of how nature has evolve to work. It us humans that want to separate everything and single it out
 
J

jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
NrthrnMichigan said:
You kind of summed it up right there.
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The same mistake won't get me again. I'm done with p/k boosters. I never used one before and had great results. The first time I added the booster I got terrible tasting bud. I think pk boosters are unnecessary and I will never use one again.

I'm going to do 6 hempie buckets and 6 dirt for the next round. I want to see if the taste can be improved. I still think dirt is still going to be superior, but the growth rate of those hempie buckets is quite appealing. I think I might journal the whole dam thing online. Should be a good time
 
JohnDee

JohnDee

Well-Known Member
Jonny,
It's the phosphorus that kills taste more then anything. Learned that from a personal screw up. So I understand your feelings on pk boosters.

A slow dry that keeps the plant alive for awhile allows continued metabolism which uses up some of stored nutrients (or so I have read).

Years ago I was an organic soil gardener...but switched to hydro. I just wanted to mention another hydro option to Hempy buckets. Waterfarms are a top drip grow unit using an air pump to deliver the nutrients. Everything is hyper aerated and plants grow large and fast. You can just do one to try it out. I suppose a complete unit runs $60 or $70. Something to consider as your hydro skills improve.
JD
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
bearded.beaver said:
The way I look at it is hydro or chemically grown bud compared to soil grow in a living soil is like humans eating only chicken for protein, potatoes for carbs. Yes it will sustain us but we need a variety of foods to get all the vitamins, minerals, nutrients macro and micro, fats etc. Plants need a whole bunch of different things just like humans. Not just the NPK that the bottled nutes have. That's why a lot of hydro growers are starting to go hybrid and use beneficial microbes along with bottled nutes.
Plants evolved to utilize everything at their disposal,within the soil. Soil isn't just dirt it's a living Web of microbes breaking down decomposing biological matter as well as fungal colonies breaking down minerals. It's a entire system starting at the smallest level smaller then bacteria working all the way up to mamals eating plants and then digesting the material down to go threw the cycle again. And it goes on and on over and over to the point we are at now.
And when things break down its not just a single nutrient like nirogen. Its a whole bunch of things that work together. The entourage effect of how nature has evolve to work. It us humans that want to separate everything and single it out
Click to expand...
You do know that the very microbes yoy mention break those things down and they are the same as bottled nutrients.

That said I prefer organic soil grown. The better taste may be placebo but I still prefer it.

jonnynobody said:
I have had consistent results growing in dirt when it comes to high, taste, and aroma. A few years back I tried hempy buckets with interesting results. The growth rate was much faster and the yield much higher with fewer plants. After drying and curing the buds snapped, crackled, and popped when burned and produced an extremely harsh smoke. The bowl burned to a black hard charcoal like ash. It was a very disappointing experience to say the least. I feel as though I over fed the girls throughout flowering and failed to reduce fertilizer strength toward the end of flowering.

I just completed another grow where I did all dirt except 1 which I grew in a hempy tote. After drying and a brief cure my dirt plants all produced an aromatic, good tasting, and good burning bud. My 1 hempy girl produced much larger buds than any of the dirt girls, but not nearly as resinous. After drying and a brief cure the hempy buds have a noticeable chemical aftertaste that is not present in the dirt grown girls. I also noticed that the dirt buds are hard and dense whereas my hempy girl's buds are large but have no density.

I'm about to start a new grow and I'm trying to find out why exactly it is that dirt grown pot tastes better and produces more aromatic flowers? I've been reading a bit about the brix factor which is very interesting. Is hydro grown pot just producing a low brix flower compared to a high brix flower produced in dirt?

I have had great tasting and potent hydro from other growers. I just have not been able to produce those same results myself. Soil however produces the same excellent result every time. Even with synthetic nutrients, dirt still produces consistently. I just need to find out why that is...
Click to expand...
It wasn't the process of using bottled nutrients that made it pop and crackle and be harsh. Most likely the dry and cure.

If you don't over feed and properly use bottle nutrients and follow through with a good dry and cure most people couldn't tell the difference.

Some of us have sensitive enough palats and can tell. Most of the time I can. Not saying that just because it was bottle feed means it's bad. I've had plenty of great bottle fed pot.

Just don't over feed them. Most nutrient companies will have you over feed. Start a 1/4 to half what the bottle says.

Want to pull out some aroma. Sulphur works great.

Brix levels play a role as well.

No matter if it's bottles or organic. Keep it super simple and less is more. Every time I get away from that I screw up.

The slower the dry the better. I like it to take 5-7 days for my cannabis to dry. Then start the cure.
 
hyroot

hyroot

Well-Known Member
Pk boosters is just marketing hype to get you to spend more money on shit your plants don't need nor use.

Advanced makes all their money selling additives. They dont have any benefit.


Hydro shops make all their money off newbs. They give bad advice too. Don't worry we've all been there.
 
ShLUbY

ShLUbY

Well-Known Member
hyroot said:
Pk boosters is just marketing hype to get you to spend more money on shit your plants don't need nor use.

Advanced makes all their money selling additives. They dont have any benefit.


Hydro shops make all their money off newbs. They give bad advice too. Don't worry we've all been there.
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what do you mean? this bud candy makes my weed more awesomer! :lol::lol::lol::wall:
 
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