Everyone thinks that soil is more forgiving...

[racer3456]

I know this is going to be a controversial thread, but I'm going to post it anyways. Everyone always tells new growers to experiment in soil before hydro because it is more forgiving and problems are easier to fix and so on. But I propose that it is in fact exactly the opposite of that. While hydro does in involve a little more equipment and a few easy memorizations (pH, ppm), it is much easier to fix a problem in hydroponics than it is in soil. All of these posts that I see where people have nutrient burn is almost always in soil. They have either used a crappy wal-mart fertilizer that releases all of its nutrients at once or they have used miracle-gro "every watering" or at least "every other watering" and now are wondering why it looks like its going to die. And how long does it take to flush a plant with soil? A long freakin time. How long with hydro? Maybe a couple days at the most. And pH problems in soil? Don't even get me started on that. How many new growers actually have a pH meter for soil? None. That's why they want to grow in soil, because they don't want to purchase the meter. They assume the pH is going to be right because it is soil. How hard is it to add nutrients once every two weeks (some do it it more frequently) and just top off with water in between? With soil, you have to keep watering it and you never quite know exactly when to fertilize it. Some may have good feeding schedules, but it'll never be exact and perfectly uniform like hydroponics. So, these are my reasons why I think most new growers, if they're serious about growing some nice personal stuff, should go with hydroponics. It's easier, less expensive in the long run, and problems are much easier to diagnose, and thus fix.

 

[la9]

If they are going to nute burn them in Hydro they will definietly fry them in hydro.

Put in soil and water, transplant and repeat, how hard is that ?

 

[racer3456]

If they are going to nute burn them in Hydro they will definietly fry them in hydro.

Put in soil and water, transplant and repeat, how hard is that ?

that is absolutely 100% not true about frying them in hydro. the only way you would 'fry' them is if you added like 3 times the amount of nutrient concentration that is called for and that would be like 3500ppm . anything lower, the problem will be easily mendible. do you know how hard it is to burn your plants in hydro? very, especially if you have a good pH meter and you measure your nutrient concentration. i never have a problem with nutrient burn in hydro. When i grew in soil (except for outdoors), i can't tell you how many problems i had with nutrient burn and overwatering and underwatering and blah blah blah. The problems happen so slow in soil that you have no clue what it is. You think you haven't given it enough nutrients because it is looks bad, then you give it more and it looks worse. So you start watering it more, and it looks even worse because now the soil is saturated and the roots aren't getting any oxygen. It's madening. That's why hydro is sooooo much easier and soooo much more forgiving.

 

[dhhbomb]

well i have done both hydro and soil and i would say nute burn is much worse with hydro and almost never had a nute burn with soil and is do have a ph meter and i bought good soil so didnt have a problem the real problem is inexperence growers using inferitor products and with hydro u have to use more quaility products since they are more readil available otherwise with soil there are to many products for regular gardening that get used with pot

 

[potpimp]

How hard is it to read the focking instructions and measure out your nutes? I don't care if you're doing soil or hydro, you gotta go by the instructions. Metering is essential, not only to achieve optimal results but to make sure your plants survive til chopping time.

 

[la9]

If they were following instructions they wouldn't fry them in soil either. Two they aren't going to spend money on the meter, they don't even want to spend money on good seeds. It's hard to get them to spend money on lights.

It's just a fact everybody wants to "OVER" everything when they start, you could probably do a whole soil grow without adding any nutes if you used a good soil mix.

Overwatering is a beginner problem in soil, I'm sure over "nuteing" would be a problem in Hydro.

Right now I can do soil and can't even do lettuce in Hydro, what am I doing wrong ?

 

[racer3456]

i think everyone is missing my point. i understand that you (or anyone that has half a brain) can measure out nutrients and follow directions and be ok, but my main point is that hydro is more forgiving and easier to fix, and not to mention be precise on. You guys say how easy it is to follow directions, but directions don't give you an exact ppm. If you do hydro, and you follow the exact ppm given by the manufacturer, there is no way to screw up reading the TDS meter. There is absolutely no way to overfertilize in hydro if you keep to the correct ppm. Whereas in soil, there are so many more factors (unused fertilizer remaining in soil, no way to read ppm, etc) that hydro is actually easier. It may be harder for people to get seeds started in rockwool than it is in soil, but once they are going, it's so much easier, and not to mention nearly twice as fast.

 

[la9]

I think it's your opinion Hydro is easier and maybe it is for you but the main concensus is that soil is easier, end of story.

 

[racer3456]

I think it's your opinion Hydro is easier and maybe it is for you but the main concensus is that soil is easier, end of story.

But again, your missing my point dear. I said easier and faster to fix, please check my title. I didn't say easier overall to learn, I said easier to fix if there is a problem and easier to measure and make exact. If everyone throughout history believed everyone else when they were told 'end of story', we would still be thinking the world was flat, we wouldn't have had men on the moon, we wouldn't have airplanes, we wouldn't have heart transplants, need I go on? My point is that people's minds and opinions change (maybe not for some dense folks ) and a different view and theory eventually can prevail. How long has hydroponics been around? Not nearly as long as soil. We're still in the stone-age as far as hydro attitudes are concerned. People hear "hydro" and they immediately think complicated chemistry, nutrient burning, constantly mixing solutions, etc. But unfortunately, that is not the case, and if there is a problem, I know for a fact that hydro is easier to fix --> 2 step process: 1.) empty reservoir 2.) fill with fresh water and let the plant stabilize.

 

[bud4less$]

I don't want to take sides (actually I can't because I have never don hydro) but what I do know is hydro is appealing to me. However, I'm nearing the end of my first grow in soil, and I know I did have some problems (like I said, it's my first grow). Granted my first grow will be a success but hydro seams like it would take a lot more understanding and is a lot more complicated. Gust my 2 cents worth...

 

[tusseltussel]

i grew soil for years and recenntly switched to hydro and bernt the hell outa them with like 600 ppm i grew soil grows where i paid no attn. to the plants other than dummping tap water on em every 4 or 5 days i vote soil easier

 

[racer3456]

I don't want to take sides (actually I can't because I have never don hydro) but what I do know is hydro is appealing to me. However, I'm nearing the end of my first grow in soil, and I know I did have some problems (like I said, it's my first grow). Granted my first grow will be a success but hydro seams like it would take a lot more understanding and is a lot more complicated. Gust my 2 cents worth...

I'm glad ur honest. I know that's what everyone thinks because that's what everyone is told. People are told that it is more complicated and this and that. It is only more complicated because people generally don;t deal with PPM or pH on a daily basis. I think people become scared of what they do not understand, so they shy away from it. I used to think the same way. I used to think soil is natural and therefore it is easier, but when i started growing hydroponically, i was like "this is what people say is so difficult?" There is barely any understanding because all the nutrients are pre-made, and therefor you don't have to worry about nonsense deficincies like you do in soil. No on ehas ever done it, but I'm really thinking about making a "hydro for Dummies" type thread on here so that anyone who wants to do it can basically go and buy the parts, set it up, and follow my insructions exactly and be growing in no time wihtout any problems. If everyone does exactly the same thing in hydro, it will all turn out the same (barring genetics of course). All there is in hydro is water and nutrients, and it's pretty hard to screw it up. Be watching for my new thread on here...

 

[NoDrama]

racer, i agree with you about most of this, except for your premise. Its actually easier to grow in soil, but much easier to have more (Near total) control in Hydro. Soil is add water, give it light, that's pretty much it. hydro you really have to measure everything, you have a small window of PH to keep the res at, Nutes must be correct amount for the strain being grown. lots more maintenance in hydro and you actually have to know something to be successful in hydro.

Results are faster and better with Hydro IMO, but nothing can beat a good outdoor organic soil grow. I do find it easier to get satisfactory results with hydro, but it took years of soil grows to learn enough to get to this stage.

 

[brut8888]

i have a soil ph meter bud

 

[racer3456]

i grew soil for years and recenntly switched to hydro and bernt the hell outa them with like 600 ppm i grew soil grows where i paid no attn. to the plants other than dummping tap water on em every 4 or 5 days i vote soil easier

Exacltly, 600 ppm is way too high to be starting plants out on it. See my last thread. I'm going to make a "cookbook thread" titled 'Hydro for Dummies" that will explain to a T exactly what to do, what ppm you should be at for what week you are in, etc. 600ppm doesn't burn plants, unless it's too small. But that's where the confusion lies. No one ever says exactly what to do at what time because different people do different things. But i'm going to give a 'foolproof' method on how to do it.

 

[tusseltussel]

I don't want to take sides (actually I can't because I have never don hydro) but what I do know is hydro is appealing to me. However, I'm nearing the end of my first grow in soil, and I know I did have some problems (like I said, it's my first grow). Granted my first grow will be a success but hydro seams like it would take a lot more understanding and is a lot more complicated. Gust my 2 cents worth...

i think if your first grow was hydro you wouldn't have been successful and discouraged when i made the swwitch it seemed like allot of stupid at firsst(hard) but once you get used to it it's not bad

 

[tusseltussel]

Exacltly, 600 ppm is way too high to be starting plants out on it. See my last thread. I'm going to make a "cookbook thread" titled 'Hydro for Dummies" that will explain to a T exactly what to do, what ppm you should be at for what week you are in, etc. 600ppm doesn't burn plants, unless it's too small. But that's where the confusion lies. No one ever says exactly what to do at what time because different people do different things. But i'm going to give a 'foolproof' method on how to do it.

wasn't what i started the plants at just what bernt em in week 4 hydro is harder for newbies it doesn't take 3500ppm to burn a plant was my point... i would love to see your thread though where is it and im no dummie how bout hydro for newbies as the title

 

[Londoner]

Its all about what works for you at the end of the day, some can grow in soil and some cant, same with hydro.

I started off in hydro, done one crop, then went organic/compost and ive never looked back, for me compost/soil is much easier and gives better tasting better buzzin buds, its not that i couldnt grow in hydro it was just far more time consuming for me and for some reason it didnt feel right for me, im a mudman and like gettin my hands dirty, i love sticking my hands into all that natural organic goodness in my compost, you get a much better feel for things as opposed to reading digital meters, and growing without relying on them makes you learn to read your plants needs much faster imho.

But others will always say the opposite, so its pointless debating it, theyre both tried tested and proven methods of growing and its all about personal preference.

 

[racer3456]

wasn't what i started the plants at just what bernt em in week 4 hydro is harder for newbies it doesn't take 3500ppm to burn a plant was my point... i would love to see your thread though where is it and im no dummie how bout hydro for newbies as the title

I definitely wasn't insinuating anything nor trying to offend anyone. Sorry if I did. Was not my intention, promise. But to avoid any future confusion, i will call it "Hydro for Newbies" and I'll give you the credit if it gets published someday! kiss-ass

 

[racer3456]

Its all about what works for you at the end of the day, some can grow in soil and some cant, same with hydro.

I started off in hydro, done one crop, then went organic/compost and ive never looked back, for me compost/soil is much easier and gives better tasting better buzzin buds, its not that i couldnt grow in hydro it was just far more time consuming for me and for some reason it didnt feel right for me, im a mudman and like gettin my hands dirty, i love sticking my hands into all that natural organic goodness in my compost, you get a much better feel for things as opposed to reading digital meters, and growing without relying on them makes you learn to read your plants needs much faster imho.

But others will always say the opposite, so its pointless debating it, theyre both tried tested and proven methods of growing and its all about personal preference.

i definitely agree with you. If someone likes soil better, then by all means grow in soil. Don't let someone like me hold you back. I just don't want people shying away from it because somehow they think it's only for advanced growers. If someone wants to try it, they should do be able to do it without everyone telling them that they're going to screw up and the taste is crap compared to soil and other old wives tales.