No Bottles

electric wizard

electric wizard

Member
I was thinking about how much of a pain bottled nutrients can be after having used them for a while on a couple grows. Fussing with ph, figuring out the right amounts of what bottle, paying out the ass for the bottles, dealing with false claims (such as no need to ph, or false organic claims), and tricky wording.... And after all that, I'm about sick of it, and was thinking that maybe instead of bottled nutrients, I should try transplanting into a larger container with fresh soil and perhaps even a soil mixed specifically with budding plants in mind? Most soils claim they have enough nutrients for 3 months of growth, And i've had success just adding more mulch to my tomatoes and cucumbers outside. Anyone have some input on gardening without buying bottles, and preferably without having to mix my own soil too. I'm not against mixing my own, but if I don't need to I'd rather not. Sorry if it's the millionth time its been asked, but it's not all that fun to read through a million posts to get a bunch of conflicting opinions.
 
GrowerGoneWild

GrowerGoneWild

Well-Known Member
I have a couple of plants that are like that, top feed organics with teas. I'm super strict about the few I have like that, no bottles, nothing off the shelf except Azamax for the pests and Epsoms salt. The performance is nothing like hydro however they are blooming just fine.

You could top feed with different types of teas, I just stick to compost teas casting teas.. etc Its cheap, and some of the garden stores just give it away. I got some zen potting soil, its ok.. you have to add something once they get past seedling stage.
 
electric wizard

electric wizard

Member
now when people talk about compost teas, I'm not quite clear on how they are applied. Does it go on the leaves like a foilar spray, or is it applied like a regular feeding with water? I've done foilar feeding, and I've had great results, but I still don't like the idea of putting anything on the plant surface that might be smoked or extracted later. And I know this is kind of off topic now, but really I'm just trying to plan for next year, I prefer to keep it organic, and I'm sick of tricky claims and outrageous prices.
 
electric wizard

electric wizard

Member
also, I'll probably never grow hydro..... that's just a lot of tedious work from the sound of it, and relying on mechanical things as well... Neither of those things suit me. The light is the only piece of equipment I care to have to rely on. Just like new cars, the more features (cruise control, power windows, power seat belts, etc) the more shit there is to grow wrong..... I mean go wrong. I like to keep it simple.
 
GrowerGoneWild

GrowerGoneWild

Well-Known Member
electric wizard said:
now when people talk about compost teas, I'm not quite clear on how they are applied. Does it go on the leaves like a foilar spray, or is it applied like a regular feeding with water? I've done foilar feeding, and I've had great results, but I still don't like the idea of putting anything on the plant surface that might be smoked or extracted later. And I know this is kind of off topic now, but really I'm just trying to plan for next year, I prefer to keep it organic, and I'm sick of tricky claims and outrageous prices.
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The compost tea I use is brewed, then diluted 1:5 parts water. Some of the other teas I just throw a cheesecloth sack in my watering can and let it steep, I just replace it when I run out of water. Both are just top feed.
 
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GrowerGoneWild

GrowerGoneWild

Well-Known Member
electric wizard said:
also, I'll probably never grow hydro..... that's just a lot of tedious work from the sound of it, and relying on mechanical things as well... Neither of those things suit me. The light is the only piece of equipment I care to have to rely on. Just like new cars, the more features (cruise control, power windows, power seat belts, etc) the more shit there is to grow wrong..... I mean go wrong. I like to keep it simple.
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Mebby.. but there are hydro techniques that need no running equipment. I'm not trying to change your mind just show you.

Hempy Buckets, Straight peralite, Passive Wick... You could go organic coco or rockwool slabs, with OMRI feeds off the shelf. I think its a bit tricky with these other systems, you kinda need a "bottle" solution for some. Or ammend the media with organics..

Soil is way more challenging for me, so many ecosystems and symbotic relationships to try to understand.
 
electric wizard

electric wizard

Member
So compost teas are basically like a replacement for bottled nutes? What kinds of things do you use to make a tea. People like to make it seem like growing (in general) is so hard and so complicated, but the truth (if you ask me) is that people just like to make it sounds like it's so hard, so they feel some sort of accomplishment, or eliteness..... but the truth is that Life wants to Live, and human error is the number one killer of indoor gardens... Also, and don't take this as trying to change your mind about how to grow because this is an honest question, but I've heard that organics are harder to run through hydro.... Is this true?
 
GrowerGoneWild

GrowerGoneWild

Well-Known Member
electric wizard said:
So compost teas are basically like a replacement for bottled nutes? What kinds of things do you use to make a tea. People like to make it seem like growing (in general) is so hard and so complicated, but the truth (if you ask me) is that people just like to make it sounds like it's so hard, so they feel some sort of accomplishment, or eliteness..... but the truth is that Life wants to Live, and human error is the number one killer of indoor gardens... Also, and don't take this as trying to change your mind about how to grow because this is an honest question, but I've heard that organics are harder to run through hydro.... Is this true?
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Its not really a replacement for bottled nutes, I'm abandoning those ideas as far as phase specific feeding. my soil is already amended but it responds well to the compost teas I add, I might top dress with ewc.. but I'm trying to keep it simple, just keep the plant looking good. I'm just practicing for when I get my place setup down south for an outside soil grow. :)

Growing cannabis isn't hard... growing excellent cannabis with no flaws is.. And it gets more complicated the more plants you have..

Organics are a tricky thing to define, I ran botanicare, and thats supposedly "organic" from a bottle. The bottle solutions for organic are easy to combine with synthetic methods. But I've never really combined true organics and hydro (well I had a little tea left over the other day and just dumped it into my hydro setup)... aquaponics might be the real combination of both.
 
electric wizard

electric wizard

Member
I had to re-read everything to make sure I didn't just ask the same shit over againha ha. that'd be annoying I'm sure. But anyways, I missed it the first time through, but it looks like the answer to my question for the most part is that it's do-able? I'm not by any means expecting to max a plant out to it's full potential or anything, at the moment you could almost call me a recreational grower.... or noob, but the first one sounded cooler. Thanks for the information you've given me so far
 
GrowerGoneWild

GrowerGoneWild

Well-Known Member
electric wizard said:
I had to re-read everything to make sure I didn't just ask the same shit over againha ha. that'd be annoying I'm sure. But anyways, I missed it the first time through, but it looks like the answer to my question for the most part is that it's do-able? I'm not by any means expecting to max a plant out to it's full potential or anything, at the moment you could almost call me a recreational grower.... or noob, but the first one sounded cooler. Thanks for the information you've given me so far
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No problem. Like I said before I'm just trying to educate myself too, I have some land down south that is primo for growing cannabis. I have to adapt to using a no bottle approach. My organic only method using teas isn't as impressive as its hydro counterparts, but I havent spent much money on it. Soil and teas, cheap..

I get what you're doing, I"m a gardner to.. I was growing veggies and herbs long before I was growing dope..
 
vostok

vostok

Well-Known Member
Go to your locale Asian food market and buy a sheet or 2 of sushi seaweed, chop it up and put it in a large clean coke bottle, fill with water and leave for as long as you can in a sunny spot, the longer the better, minimum of 3-4 weeks, then strain thru an old sock or some such, and feed your kelp mixture at a solution of 3:1, of water, pour to a pint hand sprayer and foilar feed 2x times per day

tutorial on my blog: https://www.rollitup.org/Journal/Entry/kelp-nute-feed-d-i-y.30209/

to add.. I do buy in my own organic soils (2-3 cubic yards) every year from the hippies down at the river, they been doing it since the 1960's its cheap and fantastic stuff, look locally they are there
 
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A

az2000

Well-Known Member
electric wizard said:
also, I'll probably never grow hydro..... that's just a lot of tedious work from the sound of it, and relying on mechanical things as well...
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I think if you were growing 30 plants you'd grow hydro. It excels at efficiency. Tending the system, not individual plants. Assembly line.
 
GrowerGoneWild

GrowerGoneWild

Well-Known Member
vostok said:
Go to your locale Asian food market and buy a sheet or 2 of sushi seaweed, chop it up and put it in a large clean coke bottle, fill with water and leave for as long as you can in a sunny spot, the longer the better, minimum of 3-4 weeks, then strain thru an old sock or some such, and feed your kelp mixture at a solution of 3:1, of water, pour to a pint hand sprayer and foilar feed 2x times per day
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Interesting, I've wondered if the species of seaweed used in nori is the correct one for adding to plants. I'm wondering if the process to get it to nori is going to hurt it as far as nutritional value.

I also wonder about activating it like AACT. Any reason not to aerate the tea during the long ferment?.

I guess I could beach comb, I'm fairly close to the water, tons of seaweed on the beaches..
 
furnz

furnz

Well-Known Member
This is my first grow not in soil less and in soil (Roots original).
Instead of transplanting before flower I left room in my pots to top dress with soil later on.
Im using 5 gallon fabric pots with about 3-4 inches left empty at the top. I just keep them rolled down for now to keep the extra out of the way.
I'm hoping the added soil for root growth and the nutes getting leached down into the roots from watering might be enough to take them to the end flower.
If not I have the buddah grow and bloom on hand.
This is my attempt at keeping it real simple :P
 
vostok

vostok

Well-Known Member
GrowerGoneWild said:
Interesting, I've wondered if the species of seaweed used in nori is the correct one for adding to plants. I'm wondering if the process to get it to nori is going to hurt it as far as nutritional value.

I also wonder about activating it like AACT. Any reason not to aerate the tea during the long ferment?.

I guess I could beach comb, I'm fairly close to the water, tons of seaweed on the beaches..
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I just shake it ...even better if my buddies are around they shake and stare...at the fine stuff floating ...cool like in the 1960s ..lol
and yes I wanted to go to my beach...but I'm now looking into using previous grows fan leaves, really just the 'same' ..?
each kelp or canna fan leaves are carbohydrates. mineral etc ..?​
 
electric wizard

electric wizard

Member
Thanks for the post on the seaweed tea, now I don't have to look for it at a later time. There's a local worm nursery/garden supply place pretty close to my house that I was thinking about checking out for soil next year, I've never been there before but I think it could be worth checking out over Home depot or the hydro shop... I think there's actually a couple places locally that produce soil locally that I never knew about until my garden was well in progress this year.
 
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