Somebody sell me on coco or....?

[JDU]

It's becoming clear that the bagged topsoil I'm using ain't right for weed. I've got nitro burned tips & other deficiencies showin at the same time. The one with 1/2 used soil that I've begun to feed has passed the others & just keeps goin but the nutes still ain't right.

**BTW this reminds me that I think I owe someone an apology. I can't find it but i kinda ranted about knowin dirt & blah blah...?? I know me when I hit the bottom quarter of a bottle & I bet I came off as pretty rude. Sorry. **

Anyways- I'm thinking about taking them outside & using the hose to full on drown them- completely zero the soil & treat it as inert & add nutes. From there I either need a small scale recipie for weed dirt or to consider a different medium & fertilizer for the nxt grows.
Any suggestions?

[dphipps1020]

I don't have experience with different soils or coco but I'm pretty happy with what I use so far. I mixed up FF Ocean Forest and FF Happy Frog for my base and it's been working really well. Most of my ladies end up in amended soil but I did take one of the last ones all the way through without any amendment and it did great. Actually turned out to be my best of the group I think, even though she was small (my doing during training). A few people will say they've had a bad experience with the FF soils but so far I haven't run into anything. I also don't pH my water, just plain tap water. Just my thoughts, with pictures hope they help.

[dropinbiking]

I've got a side by side Promix + 10% perlite and coco coir + 10% perlite started right now. We will see the difference. All are fed with gaia green and will be under same lights and climate. Might start a thread.

[dropinbiking]

Things I've already noticed is that the coco plant will evaporate or absorb or wick water faster, given my generally cold climate, and my prone to overwater, this helps. I've seen the coco plants perkier and the soil plants doopier on a cold light on switch. We will see as things progress. The coco is much stringier, lighter, and seems like it would be easier for the roots to grow. Water drains like a breeze

[dropinbiking]

Speaking of apologies I think I was a dick head to someone over some wood in a grow tent. Haha people can be so bitter sometimes.

[JDU]

Now THAT'S freakin FUNNY cause I'm the one who started the thread "wood in the tent" although I don't remember bein offended by anything said so if you were an ass I didn't catch on lol. Dr. Hook- "I got stoned & I missed it" hahaha

[dropinbiking]

What soil are you currently using, and does it include any scientific time release nutrients. I've used some extra hot pro-mix with time release nitrogen and it's forked me. BTW sorry for multi posting, I'm in the spammy mood.

[JDU]

Oh no!!! Definitely no time release crap.
It's an excellent topsoil... organic- sea kelp, worm castings etc.... but not formulated for buds. This is a freakin particular crop lol & I've raised a few.

[Guest]

I’ve used FFOF soil with FF nute Trio in containers for several years with good results. It seems pretty forgiving. I use according to the feeding chart normally but I had to reveg some plants and I gave them 2x grow nutes for a month with no burn or any problems. The leaves did get very green though. I usually don’t feed for 3 weeks or so after transplanting into OF.

[JDU]

What's the min height for a hydro tub? I like Sativas so whatever I go to needs to be as short as possible
I gotta admit as an ole farm boy I'm havin trouble turnin my back on soil & I would rather git a good recipie.

[Weed Pharma]

Roots Organic Original is fairly complete and you only need nutrients if you see deficiencies- alternately you can add 5mls of any grow formula weekly for 5 gallon container.

Mother Earth Coco/perlite is all I use for coco grows with CocoTek A+B feed schedule.

[PRIMO]

This is my go to medium. It's a long drive to get it but i'm always up for a road trip. Nuff said.

[RFheavy]

Talk dirty to me, baby. What size are those tires? Staggered rims?

[PRIMO]

RFheavy 255/45-20 all the way around .

[JDU]

You run that without any fertilizer PRIMO ? For a full grow? PS I agree Nice wheels.

[BaccaRacca]

JDU If you have hard water (and most do), there is nothing easier than a heavy perlite mix with a 20%-33% mix of peat moss. The peat moss buffers the alkalinity of the hard water, and the roots find the nutrient sweet spots on their own.

Here is a tutorial I posted a couple of weeks ago.

https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/growing-community/365047-fertigation-easy-perlite-peat-moss-tap-water-grow

As for prepared soil mixes? I spent way too much time in marketing communications to pay top dollar for a product with more hooey on the product description than it has in the bag.

[JDU]

Thats almost the mix we used for bedding plants & seedlings at the nursery.👍
My city definitely doesn't have hard enough water to carry the minerals needed but I have given that some thought. Thanks!

The bagged soil I was using is just topsoil from the country feed store. $5 a bag- enough to almost fill 2 5gal buckets or 3 7gal pots. I feel the same way about all these specialty "soils" that come with companion nutrients.

[JDU]

After sein it up close I might be interested in hydro.
I'd love to hear the pros n cons, what size cups for each stage, min depth required, secrets for success etc.

[Toker1]

Depending on what kind of hydro you are talking, I would generally say less time spent in veg and massive roots! The downside is constant attention required, PH stabilization in the water, and keeping water temps low.

[dphipps1020]

I think the only height restrictions depend on if you have a water pump in your reservoir or not. As long as the roots have space to spread out you should be good with something as short as say 6". I didn't see anyone answer this, or maybe I just missed it. As for the net pots, I use 3" pots and they work fine. Maybe if you're trying to grow huge trees you may want to go a little bigger. The roots will come out the sides and bottom and will usually weave into the rest of the roots making "transplanting" in hydro pretty difficult without breaking some. I've had over 2' tall plants in them with plenty of room to grow, if that gives you any idea. I have both hydro and soil going right now. I like the faster growth rate with hydro but don't like having to check everything constantly. I usually check things every few days cause things don't usually adjust enough to check every day, at least not this time. Hope that helps

[stump]

be prepared to water everday in coco which is my hang up .

[HighDesertRat]

I tried growing in soil. I really did. Plants just never performed the way I thought they should.
i switched to hydro and never looked back.
Sure, I have to check ppms and pH daily, it takes all of 5 minutes. I generally only have to adjust pH every few days, and that adds 10 minutes or so...once you have a method and a routine figured out.
Plants definitely get bigger, faster...that does not mean they necessarily age/mature faster...
I'm still learning...this is my second grow here in the desert...yield this grow will easily triple my first in this rig.
so...I'd vote for hydro before soil or Coco. I read a lot of posts with people having trouble figuring out the watering...hydro seems easier to me...prolly because it's what I know...

[JDU]

Haha & dirt is what I know. & what I know is if the dirt ain't right neither are your crops. But this is the most sensitive, temperamental crop I've come across. Even Orchids are easier than weed lol. Dirt might not be the way to go.

Which high desert ya from Amigo? I grew up in N. Utah. Dry farms, dairies & tumbleweeds lol.

[JDU]

& I have nothin but time to tend to my girls so that don't spook me none.

[HighDesertRat]

I'm in the mojave in socal...half way between LA and Vegas.

[JDU]

Oh hell. The real desert. At least we had SOME water lol. Now I'm in Oregon with more rain in a year than Utah & Cal combined & LOVIN IT!!!