Hydroton in bottom 2-3" soil on top

[posternutbag]

A good friend told me about this - I just fill pots up with my soil mix.

He said there was a marked difference in growth which made sense since it allows more air to hit the lower root mass.

I think I'm gonna try it next run.

Anyone else do it?

He cleans them before use then throws out, doesn't reuse.

 

[MacGyver420]

i put about 2-3 inches worth of hydroton at the bottom of my 2 gallon pots; then i add about 1/2 inch worth of earth worm castings; then i fill with soil mixture to the top! works great really helps with drainage and you get some gnarly super fuzzy roots in the hydroton area

 

[paladin420]

That's where I recycle really used hydroton..For my outside pots. works well for gorilla growers.

 

[GoodItes]

I do it and It prevents the runoff from getting sucked back up to the soil. I would def. rinse very thoroughly before use and you can reuse it and save money. Good luck.

 

[moonwalkr1]

Could perlite be substituted for the hydroton?

 

[heatherlonglee]

Maybe try coco coir as your base? When you use these rock, pellets, ect... you just turned a (5 gal pot into a 4 gal) or a (3 gal into a 2.3 gal) Your just taking up space with the rocks the coir could do the same with less pot area/mass taken away. I understand coir is said to have more water retention, in real life situations just doesn't work like that.

 

[posternutbag]

mcgyver, why not just mix those castings into the soil?

moonwalkr, i assumed that coir or hydroton would work better since its what hydro guys use. the perlite i have been told not to over do it with that. maybe has pH issues, but i've seen a thread with a guy who used some walmart cloner with only perlite and rooted his clones in it... ?

 

[Swayze]

I ran a similar style in a micro hempy bucket. The bottom had a 2-3in layer of hydroton and the rest perlite, worked great. I'm trying to germ some older seeds now and do a similar setup with soil like yourself.