I have been reading OG, CW, ICmag and some assorted others for years. This is my second post ever and my first thread. I thank all the hundreds of growers who helped me. My first indoor grows were with reflectors, light movers, expensive bottled nutrients and additives. I bought and tried almost everything the hydro store salesman sold me. I averaged 1.5lbs per 1K light.
Now when I go to the hydro store I buy cloning solution, liquid karma, Fox Farm light warrior for seedlings and earthworm castings (they actually have the best price in town on EWC). I decided to post what I do to show that you don't need anything complicated to get great yields or spend a fortune in setup and maintenance. The amount of products I buy is very limited.
I buy; blood meal, jamaican bat guano, kelp meal, perlite, earthworm castings, molasses, liquid karma, light warrior and cloning solution. The original soil was either roots organic or fox farm ocean forest. I do the soil recycling thing and love it to death. I don't have to lug multiple bags of potting soil frequently into the house. I don't spend $15 a bag for decent potting soil or have to go through many different suppliers to make something similar on my own. I spend 3/4 less money per month and my plants yield better, taste better, and stay healthy all the way through.
The other thing I disliked about hydro store style growing is the complicated feeding schedules and pH and TDS readings. I had problems that I was always doing something to correct it. Now it feels like a ron popeil commercial I just set it and forget it. I make a tea that bubbles 24/7 and I refresh it every 3-4 days. I use about 25 gallons of water ever 3-4 days so I have on bucket that makes a strong tea which I dilute 5 parts water to 1 part tea. I water everything with the tea from seedlings to big plants and right up till the end. Simple!
The tea is 4 cups earthworm castings, 5 tbs molasses, 6 oz liquid karma in 4 gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket with air stones. I just dump all the ingredients right in the bucket and stir, no sock.
When I recycle my soil I chop the soil up real good after harvest and let the roots die and break down for a week or two. I do this in the 18 gallon rubbermaid tubs. At this point they are about 1/2 to 2/3 full and then I add 2 gallons of earthworm castings, 1 cup dolomite lime, 1/2 cup blood meal, 1 cup jamaican bat guano, 2 cups of kelp meal. I then label the bin for one month ahead and let it sit and cook. I use this soil when ready for everything except seedlings and clones which I use Fox Farms light warrior.
I do about 8-12 plants per light in a circle around the light. I place the light above the plants until they start to bud and that's when I drop the light down in between. and the light stays there until they are done. I don't rotate my plants. I use shortened tomato cages to support and train but for the most part I let them do their own thing. If the plants are big enough the tomato cages just provide support and the plants do most of the training themselves fighting for the light.
I clone in homemade 10K style bubble cloners and sometimes I use a solution such as olivia's, B-cuzz or Power clone. I am currently using power clone because it works better and doesn't clog the air holes in my bubble wands. I know it's not 100% organic but I need to use it on some strains to get roots with fast success. Strain permitting I prefer just straight water with foliar feedings of EWC tea.
I have my room on a perpetual harvest which provides me with over 2lbs per harvest every 2-3 weeks.
To all the people over the years who helped me to get to this point. This online community of growers is the best. I gained a pound per light yield increase from reading OG, CW, and ICmag. I would like to thank Krusty for me the potential of vertical. He was a little crass but he was right. All of those reflectors are junk that hydro store owner makes money on. I would also like to thank the 3 little birds whose soil heresy stopped me from throwing out my most prized possession which is my living soil.
Now when I go to the hydro store I buy cloning solution, liquid karma, Fox Farm light warrior for seedlings and earthworm castings (they actually have the best price in town on EWC). I decided to post what I do to show that you don't need anything complicated to get great yields or spend a fortune in setup and maintenance. The amount of products I buy is very limited.
I buy; blood meal, jamaican bat guano, kelp meal, perlite, earthworm castings, molasses, liquid karma, light warrior and cloning solution. The original soil was either roots organic or fox farm ocean forest. I do the soil recycling thing and love it to death. I don't have to lug multiple bags of potting soil frequently into the house. I don't spend $15 a bag for decent potting soil or have to go through many different suppliers to make something similar on my own. I spend 3/4 less money per month and my plants yield better, taste better, and stay healthy all the way through.
The other thing I disliked about hydro store style growing is the complicated feeding schedules and pH and TDS readings. I had problems that I was always doing something to correct it. Now it feels like a ron popeil commercial I just set it and forget it. I make a tea that bubbles 24/7 and I refresh it every 3-4 days. I use about 25 gallons of water ever 3-4 days so I have on bucket that makes a strong tea which I dilute 5 parts water to 1 part tea. I water everything with the tea from seedlings to big plants and right up till the end. Simple!
The tea is 4 cups earthworm castings, 5 tbs molasses, 6 oz liquid karma in 4 gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket with air stones. I just dump all the ingredients right in the bucket and stir, no sock.
When I recycle my soil I chop the soil up real good after harvest and let the roots die and break down for a week or two. I do this in the 18 gallon rubbermaid tubs. At this point they are about 1/2 to 2/3 full and then I add 2 gallons of earthworm castings, 1 cup dolomite lime, 1/2 cup blood meal, 1 cup jamaican bat guano, 2 cups of kelp meal. I then label the bin for one month ahead and let it sit and cook. I use this soil when ready for everything except seedlings and clones which I use Fox Farms light warrior.
I do about 8-12 plants per light in a circle around the light. I place the light above the plants until they start to bud and that's when I drop the light down in between. and the light stays there until they are done. I don't rotate my plants. I use shortened tomato cages to support and train but for the most part I let them do their own thing. If the plants are big enough the tomato cages just provide support and the plants do most of the training themselves fighting for the light.
I clone in homemade 10K style bubble cloners and sometimes I use a solution such as olivia's, B-cuzz or Power clone. I am currently using power clone because it works better and doesn't clog the air holes in my bubble wands. I know it's not 100% organic but I need to use it on some strains to get roots with fast success. Strain permitting I prefer just straight water with foliar feedings of EWC tea.
I have my room on a perpetual harvest which provides me with over 2lbs per harvest every 2-3 weeks.
To all the people over the years who helped me to get to this point. This online community of growers is the best. I gained a pound per light yield increase from reading OG, CW, and ICmag. I would like to thank Krusty for me the potential of vertical. He was a little crass but he was right. All of those reflectors are junk that hydro store owner makes money on. I would also like to thank the 3 little birds whose soil heresy stopped me from throwing out my most prized possession which is my living soil.
