soil vs. soilless medium

[Guest]

Hello all,


All so often we see the debate between soil vs. hydro. Now I'm wondering why people grow in soil or soilless (peat or coir, etc...)


Why do you grow in soil or soilless?

 

[issack]

i grow in soil cause i just mix up some serious killer organics...throw my plants in and ..boom!!!!...plain water...all the nutes are in the soil..no need to freak out and figure out what you need to feed them...

this is my new method and it works very well..

it you treat them like weeds you will prevail...

It's just so easy...forget complication..

 

[Storm Crow]

Why soil?

Why soil?

I grow organically in soil (a) because plants were made to grow in soil and have done so since they came out of the ocean, (b) it's easier, (c) the Ganja Goddess told me to (but She's a bit miffed that I grow inside - her babies are meant to be outdoors).

 

[Guest]

well I started some seeds in soil and some seeds in a perlite , peatmoss mix and the seedlings in the soiless are poppin through the dirt and growing way faster then the ones in soil.


gonna flower half in soil and half soilless..see what the results are.

 

[Guest]

Ive recently been making my mix 50/50 Potting Mix / Coco Fiber, with additional ammendments and fertilizers.

They seem to love it. No results to post yet though, still a month away.

 

[Guest]

I grow organically in soil (a) because plants were made to grow in soil and have done so since they came out of the ocean, (b) it's easier, (c) the Ganja Goddess told me to (but She's a bit miffed that I grow inside - her babies are meant to be outdoors).

LOL....there's a good reason

 

[Rellikbuzz]

Hello all,

Why do you grow in soil or soilless?

There are MANY growers using Sunshine Mix #3 or #4 (I forget which is which) because a soilless mix is inert. Meaning that there are no nutrients in the medium at all. That way, they feel they can really "dial-in" their different nutrients/amendments and know EXACTLY how much their plants intake. You'll find a lot of Canadian brothers grow very nicely this way. Very nicely, indeed!!

 

[guest3854]

Relli hit it right there . You have way more control with soilless . Water in your nutes and you will have alot more control over ph as as well as yer fert . Soil really isnt tha best medium .

 

[issack]

Soil is'nt the best medium..........hmmmmmmm...dont mind me i'm just pondering.....

What if you dont have the time to check ph?..or bla bla...or u just want to water your plants with water and thats it......EASY

I've never checked my PH in my life in my soil...And look what i put out every two weeks....HMMMMMMM

 

[Guest]

I grow soilless and have only checked my PH once. I had my well water checked for bacterias and minerals and they gave me the PH then. I have had no troubles with any PH problems at all too. The soilless is what was reccommended to me from a local hydro store so I went with it. I love it!!!!!!!!!

 

[Guest]

I grow in soilless I use Pro Mix HP and a little more perlite (I like a fast draining mix)and a some lime to keep the acid in the peat down,I grow in soilless because I find it to be ez for the way I grow.I do not check the PH and I do add ferts to it but I always use my ferts at half strength so no real worry about over doing it.I have been thinking of hydro but I am just to lazy and will end up with problem so soilless is where I will stay. Peace and be safe dequilo

 

[lumbo]

My friend dequilo said just what I was going to say.

Growing indoors is an artificial environment to begin with, so the normal rules of outdoor plant growth really don't apply directly.

I use a soilless mix consisting of 5 parts Canadian Spagnam peat, 3 parts perlite and 2 parts worm castings, with a cup of powdered dolomite lime mixed in for every 5-7 gallons of mix. The lime neutralizes the peat as it decomposes and becomes acidic. There's no need to worry about ph.

Most new growers don't realize that you don't need to fertilize young cannabis seedlings until about week 3 from the time they sprout. Basically it's just water and light and air. If they need anything, it's already in the worm castings.

I start ferting with guano tea mixes when the plants start to need it. I also recycle my soilless mix, grow to grow, so I have nutrients in there as well. For new seedlings (not clones) I mix up a small batch of new mix that doesn't have any residual guano or other ferts, 'cause they will burn new plants. Clones can take ferts pretty much right out of the starting gate.

Anyway, whatever mix you decide to go with, my two suggestions are that you include at least 25-30 percent perlite, and don't fert before your seedlings start to turn a little yellow on the lowest set of leaves.

 

[Guest]

Lumbo, Nice to see you here my friend always love to read your posts great advice about adding perlite and not fertilizing too early I find it make it harder to overwater with fast draining (more perlite) soilless you may have to water more often but it is so much ezer then trying to figure out how to dry them out if you overwater. Peace and great to see you Dequilo

 

[Guest]

yea...llike I said I got some in soil and soiless, and im gonna stick with soiless.

 

[owl]

i was strictly a soil guy.then i did a side by side grow and hydroton is the shit.plants grow faster and look happier.soil is for outdoors

 

[Guest]

I use a soilless mix consisting of 5 parts Canadian Spagnam peat, 3 parts perlite and 2 parts worm castings, with a cup of powdered dolomite lime mixed in for every 5-7 gallons of mix. The lime neutralizes the peat as it decomposes and becomes acidic. There's no need to worry about ph.

I've been using the same myself, without many difficulties. I've grown with chemical ferts and organics, and I do like the combo of soilless and organic...makes the pH issue sooo much easier.

 

[aeric]

Being able to add only water and not having to do so as often are the only things I like about soil. Still add 50% perlite to make things better than they would be otherwise. I do soilless because the growth rates are always faster and bigger, and maybe it's just bad luck but my soil always tends to have some kind of pest, or weed seed. I have switched back to soil several times since going soilless only to remind myself of that.

Rockwool mini-growcubes in a container is the hands down favorite, but don't like breathing it in (health hazard) over the long term, so coir is a close second. Would like to try perlite and worm castings ( approx. 80/20) someday.