The_StonedTrooper

7 hours ago, CoolJ said:

Does anyone know what is the difference(besides thickness) of the "highly reflective 210D mylar material" on the Mammoth and " 600D heavy-duty reflective fabric." on the Series 3 grow tent?

Hey brother, the D is the thickness and called Denier, kind of like the thread count per area, and have heard that the 210D is okay as it is slightly different material lining it and so actually strong. 

You making  reference to the tent Series 3?

Welcome to the family @skullpill

Glad to have another organic user and someone to share with and learn from. 

Awesome grow you had there too

3 hours ago, TheUltimateNoob said:

Haha, thanks guys. One happy Smurf indeed@Smeegol@CreX

Sent from my POCOPHONE F1 using Tapatalk
 

Congratulations brother, I'm sure everyone is happy for you, and Peanut butter and jealous too

Smurf-tastic 

6 hours ago, Ill_Evan said:

You're advise is welcome @StickyD420! Carry on! 

Thanks all for the pointers. This is by no means an intention on doing comparisons between mediums and grow styles.

Precisely, this isn't a mine is better than yours, or this way is better than that way, at all. 

If nobody ever tried anything new or different, there wouldn't be new things discovered or even facts or data on those processes tried. 

So if others are interested more in soil and how to fully get the benefits out of it, I'd be happy to assist with my understanding and experiences. 

This picture below, shows just how a ground covering plant, planted straight into clay ground / dirt, then just given a watering of Microbes and then watered as needed, and the plant sending this energy through the plants root, has actually built that clay into a healthy thriving environment. When he was told he would have to spend more than an arm and leg for tons of top soils brought in and nutrients used, and so on.

1 hour ago, PsyCLown said:

The carrots are the blumat system, the tropf ones specifically which is their dripper system.

Works pretty well and easy to fine tune. Zero leaks. Super simple system actually, only waters when the soil needs it as well.

Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk
 

I'd love to check this out, will be looking into it and do you have any pictures of your setup?

1 hour ago, CreX said:

At the moment I have 2 large totes, one with soil and one with coco... 

I like the coco more to be honest, but I'm getting decent results in the soil as well. 

But yea, large beds of whatever is the way! Just expensive to buy 400l of craft soil VS relatively cheap to buy 400l of coco. 

 

Yeah, it can get costly, if you do a proper soil, it costs upfront and then you dont need nutrients, saving there in costs, then with coco you are always adding nutrients, and they get expensive if using non synthetic. Also that coco you are using now, the plant that is in it, is busy exchanging nitrates with it, like the rock example, making it rich, if you are not adding synthetic nutrients then that coco is only getting better and can be used again.

5 minutes ago, CoolJ said:

Whats your thoughts of adding some worms to the soil ?

Definitely, the worm compost I get comes with worms in it, and a lot of people think worms digest the soil and poop the goodness out, when in fact, a worm is like an in side out digestive system, and its skin does all the work.

21 minutes ago, CreX said:

Either way, I have found that larger beds are an amazing wonder... I am hoping to convert to a single large bed for all my plants 1.1mx2.0m about 30cm deep

With the larger buckets I'm using this round, I have had fewer issues than ever and watering is really quick. 

Might even convert to a system like @PsyCLown with all his carrots

Hmmm, what carrots?

The large bed would be soil too? Which is a great idea though and good rooting area.

You can go overboard with anything, you must be comfortable and it must be easy and work for you.

Organic can be a huge catch word, even cyanide is organic, but you wouldn't put it in your body or your plant, but Neem is healthy for you and both your plant, for example. 

I was a landscaper and worked in nursery for 5 years, so have a little general knowledge on living soils and so on, and willing to help anyone with anything they might need help with or I can offer advice on.

That's right @PsyCLown

I make it up, buying from the manufacturer my amendments to add to my basic non fertilized soil in packet, coco, perlite, etc. 

Never turning it, thus not harming the layers built, and no need to fluff, my soil falls apart like cheap cottage cheese and is rich brown black like chocolate cake.

Your feed the soil and not the plant, so this way you shouldn't need to flush anything as the plant took what it needed and wasn't told to use this amount, or a readily available source of nutrients, so it doesn't have excess anything. 

You can do teas, which are feeding these Microbes and teaming with them too, and I have a special tea that I'm thinking of making up, but it needs to be fresh, as still healthy with Microbes and not aged. We dont get good teas here and as mentioned it must be fresh made, or wasting your time essentially, so out the question to import it.

I do pH, but with natural goodies only.

Puff puff pass.

I'm sure everyone has been on a road trip or out driving, and seen a tree growing out of a huge rock?

That bean landed on that rock in a crevasse or small groove, where some moisture and ground lay, where the very interesting part comes, and that is when the bean comes to life and as the plant grows, in the day time it would suck up the suns energy, and when night fell, it now throws that energy through the root system and it actually eats away at the rock making room for the roots to grow inside the rock.

So to really build your soil, you need to have something planted and growing that feeds the life in the soil through that energy, and the Microbes and plant create a bond that speak to each other and in turn work in harmony. 

Tried to explain it as best I can.

3 minutes ago, Bakstein420 said:

Do you treat your soil between grows or just chuck in the next bean?

Hey Bakstein420,

Well, I pull the soil away from the stem base and remove the root just there, not all of it, enough for the next plant to fit. Plant the new one, then build a humus layer on top of that original layer working just the top 10 -15mm down with finger tips, water that in as you do for new plants potted up, and there I go again with pure water.

That's the idea, and on my first grow of this soils life, with only a dose of Biodyne liquid gold, and a dose of ActiVera from Biobizz (1ml to 5L) to start the factory going.

Most certainly, soil can be more expensive, though the soil builds itself up over time and gets better even through the 5th grow in the same soil. This the decrease the costs and the life inside the soil accumulates ever time.

The biggest mistake made in soil, is the use of synthetic nutrients, which will do the job of the Microbes, therefore making them go on holiday and they die off. If you learn how they work, how to feed them, and use them to your ability, you'll soon see the difference. Not to say it's better at all, though it is a earth friendly method and there is less of a footprint left behind, which is proven and more sustainable. 

Very true, the nutrient manufacturers are extremely good at making what the plants need and the smell and such from these grows has been excellent, with a solid high and taste. I grew in coco and used GHE my second run, and wasn't working in my favor at all and was told to try it by a grower I knew, who in turn has switched back to soil and my method of making soil, as his clients preferred that.

They say soil needs to stand for so long, this is true, to build its Microbes and such, but you can get very detailed and technical and that is also a little extreme for me, but others might like to do it, and I let mine build as I use it time and again.

If you build your soil correctly too, you can growth just like hydro in soil.

Also, thank you for the interesting conversation and challenging views, it's what makes us learn and grow, pun intended. 

Peace.

Thank you all for the kind words, very much appreciated. 

Exactly @1000Hills Nursery you can get same or better results in DWC and or coco, though those mediums need more precise inputs and you become the scientists telling your plant what it needs, when you say so. Which I've done and feel for me that this way now, works best for me.

Kind of like, set it and forget it (other than watering).

I just want to learn and help everyone where I can, there is no reason we cant all have success. 

No nutrition for 3 months now, they look super happy to me.

2 minutes ago, GGG said:

Hello all, I have just finished a grow with FF custom craft soil, veg a month in it and 10,5 weeks flower, only PH 5,5 and slowly up to, 5,8 and once a week FF Fire Juice, nothing more. Best grow ever.

Sent from my F5321 using Tapatalk
 

There you go, thanks for that...

I've noticed and found in my search that the minute a nutrient is used, you will keep needing it, and so far so good with proper made up soil, and hit with teaming Microbes. 

11 minutes ago, Ill_Evan said:

I've always used Root Juice, even in hydro, also got fish mix, grow and bloom. 

Perfect in my opinion, that will feed the soil you using, which feeds the Microbes and they feed the plants roots, Mycoroot is also good to add to that. I've seen some wow that's big heads, and some wow that smells and looks crazy good, but the delivery of it and feeling was very lacking, and most folk are heading back toward building a proper soil ecosystem, than growing in non living mediums and even overseas the market is going more craft cannabis, as there is a something to it others seem to be after, and that's the market speaking.

Very interesting actually.

A guy I knew grew a batch in coco and a batch in soil, the soil didnt last a day past ready to jar, and it was all taken.

4 minutes ago, Ill_Evan said:

I've gotten the BioBizz nutes..  but I have EM Pro soil anyways and will probably be using it. 

Nothing wrong with any of those, which of the bizz range did you get?

2 minutes ago, PsyCLown said:

So@Ill_Evan I guess the question is.
You going full on microbes or going to be using nutes?

Or no nutes, I'd be curious to see a comparison of cuttings - one in soil and one in dwc.
See how they grow and then end yield.

Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk
 

I'm game, nothing like putting things to the test, and I'm only repeating what I've learned from very reputable soil growers regarding what they are aiming for now, after years of growing.

Who has the time and space now to do such a run side by side?

Migro has a comparison video on soil vs coco vs hydro, but with chillies, as it's not legal to do W...uhmm hemp.

I do agree with you totally, ive done lots of testing, and using even tap water left out for a day, with no pH adjusters and grown my last harvest just that way, and got a decent smoke and harvest, had to use plenty nutrients doing so.

Then I discovered you can grow in soil as a medium, or growing in soil for the benefit of the living ecosystem within the soil. I made up my own soil, which similar to Organic Matters soil, is alive with Microbes, and since using this soil, I feed the Microbes water that is pH correct and never had to use nutrients at all in three months, and I'm 2 weeks into flowering now, and plants are happy on plain old water.

The difference between the Amazon rain forest, and say a planet such as the moon, are living Microbes. 

Nobody's way is wrong though, as we all do what works best for us, and we are here to share knowledge as family. 

Please dont shoot me

Yes @Ill_Evan, I had heard that about Hydro, and the pH as a buffer. You typically want nothing that will effect your Microbes lives in the soil, and chemical pH adjusters will harm them, though a drop or 2 in 5L isn't going to do much harm, you better off without it. 

Happy if I have helpedin anyway. 

I've used soil most my grows, when they say no need to pH for soil, I imagine they mean in the ground and not a pot, and have not pH the first time growing in soil in a pot, and the plant half way through got locked out from pH. 

When you grow in coco, you need to pH, and if there is any form of coco in the mix of soil, you'll more than likely need to pH, as this is my understanding. 

Using a correct pH is always best for optimal growth, and you are correct in saying that the pH down is going to mess with your living soil, but not by much, and you even can correct the pH with natural things, like lemon juice and such. 

Have also heard, correct me if wrong, that using pH up and down in the same mix, is very bad. If you go far down they say you must start again and throw it out. Seems harsh.

Good luck to all the finalists, all are great entries!

As a side note, and this alone should tell us enough. 

The big square rockwool cube, comes with a hole in the middle of the cube, exactly the right size for a Jiffy pellet, not a square rockwool starter. Even they knew

I've just used the rockwool for germination the first time as I ran out of jiffy pellets, and had some from cloning, honestly all have popped, but I will not be using them again, pH is key and to 5.5 or so, flushing them first, but much easier is the jiffy.

Wouldn't mind those easy plugs, look like they work a charm. Next time.

2 minutes ago, zolrooker said:

And if I leave plants outside now, they'll veg until when? 

Putting plants outside now, will make them flower, for about 5 weeks maybe slightly more, then morph back into vegetation. 

You dont want that, unless you up for self experience adventures.

Looking for a little over 36g there...