# Dirt VS Hydro



## UncleSativa (Dec 1, 2007)

Who wins? No disrespect but Hydro i think is to much work and to expensive. All the hype in the mags Max yield, High Times is all about hydro. It's a cash cow. Lots of money to start up and lots of babysitting. Its hard enough to grow in soil. So what do you guys think? DIRT OR HYDRO?


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## berserker (Dec 1, 2007)

Got to love that dirt.You can grow just as good MJ in soil as you can in Hydro.Hydro is just faster. Keep it GREEN:hubba:
































Gonna see how many feathers this will ruffle...lol


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## akirahz (Dec 1, 2007)

UncleSativa said:
			
		

> Who wins? No disrespect but Hydro i think is to much work and to expensive. All the hype in the mags Max yield, High Times is all about hydro. It's a cash cow. Lots of money to start up and lots of babysitting. Its hard enough to grow in soil. So what do you guys think? DIRT OR HYDRO?



I don't see the need to babysit hydro grows, and you can save a bundle of cash by building your own hydroponic setup. Get a couple of 18-20 gal tubs (reservoirs), some aquarium grade silicone (to makes water-tight seals), some nozzles (for your tubing), a pump (goes in the reservoir/s to the tray and loops back down the trays drainage and back into the res), tubing (for liquid transfer from the res to the plant tray), and a feeder with some feeder lines, a few timers to set your feed/co2 schedules and don't forget the nute solution and all other necessities like cubes, plugs, drains, co2 bottle, air stones etc : ) 

make sure to get nice reliable pumps, you don't want those failing.

http://www.htgsupply.com/

or just buy a complete hydro setup from those guys


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## Dubbaman (Dec 1, 2007)

i gotta go with soil too, much easier to maintain and "babysit" than a hydro set up.


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## goddog (Dec 1, 2007)

soil........

im to dumb for hydro


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## Shakey B0n3S (Dec 1, 2007)

this may only be my second grow but i would really like to try a small hydro opperation.........but god made dirt and dirt dont hurt:ignore:


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## octobong007 (Dec 1, 2007)

i sat down and added up my system for hydro.  in doing either 4 or 8 plants, the cost is within 2.00 because how cheap planters are.  with lights i have 15.00 for everything.  for the system itself, a maximum total of 35.00.  you dont NEED co2 and all that fancy stuff...only nutes, 20.00 lasts 2 months, and thats including my hydro AND about a dozen ladies.  as for babysitting them, other than the "admiration" time, i only change nutes once a week and raise lights once a day(3 minutes).  dont get me wrong, i've been a soil grower for ALOT of years, mostly outside...soil represents natural, but all indoor growing is synthetic in one way or the other...they might imatate sunlight, but cant duplicate.  i vote for hydro cause i believe its easier, and makes me proud i build my own stuff.  anyone that wants to get into the do your itself stuff, trust me, use this forum, these guys knows how its done.

also, as for expense, you can build your own system for under 10.00 including lights...using cfl's with dwc.  

just my thoughts and opinions and rambling from really good fresh stuff...keep it green.


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## kasgrow (Dec 2, 2007)

I go with hydro. It is less work for me. I top off my res every couple of days and change it every week to ten days. A small pump takes out all of the heavy lifting. I could leave for a week with no problems. The plants grow faster so I can grow more plants in a year and get larger harvests. No dirt to buy or get rid of. I used both dird and hydro until recently. I still grow in dirt outside but inside hydro is just easier for me. Hydro does have its learning time but is easy after you get it worked out. In my opinion.


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## tom-tom (Dec 2, 2007)

i grow bolth hydro and soil but the hydro is pretty easy keeping my ph down is the only part i hate


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## Shocked (Dec 2, 2007)

I started with soil but am slowly moving to 100% hydro.


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## Wise Man (Dec 2, 2007)

Ive never gone Hydro,and probably wont for years to come.

Theres no winner,or loser.It varys from person to person and goes down to the persons preference.

So-the results you get will be mixed.

But,if you where to ask me which type of weed i would prefer from a hydro grow,or soil grow i would say soil.Soil grown buds have a stronger,earthier taste i find and the high last longer.With hydro,the taste is kinda blandish,and the high dosent last as long.

JMO.


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## dmack (Dec 2, 2007)

I would have to choose hydro. I went from soil to hydro and the difference in time of the plant cycle was way faster with the hydro. You need to use the right nutes and know how to work the system for that great high. No need to water the dirt. Just mix your nutes and set your timer.


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## stunzeed (Dec 2, 2007)

Ive done both and its Hydro hands down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:ignore: 



Stunzeed..


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## BudWeederson (Dec 2, 2007)

I don't see what "work" you guys are talking about.. With my system all i have to do is check and adjust the PH and water level in my reservoir (about 5 -10 minutes) everyday and watch it grow.  Maybe takes five minutes more than watering and cleaning up your dirt.  Hydro is made up to be way more difficult than it is. You don't have to be a rocket scientist..trust me. 
:farm: Bud


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## dmack (Dec 2, 2007)

BudWeederson said:
			
		

> I don't see what "work" you guys are talking about.. With my system all i have to do is check and adjust the PH and water level in my reservoir (about 5 -10 minutes) everyday and watch it grow.  Maybe takes five minutes more than watering and cleaning up your dirt.  Hydro is made up to be way more difficult than it is. You don't have to be a rocket scientist..trust me.
> :farm: Bud


 The right nutes make for a great grow. Watch your PPM and PH and your set.


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## stunzeed (Dec 2, 2007)

It is easier than people think. Get a Ph buffered nutrient and its that much easier. Plus no dirt mess and no dirt to get rid of. 

Stunzeed..


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## CasualGrower (Dec 3, 2007)

I have grown a few plants in soil from time to time and I am now trying hydro for the first time.  I have to say that Hydro rawks, and I do not see it to be a lot of work at all...... I check my water levels couple times a week and add nutes once every week or 2.... I just got a TDS meter in this weekend so I can keep a closer eye on it now.... but I have never had these kind of results in soil and it was so easy.....all I have done was listen to what my babies were telling me. if growth slows... check PH and add some nutes....

I see several people here doing water changes and all and using distilled..... the water I am using is straight out of the tap and I have never even changed the resevoir water and I am having no problems.:holysheep: 

Hydro .. hands down.


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## UncleSativa (Dec 3, 2007)

akirahz said:
			
		

> I don't see the need to babysit hydro grows, and you can save a bundle of cash by building your own hydroponic setup. Get a couple of 18-20 gal tubs (reservoirs), some aquarium grade silicone (to makes water-tight seals), some nozzles (for your tubing), a pump (goes in the reservoir/s to the tray and loops back down the trays drainage and back into the res), tubing (for liquid transfer from the res to the plant tray), and a feeder with some feeder lines, a few timers to set your feed/co2 schedules and don't forget the nute solution and all other necessities like cubes, plugs, drains, co2 bottle, air stones etc : )
> 
> make sure to get nice reliable pumps, you don't want those failing.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks, you ans my question. Everything you said about Hydro went wayyyy over my head. I love dirt and worm castings. Water every two days, feed every 5 to 7 days,  Transplant twice. Done.


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## Stoney Bud (Dec 3, 2007)

I've got to clear up a possible misunderstanding about Hydroponic growing.

Like anything, it can be as easy as possible or with a lot of added complication.

For example: If you were to go to the store. Sounds easy.

Here's the right way:

1. Leave and lock house. Get in car. Go to store.


Here's the way some Hydroponic growers think at first:

1. List every possible thing that could ever go wrong when you leave your house to go to the store. This list should have at least 200 things listed on it.

2. List every thing that has ever gone wrong with a car. Study every part of the car until you can rebuild it. Then, do a major overhaul on the car to include blueprinting the engine. Have a race car mechanic come by and do all this work at 500 bucks an hour.

3. Study every map ever drawn of your area. Study the cops routine and make a trip map that shows how to avoid every possible contingency.

4. Hire a "road guide". This guy should get at least 50 bucks an hour during the entire planning time.

5. Call the State, County and City road departments and have them fix every single defect in the roads between your house and the store.

6. .....well, you see where this is going...

Hydroponics is the same. Here's how I've done it for more than 25 years:

1. Use Stoney's 4 unit hydro ebb and flow system in the DIY area.

2. Set it up, wipe it down with some rubbing alcohol.

3. Fill the reservoir, fill the tubs with hydroton and put your rooted plants in.

4. Use a quality nutrient. That's "NUTRIENT" not "NUTRIENTS". Keep it simple.

5. Turn on pump, timer and lights.

6. Top off the reservoir every couple of days with fresh mixed nutes.

7. Start your flowering nutes when flowering starts.

8. Harvest.

Notice that I've sized my reservoir so that no changing of nutes is required until after harvest.

Notice I do no other maintenance.

Notice that I didn't mention a pH meter. I've never even seen one in real life.

Notice that what I do is simple.

OR

You can add 500 other steps, worry yourself sick over the things that will never happen and work yourself to death doing unnecessary things during your grow.

The "KIS" method is the best method.

I spend 15 minutes a day in my grow room. I raise the lights if needed and top off the reservoir. That's it.

"KEEP IT SIMPLE" = KIS

Nutrients and lights are the only two expensive items needed.

Understanding HOW MJ grows is the most important step in any methods.

Do a simple dirt grow first. Learn how MJ grows.

Then get more complicated.

Good luck to all of you!


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## Growdude (Dec 3, 2007)

Hydro wins over dirt for me not only because it grows so much faster, is it seems easyer to know exactly what im giving the plants, in dirt you really dont know what your levels of nutes are, at least I never did.

I find it much easyer to correct any problems.

And for the people that say hydro dont taste like dirt Im telling you it doesnt matter, nobody ive ever smoked my weed with has ever even asked or sayed one word other than "this stuff is great" "man this tastes great" "It blew my wig off".

And at max 10 weeks for intire grow I get twice the smoke.


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## mr. green (Dec 3, 2007)

keep it simple drit

I like drit "Good thing's take time."


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## pyroguy (Dec 3, 2007)

i just completed a dwc grow and had the best results ive ever had. it wasnt hard just change water every 2 weeks. out side of that it was just like the soil grow. well, not exactly my plants were healthier


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## mr. green (Dec 3, 2007)

*Grow in soil i think is much more sweeter!*


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## stunzeed (Dec 3, 2007)

To me it is way easier. If there is a problem you change the water. If problem in dirt you flush and pray...... Its less mess to clean up. The yeild is not even a contest. To me there is no drawbacks at all.


Stunzeed..


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## JerryG1989 (Dec 3, 2007)

my first ever successful grow i had 1 hydro and 1 dirt plant from the same bagseed and i found the hydro was easier to grow, grew faster and could take much more nute/stress, where as the dirt plant i had trouble with in the beginning with feeding, but in the end the dirts smell/taste and color(purple)came out alot more in the dirt plant vs the hydro. so id say they both have their pros and cons

also the yeild od the dro was only slightly higher, got about 3/4 of an ounce of the dirt and an oounce off the hydro


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