matt, as u know i'm doing hempy buckets which is another hydro technique so i was wondering what do you mean by "soil microbes are pretty useless" ? any one in particular ur refering to?
Soil-less Organics with Professor Matt Rize
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upthearsenal
Well-Known Member
What hempy mix are you using? All perlite? 50/50 perlite, vermiculite?
hey upthearsenal...got some tips u wanna share?
Iv tried 100% course perlite , 75/25 perlite/coco peat, 50/50 perlite/lava rocks, 100% lava rocks, and now i have 4 plants in 100% big chunky perlite and 3 plants in 100% grow rocks (something new I guess, made from recycled glass).
the grow rocks weren't doing so great, kinda big and chunky, bout 1.5in long. plants were not developing,not eating much, always found food on the bottom of container (i use 5gl containers) while the perlite ones were dry. I added some perlite to the mix hoping it'll help. I think these might work better with a drip system- they're reusable as well...
Now, the big chunky perlite seems to be working the best so far so I'm gonna keep using it .
upthearsenal
Well-Known Member
I did hempy with straight perlite and it was easy as shit, same with a 50/50 perlite vermiculite mix. But as far as bennies in hempy, it would have to be an organic media as microbes will not live on perlite (inorganic media). I've heard of people using them in coco, but I've never tried growing in coco so I've never done the research, but for sure if you want to add bennies it has to be organic media for it to be really worth it.
Although I think the best mixture is a perlite - vermiculite mixture, because of the water retention the vermicu. has... I remember whenever I'd accidentally let the perlite-only buckets dry out there would be CRAZY dust everywhere, some extra water retention can be useful if you need it.
I;m guessing you're running organics in hempy? I had wanted to try it after a couple good runs, but never got the chance to see how it would work...
Although I think the best mixture is a perlite - vermiculite mixture, because of the water retention the vermicu. has... I remember whenever I'd accidentally let the perlite-only buckets dry out there would be CRAZY dust everywhere, some extra water retention can be useful if you need it.
I;m guessing you're running organics in hempy? I had wanted to try it after a couple good runs, but never got the chance to see how it would work...
yep! i'm doing strictly veganics running GO line of nutes but i'm switching to Bio Canna this week. also using Botanicare Calplex+Huvega, Hygrozyme, Myco Madness, B-1 Alive [green], Meta-K, GO BioWeed, GO BioBud, Mollasses.....
never had the dust problem but i make sure i wash the perlite really well before i use it the first time after that it's easier
to work with...
what are referring to when u say bennies?
Wolverine97
Well-Known Member
You really shouldn't be running either of those nutrient lines with the medium you're using. Those veganic nutrients rely on the cation exchange capacity of the soil, which yours has zero. Either switch mediums, or go to a chemical nutrient line. "Bennies" is referring to beneficial organisms; mycorrhizal colonies, trichoderma, bacillus species among countless others.... You should really do some reading on which type of systems are compatible true organics and/or veganics.
upthearsenal
Well-Known Member
https://www.rollitup.org/organics/248826-veganics-dr-vondank.html
^ in that thread the dude uses 75% perlite 25% canna terra...
Maybe that's a good place for beez to start, I'd get a 50/50 mix perlite and organic media if you want to stick to hempy buckets. And yes, bennies are beneficial organism, microbes as such.
I also washed out the perlite, but mine was very fine as opposed to big and chunky, that might have been the issue. Got any pics of your current grow beez? Or any type issues you are current;y dealing with? Also, last question.. hah.. Why are you switching to biocanna, I like the stuff but is the GO line not working well for you?
^ in that thread the dude uses 75% perlite 25% canna terra...
Maybe that's a good place for beez to start, I'd get a 50/50 mix perlite and organic media if you want to stick to hempy buckets. And yes, bennies are beneficial organism, microbes as such.
I also washed out the perlite, but mine was very fine as opposed to big and chunky, that might have been the issue. Got any pics of your current grow beez? Or any type issues you are current;y dealing with? Also, last question.. hah.. Why are you switching to biocanna, I like the stuff but is the GO line not working well for you?
mostly because other ppl recommend canna but also because is OMRI and they've been around for a long time.... and i actually want to try it and see the results. GO gave me great results in soil but not as good in soiless.as you can tell i keep experimenting with different setups/nutes hoping to nail down a formula. i'm interested in finding the best way to grow veganics and with minimum waste, hence the reusing aspect of the media i'm using....i know it'll be tough but i'm not ready to trow the towel in
thx for that link, i have found it at some point then lost it so i'll b reading it again now..and i'll get some pix up soon, i'm chopping in a few days so when i'm done with that....
watchhowIdoit
New Member
Mycorrhizal fungi colonize the roots, not the medium and can be used in hydroponics. Beneficial bacteria can also be used in hydroponincs as long as you bubble the solution keeping it well oxygenated. I agree hempy is pretty much for chem nutes due to the somewhat stagnant water involved. But other types of hydro can benefit from 'bennies'.......
i know what ur saying wolverine, iv heard other ppl saying that u shouldn't use organics with hempy but.....nobody says why!
id love some info... maybe point me in the right direction? and i always check the manufacturer's info to make sure that it's made for hydroponics- doesn't that matter? i suppose being a passive system without much movement does make a difference too...
thing is i can't give up vegan/organic, it's a way of life for me and don't wanna go back to soil because of my situation, makes it harder to deal with and more time [which i don;'t have] consuming.....and i'm interested in having a small footprint...in general not just growing...
i might look into automated drip systems or maybe even aeroponics but that's something i'm not too familiar with...
that was my understanding with mycos so i figured it'll help when cloning, transplanting and even if i pour it on top since it goes straight to the roots- does that seem about right? what kinda system would u think it'll work with?
watchhowIdoit
New Member
Beez it certainly will not hurt top feeding with them in your hempy. You may not see the full benefits but you will see some. You plants will definitely love you for them when used transplanting. Recirculating NFT and DWC come to mind when it comes to 'bennies' and hydro.......
Wolverine97
Well-Known Member
I said exactly why; cation exchange. That's it, in organic/veganic gardening the media has to have a buffering capacity to hold onto nutrients so the soil life can digest them (this is CEC; cation exchange capacity). I'd advise you to read into that topic in particular.
gotcha! def not familiar with the term, I will do some research...I think the word cation threw me off the first time, thought was a mispell.... hehe, might've been a bit hazed up when I read it.
Matt Rize
Hashmaster
Organic, and therefore vegan, bottled nutrients are only partially available to plants. The other part of these nutes needs to enter the microbial nutrient cycle. The GO or Biocanna (whatever organic) is eaten by microbes, which are eaten by larger microbes, who poop plant food (put simply). Without these multiple levels of life (the soil food web), which mostly do not live in hydro, organics nutes are not going to be used efficiently.
watchhowIdoit
New Member
I noticed your sig Matt and wanted to add this..."Listening to FDD is like listening to Sarah Palin, just without the Tits"....
cowboylogic
Well-Known Member
OTFLMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats the quote of the year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Matt Rize
Hashmaster
LMAO! Hey now... full disclosure. Faded is a friend and I have a few pieces from faded to black glass.
1) What is a "soil-less" media?
2) Why is everyone using soil-less instead of soil?
3) And how does soil-less media affect beneficial soil life and the soil-food-web (organics)?
then...
4) What is molasses?
5) What are root exudates?
6) What does molasses do in a soil-less media?
7) Possible downside to using molasses...?
8 ) Do you use molasses during the flush?
were parts 3-8 ever written/posted anywhere?
2) Why is everyone using soil-less instead of soil?
3) And how does soil-less media affect beneficial soil life and the soil-food-web (organics)?
then...
4) What is molasses?
5) What are root exudates?
6) What does molasses do in a soil-less media?
7) Possible downside to using molasses...?
8 ) Do you use molasses during the flush?
were parts 3-8 ever written/posted anywhere?
Wolverine97
Well-Known Member
Are you serious?