hydro/organics -- Is it still hydro when you...

If you have an ebb-flow hydro system that floods pots of coco coir once a day with a ph 5.9 salt based nutrient soup. - That's Hydro, obviously.

Now modify that ebb-flow hydro system and add a little organic mater to the coco. Like 10% bat guano and earth worm castings. Then reduce the concentration of the salt nutes and add beneficial microbes. - This is still hydro, yes/no?

Now modify again to add more organic nutes like guano to the coco and drop the salt nutes down to about 10% of the original strength. Is this still hydro?

How about if no salt nutes are used and the reservoir only ever has ph adjustment in it and nothing else. All the nutes being orgainc and added at the begining. That is just a auto watering system, or is it still hydro?

How do you think the various methods perform?

I would consider that hydro and it may perform well. I think the main reason for hydro is not nutes but the fact that the roots don't become bound. If you grew a plant in soil with no nutrients at all in it and a plant in hydro with no nutes at al the hydro would still win. No friction on the roots. Why would you want to go through all that when there are excellent hydro products out now that work perfectly together. There is no taste of nutes at all if you flush and they even have nute dissolving solutions for the 5 days before straight water. Nothing but smooth taste. But I think your way may work also just harder to keep balanced. I don't measure anything and follow recommendation on bottles and it works perfect

1982grower said:

I would consider that hydro and it may perform well. I think the main reason for hydro is not nutes but the fact that the roots don't become bound. If you grew a plant in soil with no nutrients at all in it and a plant in hydro with no nutes at al the hydro would still win. No friction on the roots. Why would you want to go through all that when there are excellent hydro products out now that work perfectly together. There is no taste of nutes at all if you flush and they even have nute dissolving solutions for the 5 days before straight water. Nothing but smooth taste. But I think your way may work also just harder to keep balanced. I don't measure anything and follow recommendation on bottles and it works perfect

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My motivation is experimental/learning. If I try I was going try I would set up a tiny 2 plant hydro system along side the main one. The theoretical advantage would be, low cost, and not having to deal with organic nutes in a reservoir. A big pool of poo water just seems like a bad idea, which is sort of what a organic reservoir would be.

It seems like weed will grow any way you plant it. I would try something different if i could afford. my grows go in order of volume first, quality just behind yield and then ease. I try to get the 1 gram per watt all the time. Its not really that hard actually. After third grow did it every time even with bagseed. let us know what you choose. good luck

Technically feeding your plants in dirt with nutrient adjusted water is hydroponic. Generally anything grown without is considered hydro by most. Good luck with your hydro-organic. It's a lot more complicated than using chem ferts...

AeroKing said:

Technically feeding your plants in dirt with nutrient adjusted water is hydroponic. Generally anything grown without is considered hydro by most. Good luck with your hydro-organic. It's a lot more complicated than using chem ferts...

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I know it is more complicated. I have been reading stink buds's thread with his organic system. His set up is cutting edge and beyond what is realistic for me. So I have been trying to brainstorm an simple and inexpensive way of doing something with results that are similar.

I'm confused. What would make you doubt this being hydro or organic?