Soil to soilless

I know a lot of people use soil with great results. I'm using fox farm happy frog now for my autos. And I have bugs gnats everywhere. Plus I should have added perlite also to help with the drainage. I have always wanted to try a soilless mix. I don't really know where to start. I was thinking of growing on coco with maybe some perlite added. If I did this how hard or what changes do I need to make besides checking my ph. Would I feed every watering? I'm using fox farm trio now...would I have to add something to my line up.


Is there a soilless mix I should look at that I can switch over to that wouldn't call for any extra work besides checking ph?

Thanks

black jesus said:

I know a lot of people use soil with great results. I'm using fox farm happy frog now for my autos. And I have bugs gnats everywhere. Plus I should have added perlite also to help with the drainage. I have always wanted to try a soilless mix. I don't really know where to start. I was thinking of growing on coco with maybe some perlite added. If I did this how hard or what changes do I need to make besides checking my ph. Would I feed every watering? I'm using fox farm trio now...would I have to add something to my line up.


Is there a soilless mix I should look at that I can switch over to that wouldn't call for any extra work besides checking ph?

Thanks

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Let them dry out between each watering. The gnats will leave.

Not with this soil I haven't watered since last sunday. They are everywhere....
How is pro-mix. They have a soilless line right

Sunshine #4 is good stuff. Add a little extra perlite, and it's good to go. Feed every watering with good runoff. I ph to 5.8, and watch 'em grow.

Go coco and you wont regret it, you can feed them often and its impossible to over water like in soil.

black jesus said:

Not with this soil I haven't watered since last sunday. They are everywhere....
How is pro-mix. They have a soilless line right

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I've used 80% Pro-Mix HP and 20% perlite with GH Flora 3-part. It worked well. I felt it was too fluffy, airy. I do 50% Pro-Mix, 20-25% Kellogg Patio Plus outdoor potting mix, 20-25% perlite. I like the consistency/texture. It's soil, but very light soil. It dries in 2-2.5 days.

I have fungus gnats too, especially because I supplement with AK Fish emulsion and 1/8-1/4 tsp/gal molasses to encourage soil microbes. That attracts gnats. Gnats aren't bad. They're a sign of a healthy, living soil. (Going to a sterile medium isn't necessarily better.). What worked the best for me was covering my containers with poster board. I cut disks from posterboard, cut slots to the center for the stalk to slip into, use two disks so their slots are 180-degrees apart (completely covered soil).

If there is an infestation I spritz some pyrethium under the cover every day or two for 7-14 days. After that, I don't get many. They'll get into the drain holes. I've wanted to put the containers in panty hose to keep the gnats out of the drain holes. But, just the cover on top (and a sticky trap laying on top of the cover) reduces their population enough that I'm ok as it is.

It's not bad to have a few. You don't have to get rid of them entirely. It's just a matter of keeping their population from exploding. Covering the top seems to do that. Also helps the soil dry evenly. (And, if you use white posterboard it will reflect light into your plant. Every little bit helps.).

black jesus said:

Not with this soil I haven't watered since last sunday. They are everywhere....
How is pro-mix. They have a soilless line right

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Go to your hydro store and buy some ladybugs and let them loose in your garden. Then put about 2 inches of hydroponic clay pellets on top of your soil so the "top of your soil" stays dry. I do believe the gnats eggs live in the upper soil so this should stop them from doing their thing.

I had gnats my last 2 grows, i put clay pellets on top of my soil and it stays dry up there. I also have a handful of asian beetles that made my plants their home. I had gnats before i put the clay pellets on my soil; but i no longer have them after doing it. I'm not 100% positive that the pellets and beetles are why my gnats are gone but i'm going to keep doing this because it "seems" to be working for me.

Maybe give it a go?

http://www.hg-hydroponics.co.uk/gold-label---5050-mix-rockwool--clay-pebbles-3705-p.asp

http://www.greenspirit-hydroponics.com/coco-and-clay-pebble-special-mix

black jesus said:

I know a lot of people use soil with great results. I'm using fox farm happy frog now for my autos. And I have bugs gnats everywhere. Plus I should have added perlite also to help with the drainage. I have always wanted to try a soilless mix. I don't really know where to start. I was thinking of growing on coco with maybe some perlite added. If I did this how hard or what changes do I need to make besides checking my ph. Would I feed every watering? I'm using fox farm trio now...would I have to add something to my line up.


Is there a soilless mix I should look at that I can switch over to that wouldn't call for any extra work besides checking ph?

Thanks

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sunshine #4 and buy a bag of maxibloom, a gram scale and a mason jar.

the sunshine 4 doesnt have anything in it but its really light and works pretty well, the maxibloom mixed at 7grams per gallon of water and dissolved in the mason jar prior to adding to the solution will give you some great buds for a great price (super cheap) 1 bag will probably last you like a whole year and cost less than 1 bottle of rip off advanced nutrients shit.

oh yeah and youll want a pH pen when you can afford one itll make your grows go hella smooth

If the reason you're pondering a switch from soil to hydro is pests then I suggest you read up on live vs sterile hydroponics

GemuGrows said:

Go to your hydro store and buy some ladybugs and let them loose in your garden. Then put about 2 inches of hydroponic clay pellets on top of your soil so the "top of your soil" stays dry. I do believe the gnats eggs live in the upper soil so this should stop them from doing their thing.

I had gnats my last 2 grows, i put clay pellets on top of my soil and it stays dry up there. I also have a handful of asian beetles that made my plants their home. I had gnats before i put the clay pellets on my soil; but i no longer have them after doing it. I'm not 100% positive that the pellets and beetles are why my gnats are gone but i'm going to keep doing this because it "seems" to be working for me.

Maybe give it a go?

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^Forgot to say, the ladybugs are predators and do not eat plants. That is why they will take care of pest problems

Yeah I hear the gnats is a toss up but for $10 a bag with poor drainage and hella bugs. I feel I can do better. It seem if I want a ready to go mix it's between promix and sunshine. If I ran fox farm again I it would be $20 for 2 bags plus what I have to spend on perlite. And fox farm uses a lot of fillers in there soil. I could get a huge bale of something from Home Depot and add perlite and it would have the same nutes but drain much better for less

GemuGrows said:

^Forgot to say, the ladybugs are predators and do not eat plants. That is why they will take care of pest problems

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Yeah I love lady bugs never used them in a grow but I use to keep them as pets when I did 9 months in Santa Rita lol...I love how they were just eating all the bugs I threw in there with them

Don't get me wrong fox farm has there place and it's pretty rich so no need to add nute the 1st few weeks

Diametric earth.(sp). 1/2 inch on top of soil or any medium and bug b gone.

Where are you guys getting perlite from?

black jesus said:

Where are you guys getting perlite from?

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My Home Depot carries a large green bag of perlite. About 4' long, 2' across, 1' thick.

Yeah I think I saw that b4. Not sure since I wasn't looking for it..

black jesus said:

Where are you guys getting perlite from?

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If you have any Agway or farm supply stores. I get a big-ass sack for $16

I don't use FF soils for just the "bug" reason.....They are legendary for carrying insects.

Potters Gold is my go to base soil.
There are plenty of good soils available.

If you think you will have less bug issues with soil-less (LOL) It's still a matter of when and not if.....It's about how clean you keep your grow and how you enter and exit (not to mention how you bring in clones) that will make all the difference.

You should be told up front that if you use Coco. You will need a pH meter and use Ca/Mg supplementation. No biggies, just things you need to know and do......

Read these to learn more about it all.
http://www.just4growers.com/stream/growing-media/thinking-of-trying-hydroponics-then-try-coco-coir!.aspx
AND right here, try -
https://www.rollitup.org/t/idiots-guide-to-coco-coir.48979/

Good luck