What's the most hands-off method?

[DrDichotomy]

I was wondering... is there a hydro/aero method or nute schedule that doesn't take much maintainence? I don't want to use soil but I also don't want to have to check pH, TDS etc constantly. Any tips are welcome.

[Revanche21]

check my link I didn't check PPMs or anything

For nutes, I just followed directions on the bontanicare bottle

in the beginning i messed up cause I used the wrong nutes but I pretty much didn't do too much

[justanotherbozo]

I was wondering... is there a hydro/aero method or nute schedule that doesn't take much maintainence? I don't want to use soil but I also don't want to have to check pH, TDS etc constantly. Any tips are welcome.

sorry man, no matter what method you choose to use, it will demand some maintainence.

it's like having a pet, if you have a dog you have to take him for walks, if you have a cat you have to clean the shitty litter.

we're talking living plants here so the more TLC you give, the more the plant will give back.

after a while, you will get hooked on the growing itself, it's awesome to start this little seed and raise it into a 7 foot monster, or to take that same plant and keep it real short, taking clones off it every week to fill a SOG.

anyway, give it a try

[Weedhound]

For those with lots of $$$$$ you can get controllers to monitor everything for you .....or hire someone I suppose.....

Otherwise you're better off going with soil imo.

[NaughtyDreadz]

would be nice though... to travel for like 2 weeks and come back and see the progress...

[DrDichotomy]

Don't get me wrong, I have grown in soil twice and both times I fawned over my plants like a new mother but I'd like to be able to forget about a hydro setup for a week or two without much risk of the pH going wild and killing everything.

[justanotherbozo]

sorry, the best you could do is have large resevoirs, the larger the res, the easier it is to maintain and keep stable

lol, i think, i'm no expert on hydro or even growing in general, it's just that, if your growing in optimal conditions, 1 healthy plant can drink close to a gallon of solution a day, and they grow fast man.

that's my understanding at least, my own experience is very limited but it seems to be holding true with my small plants, enough that i believe it

[GreenDestiny]

It'd definitely be a recirculating system with a large reservoir... pH will stay more consistent too.

Would just have get a good mix of nutes/water for the plants to uptake so that when levels fall, it retains that same balance.

Other than the hydro system, someone's gotta be around to move the light up so they don't get burned..... unless you know how fast the plants will grow and build a light mover to raise it tiny bits at a time to match it.

like WH said, you can spend a lot of money getting everything practically automated. And lot of work fine tuning it for the specific strain before you can 'set it and forget it'

[Revanche21]

i left my plant 3 ft above the DWC system didnt touch it
70 day grow

[stinkyattic]

I'm going to go with fully automated drip-to-waste in coco with a large res and a waste receptacle that either automatically pumps to a drain, or is large enough not to need emptying.
However, drip emitters DO need frequent checking because they can get clogged with slime.

Ebb n Flow is also very low maintenance, but you have to check and clean the pump filter weekly in any recirculating system.

Drip to waste in promix is similar to coco but the pH changes over time and you will need to monitor runoff to avoid problems.

With any system that is intended to be hands-off, the quality of your nute is very important. I'm not saying, "run out and spend $400 on a nute system", I'm saying that you should do some research on nutes that are forgiving, unlikely to burn, and are buffered at the correct pH for your system. I have been VERY pleased with my results using the Canna Aqua line, which is essentially a hydro-organic fertilizer buffered EXACTLY where your plants need it, so you have to check pH less often.

[Barrelhse]

Have you considered Hempy Buckets? I've been using them for a few months and I'm happy with the results.

[MVP]

Hempy buckets are great when you don't mind watering them every day or two, or else they will dry up and kill your plants.

On the plus side, I never check PH or PPM with them, so it is slightly easier in this respect. All said, a high quality soil is the lowest maintenance I have tried.

DWC hydro is my favorite compromise - I get hydro yield and quality with weekly water change, however I have to check PH and PPM daily (or 2x daily preferred).

I'm going back to DWC next grow, simply to get bigger yields than hempy. :smokin::smokin::smokin:

[DrDichotomy]

@stinkyattic
By slime do you mean nute build up or something like algae? I've got a few things already on hand that might help keep stave off biological problems....
1) I have a UV aquarium sterilizer that I could use to keep the water clean.
2) I also have 2 Ionic Breezes with UV bulbs. The Ionic Breezes aren't great for getting rid of the smell but they will disinfect the air and kill mould etc.

Do you think using these will help make the system more automated?
Also, might the UV sterilizer screw with the nutes?

[herbie the love bud]

I was wondering... is there a hydro/aero method or nute schedule that doesn't take much maintainence? I don't want to use soil but I also don't want to have to check pH, TDS etc constantly. Any tips are welcome.

The absolute best one for your needs is going down to your dispensary and buying some "Pre-Grown" weed. That stuff is TOTALLY hands off (well, almost, you still gotta hold the bong and the lighter).

[DrDichotomy]

I wish, I just left Cali for Colorado where my MMJ card is no good and the rules are a lot more strict.

[Revanche21]

The absolute best one for your needs is going down to your dispensary and buying some "Pre-Grown" weed. That stuff is TOTALLY hands off (well, almost, you still gotta hold the bong and the lighter).

except its expensive as all hell

[justanotherbozo]

The absolute best one for your needs is going down to your dispensary and buying some "Pre-Grown" weed. That stuff is TOTALLY hands off (well, almost, you still gotta hold the bong and the lighter).

how the hell is this helpful?

[stinkyattic]

Doc- Fertilizer salt crud buildup, and bits of algae, dead root that got into the system, etc.
Honestly it's not a big deal and often just flicking the emitter with a fingernail will dislodge the gunk. Don't bother with water sterilizers; instead, run a beneficial bacteria mix, such as SubCulture, in your res.

[herbie the love bud]

how the hell is this helpful?

Mmmm. It is the very best advice he has gotten so far. This is not a hands-off hobby. Anything he would be convinced to buy is just a waste of his money.

[DrDichotomy]

@Herbie the love Bud
Dude, he was saying what the rest of us were thinking. Don't try to pass your first comment off as advice. I'd be happy to hear any legitimate advice you might have but you could have kept that one to yourself.

[DrDichotomy]

I'm going to go with fully automated drip-to-waste in coco with a large res and a waste receptacle that either automatically pumps to a drain, or is large enough not to need emptying.
However, drip emitters DO need frequent checking because they can get clogged with slime.

Ebb n Flow is also very low maintenance, but you have to check and clean the pump filter weekly in any recirculating system.

Drip to waste in promix is similar to coco but the pH changes over time and you will need to monitor runoff to avoid problems.

With any system that is intended to be hands-off, the quality of your nute is very important. I'm not saying, "run out and spend $400 on a nute system", I'm saying that you should do some research on nutes that are forgiving, unlikely to burn, and are buffered at the correct pH for your system. I have been VERY pleased with my results using the Canna Aqua line, which is essentially a hydro-organic fertilizer buffered EXACTLY where your plants need it, so you have to check pH less often.

What exactly is Coco? How is it different/better than soil or other grow mediums? Would you suggest using Cana Coco nutes with that or would you stay with the aqua line?

[DrDichotomy]

Also, if I had something like a 20 gal reservoir feeding 3-4 plants, would that keep them happy for at least a week? That much fluid would be hard to alter the pH of it would seem to me.

[stinkyattic]

Coco is the fiber of coconut husks, soaked in brine for 1-2 years, then de-salted (cheap stuff needs more rinsing), shredded or chipped, and compressed for sale.
I'd DEFINITELY go with teh Canna Coco because coco sometimes LEACHES OUT potassium and SCAVENGES Calcium, and it's a soilless medium needing just a touch higher pH than hydro, so the Coco line compensates for that in a way the Aqua stuff wouldn't.

I can't really say about the res; it depends on plant size, %RH in the room, temps, light intensity, and feeding habits of that strain. But I think that sounds adequate. Don't worry about altering the pH; not only is that nutrient line well-buffered in range, but concentrated acids and bases change the pH a LOT with just a few drops per gallon, and it is no more difficult to set it in a large res than in a small bucket; arguably, it's easier in a big res because you are less likely to overshoot your target pH.

[justanotherbozo]

Also, if I had something like a 20 gal reservoir feeding 3-4 plants, would that keep them happy for at least a week? That much fluid would be hard to alter the pH of it would seem to me.

hey Doc, while i don't think it's helpful for someone to tell you to 'go buy weed', your questions shout out loud and clear that you've done very little research.

initially you asked 'What's the most hands-off method?', and you got several responses, and not just from noobs, you got advice from a few of the master growers on this forum.

the thing you have to understand Doc is that people very quickly lose interest in helping someone too lazy to help themselves.

the thing is, these questions have been asked and answered in one form or another at least a thousand times before i joined this board, all you have to do is look, and the answers are there.

here are a few places to go look for some answers for yourself, and don't take offense, a wise man once said 'give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats every day'.

http://boards.cannabis.com/basic-growing/127522-simple-noob-instructions-growin-da-dankness.html
http://boards.cannabis.com/grow-log/131118-stinky-s-crash-course-noob-hydro-welcome-darkside.html
http://boards.cannabis.com/grow-log/151508-test-launch-operation-redwood-tree.html
http://boards.cannabis.com/hydroponics/151045-aeroponic-s-hatch-style.html
http://boards.cannabis.com/grow-log/117030-how-build-maintain-your-own-custom-bubbler-dwc-grow.html
Hydroponics - Cannabis.com Forums Message Boards - Medical Marijuana, Cannabis Club, Dispensary, News (http://boards.cannabis.com/hydroponics/)

i know it won't be as easy as it would be if you could just ask for the answers but, if you actually do read some of these threads, you will learn a whole lot that you didn't even know you needed to know.

plus, you will gain some respect as your questions will be much more advanced and they will illustrate the work you did just to be able to formulate the question.

maybe most important of all, you will gain some self-respect, knowing you did all the easy stuff yourself.

[elskeetro]

My vote is for DWC.

I've messed with drip systems which end up in a tangled mess of tubes and leaves and it's really clumsy for me.

I've done ebb and flow and i kept getting root rot and dying plants. also pretty clumsy and hard to keep clean.

I've come back to DWC and it its by far the easiest hydro system to maintain (IMO) i have each plant in a 5 gal bucket with an airstone bubblin away at the roots. they grow fast and huge with very few problems (so far...) it's easy to move them around because they are all self contained and compact. you do have to check the PH and shit...but once you have it stable it's not bad at all.

I used to hem and haw over every little detail in my first 2 grows and the results were less than favorable. this 3rd grow i was worrying over and giving constant attention to it...i was looking for things to go wrong...but really nothing was, they were doing fine, but i couldn't let go of it. Finally Stinky convinced me that they were probably fine and just see what would happen if i let them be. I have pretty much left them alone, aside from res changes and once daily pH checks (more if it's off...but not usually) and they are really doing great. i dunno if i'd be able to leave them for a week...they might not like that...but DWC wins for me.

thanks
Skeet

PS - Here they is: http://boards.cannabis.com/plant-problems/156853-heat-problems-causing-wacky-leaves.html#post1873683

[stinkyattic]

i dunno if i'd be able to leave them for a week...they might not like that...but DWC wins for me.
Hahaha! Don't be foisting off your own need for plant companionship as the PLANTS needing your company! :jointsmile: Seriously though, you're doing SOMETHING right!

[NaughtyDreadz]

Hahaha! Don't be foisting off your own need for plant companionship as the PLANTS needing your company! :jointsmile: Seriously though, you're doing SOMETHING right!

ya !!! I've also separation anxiety... I need to go down south for a week or so... but I dunno how my baby's will do...

Would weed cure my weed caused separation ANXIETY???

[herbie the love bud]

@Herbie the love Bud
Dude, he was saying what the rest of us were thinking. Don't try to pass your first comment off as advice. I'd be happy to hear any legitimate advice you might have but you could have kept that one to yourself.

Silly "Dr." A 1000 fools before you and a 1000 fools after you will ask that same question. And if the board were busier, no one would have even answered you. If you had done some reading before hand and had a legitimate question it would have been helpful too.

But here's a tip, in general terms, the longest you can go between maintenance periods (of anything in life) is equal to the frequency at which you have enough time to detect and fix something without it being fatal. That's why the doctor (not you) sticks his finger up your ass once a year.

Now in hydroponics, too much can happen and kill your whole crop in the space of a week. Like root rot for instance. There are plenty of others. And that is why MJ is LITERALLY worth more than gold.

Investigate soil.

--edit-- I just checked the price of gold per ounce and it's more than MJ. Sorry for any confusion.

[stinkyattic]

Grumble away, but Herbie's right.
Remember that even if you don't absolutely HAVE to check your plants a couple times a week, doesn't mean that you SHOULDN'T. So choose a system where the things that CAN go wrong are generally simple to fix.
And time being money, if you can't put effort into it, sometimes it IS easier just to buy a bag. It all depends upon your own personal situation.

[DrDichotomy]

Ok, I think I see what's going on here... I think my question is being interpreted as 'How can I get my MJ plants to grow themselves?'. What I was really asking was more like 'What is the most robust non-soil method of growing?' or, 'Which non-soil method am I lest likely to screw up?'. I've grown twice before (in soil 1 indoor, 1 outdoor) so I know how finicky it can be.

Basically the reason I am asking is because I am an enginerding student so I can occasionally get very busy and forgetting to check the pH for a few days shouldn't be fatal in the method I choose.

[stinkyattic]

I see what you are getting at, and the way to make your life easier is pick a nute system that is simple and stable over time. I love the Canna Aqua for that reason.
Engineering student... lol... you will end up like my dad, who is a mechanical engineer with MIT credentials and has his tomato plants on a self-watering system that turns on when the conductivity between a pair of probes stuck in the pots drops below a set point, and he's got the whole thing hooked up to a chart recorder. lol! I told him though, you've got to compensate for background conductivity of your res solution, and enter that as a constant, or your numbers are useless! I think he should switch over to a photo sensor that turns the system on after a period of sustained high light intensity. But I'm not an engineer... lol!

[DrDichotomy]

Oh, a few more things...
1) I think I've found a relatively cheap pH controller which can trigger a small pump to offset rising pH. Would this help my cause or could it just make things worse?

2) I've read about a thousand different (and often conflicting) opinions with regards to HPS vs. CFLs. I am planning a small/medium sized stealth grow cab where heat is likely to be something I will be fighting with. Can someone tell me if a 150watt HPS will be harder to deal with than a comparable (150-200 watts) amount of CFLs?

3) I fully expected a bit of a flaming by asking my question. Asking the easiest way to do something on ANY forum is kind of a nice way of shitting on those people's hobbies/professions. I should have given more of an explaination and phrased my question differently.

[stinkyattic]

Automatic pH controllers and fert dosers are more intended for a larger size grow that is at the 'away' stadium. In a space you descibe as a stealth cab, your res size will be so small that even at its lowest setting you may have problems overshooting the correct pH mark without prediluting your pH down, etc. As I said, choose a fert that is already buffered at your correct range and you won't have to fidget with it so much, and don't forget t0 pre-soak your hydroton.
If you run HPS in a small space, you need an air-cooled hood. If you have some cash, look into T5 light systems as a third excellent alternative. You need to give you space size and exhaust possibilities before anyone can help you choose a lighting system. Lights and exhaust should be considered a single unit.

[herbie the love bud]

1) I think I've found a relatively cheap pH controller which can trigger a small pump to offset rising pH. Would this help my cause or could it just make things worse?

Stinky of course is right about this. pH isn't really something to worry TOO much over. The nutes are buffered and will mostly stay good. There are a lot of other things to be considered. For instance, I am working with 91 degree temps and 85 degree water temps. Its doable, but I need to be constantly on top of balancing the EC just right with the rate of transpiration so that the plants don't suddenly get overdosed or locked out.

Today I came home and a plant had broken a major branch under its own weight and fallen over. If I didn't catch that today it would have been a gonner (and its gonna yield a quarter pound dry).

2) I've read about a thousand different (and often conflicting) opinions with regards to HPS vs. CFLs. I am planning a small/medium sized stealth grow cab where heat is likely to be something I will be fighting with. Can someone tell me if a 150watt HPS will be harder to deal with than a comparable (150-200 watts) amount of CFLs?

There is a lot of half truths about "alternative" lighting. First lets start with MJ using a maximum of 10K Lux. A 150 HPS doesn't produce that minimum so it won't be optimal, but that is OK. Enough floros can produce 10K Lux however at no penetration. HPS penetrates into the canopy and has a significant advantage. Also and particularly important is that while you can easily find a 3000K "spectrum" floro, it really doesn't provide much in the way of the other parts of the spectrum that flowering still uses like HPS.

I would still look closer at soil then hydro if you don't want to monitor every couple of days at least. But if you insist on hydro probably a single bucket waterfarm or something will work best for you. Or an Emily's garden DWC kit. They are both very affordable, perfect size for 150 HPS and have a little bit of safety net if the power goes out (or timer breaks, etc...).

Remember that is another killer in hydro: electronic timers sometimes don't recover from power outages, analog (motor) timers sometimes get weak over time and can't flip the microswitch. Shit happens in an instant that changes their world.

Change the title of your thread and hit us back as you design your system.

[stickyicky07]

I like me some DWC... DWC ALL THE WAY

[killerm8r]

Most hands-off... hard to say.

You've got soil background so I'm tempted to say that Hempy would be the best way to transition to hydro, and it's a pretty simple and fool-proof system.

Beyond that I'd say DWC. No real moving parts aside from the air pump and maybe the timer, and air pumps run practically forever. If the power goes out or the pump stops for some reason you've got a little while before the lack of aeration becomes a problem, but you definitely don't want to leave it like that for very long.

[GreenLeaf420]

My vote is for DWC.

I've messed with drip systems which end up in a tangled mess of tubes and leaves and it's really clumsy for me.

I've done ebb and flow and i kept getting root rot and dying plants. also pretty clumsy and hard to keep clean.

I've come back to DWC and it its by far the easiest hydro system to maintain (IMO) i have each plant in a 5 gal bucket with an airstone bubblin away at the roots. they grow fast and huge with very few problems (so far...) it's easy to move them around because they are all self contained and compact. you do have to check the PH and shit...but once you have it stable it's not bad at all.

I used to hem and haw over every little detail in my first 2 grows and the results were less than favorable. this 3rd grow i was worrying over and giving constant attention to it...i was looking for things to go wrong...but really nothing was, they were doing fine, but i couldn't let go of it. Finally Stinky convinced me that they were probably fine and just see what would happen if i let them be. I have pretty much left them alone, aside from res changes and once daily pH checks (more if it's off...but not usually) and they are really doing great. i dunno if i'd be able to leave them for a week...they might not like that...but DWC wins for me.

thanks
Skeet

PS - Here they is: http://boards.cannabis.com/plant-problems/156853-heat-problems-causing-wacky-leaves.html#post1873683

Did you put them into flower yet? I had major issues W/ DWC in less then 1 month they developed to much. I have the 16 Pack and I want to try it again. I just am unsure of the ability's of that system. The troubles scared me from DWC. Good Luck W/ Yours:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[elskeetro]

developed too much? i don't see that as a problem necessarily...maybe if you have a space restriction. The link in my previous post are plants that are in DWC and currently 6.5 weeks into flowering. they are quite full and have really big buds (not the biggest i've ever seen, but it's only my 3rd grow.)

You say you have a 16 pack? of what? i'm assuming you are referring to the waterfarms or some other sort of DWC package. I don't mess with any of that stuff. just 5 gallon buckets with an airstone in each. BAM! big plants.

I have scaled down too. i used to think that packing as many plants in as possible was the way to get tons of smoke. I have trimmed it down to 4-6 plants max and i'm seeing much better results and much lower maintenance. Latewood always says grow fewer but bigger/better plants...possibly the best advice i've ever heard.

thanks
Skeet.

[mushaboom]

how come you dont want to use soil? if you used soil and some cfls you could leave them alone for days at a time and theyd thrive. i have to say other than that, i think DWC would be your best bet. i have my main area, and then i have this little experimental side area with a DWC 5gallon bucket, 3 45wcfls, and a 2ft t8 system from wal mart. I seriously barely ever have to do anything with that plant. Its growing incredibly fast compared to its soil clone sisters and also its putting out redonkulous amounts of trichomes. cannabis , especially landrace dominant strains tend to not require as many nutrients so i rarely ever have to add nutrients to the bucket. i have never checked the pH of the bucket except for the first time i put distilled water in. try growing some DWC with just a little bit of nutrients, youll be surprised. ill try to get some pics up of what im talking about soon.

[killerm8r]

So what's the verdict Dr. D? What are you going to go with?