Soil vs Coco vs NFT / similar systems...which one?

[wutang]

Hey all

In my early days I tried a couple of NFT grows but they didn't pan out so well as my environment wasn't right and it needed daily attention...i.e. checking ph and ec

My most recent and best grow to dat was in biobizz soil with their nutes. Once watered every few days I didn't have to worry about measuring ec or ph so this method so far I've found the easiest to tend to.

I now have a family so time is precious, I think I could manage with soil again, NFT would probabaly take more of my time..even though I have loads of nutes and good stuff left over.

So I know a lot of you on here grow in coco. Whats this like vs soil and nft? Is it easier to maintain than soil?

My heads telling me soil because I haven't done anything in coco before but reading some forums online, coco is meant to be much easier to tend to..

Not sure...can any of you steer me in the right direction?

I'll only be growing 1 or 2 plants under LED. Just in the planning stages right now.

Thanks in advance
Wu

[duke]

coco. simply the best.easiest and tbh i cannot fathom folks problem with ec/phing its so simple and takes but a few minutes also theres lots of good coco growers here im sure only to happy to guide you.
i too tried water hydro before and pythium buggered it up,then i burst a 250ltr res tank and flooded the house!hence tina banned me from water hydro,thank god for coco!good luck choosing wisely.

[Keeno]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7533

I done a write up on my thoughts on sool, coco, full hydro above.

I do believe coco is the happy middle ground. Full control and faster growth than soil but more forgiving than full water when things go wrong.

[Captain Beefheart]

if i had the room i`d run NFT all day anyday i loved my trays back in the day back then i grew trees within weeks.

[seymore_budz]

There are pros and cons to every growing style. It's all about finding what works for you. I've grown in most systems and store bought medium. Never done the full Organics soil ammendments thing but that doesn't really appeal to me as you need a family large prepping area etc. here are a couple of bullet points I can think of while nursing a hangover.

Soil pros:

• probably the cheapest route

• No PH adjustments required

• Simple to manage

Soil cons:

• Risk of bugs from the soil

• Disposal can be a bit of a pain if you're not reusing the media

• Less amount of control. Corrections take longer to perculate

Coco pros:

• Faster growth due to air/water ratio

• Most nutrients are chelated so immediately available to the plant

• Coco has excellent CEC properties.

Coco cons:

• Salt buildup can become an issue if you dont have adequate run-off

• Run-off and perodic flushing is required. This means you will need something in place to catch and dispose of run-off

Hydro pros:

• Plants have access to as much air, water and nutrients as they can handle.

• Corrections are immediate and plants reapond faster

• Low waste footprint. Water is normally recirculating and minimal media is required.

• Access to the roots. This allows you to inspect both sides of your plant if theres an issue.

Hydro cons:

• PH/EC meters are essential. People will tell your they're not but to be consistent you will need them at some point.

• High level of knowledge required to get thr best out of the system.

• Highest setup cost.

• Most points of failure. Lots of moving parts brings lots of things that can go wrong.

[wutang]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7533

I done a write up on my thoughts on sool, coco, full hydro above.

I do believe coco is the happy middle ground. Full control and faster growth than soil but more forgiving than full water when things go wrong.

Thanks bud. Will take look shortly.

[wutang]

There are pros and cons to every growing style. It's all about finding what works for you. I've grown in most systems and store bought medium. Never done the full Organics soil ammendments thing but that doesn't really appeal to me as you need a family large prepping area etc. here are a couple of bullet points I can think of while nursing a hangover.

Soil pros:

• probably the cheapest route

• No PH adjustments required

• Simple to manage

Soil cons:

• Risk of bugs from the soil

• Disposal can be a bit of a pain if you're not reusing the media

• Less amount of control. Corrections take longer to perculate

Coco pros:

• Faster growth due to air/water ratio

• Most nutrients are chelated so immediately available to the plant

• Coco has excellent CEC properties.

Coco cons:

• Salt buildup can become an issue if you dont have adequate run-off

• Run-off and perodic flushing is required. This means you will need something in place to catch and dispose of run-off

Hydro pros:

• Plants have access to as much air, water and nutrients as they can handle.

• Corrections are immediate and plants reapond faster

• Low waste footprint. Water is normally recirculating and minimal media is required.

• Access to the roots. This allows you to inspect both sides of your plant if theres an issue.

Hydro cons:

• PH/EC meters are essential. People will tell your they're not but to be consistent you will need them at some point.

• High level of knowledge required to get thr best out of the system.

• Highest setup cost.

• Most points of failure. Lots of moving parts brings lots of things that can go wrong.

Thank you mate.

Seems like its soil vs coco atm. I just want something with the least daily fuss. Soil I could water every 3 to 4 days and then do checks daily or every other day to make sure they are okay..but nothing more. With NFT if was a check ph ec check and then adjustments etc which I can't afford to do now.

[wutang]

Which coco based systems for 1 or 2 plants would you recommend bearing in mind my main requirement of least tending too.

[Vador]

I grew nft for most of my career. a year ago give or take a bit, a friend gave me loads of spare gear which included 9 bags of coco, I was always put off by coco due to the fact you need to get 30% runoff but was relieved to find the rhizo pot system that takes care of runoff for you.
Tell you what that was the best thing I ever did converting to coco.
It’s easier to maintain than nft just literally feed every day in later growth and it keeps the root zone in check as opposed to weekly nutrient tank changes that fluctuate throughout the week and require more maintenance to keep your plants healthy. Coco takes a lot of maintenance out of my daily routines and gives me more time to look after my plants. Plants also seem happier in coco as opposed to nft.
The downsides to me are slightly slower growth than nft and the mess, I’m forever spilling coco and clay pebbles on the floor and have to hoover them up, it’s well worth it though imo, I’ve got 4 nft tanks that are now redundant and looking like they may never be used again

[Marcus]

Soil v coco for me ...

Soil I make up feed on the day of feeding as it's 'organic' and doesn't sit too well in a bucket for a week, I can be feeding every 2 days in flower.

Coco I make up a weeks worth of grub and just sling it through them every morning while I;m bleary eyed and waiting for the coffee pot to do.

Canna A+B for coco at 2ml/L in my water hits ph at 6.2 no messing. 1ml hits about 6.5 so If I;m feeling lazy I just sling it at the plants or if feeling like doing some work, I add a splash of apple cider vinegar to get it down.

I ph my soil feeds too. My water comes out at 8.6(ish).

Both methods take me 10 mins in the morning and then I shut the door on them.

If I had the money and space, I'd punt for one of them rhizo systems with the brain bucket that takes all the runoff away and does the washing up for me.
I'm still waiting for the dog to regurgitate the washing up cloth, the kitchens a bit of a mess after our Platty Joobs party, we had some cheeky sherberts and nom noms.