Tired of washin your balls? Hydroton Vs. Sure To Grow

[WizeWizo]

Ok, Well first I suppose I should intro myself a lil'here as I have mainly just been a lurker here and poster on other forums, but I have grown to love IC and adopt it as my favorite by far. So ye, about me... I'm a medical patient here in California, and have been so since 1999. Have grown hydroponically pretty much exclusively for 10+ yrs with a few soil grows just to dabble around and say I did it, hehe. In those 10 plus years I have washed me a lot of balls (hydroton) It's more or less a love, hate relationship with hydroton. On one end, its relatively cheap and its reuseable over and over again. Gotta Love it! Well, now comes harvest time, shit, nvmd, you dont even get to skip right to there. The stuff comes dirty as shit! So you have to wash and wash and wash the hell outta these clay balls forever till all the dust debris comes off. Can take forever!!! I know a lot of people like Rockwool out there, myself personally I cant stand it. I used to install security systems so I was constantly up in attics climbin' around in insulation, super itchy shit. Rockwool isnt all too much differnt from insulation, I come out form the garden settin up clones or transplanting or whatever from using that stuff and I have to take a shower cuz I cant stand to be itchy. Which brings me to STG, Sure To Grows product appealed to me on a lot of levels. 1) Ph neutral 2) Recycled materials 3) No Washing hydroton saves a shit load of time! Didnt really see any downsides to the product when ordered it, the only problem that I see that might arise is because the product is so light, I am concerned about plant stability once cola's start really packing it on. It definately hasnt been a problem yet, and I am prepared to stake buds up if needed....

So lets see, details about my garden.... Its always changing, and about to get a huge makeover here in a few weeks but all in due time. Currently in bloom I am running three 400w hps over two 4x2 trays. One tray has 2 400w hps and the other tray has one 400w hps. The tray with two 400w's I run for late bloom weeks 4 threw 8. And on the single 400w tray is for the first 4 weeks of bloom. The trays are set up as a drip system in 1.5 gal buckets filled with media. I have a 10g reservior that I change weekly using GH flora series with a few additives. Eh, the veg area is a mess right now, not messy but just fugly. I just dont know how I want to set it all up and I dont really have the room for the amount of plants that I have in there atm, or ever for that matter. God I need more damn space. Which is why as of late I am super interested in starting to grow vertically! More on that later. Picture time I suppose eh. Any questions are always welcome as we all are stoners and and I most certainly failed to mention something as this

 

[WizeWizo]

and a few more pics, not too sure if yer able to see the labels clearly or not... But there is 2 A+ also known as Soma's Rock Bud. 2 Green Crack, and 2 TGA Subcool's Agent Orange. The STG are in one of the Green Cracks and Rock Bud. Had some transplant problems as they were in a dwc system that I had to make in an emergency cuz the hydro store here in town super sucks and had promised me a lid for my botanicare trays for 3 weeks. So I finally gave up on the hydro store and lid and transplanted them into 1.5 gal containers. They went into bloom on Christmas eve. So they have been in 12/12 for this being their 14th night. Til next time

 

[WizeWizo]

Is there a tutorial one can find in order to find out how to insert pictures directly in my posts?

 

[WizeWizo]

The first picture is of the two "Green Crack". In the second and third pictures are of the Soma's Rockbud. I am really starting to think now that the drooping of the leaves was certainly caused by transplanting them now. Dohh, damn lyin' bastards at the hydro store. Plants should have been in there two and a half weeks ago. Anyways, they appear to be starting to perk up a bit, as they were even droopier yesterday and right after transplant. I suppose in the end it's my fault as I should have just transplanted them into buckets after being lied to after about a week or so. I had the plumbing all set up for the trays to operate aeroponically, was just waiting on the lid that I was promised well before christmas. Oh well, live and learn. Til next time, hope you guys enjoy the pics. Any comments or questions are always appreciated. Peace

 

[green_thumb...]

Wow dude looks good,they should perk back up,I have one hydro project goin its a 10gal tub full of hydroton and 2cm rockwool cubes,I'm with you on the RW its sucks donkey balls and I will never use it again,iv been thinkin bout tryin STG in my lil 2x4 E&F tray with a 30 plant SOG. Thinkin I shouldn't have a problem with stability as the clones will go into bloom one week after being put in the tray. Any tips from your STG experiance?

 

[WizeWizo]

Any tips from your STG experiance?

Hey man, thanks for stopping by. This is my first run with the STG, so I haven't had any experience with the product til a few days ago. Thought I'd also take a few pictures of the actual product itself. So, here it is, pretty cool lookin stuff and it feels like roots would just love it..

 

[WizeWizo]

Hey Guys, Pictures are coming up tomorrow. Everythings looking pretty good. The SubCool Agent Oranges look amazing!!! The resin already oozing out of them is absurd, the Green Crack is definately a close second. The Soma A+ (which I'm not certain that it A+) is flat out weird, I have never seen a plant like her. In the morning when the lights come on she is perky as the day progresses though she just gets droopier and droopier.... Anyone else ever seen/grown a strain that did that, or know whats goin on with them? But aside from them being droopie they are progressing along just fine. And the rest of the ladies look great. Look forward to get some pictures posted tomorrow and some feedback. I will also try to snag a photo in the morning when the lights come on and then again later on, on the A+'s to show you all what I mean. Til tomorrow....

Peace

 

[WizeWizo]

First set of pictures is of the Green Crack in Hydroton

 

[WizeWizo]

Now the Green Cracks in the STG

 

[WizeWizo]

Soma A+ in Hydroton. Side note, I swore I took a picture like I said I would of her in the moring when I took them all out, but when I uploaded pictures I didnt have one. And it had been a few hours later and the leaves had already stared to droop. But in the next set you can see how they both look in the mornings. I dont know how my stoner ass forget to get a pic of her. But at least now you can see a comparison between how the plants look in the beginning of the morning and how just the A+'s look after a few hours.... Once again anyone ever seen/ or had this happen....

 

[WizeWizo]

And now the A+ in the STG. This was taken a few hours earlier than the A+ in Hydroton, which is why the previous A+ looks even more droopie. Either way I dont like it....

 

[chroniclyfaded]

tagged mang..
been waiting to see someobody give the stg a run...

faded.

 

[WizeWizo]

Although the Agent Orange isnt really part of the test between the two media's. I had to post some pics of her, she is beautiful!!! Cant wait to do the next round with all AO's on a SOG run. Gonna be a purty sight.... Also threw in a pic of the room as I was messing around with settings on my camera to try to take better pics under HPS. The run on the right hand side are Querkles that have about 4-5 more days on them before gettin the chop!

 

[WizeWizo]

tagged mang..
been waiting to see someobody give the stg a run...

faded.

Hey man, thanks for comin by and checkin shit out.

So I keep forgetting that I also have a few of next rounds in some stg. They were transplanted into it right after showing a few roots. Now I really must say, they have great root systems on them for only being 3 1/2 weeks old..... So far I have been pretty impressed with the STG, Going to be taking some clones here shortly as soon as my new stg cloner pucks come in.

 

[Lifebreather]

Hey Wizo, glad you are branching out and exploring.

Have you ever tried silica stones? I got a fat package of these (gratis, of course) and decided to give them a run a few months ago.

I was running 5gal dwc w/net pots. Not only were the plants perfect in every way, the rocks came right out, with one tap.

Not one stuck to the roots.

Not one rolled away out of sight only to be stepped on later, possibly while not wearing shoes.

Not one had to be physically cleaned, what little was stuck to them came right out with a spray of water.

They are reusable, very easy to clean, and the sediment isn't catastrophic to my systems in any way. I had exactly enough to fill 4 net pots, and 3 grows later, I have enough to exactly fill 4 net pots.

It looks like the STG's are doing you right, however...

 

[WizeWizo]

Hey Wizo, glad you are branching out and exploring.

Have you ever tried silica stones? I got a fat package of these (gratis, of course) and decided to give them a run a few months ago.

I was running 5gal dwc w/net pots. Not only were the plants perfect in every way, the rocks came right out, with one tap.

Not one stuck to the roots.

Not one rolled away out of sight only to be stepped on later, possibly while not wearing shoes.

Not one had to be physically cleaned, what little was stuck to them came right out with a spray of water.

They are reusable, very easy to clean, and the sediment isn't catastrophic to my systems in any way. I had exactly enough to fill 4 net pots, and 3 grows later, I have enough to exactly fill 4 net pots.

It looks like the STG's are doing you right, however...

Hey Lifebreather, I was actually just talking with a rep over at DYNA-GRO about sending me out some! A good friend Superchronitron actually just recommended me them. You gave a great description to them and I super look forward to giving them a go... Good lookin out! thanks man

Peace

 

[WizeWizo]

So lets see if I figured out how to get pictures inserted in my post, hrmm, since no one here dropped the hint. hehe

 

[WizeWizo]

woohoo, got it....

 

[arrg]

Is there a tutorial one can find in order to find out how to insert pictures directly in my posts?

you put the page address of the pick in those or host them in an album or hosting site.


http://www.myspacetuning.com/gfx/funny_pics/animals/big_penis.jpg

that is the address for this pic wrapped with the links. below is it posted with the IMG on both sides so all you see is the pic. I never look at any pics that are attached and on some sites that would be bannable.

so when you get them up I will come back and take a look.

 

[WizeWizo]

Well, started my next round in flowering, switching from drip system to my homemade aero botanicare tray. And this round I am using completely STG. I have been very impressed with the plants in the STG in the previous round, roots are far more developed in the STG vs. the rockwool. As we all know bigger roots lead to bigger buds, so even though I havent ran a complete run through with the STG is performing well enough for me to dedicate my entire next run with it. My only qualms with the media now is that it is made of recycled material and yet I dont believe I am able to recycle it.... Hrmm, seems a bit ironic. Anyways, here's the pics. Running a SOG run this round with the exception of the Querkles that are freakin huge and a Santa Cruz Kush that are gonna be work to train like crazy to keep the canopy even. But hopefully the new twist on a few things. I will be able to bump up production back up to .8g/watt.



So after figuring out how to include pics in my post now for some reason, I am either too blazed or it's bein retarded for me..

Nvmd, got it... It was bein retarded