local hydro mediums?

[Robertwantsganj]

i wanna use something similar to rockwool
or jusst anything at that that would be used for a hydro grow.
but i dont wanna order anything online.
does anyone know if theres any kinda substitute for rockwool or anything? cause the home depot and lowes and everything around here doesnt sell rockwool or starter cubes

 

[*mistress*]

depot h0me/loews:

lava rock...
bark nuggets/orchid bark...
perlite...
possibly generic coco brick...

pet general store:
aquarium gravel...
possibly generic coco brick...

none rockwool, but all hydro doable... @ non-hidro shop.

enjoy your garden!

 

[highonmt]

Ace hardware and truvalue hareware both stock coco bricks and perlite. Do you have a local green house? They often have large bags of perlite and vermiculite perfect for Hempy buckets.
HM

 

[EvilTwin]

Hi Robert,
Many of us have been ordering online for years with no problem...but you have your reasons.

Pet supply stores carry coco for use in animal bedding.

Early hydro users used pea gravel but it's pretty heavy.

Or go DWC and forget medium.
ET

 

[Haps]

I prefer the lava pebbles, smaller than lava rock, available at menards.

 

[slowandeasy]

Pool Noodle

 

[Mr. Stinky]

find your greenhouse supply, and get what you need. there are people out there who do hydroponics and they dont grow weed. (incredible, i know). there are places like cropking that specialize in hydro in general. no reason to haul gravel from the creek when you can hop in the car and drive to a store selling the real thing. just pay cash. there are so many other things to worry about, why make it harder on yourself than it has to be. just go to the store half ass-ness will cause you 100 times the grief that an hour drive to the store will, i promise

 

[Mr. Stinky]

all this big fancy internet site stuff, and i cant delete my fuckin double post. wtf

 

[Robertwantsganj]

I found coconut bark and coco husk at the pet store and lava rock at home depot. im probably gonna go with the coconut bark what do yall think?
and i dont think there are any cubes around here for me to put my seed in. what should i do about that?
sorry ive never done hydro and im trying to figure out completely before i go wasting seeds ha

 

[Robertwantsganj]

oh yeah and should i mix the coconut bark with anything? cause it looks really chippy lookin

 

[EvilTwin]

I found coconut bark and coco husk at the pet store and lava rock at home depot. im probably gonna go with the coconut bark what do yall think?
and i dont think there are any cubes around here for me to put my seed in. what should i do about that?
sorry ive never done hydro and im trying to figure out completely before i go wasting seeds ha

Little cups of vermiculite or verm and perlite mixed should work ok...
ET

PS Just saw your last post you sneaked in...I was wondering of the bark might be a little coarse. It'll hold less moisture so maybe my above suggesting for seeds...vermiculite might work to hold more moisture. You understand of course that you're breaking new ground. Noobs should generally stick to the tried and true. So just prepare yourself for some difficulties. Ever heard of Hempy buckets? An ordinary bucket with a hole in the side...vermiculite and perlite mix. Rudimentary hydro that many people have had good luck with. Think about it.

 

[Robertwantsganj]

i just looked it up it kinda looks confusing. maybe i shouldnt do hydro. that tube going in there is the thing that pushes air in to get bubbles to splash the roots right? my friend said if i did perlite and verm to add some peat moss to it. could i fill an entire container just like soil with the perlite mix?

 

[EvilTwin]

i just looked it up it kinda looks confusing. maybe i shouldnt do hydro. that tube going in there is the thing that pushes air in to get bubbles to splash the roots right? my friend said if i did perlite and verm to add some peat moss to it. could i fill an entire container just like soil with the perlite mix?

Robert,
Hydro can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. The Hempy bucket is on the simple end of things. Hempy is an old time grower...I believe he's still a member here. Earth Boxes work on the same principle. You have a soil-less media (hempy used a verm/perl mix) in a bucket with a hole drilled a couple inches up. You stick a plant in it and water with nutrient solution daily. The runoff comes out the side hole. There's a little 2" deep internal res (as well as osmosis) and the roots sip nutrients from the bottom of the pot. There'a lengthy Hempy thread here somewhere.

The beauty for you is that...
a. It's easy
b. Parts and supplies should be available locally
c. Cheap
d. Works good

Here are some pix of a Hempy plant I did a few years back. I have the picture labeled wrong. Not really sure what strain it is and I got carried away trimming...just wanted the one big cola. I just wanted to give you an option. I used hydroton in my Hempy (because I didn't know better) yet it still worked ok. This plant was grown with total neglect.
Cheers,
ET

 

[Robertwantsganj]

so the roots are supposed to be dipping into the water?
and could i switch my seedling i just sprouted from soil to hydro?

 

[Robertwantsganj]

how much medium did you fill that bucket up with?

 

[EvilTwin]

Mornin Robert,
As you can see from my picture, you fill up the pot just like you would with dirt. Close to the top. And the roots can 'dip" into the water or sip from the water...however you want to think about it. It seems like it would be a root rot prone system but when done properly is not.

Yes, you can take a dirt plant and put it in hydro...but you need to wash the dirt off. That's called bare-rooting. Do it in warm water and very gently and it doesn't traumatize roots too badly. But you want to know the gender of the plants first. Here's a huge Hempy thread...

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=98419

Cheers,
ET

 

[KosmoKramer]

Make sure you check the contents of any perlite bought at chain stores. Some like to add "nutrients" or fertilizer with the perlite.

 

[Robertwantsganj]

Okay wait one more quick question. You say the roots dip into the water. I thought all the water ran out after watering? How long does a 3:1 perlite to vermiculite mix hold water before having to water again?

 

[EvilTwin]

Look at the pictures that I posted earlier Robert, and did you visit the Hempy thread? The hole is in th4e side about 2" up.
ET

 

[Robertwantsganj]

i looked at it but im still a little confused about the res? im not sure as to what that is.