experienced beginner

[morov]

Hello ICMAG people,

Good to finally join the forum. Always lurking, never posting. Been growing for about four years, always hydroponics because anything in dirt (indoors) dies under my watch unless it is outside and in the ground under nature's watch.

My preferred hydroponic style is a variant on big tokes bio-bucket with vertical lights in a sealed room.

morov

 

[qwerty]

Welcome to ICMag morov.

 

[Stevius]

Welcome!

 

[pray4pistils]

Welcome aboard, Morov. I'm curious to know if/how you set your pH. Also, what do you do to cultivate a strong microherd? That's key to the bio buckets, correct?

 

[Justin_Credible]

hey Morov,
Looks like we have something in common. I too just joined after a few years of "lurking"around on the site. I figured it was about time I made my presence felt. Can't say that I am a hydro fan though, just the opposite for me. Anything in soil and I am styling, hydro for me ='s failure.

 

[morov]

Welcome aboard, Morov. I'm curious to know if/how you set your pH. Also, what do you do to cultivate a strong microherd? That's key to the bio buckets, correct?

hi pray4pistils: I usually run my ph around 5.9 to 6 which is normally what is is after I put in the nutrients. I don't cultivate a microherd and I'm really not sure what that is... should I?

 

[morov]

hey Morov,
Looks like we have something in common. I too just joined after a few years of "lurking"around on the site. I figured it was about time I made my presence felt. Can't say that I am a hydro fan though, just the opposite for me. Anything in soil and I am styling, hydro for me ='s failure.

That's funny Justin_Credible. Me and indoor dirt is bad news. I started using hydroponics out of necessity. Starting off using aeroponics in 6" tubes then onto the buckets which I find much more rewarding. Tried to do a soil grow to see any difference in quality but it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped with half crop loss.

 

[pray4pistils]

hi pray4pistils: I usually run my ph around 5.9 to 6 which is normally what is is after I put in the nutrients. I don't cultivate a microherd and I'm really not sure what that is... should I?

"Microherd" is a slang term for the beneficial microbial population that processes organic foods into ionic salts that our plants can absorb directly. Synthetic nutes are already directly absorbable and that's what makes them easier to use by a n00b and very powerful in the hands of a more experienced gardener.

A downside to synthetics is that they are much less complex and (arguably) incomplete compared to the diversity that nature provides. Even more importantly, though, the beneficial microbes war against the pathogens that destroy gardens. The relationship with the plant is symbiotic with the plant directing the whole show. Carb-rich substances called "exudates" are selectively released by the roots to manipulate millions of bacteria, protozoa, arthropods, nematodes, and fungus to the plant's advantage.

Traditional hydro methods (read: "not including bio-buckets") bypass this protection and depend on total sterilization to keep everything clean. Unfortunately, this frequently leaves the water (and plants) prone to infection. Look around the forums and you'll see that this is a common discussion topic. In your case you'll need to promote and sustain beneficials in order to safely use the bio-bucket method.

Btw, we're discussing deliberately blurring the distinction between synthetic and organic growing in this thread. I suspect that you'll find it enlightening as it applies directly to what you'll be doing.

 

[morov]

Thanks for the great explanation pray4pistils. I'm going to check out your recommended thread too because I use both organic and synthetic in my grows.