More perlite = faster growth?
- Thread starter yesum
- Start date
hempy's concept is passive hydro with about a 2 inch reservoir on the bottom. it has nothing to do with the medium (although most use it with inert mediums or coco).
more perlite will give you more aeration which cannabis plants like. ffof with 30% added perlite is about right for a soil grow... especially if doing an organic grow.
if you do hempy... coco, perlite, or coco mixed with perlite are the most common now-a-days. hempy method is hydro-based and usually benefits most from salt-based hydro nutes. no need for ffof if you use hempy's.
more perlite will give you more aeration which cannabis plants like. ffof with 30% added perlite is about right for a soil grow... especially if doing an organic grow.
if you do hempy... coco, perlite, or coco mixed with perlite are the most common now-a-days. hempy method is hydro-based and usually benefits most from salt-based hydro nutes. no need for ffof if you use hempy's.
Chem&M
Member
I have used perilite/hydroton to cut my soil, but put a decent sized ball of perilite/hydroton right under the root ball during transplant. While it's not going to blow you away with growth, that main area drains a bit quicker, and since the plant is always looking for a bit more water, I think it grows slightly quicker.
I am using ffof with around 20 to 30% perlite added. If I go higher with the perlite, say 50%, will it act like a hempy bucket kind of? Or do I need to just go all perlite or coco or peat to get the faster growth results?
Hey man! Sorry I missed this post when you first made it. I have been experimenting with soil mixes since last March or so, and have run many different types of soil compositions - focusing on improving yield in soil with organics. My research and early trials led me to the realization that maximizing root-zone aeration was the key without sacrificing the volume of root-able media for the plant to use.
To date, I have BY FAR done the best in terms of yield with a mix that is just over 50% perlite. I can yield about 1.5 ounces in this mix for every 1 I pulled in pure FF:OF or Happy Frog, however it requires more frequent waterings/feedings, and I can generally feed with everything watering in this setup. I did VERY well in this mix using organics, primarily guano (bubbled for 24+ hours). Oh and also, this is primarily for bigger buckets, a fact I observed early on. In other words if you use big containers with this mix you can do VERY well, the buds are huge. More plants in the same size space means smaller containers for each plant, which means smaller buds on each plant (bud size is proportional to the root volume). Big container, big plant, lots of perlite, HUGE buds.
Feel free to ask any questions you may have!
In my experience, yes, more perlite meant I yielded better, but that is only true to a point, and I'm sure I'm approaching it. The flavor is unchanged as soil cut heavily with perlite is still soil, perlite has no nutritive value and shouldn't contribute to the taste.
GanjaSnake
Member
I've been experimenting with mixes as well... I use 12gal sub-irrigated containers, and have found my mix has been getting lighter and lighter with each trial, and with each trial I've gotten better and better yields.
I haven't tried a full %50 mix yet as I'm not sure how it would effect my ability to wick the water up. But a worst case would just mean I'd have to top water some which isn't too much of a hassle.
Great thread!
I haven't tried a full %50 mix yet as I'm not sure how it would effect my ability to wick the water up. But a worst case would just mean I'd have to top water some which isn't too much of a hassle.
Great thread!
Chronic Future
Member
I dont go over 40% perlite I tried 50% once and the plants grew slower and had smaller stems you need like 40% with ffof even with that the soil feels like a brick I would add a little light warrior to ffof
FFOF has a ton of perlite in it already. I haven't actually sifted though a bag of soil but I would bet $100 (I'm broke!) that it is at least 25% perlite. If you mixed 2 parts FFOF to 1 part perlite you might well end up with something that is 50+% perlite.
Pine
S
Space Ghost
more perlite = more frequent watering/feeding
IwannatokeNbone
Member
perlite isnt the answer, better u had more peat either traditional or coco peat. if u have a real heavy mix extra perlite can help but myself running peat n compo with a little perlite ive done better when i didnt add to much, i tried 50 percent once and my plants didnt like it at all, more isnt better, and its been shown that extra perlite in mediums tends to slow root development down not up. u never see 50 percent perlite in nature.
chronic future said it well=smaller stems, weaker plants.
chronic future said it well=smaller stems, weaker plants.
