Growth in hydro is not 2-4X greater. IMO hydro is perhaps up to 50% faster in veg....but who gives a shit anyway I mean a 10 week strain is still going to take 10 weeks whether in hydro or soil. Sure maybe you have up to 30% higher yield in hydro but even that I think is debateable.
So basically you may perhaps gain a week off veg and an increase in yield of say 30% if your lucky....all so you can spend your time and money on ph meters, ec meters and ferts and boosters and oh lets not forget to preventive spray for bugs and PM because your plants are so weak and have no immune system.....yea hydro so 1990's....I can't believe people still stuck there.
Hey Petflora,
Great thread, packed with useful info, pictures, experiences. It is plainly obvious you put a lot of solid thought and effort into your setup. Well worth emulating. Like the focus on environmental factors, Rh, DO, TDS, water quality. My experience has been that Hydro most definitely can be a huge improvement over soil. I had to learn this the hard way. It started when I noticed how much of the time plants in soil were too wet or too dry, pH would rise, nutrient lockout set in, burnt leaves, stunted growth. All problems that are easily addressed with Hydro. Anyone growing in soil still can get a taste of the possibilities doing this. Put an air stone and pump into a pail of water and water your plants. You may be surprised at how perky your plants become. Roots cannot drown in Hydro, they can in soil. That's what moved me step by step into flood and drain.