[Tarbosh]

anyone know if this is possible? rainbow mix in my bio system..... I have it on hand, thats why i ask!

[DrunkenMessiah]

Good organic soil mixes can be of use in any hybrid hydro system. Whether you are using a hempy bucket, bio bucket, or perhaps an altogether stranger hybrid hydro such as my OBBTs; good rich organic soil is very helpful. That said, it isn't enough by itself. For organic medium based hydro you will need to add a number of amendments to reduce the density of your medium, up its draining capability and make it generally better at not turning to soup like straight soil is prone to do. Ordinary pearlite and vermiculite are a good place to start (especially if you up the ante and look for big chunky pearlite and better-than-vermiculite). Slightly more exotic but infinitely better at the desired task is coco moss. A lot of growers use this stuff straight-up 100% as a medium for basic drip-style hydro with great success. I've found that using it at a rate of 50% with 25% good rich compost (like your rainbow mix) and leaving the last 25% to be diveyed up by pearlite and vermiculite or similar substances yields a fantastic organic hydro medium. Throw in some forced oxygen injection and you've got yourself a venerable organic bio-reactor; teeming with beneficial microlife and delivering oxygen and nutrient rates that outperform traditional medium grows exponentially. I've seen growth performance that rivals full-bore aeroponics while being nearly all-organically fertilized and incredibly low-maintenance in nature. *at this point I shamelessly point you to the link in my sig*

Good luck and happy gardening!

-DM