[Rondon]

I can't see a long future for the expensive bottled hydroponics nutrient sector. The entire hobby hydroponics industry as a whole really. Whose going to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars in watered down and marketed nutrients (at the end of the day its just fukin plant fertilizer - nothing more) when legal cannabis is 100 or 150 an ounce and likely cheaper. Back in the day when it was highly illegal to grow inside and it was 3 or 5 hundred an ounce...yeah. The hydro shop gear wasnt a big deal. But nowadays that stuff is becoming like hobby aquarium reef gear - frikin expensive. It hasnt gotten there yet..and neither has fully federal legal marijuana...but it will. And the indoor hydroponics hobby industry is gonna take a huge hit. Most of industry insiders and big wigs say the products arent for pot....but we all know thats just to cover thier ass and they been saying it for decades. A whole industry built up on prohibition. What happens to that industry when the law changes and weed doesnt fetch the big bucks anymore? We dont see or hear of anyone (most) growing tomatos inside with high ticket lights, systems, and fancy label fertilizers. A tomato plant doesnt have a $$$big price tag is why.

[jobepla]

Now u only talk about standard hydro fertilizers. But are these expensively bottled hydroponics nutrient standard? I don't think so. When we look at the labels they are all the same. But labels are mostly fake. They don't want to tell u what's inside, they want to protect their investment. So how do u know what's inside the bottle? Reverse engineering? Ur argumentation is only based on the price of the weed but not on the ingredients with their science. And when the big boys don't buy these products, doesn't mean it has no value for smaller growers.

[Rondon]

Originally Posted by jobepla

Now u only talk about standard hydro fertilizers. But are these expensively bottled hydroponics nutrient standard? I don't think so. When we look at the labels they are all the same. But labels are mostly fake. They don't want to tell u what's inside, they want to protect their investment. So how do u know what's inside the bottle? Reverse engineering? Ur argumentation is only based on the price of the weed but not on the ingredients with their science. And when the big boys don't buy these products, doesn't mean it has no value for smaller growers.

First off...what is the smaller grower trying to accomplish?

[Absolem]

Originally Posted by jobepla

Now u only talk about standard hydro fertilizers. But are these expensively bottled hydroponics nutrient standard? I don't think so. When we look at the labels they are all the same. But labels are mostly fake. They don't want to tell u what's inside, they want to protect their investment. So how do u know what's inside the bottle? Reverse engineering? Ur argumentation is only based on the price of the weed but not on the ingredients with their science. And when the big boys don't buy these products, doesn't mean it has no value for smaller growers.

Originally Posted by jobepla

But are these expensively bottled hydroponics nutrient standard?

Yes. They are the same fertilizers used in the agricultural industry.

Originally Posted by jobepla

They don't want to tell u what's inside, they want to protect their investment. So how do u know what's inside the bottle? Reverse engineering?

No need to reverse engineer them. For $40 you can send a sample of any fertilizer and get an analysis done.

The bottled fertilizer companies in the cannabis industry want you to believe they have some special ingredient they found or use. The truth is every one of these companies know exactly what is in their competitors bottles. They rely on the ignorance of cannabis growers not knowing the salts used to make these products.

Here's a video of House and Garden showing their fertilizer plant. Pause the video at the 22 second mark and you can see the Yara logo on the injectors. Yara is the main fertilizer company that supplies many cannabis companies for their dry salts and the agricultural industry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkgE...d=38&Itemid=57

Google "Yara US" and check out their label. It's the same logo on the House and Garden injectors on the right side. House and Garden outed themselves in this video where they buy their salts from.



Don't buy the hydro hype.

[Rondon]

Hydroponic Food Production by Howard Resh is a great read and reference guide. Its old (but has had several updates) and thick (hundreds of pages) but it gives several reference charts for recipes on making your own stock fertilizer solutions using the ag salts that all the big greenhouse/hydroponic and agricultural world uses. Also good sections on potential plant mediums. Overall just a great book to keep around the indoor hydroponic garden. Ive had my copy for about 20 years how. Dr. Howard Resh is a pioneer in the hydroponic food world. Check it out if you want. Alot of public libraries all over America have a copy.

[Rondon]

And Absolem is spot on. Nothing in the pricey hydro store fertilizer labels that is magic or a mystery..Its not on the label (we have weird laws in America on plant fertilizer labels) but all the industry competition knows what bottles are what and what in them. And its really no mystery (generally) to us growers as well At least the ones that pay attention. Basic mineral salts (from Yara and a handful of others) and "biostimulant" additives. Mainly kelp..silica..yucca..humic/fulvic acid..soy or fish hydrolysate (amino acids)..chitosan (ground up crustacean shell) and maybe a few others. All in varying amounts, percentages, and levels. And water...lots and lots of plain ole water. Slap a fancy stoner grower friendly label and name on it. And charge ridiculous amounts of cash. Mix...repeat. Back when growing dope was highly illegal everywhere and fetching 3 to 6 thousand dollars a pound...a grower with a couple thousand watt lamps was a considered "big". And it was because not many people had the balls to even germinate a seed. And all you needed was a couple lamps to make big bucks. And good indoor went QUICK. The majority of cannabis on the street was seedy brick mexican generic shit that was of dubious quality. Since cannabis has become recreational or medical legal in alot of states...I personally havent even seen the seedy brick Mexican marijuana. Not in a long time. No one or not many are buying that shit anymore when we have our own domestic grown supply. But back to my point. It wasnt nothing for the basement cultivator to grab whatever they needed at the hydroponic shops and price was hardly a factor. Half your crop was 4 or 6 grand easily. Literally a money tree crop. As long as you didnt get caught. The nute and equipment companys knew exactly what was going on and charged accordingly for the products. A model and paradigm set up by the early industry pioneers like General Hydroponics and Larry Brooke. Recently even old Larry saw the writing on the wall and sold GH out to Big Ag (Scotts). Literally flying off in the sunset on a private jet. He made his bank decades ago. When weed becomes fully recreational legal coast to coast (and it will - just as sure as Iam typing this winded post)...the price is really going to fall (already is depending on state) drastically. And I dont know what the hobby industry is going to do. That whole world was built on the illegal (and risky/expensive cannabis) model.

[CaliNewby]

Originally Posted by Rondon

First off...what is the smaller grower trying to accomplish?

i am trying to grow the best and tastiest

[Rondon]

So is just about everyone else out there. Good Luck