An Experiment

[FletchF.Fletch]

This could end in complete Disaster. I've put a cutting of Bubba Kush x PCK (from ACE Seeds) grown in a Rockwool block and planted it into a Hempy Bucket filled with Perlite and Rockwool chunks. Organic fertilizer was mixed into the blend and topdressed onto the original block, then just Perlite as mulch on top mainly to contain the inevitable Stench.The plan is a "Water Only" Organic Hempy. Will adjust with CalMag and Epsom and the water going in will be ph'ed.

 

[Creeperpark]

This will be super interesting to watch. I"m in and interested.

 

[Creeperpark]

How's it going Fletch?

 

[FletchF.Fletch]

Sadly, it ended in complete defeat. Way too much Organic materials mixed in, more than 4oz. Next time, half as much to start. Also may choose a blend with less N. Nothing burned, but she was wilting when she should not have been. Tested runoff after removal, and it was coming out 5.4. Happily, her Sister and some Cuts are thriving.

Previously, I tried a similar experiment with Rockwool and Coco Croutons using Osmocote fertilizer. The only problem then was the Coco chunks throwing off the ph. Aside from the ph fight, all it ever needed was CalMag.

If at first.....

 

[goingrey]

That's unfortunate. For an experiment a failure is a valuable result too though, we learn what doesn't work..

I recall reading how (liquid) organic fertilizers need some kind of enzyme products to work well in hydro systems because there is no substrate with those enzymes in it. I wonder if such a product would be useful in a grow like this. Or if they are straight snake oil...

 

[chilliwilli]

Nice experiment.
Could this maybe work better with something like biotabs? The organic matter is more concentrated in certain spots and leaves the rest of the medium clean.

 

[St. Phatty]

I don't entirely understand Organic Hydro.

The base process of Organic is that the excretions of the mini-fauna (worms) and mini-flora, and the excretions of the micro-fauna (bacteria) and micro-flora, bathe the roots in "what they need".

Mycorrhizae is an example of Maxi-Flora, though whether I call if Mini or Maxi doesn't matter. It's not an animal and it's a collection of smaller non-animals that can get really big.

Obviously you can leach the Super Duper nutrients from an Organic soil culture and feed it to plants in Hydro mediums. The Solvent & carrier being Water.

If the medium is not sterilized, some of the plants and animals in the organic soil will end up in the Leached Nutrient Muddy Stuff.

I assume Organic Hydro is called that because it uses organically sourced nutrients, being fed into Hydro-ish grow media like Rockwool and Sand. ( I like Sand. One of my first good grow experiences with Indica was under a 175 watt metal halide, using rinsed beach sand that didn't get watered for about 5 weeks. It was like the Chanukah Light of Pot plants. It would not go out, no matter how Absent I was.)

Anyway, do I basically understand it right ?

The Short Version - Organic Hydro involves feeding a highly tuned compost tea ( sort of ) to the grow media ?