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Hydro Stores, what a rip off, go to Garden Centres

B. Friendly

"IBIUBU" Sayeith the Dude
Veteran
I am now of the opinion that any and everything marketed to Growers of MJ, especially Hydroponic stores are crazy taking advantage of their customers.

I can't find anything that is not at least HALF PRICE in my local Garden Centre

Plus the Ladies/Guys working in your friendly neighbourhood nursery actually know what they are talking about. And all you gotta do is tell em you're growin Tomatoes. lol

Anyways I am lovin the Garden store down the street, friendly staff, excellent products and it's all less than half the price of my shitty attitude, rip off pricing, Hydroponic Store.

anybody else found this?
 

statusquo

Member
Thought everybody knew this ^_^ I definitely try to go to my local nursery/home depot for everything I can. Most of the guys @ the hydro store, like you said, have no clue what they are talking about and many of them are lazy too. Not saying there aren't exceptions but I have only been really happy with one store in all of my area, san diego, and I've tried quite a few =/
 

mdk ktm

Member
I wish I could buy the products I use at my local nursery. I buy nursery trays and humidity domes there,but the perlite they sell sucks, if I used soil and blood/bone meal I would buy it from the nursery no doubt.
 

B. Friendly

"IBIUBU" Sayeith the Dude
Veteran
Got a mailbox ect at my ups store, so now I order online to that location and go to my Garden Centre,

that's it. I refuse to go into a hydro store, I get a nervous feeling, think cops are scoping these locals...

just alot less paranoia and worry with a mail box, amazon/ebay, and the local garden store...

maybe this thread would work in the security forum also?
 

Stoner4Life

Medicinal Advocate
ICMag Donor
Veteran
if & when shopping your local hydro store don't be shy about reaching for the product toward the rear of the shelf as rotated (oldest) stock is always @ the front. Nutrients go bad even sitting on the shelf. If you're gonna pay twice the price it might as well be the freshest.

I complained to Fox Farms a couple of yrs ago that I'd gotten old nutes (expiration dates do not exist on their liquid nutes) from my local guy & I was losing confidence in their product. They responded back right away w/the name & address of local store to me that buys the most product on a steady basis; of course that means rotated stock will mostly be fresh.


 

B. Friendly

"IBIUBU" Sayeith the Dude
Veteran
I had mostly fertilizers on my mind but,
come to think of it, look at amazon prices for equipment and then look at your hydro store's price of the same product, f'n rip off, and way cheaper even paying shipping and handling... lol
 

humble1

crazaer at overgrow 2.0
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Target is going to have general hydroponics 3 part in their stores soon. After that it's over for the hydro stores except for fancy ferts...
 
B

Bob Smith

I had mostly fertilizers on my mind but,
come to think of it, look at amazon prices for equipment and then look at your hydro store's price of the same product, f'n rip off, and way cheaper even paying shipping and handling... lol

I consider the markup to be me paying for my anonymity and have zero problem paying for it (cash, obviously).

That being said, anything I don't need to buy from the hydro store, I don't.

EDIT: Humble1, are you serious?? Holy shit.........
 

statusquo

Member
I wish I could buy the products I use at my local nursery. I buy nursery trays and humidity domes there,but the perlite they sell sucks, if I used soil and blood/bone meal I would buy it from the nursery no doubt.

Try pumice. It works a lot better anyways IMO. A bit more pricey but worth it since it actually does its job. Perlite always seems to float to the top and is thus rendered useless =/ A lot of nurseries, at least in my part, are starting to stock a lot of the same stuff hydro companies do in terms of ferts/soil. I'm sure this is only the case in medical states but online is always an option too. In regards to anonymity, as long as you are not having stuff sent to the location of your grow buying gardening products off the internet is not enough to do anything.
 

PoopyTeaBags

State Liscensed Care Giver/Patient, Assistant Trai
Veteran
the leading garden store at my city are just as much if not more then the hydro shop....
 

SuperSizeMe

A foot without a sock...
Veteran
With the exception of equipment,which they don't sell, my local Agway kicks ass!

I do need a new set of scissors :dance013:
 

B. Friendly

"IBIUBU" Sayeith the Dude
Veteran
I've switched to products that are not directed at hydro stores and mj.

I use these guys now that I am shopping at Garden Store:

http://www.gaiagreen.com/products/default.asp, for soil & organics

http://www.dyna-gro.com/ for my regular veg and bloom feeds

http://www.lillymiller.com/alaska.html so I get organic nuts as foliars, but could use for soil application also

LIQUINOX START with Vitamin B-1 from amazon I buy this, http://www.liquinox.com/about.htm#b1

http://www.cilproducts.ca/products/product_e.php?prodID=23&category=2 for my first feeding and transplanter, this is a generic product under many names, you'll find one in your store with this nut makeup

I buy tons of other shit from Amazon and Ebay
 

Endur

Well-known member
Veteran
I have always bought my supplies I could pick up from the local home improvement, before I even thought about going to the hydro store.
I even noticed that OSH (orchard supply hardware) caries GH nutrient flora nova, and the Emilie's garden kit.

My local Grocery Store (Raleys) carries Fox Farm Soil,& Nutrients.
and I have heard the Sears has a lot of GH nutrients and Light systems.

I guess over here in Cali, Med MJ is getting mainstream...
Peace
Endur
 

mdk ktm

Member
Try pumice. It works a lot better anyways IMO. A bit more pricey but worth it since it actually does its job. Perlite always seems to float to the top and is thus rendered useless =/ A lot of nurseries, at least in my part, are starting to stock a lot of the same stuff hydro companies do in terms of ferts/soil. I'm sure this is only the case in medical states but online is always an option too. In regards to anonymity, as long as you are not having stuff sent to the location of your grow buying gardening products off the internet is not enough to do anything.



I use it as a substitute for hydroton as a hydro medium. I don't use perlite in my coco at all because I dont think it is needed. But I will look and see what pumice is. Thank you
 

Haps

stone fool
Veteran
I used to buy local, but stopped several years ago when the wod started taking growers here, and I could not trace where those busts came from. The drug task force here has lots of money, and I even suspect a small hydro store that opened as a front for the task force. I am probably wrong, but my alarms went off the first time I saw it, and I am alive because I listen to my senses.

I am a cheap mofo, but in most of the country, there is a real risk to buying hydroponic supplies locally.
H
 

love?

Member
Garden centers, what a rip off. Seriously. Most of their sales happen on a couple of spring weekends and they have to make up for the costs of the rest of the year with way high markups. ;)

Go to hardware / DIY stores!
 
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