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aeroponics/root space?

Justin,

This is what mine looked like in January in the GH:

hydrotoms.jpg


Mike
 
Cant argue results. Any tips on the best sources for hydro supplies? i.e. nutrients (should I choose to go with something else), net cups (or an alternative), and rockwool (or alternative). Closest hydro store is about 30 miles that I know of, so shipping would probably be cheaper than round trip gas.
 
JustinNC, If you're looking for high quality nutes at a very low price checkout a company called hydrogardens in Colorado. I've used their Tomato formula for 6 or 7 mots and their hobby formula (comparable to GH Maxi Grow) for 4 months. They sell to commercial hydroponic greenhouses and you can buy small 5 lb boxes of nutes for $15. 5 lbs will last a hobby grower several years. Keep in mind that you would be a hobby grower for long, because hydro is great. I'm up to 25lb bags now

millworkman said:
thanks for posting the pics and provng my point willard and toleman.
Click to expand...
Who's point was proven? That Willard and Toleman can grow nice healthy plants with a normal root system? I don't see anything spectacular there. The only reason the roots of hydro plants look so impressive is because you can see them. It has a lot of ooh and ahh factor, but it's not really that much. Keep in mind that the OP asked for information on an aero system! Not a DWC system! Still Willards DWC root system would ball up to about the size of a softball. Gravity and grow space in a DWC allow for abnormal hydro root growth. You could easily cut away 1/2 of those roots and the plant would suffer no ill effects. Tolemans pic shows about 1-1 1/2 gallons of roots for 2 fully mature NFT plants, and that's not much at all. if you really want to learn about root development and growth try it yourself! Here's a great article from Washington State University that was given to me when I was studying to be a certified Arborist http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/pnw0475/pnw0475.html

I've made a good friend over the past 5 months and his name is O'dell the Broccoli plant. I pulled him last night, so I can help the OP understand root growth in hydro. O'Dell was just under 6 feet wide growing on my flood table when I started pruning his leaves. He had foliage 2 1/2 long on some leaves. I started him too late so his head didn't form before the weather heated up, so he bolted. I made every attempt to dig up and salvage the root system. The root ball was roughly the size of a baseball Here's a few pics.
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A little off topic, but are veggies grown in hydro as tasty and nutritious as their slower growing cousins in soil?
 
Usually you lose taste and nutrition when growing hydroponically but not always. You probably just need the right supplements
 
Thanks Treemanjohn for the reference.

Would hate to go to the effort and sacrafice the taste. Would however love to have a flourishing year round hydro plant though. Especially some hydro superhots, but not if it's taking away from the heat itsself. So many decisions, so little time lol.
 
Trying to find stuff at Lowes/ Wally World that will work as a container (for plant, not water) and growing medium. Really hate to have to order it all from a hydro store...but will. Any suggestions?
 
Here are 2 more pics I took a few hours ago. This is a 2 foot tall Thai plant and it's flowering like mad and it's way over due to be transplanted. You'll see a little root rot because it rained a few days ago and blocked one of my drains. The plants were sitting in 1/2" of water, but they're still kicking ass with almost no roots!
DSC03892.jpg

DSC03893.jpg

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Toleman said:
Add some hydrogen peroxide for the root issues.

Chris
Click to expand...
Peroxide does work great on root rot, but I don't fool with it. I make my plants work their asses off. I'm quickly running out of hydro space. That Thai plant got potted up in a container full of dirt this weekend.
 
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