Switched to "Slacker"

[thehitman]

I'm a rookie.

I got started on using the Botanicare line for my plants. The first grow was in soil - still in process in flower stage.

The results from the nutrient line is good so far, so I decided to try the growing media they sell called "Slacker" for the next grow. Seems to be very light and not going to compact.

If you have any experience using this product, please let me know what you think of it.

I'll be using it for new clones and seedlings - it drains well and I think it will be a good choice, but will plant a couple of plants in potting soil to compare the growing media.

More to follow.

thehitman

 

[Bud Grant]

Botanicare isnt organic

 

[thehitman]

Bud,

Not sure about "slacker" being organic - the Botanicare line of nuteriants claim to be organic.

 

[SoilGirl]

thehitman, here in the (seemingly abandoned) organics section theres gonna be lots of negativity about organic bottled nutes. Sure they work for some people, but more experienced serious organic growers just know to avoid those. I learned that lesson this summer after trying General Organics. now- just because they claim to have all organic sources, if you dig deeper into their msds and actually take the time to understand what they reveal - they're very vague about the sources of their organics. lots of organic growers call company bottled organics soup mixes. many suspect there are salts in them including me. There are definitely chelates that are a force feeder approach to growing in most. And force feeding your plants as an organic grower isn't the goal. You don't want to force uptake. You want to feed your soil. That's how all healthy ecosystems on our planet naturally work. If your soil is alive, you bet it will make for some thriving plants. But salts, typical watering practices (letting soil dry out before watering), pH adjustments, and certain unnatural chelates all can devastate mycorrhizae chains, which to organic growers means basically a dead soil. that's not great organics. maybe the ingredients even come from 'organic' sources but that doesn't always mean you should use them in the search of quality organic produce/buds.

I could go much further and help you find your way to well, more... dedicated organics, frankly, or I can leave it at that. Its fine to use bottled nutes that claim to be organic, I'm sure they provide some nutrition for your plants, and it's fine to use a soil-less media. But I think you're moving away from true organics by moving to soilless from soil. Soil is definitely the way to do things. and I appreciate the desire to use any organics at all - that's a start! Just yeah... would you be interested in doing a side by side with an organic soil compared to the slacker and botanicare? - I'd love to help you make your own true organic prepared soil mix and compare it to a soil-less bottled organics grow - I think that would be very revealing...to say the least. It took me lots of trial and error to gain my appreciation for this awesome way of growing.

Would you mind sharing whats in your potting mix? is it organic? what nutes did you use/are you using in your soil mixes currently? I can't help with soil-less/bottle feeding, just follow the directions they give. Often those directions are bad but... that's what companies do. They're dishonest, they want you to spend as much as possible and use as much as possible, and good service doesn't really add in to that equation all the time. not trying to come off as a stuck up she-bitch about organics just dropping the way I see it on you with no censors, for whatever its worth - take it or leave it, I honestly just hope to teach you about organics in the best way I can, by learning first hand through observation and comparison, and sharing with others that's how I learned.

I'm aware good buds can be grown without a living organic type soil, but better buds than LOS? ... I'd really love to see that. and if you compared the stranger + botanicare vs an LOS - haha I bet you'd finish that grow, try both buds, and never look at another bottle of nutes or soilless mixes again. I certainly am not looking back, no bottles organics have changed my life it brings me much satisfaction to see and smell happy cannabis every day... I just want that satisfaction for every cannabis grower - and I think its very doable!