Pubdate: Thu, 04 Sep 2014
Source: Westword (Denver, CO)
Column: Ask a Stoner
Copyright: 2014 Village Voice Media
Contact: http://www.westword.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters
Website: http://www.westword.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1616
Author: William Breathes

WHAT'S THE BEST SETUP FOR A HOME GROW?

Dear Stoner: I'm considering growing herb for the first time this 
winter in my basement. Should I do a hydroponic or a soil setup?

Bobby Plantaseed

Dear Bobby: Hydroponic was the wave of the future in the '90s - 
especially in High Times, where high-tech setups were all the rage. 
And with good reason: You can get some great yields from hydro 
setups, and aside from the initial layout, they're relatively 
maintenance-free. There are great hydro grows out there, too: One of 
our good friends absolutely kills it with Sour Diesel in his.

The problem with hydro is that a lot of people don't get the details 
down, namely the flushing part, and the resulting buds taste like 
fertilizer and burn like chunks of coal. In recent years, soil grows 
have come back into vogue - especially with the flourishing of 
organic soils and even "veganic" soils (which don't contain any 
animal-based nutrients like worm castings, emulsified fish or bat 
guano). It's a great option; we think soil buds taste better than 
hydro-grown buds and that soil gives flowers a deeper, richer flavor.

But which would we suggest? Neither. We think you should give coco 
fiber a try. In many ways, it's a mix of soil and hydro growing, 
using chopped-up fibers from coconut shells. You can grow in the coco 
alone, as the consistency is not unlike that of soil, but you can 
also run a mix of coco and soil or coco and organic composts. You can 
really do whatever you want with it. Coco fiber is like the honey 
badger: It doesn't give a shit. You can run either hydro nutrients or 
soil nutrients; just watch your PH levels (keep 'em between 5.8 and 
6.3) and don't over-feed. Coco fiber is an easy medium that retains 
water well without over-saturating, takes nutrients well and - most 
important - flushes clean of nutrients easily when it's time to 
finish your plants. For more detailed advice, check out the mad 
scientists posting on the coco-growing forum at icmag.com.

Dear Stoner: I only eat the stuff. Sativa and indica is my question: 
Which to eat?

MTM from the potline

Dear MTM: Judging by your slow drawl on our voice mail, we're 
guessing you're already a pretty mellow dude. So if getting even more 
mellow is your goal, shoot for the indica-heavy edibles. If you want 
to get high as a kite for a few hours but remain active, stick with 
sativas. We prefer the blended edibles ourselves, as hybrid strains 
tend to pack the best of both worlds.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom