Southern Ag vs. Hydroguard

spyralout

🌱🌿🌲🔥💨
I've been making benny tea using Hydroguard for RDWC and am almost out. I've read that Southern Ag Garden Friendly Fungicide is the same (maybe slightly variated strain of bacteria) but much more concentrated and cost effective. For those of you with experience using both:
- does the variation in strain really matter that much?
- how does the concentration ratio work? Say I'm using 2ml hydroguard per gallon, how much would be the Southern Ag equivalent?
- is there a shelf life?

Thanks for your insight (y)
 

Texagonian

Outlaw
The only feedback I've gotten was from @Texagonian. I believe he uses half the hydroguard dose.
What’s up fellas. I use the southern ag stuff and from what I can tell it’s the equivalent of hydroguard. It has a more concentrated amount of the bacillus so I use half of what the recommended dose for hydroguard is. It’s fairly cheap and you don’t have to go to the hydro store to get it. Hope this helps guys✌🏻
 

spyralout

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So I did some number crunching
18994

Southern Ag is almost 100x more concentrated than Hydroguard. At first glance the Price/oz is more expensive but with the minute amount you'd use vs. Hydroguard, it's much cheaper (Price/Dose) at 3 millionths of a penny per dose. An eyedropper is .065 ml per drop, which could dose 80+ gallons of water. 🤨 Am I doing something wrong? What am I missing here? 🤷‍♂️
 

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spyralout

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If you can't seriously OD your plant with bacillus, then use one drop per gallon and call it good? I've gotta be missing something here...
All HD within a 100 mile radius of me don't carry it, so if I go with it then it'll be Amazon. I'd get Hydroguard on Amazon anyway, it's almost 3x the price for a gallon at the hydro stores.
 

jpcyan

Really Active Member

Im sure you have seen these already. But its handy to have the specs.

I did find a conversation on another site dealing with this. Pretty technical info from one participant. Not sure what the sites rules are on off site links to other forums, so.. the search terms "Alternative to Hydroguard" will probably bring it up.

Interesting the SA label pdf says 1 tsp per gallon for a sold drench in pots. But the concentrations is so high compared the the hydroguard .

Also interesting botanicare's website doesn't show hydroguard, or list a msds, sds. And when I tried to access it, it was blocked. I think due to a "Proprietary Formulation"
1000 bulbs has it but is is so basic

It appears from the sds, the Southern AG is in a suspended spore form. If its already in spore form, not live bacteria I dont know how refridgeration would change its life span. You would think that would extend shelf life. Cant find anything specific on it however. might ask 'em (941) 722-3285 Website: www.southernag.com
 
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spyralout

🌱🌿🌲🔥💨

Im sure you have seen these already. But its handy to have the specs.

I did find a conversation on another site dealing with this. Pretty technical info from one participant. Not sure what the sites rules are on off site links to other forums, so.. the search terms "Alternative to Hydroguard" will probably bring it up.

Interesting the SA label pdf says 1 tsp per gallon for a sold drench in pots. But the concentrations is so high compared the the hydroguard .

Also interesting botanicare's website doesn't show hydroguard, or list a msds, sds. And when I tried to access it, it was blocked. I think due to a "Proprietary Formulation"
1000 bulbs has it but is is so basic

It appears from the sds, the Southern AG is in a suspended spore form. If its already in spore form, not live bacteria I dont know how refridgeration would change its life span. You would think that would extend shelf life. Cant find anything specific on it however. might ask 'em (941) 722-3285 Website: www.southernag.com
Good info jp thanks. I think I read that thread but I didn't see anyone post their actual experience with it which is why I posted it here to see if anyone has any thoughts on it.
 

jpcyan

Really Active Member
One or two were using at a highly reduced rate. I think you are are the right track on dosage. I did see on a couple other places as well.
You are all using it in Hydro?
Its actually something I'm now considering for pots/ soil mix. My seedling pots have a greyish scum floats to the top when I water.. very odd, have it only on the mixed FFOF/Coir/PBH. Not the straight FFOF.
Had some bad damp off as well. Good thread ,and you're looking mighty sharp in green btw :)
 

spyralout

🌱🌿🌲🔥💨
One or two were using at a highly reduced rate. I think you are are the right track on dosage. I did see on a couple other places as well.
You are all using it in Hydro?
I am yes. I bought the gallon of hydroguard and have some left from the last run but not enough for another. I'd measure it for bennie tea but for the RO can I just toss some in there every now and then, probably a cup or so for 35 gal so i was pretty liberal with it. If I go Southern Ag, sounds like a half dropper would more than cover the RO can if not a few gallons of bennie tea as well.
 

Sc006

If I know anything. I know nothing.
Hello all. When I first started growing with dwc a few years ago I had All sorts of problems lol. Cause I had no idea what I was doing! Lol I ended up getting z7 from flying skulls. I since gone to Coco and Perlite and still use the z7. Plants seems to like it. Any one use this stuff? Or know what In it? Anyway southern ag sounds likes a good alternative.
 

macsnax

PICK YOUR OWN
So what I've learned about the two is SA isn't a strain that can survive in water for a long time. If you guys have used it you've probably seen a mass of slime and particles a couple times. That's because they die off every three days or so. And in order to use it effectively you need to dose it every three days. Same deal with the smell it puts off. I switched back to hydrogaurd, it cost more but it's made for what we're trying to do. It does work though, I just got tired of the dead population gunking things up.
 

spyralout

🌱🌿🌲🔥💨
So what I've learned about the two is SA isn't a strain that can survive in water for a long time. If you guys have used it you've probably seen a mass of slime and particles a couple times. That's because they die off every three days or so. And in order to use it effectively you need to dose it every three days. Same deal with the smell it puts off. I switched back to hydrogaurd, it cost more but it's made for what we're trying to do. It does work though, I just got tired of the dead population gunking things up.
Thanks mac for posting your experience. Didn't know about the smell. HG doesn't smell like anything maybe cuz it's so diluted.
 
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