Sugar/Carb Alternatives?

[inthetrees]

So I'm running Remo nutrients... I've ended up cutting out a few of the products due to compatibility issues with my systems being sterile. Thought I'd look for some input to prevent hitting a wall in later flower or a possible decrease in yields/quality.

The Astro flower is Remo's PK booster but it has a humic acid base... The Nature's Candy (sugar/carb additive) is blacker than night and has a fair amount of "sediment" for lack of a better term. And the velokelp was obvious to remove as I run sterile and it's got bene's.

I had some rather negative reactions adding the Astro and Candy since I'm also using DIY UC Roots. My solution clouded up pretty bad, and reservoirs and whole basement smelled like a compost barrel. Both those products were a nightmare for plugging up my air stones. Being quite OCD with things, I also hate how my roots went from bright white to horse shit brown. It's not root rot, just staining.

Anywho, I ended up going with Liquid KoolBloom for a PK booster alternative. I've used molasses or the Nature's Candy in all my soil grows previously but I'm wondering if there is an alternative product given my current situation. Idk if this is a stupid question... I just prefer to have additives that are clear and not organic-based if possible. I know Heisen said he wasn't running any additives in his systems but I got no problem throwing a few dollars at a bottle or two...

 

[treefarmercharlie]

I could be wrong, but I thought the whole purpose of using sugar/carbs is for the bacteria to feed off of. Is there any benefit to using it in a sterile system?

 

[Bodyne]

6 tbs epsom salts, 1tbs blackstrap, 1 gal water. Shake well. 2-3 capfuls or bout a shot per gallon, every watering. See what happens

 

[inthetrees]

I could be wrong, but I thought the whole purpose of using sugar/carbs is for the bacteria to feed off of. Is there any benefit to using it in a sterile system?

That's what I'm wondering... I thought they also played a part in terpene production.

 

[inthetrees]

6 tbs epsom salts, 1tbs blackstrap, 1 gal water. Shake well. 2-3 capfuls or bout a shot per gallon, every watering. See what happens

I'm already running calmag since I use RO so I don't think the epsom would be a good idea, and if I wanted to use blackstrap then I'd continue with the natures candy since its essentially just that diluted in water. Charlie could be right and perhaps I don't need anything since Im sterile...

 

[Bodyne]

I'm already running calmag since I use RO so I don't think the epsom would be a good idea, and if I wanted to use blackstrap then I'd continue with the natures candy since its essentially just that diluted in water. Charlie could be right and perhaps I don't need anything since Im sterile...

Gotcha. Good luck.

 

[Deleted member 60]

I'd be super wary. From my experience....non-chems/"organic" >anything< in the res is trouble waiting to happen. Massive foaming events...everything coated with slime....roots browned (as you saw here)......etc. all of that is an open pathway to disease/problems. I'm pretty sure I ended my stints with the UC system because after running a sterile system for years and being bored with it all..i tried to go "organic" and intro'd shit into the system that I was never fully able to get rid of....even after completely tearing things down (twice) and deep cleaning (I thought) it all. Start up...go a bit....BAM. Root rot. Happened 2 crops in a row and that was that for me.

I'm currently using the buckets from the UC system to cover plants from frost in my veggie garden....LOL Good luck!

good luck!

 

[inthetrees]

I'd be super wary. From my experience....non-chems/"organic" >anything< in the res is trouble waiting to happen. Massive foaming events...everything coated with slime....roots browned (as you saw here)......etc. all of that is an open pathway to disease/problems. I'm pretty sure I ended my stints with the UC system because after running a sterile system for years and being bored with it all..i tried to go "organic" and intro'd shit into the system that I was never fully able to get rid of....even after completely tearing things down (twice) and deep cleaning (I thought) it all. Start up...go a bit....BAM. Root rot. Happened 2 crops in a row and that was that for me.

I'm currently using the buckets from the UC system to cover plants from frost in my veggie garden....LOL Good luck!

good luck!

Yeah I definitely hear what your saying. It's ironic that I've removed the 2 most expensive bottles from this line (which happen to be organic base) yet my plants are exploding by the day. I'm guilty for being a consumer, I'll admit it. I don't even look at the AN bottles when I go to the grow shop. I've almost let the marketing suck me in a few times lol.

I have yet to finish my first round in UC so I've just a hydro amateur at this point, but I can't ever see myself running these systems without being sterile or having chillers. When I tried to I had nothing but issues. Thank god I never got root rot prior to getting things dialed in. Shitty dicks to hear about your 2 crops... That's devastating

 

[Deleted member 60]

If I went there again I'd have a UV light going 24/7.....along with the chiller and about 5 galloons of "Zone". (what I used in the day to kill everything...before i killed everything being stupid...LOL) And yeah...I was slinging heavily at the time...so the back to back crashes hit the wallet hard and that was when i went back to soil growing. Sure don;t get the same yields.....but it all worked out because the legal market here took away the need for such a hi-yielding system in the first place at about the same time I was having my issues. BOOM. done.

sounds like you have it figured out though. Chem nutes/sterile for hydro.....stinky shit-based/plant based nutes for soil grows. Heehee.

best of luck

 

[treefarmercharlie]

Yeah I definitely hear what your saying. It's ironic that I've removed the 2 most expensive bottles from this line (which happen to be organic base) yet my plants are exploding by the day. I'm guilty for being a consumer, I'll admit it. I don't even look at the AN bottles when I go to the grow shop. I've almost let the marketing suck me in a few times lol.

I have yet to finish my first round in UC so I've just a hydro amateur at this point, but I can't ever see myself running these systems without being sterile or having chillers. When I tried to I had nothing but issues. Thank god I never got root rot prior to getting things dialed in. Shitty dicks to hear about your 2 crops... That's devastating

I'm finding more and more that less = more when it comes to nutrients and growing this plant. I used to mix up 4 or more different bottled nutrients to feed and get the EC and pH just right before every feed and water. Now I just top off a water reservoir, daily straight from the tap, and brew a compost tea that is nothing but water, a scoop of dry fertilizer & molasses once a week, and my plants have never grown better.

I know hydro is a lot different, but I'm sure the "less is more" logic is still valid with it.