Re: [APD] Don't missunderstand me too quickly

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

someone said:

 "Rather than suggesting that the water column is the only way . . .something I do not espouse, a mix of both will give you the most
flexibility and the best results."
 
I think that's sort of right. Yes, thre's no better method in terms of plant growth, but that doesn't mean all other methods are worse. You get generaly the same results as just dosing the water column. And adding ferts to the water column has certain advantages over tabs -- cheaper and easier being among them.

And for Pete's sake I hope no one thinks I said, ever, that there is only one way to grow plants. That would be leaping from a horse to hippo -- What I have said is that using substrate fertilizer tabs generally is unnecessary compared to adding ferts to the water column. Tabs do not make plants grow any better than just putting ferts in the water column. I also noted that there are special cases where there could be some advantagein using substrate fertilizers -- those cases would be for special needs *and* where the kind of tabs or fert balls you use would not let the ferts soon into the water column. However, you will be hard pressed to find any root tab maker that makes any claims about how much or how quickly the ferts do or don't get into the water column.
 
I also said that I think the reason that many if not most folks that use tabs do so for reasons not really relevant, for the mistaken belief that ferts have to come in through the roots or that ferts in the water column are bad, or both.
 
There are lots of ways to grow plants. At least seven more or less distinct techniques (if you include kitty litter but don't count layer cakes), with lots of variations and overlap. One of the variations involves cow manure. That method works, but I would not recommend it; I just note it in passing.
 
Folks want to use root tabs, fine with me, but I don't want some poor unsuspecting newbie to think that they should run out and buy them because there is generally some special benefit or advantage to using them.
 
sh
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