Thanks @anon32470837
In all fairness I do treat coco like hydro, and the growth rates since I have started doing that are really really good. But yes there is still the matter of hauling bags and getting brown stuff under the finger nails.
I do have algae on perilite and rockwool consistently, but it seems to do nothing whatsoever to the plants, so I treat it like a stoner couchsurfer who is always there eating chips and watching Netflix…
Outdoors, well it is my first real shot at it, and I have undersized the pots. Next year all will be in 58-gal drums. It is painful watching them get smaller leaves, start stretch early and grind to a halt. Live and learn.
I also planted the “legal 4” for my parents. They are really good gardeners and are retired, so theirs look better than mine. Also, they have 3’ of topsoil everywhere and it shows - zero root issues. All I do is come around and fertilize with slow-release blend once a month.
These are under their care:
Cheers!