So I have tried to engage people on here before regarding solo cup growing, and I am new to this, some would even call me a virgin, however I am very curious about it and willing to ask again. Is it the space saving potential and number of plants that you can pump out that is appealing? I think it is very cool, I am just trying to understand the reasoning behind it. Also are you having to hit it with nutes every watering? Can you share with me a link so I might investigate this more?
Well, I have only done one solo grow, but it worked. Here is one of the four plants I did, I think it is a Mephisto 4 assed Monkey, but can't be sure because the photo in my pile was not labelled.
All 4 solos were similar. I think they might have averaged something like 50 grams per cup. I like doing them because it allows me to try new strains without using a lot of room. I reserve the large pots to produce bud that I know I want a supply of, and solos for fun stuff.
Anway, I'll let the gurus fill in the details, but IMO, you are best with coco/perlite or coco/hydroton coupled with no less than three preferably four or five top fertigations to 10-20% runoff per day. Doing solos is hydroponics with restricted roots. For decent results, you need salt nutes, and frequent fertigation to runoff. Since you are doing salts, you have to manage pH carefully. IMO, don't even bother with soil, you will have worse watering problems, you will end up on salt nutes anyway, and you may not be able to fertigate frequently enough to make things work without overwatering.
The problem with solos is that shit happens in a big hurry. With that small a pot, the plant has huge influence on what is happening in the root ball. It takes no time at all for the nutes to get totally out of whack, and it can be hard to recover. The key, in my noob opinion, is
frequent fertigation to runoff. If you can't dose them three times a day, I would not bother, you will be asking for mischief. I think once my solos were cranking, they were fertigated five times a day, and by the time they were done, the root ball looked like solid roots, like the coco had disappeared. I still don't understand why the cup didn't explode. Solos are best done with automated fertigation because that is the most convenient way to do it often enough unless you want to live in your grow room.
Anyway mate, good luck with it, if any of the gurus contradict me, best listen to them, not me.