Aero grow - full time mist? part time mist?

potpimp · #1 01-03-2008, 09:36 AM

I'm putting together a new system but I'm wondering if the mister needs to run all the time or can it run in 15on/15off cycles or whatever. I've tried hydro and it only took me about 2 weeks to kill my plants with that. Anybody got any ideas?

email468 · #2 01-03-2008, 11:32 AM

i can only tell you the directions that came with my aero (rainforest) system ...
Mister is on 24 hours a day (regardless of whether you use 24/0 or 18/6).
After switching to 12/12, mister is on while lights are on and for about an hour during the middle of the dark period.

potpimp · #3 01-04-2008, 07:53 AM

Thanks email; I got them going yesterday on 24 hr on. I wanted to do a test so I took 2 viable clones and 2 that looked very "iffy" (probably would not have survived otherwise) and put them into the unit. This morning the whole inside of the unit was covered with water vapor. I was very concerned that the humidifier was not putting out large enough droplets but the stem was moist. I don't know why they say that the droplet size has to be 50 microns when the stem is fully wet anyway; just doesn't make sence to me unless it's "all about the money" (which it usually is). I've got $34 in this setup and only soil could be simpler. If it works I'll be immortalized among the gawds here on Rollitup, LOL.

email468 · #4 01-04-2008, 07:56 AM

do you have pix?

how are the stems getting moist? My understanding is only the roots should be getting hit with the mist. All that humidity should be good for the seedlings though!

potpimp · #5 01-04-2008, 08:28 AM

I made some pix just for you my friend. They don't actually have "roots" yet, or if they do they are less than 1/32" long. I don't know if these will make it or not; I cut them from mothers that had already begun flowering. The only ones that I know for sure that have roots are 3 big bud plants that I started in soil. I'm still trying to determine the most successful way to clone for myself so I did some in rock wool and some in soil. So far the ones started in soil are the only viable ones. I may snip another couple of fresh clones off today and put them in the aero unit and see what happens. I've got one 65w multi-spectrum CFL for lighting.

email468 · #6 01-04-2008, 08:32 AM

do you have a tube shooting water right into the rockwool? I would put them in netpots held securely by hydroton and then cut holes in the lid and put the net pots in there so just the bottom of the plants are getting misted -- but indirectly (like Earl's or VV's set-up). most of the aero systems also use an oxygenated reservoir (bubbler system) for the roots to grow into (again - like Earl and VV).

does that make sense or am i missing something?
can't help with cloning - never did it

potpimp · #7 01-04-2008, 08:57 AM

If I did the water shooting into the net pots it would be "hydro", not aero (correct me if I'm wrong). I tried hydro but I can't look after them 24/7 so that's not for me at this time. As I understand the principals of aeroponics you only have the bottom part of the stem sticking into the aero chamber. The EZ Cloner uses this method too. Assuming that my babies actually grow roots, they would get all the water/food they need from the moist environment - sort of like an orchid. With the water droplets being so tiny it doesn't have to be aerated; it is aerated when it comes out of the humidifier. This is just an experiment so everything is just conjecture for now; I could be totally off base with any of it. At the least I will have found just one more way it can not be done.

email468 · #8 01-04-2008, 09:13 AM

my understanding is the roots grow into the misting chamber - the stem stays above it.
and granted it isn't many, but the aero systems i've seen have a bubbler-style reservoir - but if the mist stays on this may be unnecessary.

if you are using this for cloning -- then just a little bit of the stem (where the roots would form) would be in the mist but the rest of the stem would be above it. I say this thinking that constantly spraying the stem with water might rot it?

sounds like a job for an experiment!

hydro isn't 24 x 7 - i have left my plants for a week and i think they were grateful for my absence!

potpimp · #9 01-04-2008, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by email468

i have left my plants for a week and i think they were grateful for my absence!

LOL, my (dearly departed) plants would probably be alive today if I didn't "love them to death". I'll raise the stem where just a nub is sticking into the res. I wasn't sure about how much to put in there since they don't actually have roots yet. Also, I'll break out the loupe and see if there are any tiny roots forming at all.

email468 · #10 01-04-2008, 09:52 AM

i might be more help if i ever cloned but ....