General Hydroponics Flora Series Feeding Strategy - Lucas Formula

G-M-B (Grow-Micro-Bloom)
0-5-10 - For Vegetative cycle (18/6)
0-8-16 - For Flowering cycle (12/12)

The numbers above indicate the number of milliliters (ml) of Flora Grow, Micro or Bloom formulas that I use in one gallon (US Liquid) of nutrients.

You will notice I dont use any of the Flora “Grow” formula, do not need to, the Flora "Micro" provides plenty of Nitrogen.

There are two ways to work with this formula:

1. Top off the reservoir daily using a pH corrected water solution as required to maintain full reservoir level. After adding back an amount of water equal to the amount of your reservoir capacity you should change the reservoir and put in fresh solution.

2. Top off the reservoir daily using a pH corrected 100% strength nutrient solution as required to maintain full reservoir level. Continue to use this nutrient solution without dumping the tank unless the PPM rises above acceptable levels.

Between vegetative and flowering cycles you should dump your nutrients, then flush (possibly with Clearex) to remove salt buildups, then change to the other feeding program. Always shake your GH nutrient bottles before using them!

For young plants, just transplanted into the hydro setup, give them 50% strength nutrient mix to prevent overfeeding them while their young. Gradually bring up the mix to full strength as they grow over the next few weeks or so.

The lucas formula is normally intended for use with RO or near 0 PPM water.

NOTE: The Lucas formula eliminates the need for Epsom salts to correct (Magnesium) Mg deficiencies in most normal feeding programs recommended by manufacturers. Cannabis needs a lot of Magnesium to thrive.

The Flora Micro is providing the Nitrogen and the Magnesium in the proper balance, thus there is no need for the Grow formula and little or no room under the maximum acceptable ppm limit of 1600 @ 0.7 conversion.

Calculated EC/TDS levels:

EC microsiemen:
0-4-8: 946 µS
0-5-10: 1184 µS
0-8-16: 1894 µS

TDS @ 0.5 conversion:
0-4-8 = 473 ppm
0-5-10 = 592 ppm
0-8-16 = 947 ppm

TDS @ 0.7 conversion:
0-4-8 = 663 ppm
0-5-10 = 829 ppm
0-8-16 = 1326 ppm

Addback Calculator - (For Advanced Users)

Say you were running the 0-8-16 formula, at 0.7 conversion with a 22 gallon res. When you first fill it up, your ppm will be around 1330.

Now you have been growing for a week, and some of the water has been taken up by the plants, some has evaporated, and now your res is at 947 ppm. You need to get your ppm from 947 to 1330. Here is the equation:

((target - current) / target) * 8 ml per gallon * res gallons = Flora Micro (ml) double this figure to get Flora Bloom (ml)

Example:

((1330 - 947) / 1330) * 8 * 22
(383 / 1330) * 8 * 22
0.3 * 8 * 22 = 53 ml Flora Micro

53 ml Flora Micro, double that and you get 106 ml Flora Bloom. So 53 ml Flora Micro and 106 ml Flora Bloom to add back to your 22 gallon res to get you from 947 to 1330.

Using Hard Water GH Micro

I had been experimenting with using the Hard water Micro as a substitute for the normal Flora Micro, this to account for my hard 350 PPM water and the lack of a large enough RO filter at the time. It has worked well for me. I just kept my reservoir below 1150 PPM @ .5 conversion and its all good.

One tip - do not pH down this stuff, the hard water micro will drop pH gradually over the next 24 hours, for example I mix up a batch, it is at like 6.2, the next day, its at 5.6-5.8 after running in the system for a while. If I pH downed that to 5.7 before putting it in the system, it ended up as low as 4.8-5.2 by the next day.

My conclusion, the hard water micro was buffering the alkaline crud in my water, it just doesnot do it ASAP fast like the phosphoric acid.

been looking for this formula tyvm..

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Check out my grow log.. http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...tml#post772274

Yeah,

I think the first time I was reffered to the lucas thread was by earl on this site and wow, talk about eaaassssyyyy, after I read the (long) thread I went hydro and I will say I will never look back, using this system is so easy I will never change. No more soil for me (except outside)

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"Police said they seized 91 mature marijuana trees at the first home, 48 mature marijuana trees at the second home and 112 mature marijuana trees at the third residence on the block. The total street value of these drugs is $2 million." nbc6 south florida

What kind of hydro system you using, I am currently doing HB

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Check out my grow log.. http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...tml#post772274

I am using bubble buckets=
just a bucket with a bubbler and a 3in net pot in the top

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"Police said they seized 91 mature marijuana trees at the first home, 48 mature marijuana trees at the second home and 112 mature marijuana trees at the third residence on the block. The total street value of these drugs is $2 million." nbc6 south florida

What size bucket??

__________________
Check out my grow log.. http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...tml#post772274

oops,
five gallon buckets, one plant per so they can get bigger ( to stay under max plants for my area) I made them with all the drains and refills and crap but don't use those, from now on just buckets with a net pot and a small hole at the top for the airstone line to go through, I will say I have been following alot of the hempy threads and it sounds interesting, I will probably give it a shot in the future but for now this is working well for me.

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"Police said they seized 91 mature marijuana trees at the first home, 48 mature marijuana trees at the second home and 112 mature marijuana trees at the third residence on the block. The total street value of these drugs is $2 million." nbc6 south florida

Yeah HB is a simple mans Hydro System, most of the time if you mix your chemicals right you dont ever need to check ph or anything just use R/O water and measure your nutes right and it does the rest..

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Check out my grow log.. http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...tml#post772274

Can anyone tell me if I can change to the Lucas Formula in mid grow? I have been using Flora Nova Grow and now Bloom ( both by GH ).Things seem to growing well with the FloraNova except there is alot of undissolved matter in the bottom of reservoir. I hear that the GH FloraMicro/FloraGrow dissolves more fully. If I do change, should I use GH Florakleen for a day or two before changing? Any help would be appreciated.

Stick with the FloraNova, and stir a lot more.

HTH

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