Voidlings First Cab
- Thread starter Voidling
- Start date
colocowboy
Well-Known Member
I suggest a bed, lets the roots stretch and you can keep it short. This is the biggest equilizer in terms of yield imho.
Your water is super hard, you should filter it at least a little. It helps reduce the buildup. The water in the southwest is gnarly, it will "shellac" the ground where a persistent drip hits, even seen it make a mini stalagmite. Adding ca/mg to that is CRAZY
Your water is super hard, you should filter it at least a little. It helps reduce the buildup. The water in the southwest is gnarly, it will "shellac" the ground where a persistent drip hits, even seen it make a mini stalagmite. Adding ca/mg to that is CRAZY
Voidling
Well-Known Member
I had to for coco and for my soil peppers which are calcium hogs. I forgot I was adding it only bc coco locks it up. The first couple times I added it and had problems, this time I left it out. Plants look to be doing well now. Pics to come shortly.
I could use the tub as a bed but have no way to flush. Would have to figure out how much to water it.
I could use the tub as a bed but have no way to flush. Would have to figure out how much to water it.
colocowboy
Well-Known Member
You could nest two tubs with drain holes in the top tub. As far as the water, something I have noticed with some strains that the hard water combined with high ec nutrients can create a condition that looks like deficiency and nute burn at the same time. With mmj you won't need ca/mg unless your leaves taco and the edges curl up like cupped or embossed edges. The reason so many peeps use it is because they are using RO water. Personally I think that is going to far, that is a completely different rant. It is cheaper, easier, and less wasteful to filter down to what you need. A cheese cloth (washed once a week), and a britta filter will remove chloramine and as much as 25% tds. It adds a step but the results are well worth it irrespective of the media you use.
FYI, I can see much improvement in your work. The next step is as stated by others, get the light off the roots. That stunts root growth and uptake, the roots don't like any light on them. They start to convert to stalk, they can even turn green trying to photosynthesize. These problems don't even account for the algae......
Eventually you will have eliminated all the environment variable issues but in the end it can be more work than soil/less. It is arguable as to the value of what you gain from hydro anyway. Commercial goals are the recipient of all that hydro has to offer, the quality aspects will always lean toward soil/less and organics. Why coco? Plain peet and pearlite is cheaper and better imho. Still soil-less, a shake of some dolomite lime and you have the best of both worlds (hydro/soil). Coco is so trendy the price has gone up, at the right time and place you can get 3 cu.ft. of peet moss/sphagnum moss for $3-4 and a cu.ft of pearlite for $5. That's a light mix, water every other day. Alternate your tea and nute soln. Add a plain water to the cycle for a week or two after a transplant.
Oh ya, have you leached your mom with some clean water? If not, do so and if you have some flushing soln use it then give her a little lime and a feeding.
FYI, I can see much improvement in your work. The next step is as stated by others, get the light off the roots. That stunts root growth and uptake, the roots don't like any light on them. They start to convert to stalk, they can even turn green trying to photosynthesize. These problems don't even account for the algae......
Eventually you will have eliminated all the environment variable issues but in the end it can be more work than soil/less. It is arguable as to the value of what you gain from hydro anyway. Commercial goals are the recipient of all that hydro has to offer, the quality aspects will always lean toward soil/less and organics. Why coco? Plain peet and pearlite is cheaper and better imho. Still soil-less, a shake of some dolomite lime and you have the best of both worlds (hydro/soil). Coco is so trendy the price has gone up, at the right time and place you can get 3 cu.ft. of peet moss/sphagnum moss for $3-4 and a cu.ft of pearlite for $5. That's a light mix, water every other day. Alternate your tea and nute soln. Add a plain water to the cycle for a week or two after a transplant.
Oh ya, have you leached your mom with some clean water? If not, do so and if you have some flushing soln use it then give her a little lime and a feeding.
Voidling
Well-Known Member
Stacking tubs would add to height again, and in my cab I can't remove it to drain out the water later on. That tub sits down snug up against all four walls.
Well I was against the harvest of the peat but I'm using coal to power the lights and fans, seems hypocritical. I'll have to look around for it.
No, the mom is done for. Hoping to make a new one out of the clones.
Well I was against the harvest of the peat but I'm using coal to power the lights and fans, seems hypocritical. I'll have to look around for it.
No, the mom is done for. Hoping to make a new one out of the clones.
colocowboy
Well-Known Member
I respect that your following a moral imperative, that's really cool man.
When I say stacked I meant nested like how they are at the store, just maybe an inch so you don't make a mess with over water. It will just evaporate out you don't have to empty it. Could also just pour a thin layer of pearlite, or even just plain old gravel in the bottom and line the tub with garden cloth, zero drip. No mess with a visual water level indicator! he he
I'm sure you'll figure out something.
RIP mom...
When I say stacked I meant nested like how they are at the store, just maybe an inch so you don't make a mess with over water. It will just evaporate out you don't have to empty it. Could also just pour a thin layer of pearlite, or even just plain old gravel in the bottom and line the tub with garden cloth, zero drip. No mess with a visual water level indicator! he he
I'm sure you'll figure out something.
RIP mom...
Voidling
Well-Known Member
So set it up like a mini wicking bed?
How many plants in 28 x 17 in a bed?
Originally I was planning on perpetual sog but I can't fit as many plants in the hydro tub as I could the cartons.
One of my problems with coco and cartons is that if I left for a day or two they'd be dust dry when I got back. Was hoping that in a water tub they could go longer. Got a 5-7 day vacation in late may to deal with.
How many plants in 28 x 17 in a bed?
Originally I was planning on perpetual sog but I can't fit as many plants in the hydro tub as I could the cartons.
One of my problems with coco and cartons is that if I left for a day or two they'd be dust dry when I got back. Was hoping that in a water tub they could go longer. Got a 5-7 day vacation in late may to deal with.
colocowboy
Well-Known Member
Numbers have a lot to do with strain and canopy management, if you keep em trimmed to single kolas with no sides it then falls to your penetration. Neat and tight under 16" you could do 6-8" centers. I'd say roughly 15 at these diminutive sizes (finish at under 16").
That's where your pump makes a second coming! Very nice for vacation, best if you have a digital timer so you can set the day interval and a more precise minute control but if you practice with it before hand you can get a workable set up in not much time.
That's where your pump makes a second coming! Very nice for vacation, best if you have a digital timer so you can set the day interval and a more precise minute control but if you practice with it before hand you can get a workable set up in not much time.
colocowboy
Well-Known Member
I hope it goes fast for you bro!
colocowboy
Well-Known Member
It depends if your pump has a check valve (a flap hanging down or a spring loaded stopper) at or near the outlet or intake. If it doesn't have one then yes it will continue to siphon if it is above the bed. You would need to make a vacuum breaker to keep that from happening. A simple one would be on the vertical discharge put a tee just above the res height and a length of tubing that is too tall for the pump to overcome up (if it does, should still dump back to res) and the line that goes to the bed out the side so when the pump shuts off there is an air channel to clear the outlet tube's gravity vacuum.
