DWC First Hydro Grow Questions

dmoose

Well-Known Member
Sorry I havent checked the thread this week! Looks like you needed the help. Forget about soil, its a bug magnet. You are ready to go, and everything looks Pro. When you need quick answers, please send me a PM, as I check email several times per day.

Get the 3 part General Hydroponics Flora Series. Veg will be 3tsp Grow, 2 tsp Micro, and 1 tsp Bloom per gallon of tap water when in full swing. But in the begining, you want a very diluted formula when roots have popped outside of the RockWool/Rapid Rooter. Easiest way to do this is mix a gallon at full strength, then in a sep container mix together 1 part full strength nutes, to 3 parts plain tap water, then ph to aprox 5.8. When you get to the 2nd or 3rd set of True leaves, the leaves will start to yellow on the edges, and this is the plant telling you it is time to feed. From here, increase the strength every few days until you are running full strength. I continue this veg formula through veg and the first 2 weeks of 12/12. Then you can switch to General Hydroponics Bloom Formula (1tsp Grow/2tsp Micro/3tsp Bloom)or Lucas Formula (0ml Grow/8ml Micro/16ml Bloom). I continue to get deficiencies with the Lucas Formula so I use the GH Bloom Formula which is higher ppms, and brings the ph to 5.8 +/- 0.1. Ph drifts are good since nutes are taken up at diff ph levels. I try to keep the res between 5.4 and 6.2, and consider 5.8 to be perfect.

I have been running Individual DIY 1 gal Top Fed Bubble Buckets with a Hempy hole on a DIY Ebb/Flow Table for recirculation. It works great! But now I am also running individual totes all the way through because it seems to be so much more ph stable without the water pumps.

With a 400 watt Light Kit, you probably only want to veg for 30 days (aprox 12") if growing straight up, or they wont get enough light on the bottom half of the plant in the end. If you are gonna grow straight up, just use the Totes all the way through. If I were flowering with those Pro looking buckets, I would absolutely consider Pinching, Bending, Super Cropping, all forms of LST. You have control of the canopy height this way, and you can totaly fill the space between the buckets, develope a ton of bud sites, and keep everything within the reach of your 400w light. You would be able to veg for a couple extra weeks and substantialy increase your Final Harvest Weight.
 

BukuOrganiX

Active Member
Sorry I havent checked the thread this week! Looks like you needed the help. Forget about soil, its a bug magnet. You are ready to go, and everything looks Pro. When you need quick answers, please send me a PM, as I check email several times per day.

Get the 3 part General Hydroponics Flora Series. Veg will be 3tsp Grow, 2 tsp Micro, and 1 tsp Bloom per gallon of tap water when in full swing. But in the begining, you want a very diluted formula when roots have popped outside of the RockWool/Rapid Rooter. Easiest way to do this is mix a gallon at full strength, then in a sep container mix together 1 part full strength nutes, to 3 parts plain tap water, then ph to aprox 5.8. When you get to the 2nd or 3rd set of True leaves, the leaves will start to yellow on the edges, and this is the plant telling you it is time to feed. From here, increase the strength every few days until you are running full strength. I continue this veg formula through veg and the first 2 weeks of 12/12. Then you can switch to General Hydroponics Bloom Formula (1tsp Grow/2tsp Micro/3tsp Bloom)or Lucas Formula (0ml Grow/8ml Micro/16ml Bloom). I continue to get deficiencies with the Lucas Formula so I use the GH Bloom Formula which is higher ppms, and brings the ph to 5.8 +/- 0.1. Ph drifts are good since nutes are taken up at diff ph levels. I try to keep the res between 5.4 and 6.2, and consider 5.8 to be perfect.

I have been running Individual DIY 1 gal Top Fed Bubble Buckets with a Hempy hole on a DIY Ebb/Flow Table for recirculation. It works great! But now I am also running individual totes all the way through because it seems to be so much more ph stable without the water pumps.

With a 400 watt Light Kit, you probably only want to veg for 30 days (aprox 12") if growing straight up, or they wont get enough light on the bottom half of the plant in the end. If you are gonna grow straight up, just use the Totes all the way through. If I were flowering with those Pro looking buckets, I would absolutely consider Pinching, Bending, Super Cropping, all forms of LST. You have control of the canopy height this way, and you can totaly fill the space between the buckets, develope a ton of bud sites, and keep everything within the reach of your 400w light. You would be able to veg for a couple extra weeks and substantialy increase your Final Harvest Weight.


Man, Your a great person! Thank you for the information, and yes you've answered my questions! thank god!

Anyhow, I'm up for suggestions with the buckets. I didn't spend the money, time, and effort building these buckets, just to let them collect dust. = P Never done any kind of Pinching, Bending, Training, Super Cropping. So if you think one of these methods would be best, we can work on which one would suite me better, also...
if I need to purchase anything else, like some mesh and PVC/WOOD to make a screen let me know?

It's still snowing here, and it's Arizona... Odd. And the last frost wont be for about 3 weeks, so I do have time to prep everything to perfection. And the reason being, is I'm growing in my Garage and it get's cold and hot in there, not very hot, but extremely cold.. so I gotta wait.
 
dmoose thank you for your post. "leaves yellowing ... want more food". i feared i was burning them with too much nute.

i'm using "canadian xpress" nutes and additives. it's my first DWC so i'm trying not to shit my pants in front of the "ladies".

also got a bluelabs truncheon EC meter to measure the nute strength. guy at the hydro shop recommended staying 0.3 EC below the recommended levels set by canadian xpress (coz their tables are for ebb and flow). a few of the lower leaves developed a few light brown patches, could this be because i didn't "up the feed" soon enough?

gutted when i saw your buckets Buku, they are lovely. i've been syphoning mine and with the amount of nutes i've swallowed i wouldn't be surprised if in a few weeks i have a couple of buds sticking out my arse.
 

dmoose

Well-Known Member
I'm in Metro Detroit area and just shoveled a good 6" of snow, and its still coming down! Its a real wet/heavy snow, so I figured I would attack it now, so it wont be so hard when its done snowing and all packed down because of people walking/driving on it.

Dont Buy any Grow Books, there is more than enough FREE info on the internet to get you through the whole process. Plus alot of Online Mentors like myself.

Both methods will work GREAT! I just like the idea of running 4-6 plants off of 1 res (Tote), and if this is your first grow, the tote will be easier to learn on/with IMHO. But dont worry, you have enough space in your tent to run them all, and even link them all if wanted (including the tote). Do you plan on running each of the buckets individualy, or linked together with a seperate res. I took another look at your DIY Buckets, and my head started spinning with ideas! I wish I had a speach to text program, cause I can go on for pages....... Hehehe, I am the self proclaimed DIY King. I have built and modified just about every Hydroponic system out there. Not that I intended on learning all of this, it is just such Mayhem on the Forums, and everyone thinks their way is the only way, yet it is nothing like the other guys way? So I read all the different views, then use common sense as to which way should work the best, then test it out, then modify as needed.

For Time Management, lets start at the end and work backwords as far as planning goes. 1st of all (last of all), How much MMJ do you need to be self sufficient and Kiss the Street Dealers GoodBye? Do you have another area you can keep your Clones/Veg/Moms, so we can set up a Perpetual Garden, and harvest every 8 weeks (strain dependant)? Hehehe, Head is still spinning, would you be open to a cheap/simple modification and convert everything to aero?

We have plenty of time to prepare your Tent, so why dont you go ahead and start those beans inside for now? I will guide you as needed. Meanwhile, why dont you load AOL's AIM (AOL's Instant Messenger) so we can chat privately. It will make hashing everything out alot quicker and easier. I will PM you with my username.

bongsmilie Just think, you are 3-4 months away from being self sufficient, with QUALITY Meds!

From cobalt...blue: also got a bluelabs truncheon EC meter to measure the nute strength. guy at the hydro shop recommended staying 0.3 EC below the recommended levels set by canadian xpress (coz their tables are for ebb and flow). a few of the lower leaves developed a few light brown patches, could this be because i didn't "up the feed" soon enough?
Thats a new one for me, I believe Hydro (E/F) is Hydro (Bubble Bucket/DWC), and the EC should be the same either way. Do you have a cam? Would be alot easier to help you diagnose and cure what's ailing Your Girls.
 
dropastone thanks ... probably will get one of those, suppose i really liked the low drain an all on Buku's buckets.
dmoose, yeah i'll try and get a few pics up soon ... they are looking better now they've had 24 hrs in fresh water and a higher EC.
 
here's some pictures i got off the net (clears throat) ... all from greenhouse seedbank.
first one, can you see the slight browning on the leaves? (big bang) the withered first leaves are mainly due to getting stuck in its shell at birth.

IMG_2643.jpg

this one has browning on the lower leaves aswell (white rhino)

IMG_2644.jpg

the third one is Hawaiian snow also has a very slight browning

IMG_2645.jpg

as i mentioned they have picked up since the water change. thanks for your help.
 

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Dropastone

Well-Known Member
Looking good Colbalt. Keep up the good work. I just started my first grow journal check it out if you want. It's in my sig.
 

BukuOrganiX

Active Member
Looking Good Mane, I'm Germing my Blue Mystic Seeds as I speak...

Started them yesterday evening, but I guess they take 1-2 days.
Anyhow, waiting on some Rapid Rooter's in the Mail, they should be here tomorrow or the next day.
Also, No new pictures until they actually start to sprout... Then I will post new pictures weekly.
So... that's it right now, Colbalt... If you don't mind I would like to see some pictures of those buckets,
and keep posting weekly shots of your girls! There looking beautiful! I don't mind if you use my thread... Nor anyone else.

See you peeps around, I'll probably post some pictures when the Tent is completely up and running, and then so on...
Looking forward to people sharing on my thread. Thanks for reading...
 
hope they all pop for you. how many are you germinating?

buku you're a gent, i do have some news, i added more nutes and the leaves picked up ... no more droop. just hope the brownish bits don't appear on the new leavesl. as for buckets, that's all mine are, with a hole for the airline and net pod. no drain, no top up tap or water level indicator ... :neutral:

i checked out dropastone 's link to his grow ... nice bucket set up with a central res ... i'm really considering trying to get a set up with drains, water level and possible a central res ready for the bloom stage, if not, then definately for my next grow. looking forward to seeing the tent all set up ...
 

Dropastone

Well-Known Member
i checked out dropastone 's link to his grow ... nice bucket set up with a central res ...
Thanks for the kind words there Colbalt. I put a lot of thought and time into that setup.
 
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