cheddar97008
Active Member
You want to get your water temp down; ideally well below 80..
Hydroponics Question and Answer NewGrowth Style
- Thread starter NewGrowth
- Start date
Quick question guys. I'm using a DWC Setup it may seem obvious but I just don't want to screw it up. If i'm germinating in rockwool and go to transplant it into a net with clay I should wait until the roots reach the bottom of the rockwool and then transplant right? And also should I put the cube as far down as possible? I know the roots are supposed to reach down in a DWC System but do I keep watering from the top until that point? Also... Once the roots reach, I keep the water level at the top? The roots are supposed to be sitting in the water hence hydroponics? Just want to make sure this is right.
racer3456
Well-Known Member
Wait for a few set of roots to come through the bottom of the rockwool. Then put a single layer of hydroton on the bottom of the net pots. Then put your rock wool w/ seedling on top of that. You can feed your roots though the holes in the net pots, but it doesn't really matter. Then fill the rest of the net pot with hydroton. You were asking about your water level as well: Before you do any of the aformentioned procedures I just desribed, you basically want to fill up your resevoir to the correct water level. To do this, put your net pot in your system (bucket, rubbermaid, etc.) and fill it up with water through the netpot until you see the water BARELY touching the bottom. A safe way would be add enough water until you are about 1/2-1/4 cm below the bottom of the net pot. Now, position your air stones directly underneath it and the bubbles will splash up into the net pot and the water will basically get whicked up into the rockwool. You don't want your rockwool to get soaked, and this is the good way to make sure it won't. As the plant grows, the water will evaporate and also get used up by the plant. That's what you want! You can let the water level get about 3-4 inches below the bottom of the net pot (if there are roots long enough dangling in the water) before you fill it back up. But once the plant is bigger, don't fill it up as high as you did in the beginning. Always leave at least 1" of airspace between the top of the water level and the bottom of the net pot. And of course, you may have to pH it every time you add water as well as add half-strength nutrients to keep your nutrient ppm where you want it. 
NewGrowth
Well-Known Member
I am growing ten mother plants right now in a DWC and it has been a pain in the ass I should have just put my mothers in soil. I'll probably throw this thing out when I'm done with this round of mothers.
His water temperature is well below 80 F
Yeah it is best to hand water at first and wait for some healthy root growth outside the rockwool.
The bottom of the rockwool should be at least 1/4" away from the max water level.
Just monitor your water level closely at first some hand watering may be needed at first with small plants
Maintain you water level as constant as possible. Only top off with fresh Ph adjusted water between reservoir changes. Never add nutrients to a reservoir between changes.
Good advice except one point.Wait for a few set of roots to come through the bottom of the rockwool. Then put a single layer of hydroton on the bottom of the net pots. Then put your rock wool w/ seedling on top of that. You can feed your roots though the holes in the net pots, but it doesn't really matter. Then fill the rest of the net pot with hydroton. You were asking about your water level as well: Before you do any of the aformentioned procedures I just desribed, you basically want to fill up your resevoir to the correct water level. To do this, put your net pot in your system (bucket, rubbermaid, etc.) and fill it up with water through the netpot until you see the water BARELY touching the bottom. A safe way would be add enough water until you are about 1/2-1/4 cm below the bottom of the net pot. Now, position your air stones directly underneath it and the bubbles will splash up into the net pot and the water will basically get whicked up into the rockwool. You don't want your rockwool to get soaked, and this is the good way to make sure it won't. As the plant grows, the water will evaporate and also get used up by the plant. That's what you want! You can let the water level get about 3-4 inches below the bottom of the net pot (if there are roots long enough dangling in the water) before you fill it back up. But once the plant is bigger, don't fill it up as high as you did in the beginning. Always leave at least 1" of airspace between the top of the water level and the bottom of the net pot. And of course, you may have to pH it every time you add water as well as add half-strength nutrients to keep your nutrient ppm where you want it.
Never add nutrients in between reservoir changes it can cause lots of problems. Also monitoring the PPM drop or rise in your reservoir will help you determine correct nutrient concentrations.
GypsyBush
Well-Known Member
Hey NG... need your input on this one...
Huh... I thought the best way to have them is just above a deficiency... as weak a solution as possible, without lacking anything...
I'll do some more research and check back with you guys...
NewGrowth
Well-Known Member
Where is that from Gypsy? 3000 PPM!!? I have never run that much, even if the plants tolerate that much it seems like a waste of nutrients. Maybe in a Co2 enriched room you could pull it off but why waste the nutrients they are not cheap! Also it should be remembered that nutrients are in the form of salts, at a certain point the concentration gets too high which will prevent osmosis and you will have a crispy dried out plant.Hey NG... need your input on this one...
Kinda like trying to quench your thirst by drinking Sea Water.
Eddie McPot
Well-Known Member
Damn another hydro thread kewl!
GypsyBush
Well-Known Member
Thanks man... I kinda knew what the answer was going to be... click on the red square by the quote and it will take you to the conversation... kinda pointless though...Where is that from Gypsy? 3000 PPM!!? I have never run that much, even if the plants tolerate that much it seems like a waste of nutrients. Maybe in a Co2 enriched room you could pull it off but why waste the nutrients they are not cheap! Also it should be remembered that nutrients are in the form of salts, at a certain point the concentration gets too high which will prevent osmosis and you will have a crispy dried out plant.
Kinda like trying to quench your thirst by drinking Sea Water.
Oh! and I hear that TRUE areoponics can handle nearly twice the nute load of hydro or soil... that is crazy...
Peace and Love..
Gypsy...
NewGrowth
Well-Known Member
Other way around. Aero usually needs less nutrients to get the same results. The plants use nutrients so efficiently in aero that they don't need excess. Aeroponics is like hydroponics at high speed, plants grow REALLY fast.Thanks man... I kinda knew what the answer was going to be... click on the red square by the quote and it will take you to the conversation... kinda pointless though...
Oh! and I hear that TRUE areoponics can handle nearly twice the nute load of hydro or soil... that is crazy...
Peace and Love..
Gypsy...
You want to run your PPM as close as possible to only what the plant needs. Plants have no need for excess nutrients, that is why they are excess. A good hydro grower with well dialed in nutrient concentrations will have no need for a flush. Monitor your PPM levels and record them in a journal. Save nutrients, save money, grow bigger bud!
Thought I would post this again for anybody that wants to adjust their nutrient concentrations:
1.Water level drops PPM goes up: Drop your nutrient strength in relationship to the PPM rise.
2. Water level drops PPM stays the same: You may be able to fine tune you nutrient strength, if growth is vigorous leave it alone.
3. Water level drops PPM drops: Raise you nutrient strength in relationship too PPM drop.
iloveit
Well-Known Member
Hi their New Growth first of all I must say Thank you for answering all my previous question in past threads.
I have only 1 question which has bamboozled me.
1) My Blueberry mother plant was giving off signs of magnesium deficiency so I fed it Epson salt (3 tablespoons to 4 litres of water) with BioBizz (grow @ 1/4 dosage) PHed @ 6.5 for soil, what puzzled me was the fact that the Nutrient meter read the PPM at 3500. The tap water was left out for 24hrs & never has the PPM ever come close to 3500 even after adding nutrients at full dosage.
IS IT BECAUSE OF THE EPSOM SALT?
By the way the mother plant is looking healthier but can the high rate of PPM have a negative affect on the plant or soil?
I have only 1 question which has bamboozled me.
1) My Blueberry mother plant was giving off signs of magnesium deficiency so I fed it Epson salt (3 tablespoons to 4 litres of water) with BioBizz (grow @ 1/4 dosage) PHed @ 6.5 for soil, what puzzled me was the fact that the Nutrient meter read the PPM at 3500. The tap water was left out for 24hrs & never has the PPM ever come close to 3500 even after adding nutrients at full dosage.
IS IT BECAUSE OF THE EPSOM SALT?
By the way the mother plant is looking healthier but can the high rate of PPM have a negative affect on the plant or soil?
NewGrowth
Well-Known Member
PPM is measured via electrical conductivity of a solution. Pure water without dissolved minerals and salt is not very conductive. When you add salts the water becomes conductive. Magnesium is a very good conductor so magnesium in the salt form will make a very conductive solution.
I'm unsure of the proper dosing for epsom salts but I have seen a lot of growers add too much and cause major lockout. Be careful a high PPM is not necessarily indicative of what is actually in the solution so you might be fine.
I would however re-check your sources for epsom salt dosing, remember they call these "micro" nutrients for a reason. The plant only needs VERY small amounts of them. More often micronutrient problems are caused by Ph imbalance or excess salt build up in your medium causing lockout.
Good Luck!
Eddie McPot
Well-Known Member
New Growth, I have a question about meters. Do you know of a combo meter that is woth buying? Something that I could hang in the cabinet? Or do you recommend the LED stick?
NewGrowth
Well-Known Member
Bluelab makes the best products by far. Pricey but worth it. I personally would not get a combo meter the Bluelab trucheon (or LED stick) is by far the best. They do make a Bluelab combo meter that uses the same technology as the trucheon so it never needs to be calibrated but the Ph meter does. I have a cheap Ph pen that is fine by me, I don't need to check Ph that often so even indicator drops work fine if I feel the pen is off.
Eddie McPot
Well-Known Member
Thanks man, you are the 2nd to tell me that. Just getting input before I get one. I got a cheapie PH tester that never stays calibrated. Got what I paid for I guess.
NewGrowth
Well-Known Member
Yeah and drops are $5 and work fine
lemons842659
Active Member
when gernimating a seed for going into a hydro system, should I put the cracked seed in the wet rockwool and leave it in the dark? should I cover it over with something or just leave the seed visible? is it best hot or cold dark or light? and should I water the rockwool again or just leave it?
lemons842659
Active Member
sorry it is my first grow and I really don't want it to go wrong!!!
Eddie McPot
Well-Known Member
Mine germinated by placing in rockwool, putting into a small cup, then covering with plastic wrap. Keep em warm, a few days they sprouted. Transferred rockwool and plant out of cup into netpot when 4 leaves came on. Drop it in the DWC and Bam!
I had 5 outta 6 make it from bag seed!
I had 5 outta 6 make it from bag seed!
B EAZIE
Active Member
New to bubbleponics-just got a 5 gallon bucket and a 8" net pot that serves as a lid also, i know ur supposed to use smaller pots for cuttings, but is there anyway i can use this setup? Cuz i got a nyc diesel in soil that for some reason is starting to look droopy and i dont want to lose the strain
NewGrowth
Well-Known Member
Seeds germinate faster when kept warm (around 70-75), it is hard to do that if you just stick them in the rockwool unless you have a heat mat. Rockwool only needs to be moist and is really easy to oversaturate so less is more.
Good luck, and have fun with hydro!
This is a good way to do it if you are using rockwool.
You can use the larger pot for a small cutting but it will probably need to be hand watered until roots establish.
Drooping usually indicates a root zone problem. Usually under or over watering.