Hey Blades, So I've been using the Technaflora Recipe for Success in my last, successful grow, and in my current grow along with 2.5mL of Orca mycorrhizae during every res change. I usually start off doing 1/4 strength nutes for the first 2wks 1/2 strength nutes for 2wks then full strength for the last 2wks b4 I switch to Flower. I noticed in my last grow that the Technaflora stains my roots, but that didn't show to be an issue during the last grow. However during my current grow I noticed what appeared to be some sort of root rot/bacteria foaming on the sides of my res and on the roots. I have read that I shouldn't use mycos in hydro, as it is not needed, but I have also heard that it works well and people swear years worth of grows by using mycos or another enzyme like Hygrozyme in their res. My Setup: 2 5gal Bubble Buckets 2 4Outlet airpumps 4 large air stones( 2 per bucket) 400W MH Grow Tent: 48" Wide x 24" Deep x 60" High (4' X 2' X 5') 400CFM Exhaust Fan (dialed down to 100CFM) I change my res every 7 days I clean my buckets with isopropyl alcohol and 3% H2O2 After noticing the foam i immediately changed the bucket out with fresh nute solution and a cap full of H2O2. i also rinsed down the hydroton with H2O2. So is Orca/Mycos bad to use in your hydro grow? i had success in my previous grow but this was very noticeable white foamy sludge on the sides of the res. I have noticed a little foam on the sides b4 but from my previous grow I was told that was just from using the Sugar Daddy nutes. My Bucket temps: 68-73 Room Temp: 77 RH: 30%(can't seem to raise that even with a humidifier) Let me know blades. Is it good for hydro?
Over 400ppl don't have any thoughts on this?? Really?? http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1275593-Second-Time's-The-Charm-Silver-LA-DWC-Grow
Hell yes use it!!! I was on the regimen of just using h202 every couple of days and then it started not working as well. The brown slime would overtake my roots and stop the growth of my plant. I decided to try Orca and i have not used h202 since. I apply 5-10 ml of orca DIRECTLY ONTO THE ROOTS EVERY RES CHANGE. I now have clean white roots, and vigorous growth from my plant. I don't use h202 ever because it would just kill the myco population that i have built up.
mycos is meant to increase surface area of roots in soil to aid in nutrient uptake. In a solution with all nutrients readily available to the plant roots RIGHT THERE, you don't need it in hydro. In fact, as you are now discovering, it only adds complications. Every organic additive I've added to my res resulted in blooms (slime, foam, browned roots), except for a brewed EWC tea. SO essentially, every store-bought additive gave me trouble. IMO, the only thing you need in your res are nutrients, and something to prevent slime molds (H2O2, or teas, IME)
See this is what I mean. 1 person will say it death to da roots and another will say the exact opposite😕 @leighsean-u pour 5-10mL?? I thot it was suppose to be 5-10mL per gal or something like that, don't have it front of me @ work ATM, but I'm also confused cuz I used it in my last grow and there were no issues, just the usual small amount of foam on the sides from the sugar nutes, after a day its gone, so I never that there's was rot or anything and it lasted till harvest. But this grow pretty much same method and feeding schedule and way too much foam/slime. The only difference is this time I'm running my nutes at full strength last run I maxed out at 50% strength cuz I didn't wanna stress her, but the new girl is taking full strength like a champ just crazy foam. And this is the second wk I've done full strength the first wk there was no foam or slime?? So what could it b?? I also learned that Orca is more bacteria and vitamins than actual mycos as this guy said that true mycos is fungus only and can't b in liquid form? But whether its mycos or benes IDC I just want to know how to make it work. Switch in to AN nutes for my next grow, maybe if I can get snuff doe, or Botanicare, as I'm starting to not like the Techmaflora http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1275593-Second-Time's-The-Charm-Silver-LA-DWC-Grow
I had the rot on a grow a few years ago. I got everything taken care of & had a decent grow. A few people recommended the benies then and I've been using Great White ever since. I have no intention to stop using it. Never got the rot while using it, just sayin.
@[member="Bud Daddy"] thanks for the reply. I feel like the Orca is great, my first grow I def a jump in root growth after I started using it, but I also had brown roots that I attributed to staining from the Technaflora nutes. I think maybe the nutes just aren't that good, it was decent while it lasted but I think it causes weird pH swings and I heard that pH jumps can cause bad bacteria to grow, is that true? Cuz I'll do a result change and pH to 5.5-5.8 and in 24hrs it jumps up to 6.5, could this facilitate rot?? Bud Daddy what nutes do u use? What kind of grow, if u don't mind me asking? Think I need Sensizyme to work as a sterilizer if I want to continue with Orca. I've seen a dude with a 5gal bucket full of white pristine roots and he uses either Orca or Great White so it can't be a plant killer or rot maker, right http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1275593-Second-Time's-The-Charm-Silver-LA-DWC-Grow
Didnt know you were having ph swings. What growing medium are you using? I dont know that ph swings will induce root rot. Sensizyme helps breakdown dead root material, dont think you need that. I recommend putting as few things in your soup as possable. Im using an ebb and flow with gh flora nutes & great white, thats it nothing else. Benies wont hurt plants or cause rot. You may want to get you rez temps down. Temps above 70 will allow rot to thrive, I keep mine at 65. Sometimes I get a little white foam in my rez late in the grow but everything topside is good, so dont I worry about it.
Ya if you read the dosage instructions on the back of the bottle it says "5ml for 10 gallons" then under that it also states that its ok to use it up to 3x that strength. I have a 10 gallon res so i simply use 10 ml every res change and sometimes ill give a 5ml dose between res changes. As far as foam, I don't have that problem. i would back off your nutes if your having foam issues. I'm not personally a believer in using full strength nutes, i run my ladies between 400-600 ppms and never any higher than that. Less stress for them, less $ for nutes and deficientcies are way easier to fix than toxicities. I dont believe in all the " your not supposed to do this and it was not meant for that". If everyone simply took an afternoon and read up on micro biology and how its symbiotic with all means of growth in all walks of life then we would all be thinking differently. Fungi and microbes are essential in breaking down dead matter and providing useable nutrients for plant life. They also carry the role of not allowing "bad" bacteria to populate and attack by feeding off the plants roots. It works in soil and it works in hydro. Obviously the soil approach provides a better environment so its more effective, however is does work, and with current technology this is all we have at this point. It works and nobody can deny that. Besides he is not talking about using organics in his grow. He is talking about mycos and beneficial bacteria. Ewc tea is almost the same exact idea as the Orca, "the introduction of beneficial microbes into the root zone". Op, keep using it, it worked for you in your last grow so learn from YOUR OWN success. IMHO the best growers didn't learn to grow by reading forums. They learned by research and there own trials and errors. Everyones situation is different and the best growers use the forums as a tool not and instruction booklet. Hope this helps, keep us updated.
Thanks for the replies guys. I'm def gonna keep using it. I kinda surmise that it just doesn't work well with the Technaflora nutes at full strength. I'm using X Nutrients on my other lady and the roots are white healthy and growing everyday☺. So I guess it is just a trial and error situation. I wanna try the AN nute line but maybe just go for the GH line cuz its cheaper I just like the idea of pH perfect with the AN line but idk yet. With AN I would be using 3 things in veg and about 10 diff things at varying times in flower, its that nuts? Like too much? The guy on YouTube with the awesome roots I seen uses AN plus Orca. I know there are a bunch of other variables but couldn't hurt to try adjust his technique to my situation. Thanks again for the help http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1275593-Second-Time's-The-Charm-Silver-LA-DWC-Grow
Roots are looking better. No more foam. Gonna go back to 1/4 strength on the Technaflora nutes. And stick w/ the same formula I've been using for the X Nutes. What do u guys think of my idea to switch to AN or GH? Which would u recommend? Thanks for all the help http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1275593-Second-Time's-The-Charm-Silver-LA-DWC-Grow
i run gh and botanicare. I stay away from the fancy bottles, too much $. Keep it simple = easy success..
Dude, let my pictures do the talkin http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-beginners/1294297-ewc-benne-tea-dwc.html
Quick update: so after going back to 1/4 strength on the Technaflora, that lady's toots r looking great and growing everyday. The leaves look a little light in color tho so I'm gonna bump it back to 1/2 strength and see how she feels. Thanks for the advise Sent from my Nexus 4 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
I've had success in my dwc with Great White. It seems to control fungus gnats and I've had roots so thick they grow around the openings of my net pot, and I had to saw them off after the grow. Looking foward to trying Orca, as I think it may be designed for hydro specifically. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
I've had amazing luck with Orca I love it.I might start a church of Orca HAHA My setup is similar buckets etc but my lights suck and blow (II need to invest) and I've found that sometimes I get foam in 1 for no good reason when I used the same rez water for all the buckets. I chock it up to missing a spot or not getting every bit of something off a hose or stone. As for your nutes I dont know much I'm in love with MEGACROP lately. I got a free sample and I am hooked. In fact that's how I got started on ORCA free nutrient samples are a gateway drug beware
As for the rot I find its usually fixable. I take my babies to the bathtub and I soak them in cool/medium temp clean water and slowly gently run mid temp water through the top and let it overflow.Wasting gallons of water until the yuck gently runs off the roots. I spritz some peroxide on the roots in horrible situations that seem hopeless. Honestly it works for me but I not an authority, weed snob or growing expert. Just an old head that loves to grow fun and useful plants. I have been doing this a long long time and it has never failed me or killed my girls. No doubt people reading this are yelling "NO!!! WHAT AN IDIOT!" I do not dispute that but I have no true way of knowing if it hurt my yields or anything else. All I can confirm is it works for me and has worked many many times.