If going hydro, you don’t want any nutes in medium. That’s your job, to provide everything the plant needs, when it needs it
Understand completely and I already have more nutes on the way. It just seems that this hydro medium may have some natural nutes allready included in the mix. Just dont wanna burn the baby roots is all. Root farm hydo mix is what I have. Sent from my SM-G950W using Grasscity Forum mobile app
I’m using autopots, very simple. Keep the tank full that’s it. I’m using coco and perlite you won’t be disappointed. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
Says the bag has sphagnum peat moss, coco coir, aged softwood bark, perlite, worm castings, bat guano, feather meal, bone meal, blood meal, sulfate of potash, kelp meal, and volcanic ash. Not ideal ;( I thought this is at the very least not bad to have in the mix. Sent from my SM-G950W using Grasscity Forum mobile app
I did. It seems to be exactly what im looki g to DIY. Do you find any issues with the top half of the roots while feeding from the rez to roots ? Im assuming there is a hole near the bottom of bucket to serve as a overflow and air hole for the roots near the rez. Sent from my SM-G950W using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Decided to go with hempy buckets and handwater. Sent from my SM-G950W using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Seems like the easiest way to grow, cheap, easy, no moving parts ect. Really still would like a self watering option for vacation times. Other then that its the qay to grow. Sent from my SM-G950W using Grasscity Forum mobile app
You can get a water pump, rain bird manifold (8 outlets) or make one if you need more, a Rubbermaid tote sized to your needs, and 1/4” tubing with drip emitters or drip rings. Shouldn’t cost you more than $100 but you will have to trouble shoot and dial it in. I went with 2” PVC and brass 1/4” valves for my 20 site manifold I could adjust flow easily
I believe your first idea was the best: hydro. Water is the simplest grow medium, no dirt or coco to draw unwanted life. No autopots with multiple media or air domes to contend with, or waiting for root growth to trigger additional actions. No worries about whether a hempy bucket has the right nutes or pH throughout. Setting up a gravity fed reservoir as you described earlier is very convenient. I just did it using 1 General Hydroponics Ecogrower in each of 2 separate tents. For DIY-averse growers, the General Hydroponics Water Farm - 8 master reservoir works well, but isn't cheap. I just did this a few days ago, so I'm still learning. There are 3 places that can go awry, the actual root reservoir, the bottom master res with float valve, and the top larger res that contains fresh nutes. So far, the ppm and pH are close together in all 3, so gravity seems to be doing its job. Another simplifying procedure is to do no complete reservoir changes. Instead, empty out and replace about 10% per day from the float valve res, when able to do so, to replenish micro nutes. I anticipate being able to leave the system alone for several days, or even weeks with minor assistance. I've done the res change strategy successfully my last 2 grows. And finally, I'm using the 1 part solid nute, Greenleaf Megacrop. The same exact fertilizer from seed to harvest, with zero bloom nutes or CalMag. I've been doing this on the present grow, and it works well. I've never had such huge growth, never going above 400 ppm, but don't have a solid opinion on megacrop yet. I believe this grow style is a good combination of effectiveness and simplicity.
General Hydroponics® Controller Complete This is excatly what I planing on building 100% the same. Add on your plant buckets and you have 100% automatic watering system that does not require electricity to work. Sent from my screen to yours!