I was told this is a good way to go about getting started again. I used to grow with HID but this time I am using LED. I don't have anything turned on yet but was encouraged to start my journal to get some feedback before hand. Any concern, suggestions, or ideas would be really appreciated. I haven't done this for like five years and the last time I just threw it all together. This time around I have less space but have the idea of using DWC hydro (Y'all think I can get another bucket or two in there? It's pretty tight) and doing the SCROG method. I haven't turned it on yet because we are about to head out of town Saturday but I plan on getting the seeds sprouted when I get back into town next week. The temperature of my living room right now is 73.5(f) degrees and 40% humidity. Inside the closet space, without the exhaust running or lights on, it is 83.7(f) and 36.9%humidity. I don't see any concerns with this but I'm wondering if I should get a humidifier for the early stages, whatcha think? My plan is to sprout my seeds and then put them in rockwool and throw them in the cloner (courtesy of Rumpleforeskin again) until I add them to the DWC system. I've got a 2.5x4x8.5 space I built. Lighting - 100w HGL V2 3000k and a 100w SpiderFarmer SF-1000 and an old (flowering) GalaxyHydro, I think it is a 300w equivalent. I'm thinking of adding it in on the first go for flowering but should I just leave this thing out and cop andother HLG? If I'm not mistaken a 2.5x4 space should get 300w LED lighting. I don't know what that GalaxyHydro draws but it is not as much as the other two for sure. Exhaust - 315 CFM Hyper fan Intake - Passive connected to living room central air Hydro - Rumpleforeskins diy bubble bucket (Do I need a cooling element for my DWC? All I did was build one of the buckets and connect another to it and he doesn't say anything about it in directions but I read the water temp should be lower than room temp.) Food - General Hydroponics 3-pack (Grow, Bloom, Micro) and Botanicare Cal-Mag plus with Iron (Any other supplemental nutrients I should be looking at?) pump for DWC - General Hydroponics 4 outlet 320 GPH dual diaphragm Temperature and humidity control - Inkbird temp/humidity controller to hook up to exhaust fan. Also, any suggestions for affordable meters for testing water/nutrients? I have a cheap TDS and PH but have to check and make sure that they are calibrated correctly. And lastly. Any opinions on distilling my own water to use for a DWC? I have 15 gallon barrel that I was considering doing it in, or is RO water essential? I feel like I just asked way too many questions. Thanks!
Really any considerations would be awesome. I don't want to overdo, or overthink, it too much on my first run and I plan on adjusting after every batch but any advice on optimizing this space would be awesome.
Room looks good dude, two will be perfect in there. Are you going to add another bucket as a reservoir or just add water direct to buckets? Start thinking about access to make your life easier later on when your plants are filled out. Add things to train to like hooks, or handles to hold onto if you're going to be leaning in there, all that sorta stuff to make your life easier.
I haven't looked into the reservoir so yea I'm thinking of just filling directly and running the drain hose directly outside. I was also thinking of building a screen of green type set-up. Haven't researched it much yet but I like the idea. But yeah I', imagining having to do some climbing and crawling around.
I'd suggest holding off on that scrog, only because your space isn't the best for that. What I mean is that a scrog spreads the plant out horizontally, and you dont have horizontal space, but you have headroom, so I'd think about training with stakes and ties. Let them grow up as much as out. Also, with the long narrow space a screen is going to be hard to move around when you get in there to change water, clean em up, etc. You might want to add the res outside your room for easy access. Plus you can work on the res while the lights are off. Something I'd think about to make your life easier later on.
Good to know. Thanks. I'll probably have to consider the res more once I get the environment dialed in. I'll probably have more questions about that at a later date.
The reason I'm pushing for it is this... your plants drink a lot of water, so you'll be filling gallons every other day at some points. Itll make life easier... But the real reason is because of how they eat. It's way easier to keep your ph in check, and your nutrients level at the right ppm with more water. With less water, you're going to be chasing the ph the whole grow. With more water those changes happen slower, so you have more time to react to things going on. Not necessary, but itll make your life easier for little money.
You're convincing. Thing is if I have it outside my environment, and out of central air won't temperature be an issue? Also, what size res for a set up like mine, another five gallon bucket? I'm assuming I would need to be pumping water through it too to maintain a constant mix, right? I looked up the price of aquarium chillers and those things are just down right expensive. Way out of my budget now, and from the literature I am reading I don't want my water temps above 75(f) which is what my environmental temp is looking to be at. Right now my environment is gonna be on the high side, like 75(f). Trying to dial everything in now and make sure I can get it to that but the spot where the space is has a good amount of windows and the room stays warmer than the rest of the house. So when I set the house to 72(f) the room I get air from is actually at like 76(f). This is my current dilemma but I don't think it is that serious. It'll probably be better once Summer has passed.
So with your setup specifically, and space available.... I’d ditch the individual buckets, get a 30gal tote cut a hole for a 6” net pot, lines in and out of the bottom, for a chiller if you wanted and for a control bucket..... Make a custom scrog screen, get six good nodes and top it, tie her down and keep going. as for nutes and shit, I really have no opinion on them..... I have only used MC and it’s two support products. But MC is the shit IMO, cheap, easy to work, and ph balances out to 5.8-6.5 depending on mix and water ph.... summer has seen to have risen my ph out of the tap. I would add cal/mag and silica blast, along with hydro guard/voodoo juice/great white/orca/deep breath/etc.... just pick one..... ditch the pos rock wool and get rapid rooters (waaaayyyy less issues) As for my specifics on the setup, as to what I would do.... I could fill your space in under 2 weeks from the time it gets 6 full nodes and has been topped.... look at my journal, it’s in my signature and if your on a phone, tilt it sideways to see the signature
Shit yeah, I added those nutes to my cart to order. Right now, I am having temperature issues. I think I may have to get a portable AC unit to keep the temp low enough for hydro. Right now, due to summer, I am having trouble getting the room to 75 with the passive intake and I have heard bad things about running hydro in temps above 75. Some people have told me if I can't lower the room temperature that I should switch to soil. As far as chillers I am not sure I can afford that on this go, especially if I have to get an AC unit. Is the reason for switching to one plant from a 30 gallon bucket for convenience in adjusting water and nutrients? Thanks for the dope response!
So the switch to the single 30gal is because I know how big and fast one can get on a scrog (my first time doing one and it’s wild), also for simplicity and your space is already small....... Also the more water the more stable root zone temps will stay..... who ever told you hydro has problems in high temps is dead wrong...... my girls are thriving at 85 degrees ambient air. You will not need a humidifier, your plants will do it on their own Being hydro....... Root zone temps can even get up there, but rot is a high probability if nothing is done about harmful bacteria..... honestly roots are explosive at 75 degrees. Rot is at bay as long as you are below 70 degrees, root rot is brown algae btw...... Also back to room temp, my tent stays at 82, the room is almost 90 mid day when the chiller kicks on. So anyone wanna say problems above 75 can go fuck themselves....... also if you have no coin for a chiller, freeze water bottles and drop em in and rotate as needed (hard to do in a 5gal bucket and it last, water volume is your friend).......
You're giving me a lot to think about. I've grown attached to giving these rumpleforeskin diy buckets a shot but I like what I have seen of SCROG.and the stuff you are saying about water quantity is legit. No disrespect following up on what you're saying, just want to clarify. You're grow is real legit too so you're advise is backed up for sure. Do you have any recommendations for the SCROG set up? I'm curious about being able to raise it in a room with such limited space. I'm thinking some type of pully system or something..? TBH tho, I may stick with these two buckets for this grow and start planning for the next. I was thinking of building a res tank though to get some more water flow and be able to throw bottles of frozen water in it like you said. I'm actually nervous about this. I've only done soil before and tho you kinda eased my nerves a bit.
Wait. I think I misunderstood SCROG. Seems like I don't really need to raise it once I get it in place.
Scrog stands for screen of green, the principal is to have the Plant grow horizontal, And each new node will become its own cola and branches of buds..... it’s Amazing for small spaces..... my screen doesn’t support independent colas, i holds the main branches down..... the screen is 2x2” garden fencing. It’s staple gunned to 1x1”s. Then tied to the tent, in your case the wall..... plant gets to as many nodes as you want, then you top the plant and put the screen on..... I let mine grow to it...... cause I didn’t want to mess with it..... a res tank for two buckets is not going to transfer cold water to your root zone fast enough..... you need to be able to flow water for that and that’s R-DWC...... you don’t need to creat any more heat with out a chiller. You will have to drop them in the root zone.... you will not be growing large plants unless you find a way to keep room temp below and around 72 and that temp in the grow area..... so to get these bottles into 5gal buckets.... your gonna have to lift the net pot all day long............ your not gonna be able to scrog this run.... you are gonna have to get 5 nodes take minimum two and flip IMHO..... I couldn’t imagine lifting a plant again..... I did a few times my last run and it was miserable..... both times..... mind you I am talking about late flower...... my 5gal buckets were 95% Roots, 5% water damn near in two of them...... for your area, you need a large res, so you can have access to the roots with ease.... one plant in your area on a screen would be perfect..... I’m telling you..... @Dr M, drop some your girls on here in small area scrog girls in hydro out doors.... this guys trying to get set up and your system you have is looking like a great candidate for this guy!
this is my outdr hydro rig..usin two screens..got the res set bk in the shade so the plnt screens it frm the sun also do frz pks..temps here currently 90f-120f daily..