[quote name='"HygroMac"']Good Info OP, ph swing is important usually when adding nute at full strenght it should drop to about 5.2-5.4 and just let it rise back up to 6.0 then adjust ph till you flush or addback nutes. Well at first I went by the bible and used only RO water throughout the whole grow. This time I'm using my TAP water. My tap water is around 30-40ppm so its very low compared to most and have not had any problems so far and I'm about ready to go 12/12 in my tent. The thing is if using tap make sure you set it out in a container and let the chlorine evaporate off before using it, usually takes a day or two. Ah the ideal ppms eh? Thats a good question, and a hard one as well since plants are always different... For seedlings i would go around 250-350ppm (0.5 EC) For early veg around 500-700ppm (1.0EC) Mid to late veg 800-1000ppm (1.6EC) Flower should be full strength around 1200-1400 (2.0EC) These should be fairly safe nute strengths, most here go 1/2 str (700ppm) in veg and go full str shortly after that thru flower. All ppms I posted were for .7 conversion but can be used both ways. Just take it slow, if you see the leaves yellowing or spots showing up it usually means she needs more food! If the leaves start to brown at the edges, that means shes had too much and needs some water to dilute the food in the res. Good luck sir Mac[/quote] Great advice!! I second everything Mac says here (will plus rep when I get to a computer) the only thing I don't do is add nutes until post seedling stage (when cotyledons fall off).
Oh, proper ppm for YOUR plants will vary based on your lights, too. The plants will grind through more nutrients when under more intense lighting. Fluorescent lights should use 50-60% than HID, or LED. I just assume you're a baller and are growing like one with intense lights. Sorry for all the afterthought posts! I'm writing a book on growing hydro so I have a LOT of tidbits floating actively in my brain!
Spoken like a true botanist Original Past! I can feel your passion when reading your posts sir, keep it up! There needs to be more constructive threads like these to educate the masses that make the move to hydro. Its seems complicated, but once you find your "system" of growing and stay consistent with it. Its amazingly easy and fun as hell too, I'll never go back to boring old soil again! AhHa! Thanks for pointing that out, yeah I don't feed till after the cotyledons have fallen off as well. I spotted that on preview but decided to let it be because we already discussed that. Fixed it now as not to confuse anyone reading up. Gots to love the Lucas Formula,I hope GH gave credit to him for coming up with that. I'm sure it defiantly brought more attention to their product line. But they probably hated him too for showing that the grow bottle is practically useless, who knows. I've managed to find that excel formula for adding back nutes to a depleted reservoir. It works great with 95% accuracy for reaching target ppm. Makes life even more easier! I've been meaning to give the FloreNova a try, I think I will once my current grow is over. 8ml a gallon doesn't sound so bad to me! Well I think we covered just about everything on basic Hydro 101. I suppose if you need anymore help or wanting to try some advanced growing techniques like SCRoG or LST just hit us up, always glad to help out. Nugs to all! Mac
i had the same problem with a bran new hanna ph pen my ph kept going up like you bought a bottle of calibration solution and fixed my problem
i personaly think that it's threads like this that need to be made into STICKYs. i have just printed this thread, well done boys, + rep to you both on the way. Miiddy
I really enjoy learning things, digesting them, and then regurgitating them in a way that is useful in a practical manner for the growers. Hydro seems intimidating, until you learn about all the things a growing plant needs, and how you provide these to them, with your system. Then it becomes pretty simple, and easy to troubleshoot. I've grow in soil for years and years, with moderate success. It wasn't until I started growing hydro, that I truly became obsessed with learning everything I could about our plants needs. I'm learning every day, still, and love it! All this information is available on these, or other forums, but it's not organized in a manner to all work together, as a system. That's why I'm writing a book about it. I'm trying to incorporate what I've learned, and organize it all in a way that's easy to digest, and easy to put into use. It's how I grow, and what works for me, it isn't right for everyone, but the base principles are hard to argue with. Honestly, I'm really thinking about doing a small soil grow, using all the tricks I've learned about our plant's needs, and adapting to the old dirtbag methods. First sign of soil pests, though, and I may be tempted to turn around... We'll see! I love growing, period. I'll try to grow anything, anywhere, and have fun doing so! Threads like this, make these forums fun! I love it when people get together without flaming, and exchange ideas!!
it sounds like a nute problem! i agree with hydromac, I have and am doing DWC when i first started my ph fluctuated alot too, but for the first 2-3 weeks i would use little to no ferts, If you do use like 1/8 or less of the recommended nutes till you get your 2nd or 3rd set of true leaf! that would be like 2-3 nodes. Hope this helps good luck
Thanks for all the great info guys! I have since regulated the ph problem. Mostly by dropping my water level just below the net pot and hydroton, and just top watering/feeding the rockwool until the roots hit the water. Which they did 4 days ago. The lil lady is looking great so far! And just an observation I have noticed, it seems when using tap water as opposed to distilled, the tap water requires much more ph up/down to adjust then the distilled. And the distilled seems to hold ph a lot better too. Has anyone else experienced this? Either way, I think I will be exclusively using distilled (or ro) water. The distilled I am using reads at 002 ppm.. I did add nutes after I saw that the roots hit the water, which was right after I saw the very very start of the second actual leaf set. I put about 400 ppm in. Main reason I did this is because the instructions on the nute bottles had amounts for seedlings/small plants so I figured it wouldn't hurt. Though I do realize nute companies want to sell as much as possible and will give instructions that may suggest more usage than necessary.. And I do believe you guys when you say nutes are not necessary until the cotyledons fall off, but does adding a low level of nutes at this stage help speed the growth rate at all? or provide a faster/stronger root system early on? Or does the plant just not absorb any nutes and benefit nothing from them at this stage? I also was just wondering peoples opinion on 18 or 24 light cycles for veg? Aside from saving you some energy, Is one better than the other as far as benefiting the plant? And will it effect the plant in anyway switching from 24 to 18 half way through veg? Again, thanks for all the great info! I'm sure I will be asking questions throughout this entire grow and I really appreciate the knowledge you guys are graciously spreading.
Glad to hear you're getting things together with the grow! Yeah, tap water has mineral salts, calcium being a major one.. Calcium is very much alkaline, which buffers pH (makes it go up). Your plant mainly needs water and oxygen via root system. Until it bulks up and grows more roots, it won't be prepared to uptake high levels of nutrients until there's a more substantial root system. You risk "clogging" up the roots with nutrients, blocking its uptake of water, if you use too much, so go real light on the nutes, if you're really determined to use them. But it's not required. No, you will not get faster growth by adding nutes now. Growth will explode once roots hit the water and the cotyledons fall off.
I use an 18/6 light cycle for veg. The plants still grow when the lights are out, but mine always seem healthier, and more vigorous when they get some dark period. You can actually veg under 12/12, if you were to break up the dark period for even a second long flash of light.
Great, thanks! My roots are in the water, but the cotyledons are still there. Four days ago I saw the first root come out of the net pot and into the water. It was one long root (about 8 inches), since then it has lots of little roots coming out of the initial root. So with the roots in the water, would the plant benefit from nutrients even before the cotyledons fall off? I by no means want to be using nutrients just for the fun of it, but if a little nutes will benefit at all, I wouldn't mind using them... Also, will it mess with the plants at all to put them in 18/6 after they have been in 24 for several weeks? p.s. If pics would help, just let me know and I can post some. Waiting for my roommate to text me back where the camera is Thanks again!
Growing weed I have learned to put myself in my plants "net pot". I say thus in regards to your light cycle question. Your plants will enjoy the break they will recieve during the dark period, and no... It won't stress them. And if you are worried it might you can change the timer back 1 or 2 hours everyday for the next 6 or 3 days.
Cool, I think I will do 3 hours of darkness tonight and then go to 6 after that.. Are there any consequences of a little light getting in during the dark period of veg? (I would assume so, but just want to be sure) Will it start producing seeds like during flower? Thanks! (I will post pics tomorrow, still looking for the camera haha)
my next veg i will have my 600's hps lights on for 12, then off for 5.5dark, then a 2 tube strip light on for 1hr, then 5.5dark, i will save the 2x600 hps 6 hours a day , thats 42 hours of 1200wts saving a week. Middy
also when the main lights come on (the plants morning) lets say at 14:00, that will be the plants morning time through the whole grow 18/6 or 12/12. Middy
Cool, I never thought about keeping the "morning" time the same through veg and flower. And just wondering, but what are the consequences if minimal light gets into the veg room during the dark period. I have always done 24 for veg and have never really thought about it.. Will it start to herm like during flower? And here are a couple pics. Kind hard to see the roots, but it was the best I could get until someone is here to hold the plant up for me hah.. This is 12 days after I saw the first sign of a little root coming out of the rockwool
Also, I can't get my humidity above 20%, most of the time it's around 17%. What are the advantages and disadvantages of ideal humidity? Thanks!!
light leaks NOT a big problem in VEG room,, but it would be in a FLOWER ROOM !!!. you can you put an open bucket of water with a small fish tank heater to bring up RH, higher RH for veg better growth & lower RH for flower to stop mold, getting into buds. hope that helps a bit. Middy
Youll find when giving the lil girls a dark peroid the roots will grow faster, Youll also see a lil more stretch then when the lights are on 12/7. I also have seen what others have told you the plants seem happier when they have that dark period. Giving nutes early as you did the cotylons may not fall off, Ive had plants many many weeks old and still have them, Its not a big deal. watch your leaves.. If they are getting to much they will show it on the end of the leafs. lil brown tips. this is fine until those tips are about 1/8 of an inch .. then youll want to cut back, Ive found less is more, Ive gotten much bigger harvests from lower ppms then from high...just a fyi.....welcome to your new favorite hobby