I'm a newb to DWC need help with watering.

[Jimdamick]

pushing the plants is the whole point of hydro, I see a lot of people who are so afraid to feed them anything they end up with a lackluster grow and then conclude hydro is bogus. Hydro is all about finding the edge and riding it the whole time, that's the fun, to see the plants max potential fully expressed, not to cut yield in half to appease the internet community that feels the company is just out to get you.

this is common:

"what's going wrong!!!???, my plant is nine weeks old, I'm only feeding 1/4 strength "evil nute company brand a b and c" but it's BURNING my babies, I'm starting the third flush now but they are getting worse!

choadChugger420 replies:

it's too much nutes brah, those companies want you to use way more than you need, cut that dose in half, add cal mag, ro water, flush again and start at 1/8 strength.

"thanks choadChugger420! That's the answer I wanted!"

two days later:

help!!! My BABIES ARE GODAMM DYING!!!! help please!!!! Why won't you help...MY BABIES???!!

Your my girl!! (lol)

I have always pushed the envelope in hydro, and in the beginning did fuck up some plants, like when my res got to 1700 PPM, without adjustment for a week. That didn't work out too well, seeing as they got slightly incinerated
But after years of growing, I think I have found my sweet spot, and that is starting my seedlings in an ebb and flow with 4" rockwool cubes at a PPM of around 700. (I finish in a drip system)
It seems that people forget that soil itself has a start off PPM of around 700 (water 325), and modified soil like Fox Farms Ocean Forrest is even higher.
So, in hydro you at least want to match the naturall EC/PPM of soil, which I do, in spades.
My PPM schedule for hydro in rockwool/Hydroton is 700 PPM for the 1st 2 weeks
Weeks 3-4 = 900 PPM
Weeks 5-6 = 1100 PPM
Weeks 7-8 = 1300 to 1400
Weeks 8-9 = 1400 to 1450, and then I run Flora Clean to clear out my tanks and rinse the roots and Hydroton a week before harvest.
It seems that my plants like it and my customers definitely like my product, so all is good

 

[David Music]

I have another question now is it okay to pour my nutrient solution over the clay pebbles? Or lift lid and pour directly into reservoir

 

[JSB99]

I have another question now is it okay to pour my nutrient solution over the clay pebbles? Or lift lid and pour directly into reservoir

Are you talking about pouring straight nutes on to the pebbles to ultimately drip down to the water? If so, no, I wouldn't do that.

 

[Budley Doright]

You should be premixing then adding to res.

 

[David Music]

Are you talking about pouring straight nutes on to the pebbles to ultimately drip down to the water? If so, no, I wouldn't do that.

Ok and yeah that's what I was asking I have been adding directly to reservoir so far just wanted to make sure I was adding water correctly

 

[David Music]

You should be premixing then adding to res.

Yeah I was asking if I should pour directly over clay people's or lift lid and add to reservoir directly

 

[be4meliz]

What nutes are you going to use?My post on page 1 gave you the easiest way I've found to deal with bubble buckets. Get a Ph and a EC/PPM pen(separate critters) , good airstones, Ph up & down to adjust-Are you using RO or tap water; if tap, check PPM as you will have to add that to your target # ie. mine is wellwater coming in @ 140 ppm, so if my target is 800, I would need 940.Mix nutes in 1 gal. bucket and add to bucket and top off to bottom of net pot~ 3 1/2 gal To add nutes to existing res, use pump to remove~ 1/2 gal into 1 gal. bucket, mix nutes and add back to res..Draw sample every 2 days, after topping off with Ph'd water & check Ph and ppm- And keep track til your on auto pilot( plot readings in notebook for future reference). Ph up /ppm down-add nutes PPM up/ ph down-add plain water- both gradually dropping-dialed in. My system works well with access hole, as root ball will take over bucket as plant grows making almost impossible to access any other way.The pump I sent link on will drain a bucket in 4-5 min.into an empty 5 gal. for res change- just reverse to refill, using flashlight to observe water level.K.I.S.S. principle.

 

[JSB99]

Yeah I was asking if I should pour directly over clay people's or lift lid and add to reservoir directly

Reason being, you'd probably end up with the pellets absorbing the nutrients at full strength and then the roots would be sucking that up. You're plants would surely get nute burn.

 

[be4meliz]

And don't forget hydroguard or equivelent to avoid rootrot.

 

[David Music]

What nutes are you going to use?My post on page 1 gave you the easiest way I've found to deal with bubble buckets. Get a Ph and a EC/PPM pen(separate critters) , good airstones, Ph up & down to adjust-Are you using RO or tap water; if tap, check PPM as you will have to add that to your target # ie. mine is wellwater coming in @ 140 ppm, so if my target is 800, I would need 940.Mix nutes in 1 gal. bucket and add to bucket and top off to bottom of net pot~ 3 1/2 gal To add nutes to existing res, use pump to remove~ 1/2 gal into 1 gal. bucket, mix nutes and add back to res..Draw sample every 2 days, after topping off with Ph'd water & check Ph and ppm- And keep track til your on auto pilot( plot readings in notebook for future reference). Ph up /ppm down-add nutes PPM up/ ph down-add plain water- both gradually dropping-dialed in. My system works well with access hole, as root ball will take over bucket as plant grows making almost impossible to access any other way.The pump I sent link on will drain a bucket in 4-5 min.into an empty 5 gal. for res change- just reverse to refill, using flashlight to observe water level.K.I.S.S. principle.

I am using the flora series 3 part nutrient system trying to keep it simple. And I'll look into the pump and also just ordered h202 29% contracte heard It was good for root rot prevention . Have you ever used it? And if so is hydrogaurd better in your opinion?

 

[David Music]

What nutes are you going to use?My post on page 1 gave you the easiest way I've found to deal with bubble buckets. Get a Ph and a EC/PPM pen(separate critters) , good airstones, Ph up & down to adjust-Are you using RO or tap water; if tap, check PPM as you will have to add that to your target # ie. mine is wellwater coming in @ 140 ppm, so if my target is 800, I would need 940.Mix nutes in 1 gal. bucket and add to bucket and top off to bottom of net pot~ 3 1/2 gal To add nutes to existing res, use pump to remove~ 1/2 gal into 1 gal. bucket, mix nutes and add back to res..Draw sample every 2 days, after topping off with Ph'd water & check Ph and ppm- And keep track til your on auto pilot( plot readings in notebook for future reference). Ph up /ppm down-add nutes PPM up/ ph down-add plain water- both gradually dropping-dialed in. My system works well with access hole, as root ball will take over bucket as plant grows making almost impossible to access any other way.The pump I sent link on will drain a bucket in 4-5 min.into an empty 5 gal. for res change- just reverse to refill, using flashlight to observe water level.K.I.S.S. principle.

Also ppm meter and ph meter on the way currently testing ph with liquid testing kit sucks so slow and tedious

 

[David Music]

Reason being, you'd probably end up with the pellets absorbing the nutrients at full strength and then the roots would be sucking that up. You're plants would surely get nute burn.

Ahhh very smart I hadn't thought of that thanks for advice think of trying rdwc after I get this down.

 

[be4meliz]

Access holes I refer to and a little potporn to motivate you

 

[be4meliz]

Not to be a smartass- But have to learn to crawl before you run LOL- still have the fittings,pumps,etc. for rdwc, just haven't gone there yet; every method has ups and downs-I like tghe portability of the buckets(have 2 tents 1 veg. 1 flower-as soon as I chop the flower side, I can move the buckets to that tent & get another going in veg. no lag, just a bitch talking the girls into being done before my veg. babies hit the ceiling.You will be vertically challenged in any tent if you veg. too long even with scrog.

 

[David Music]

Not to be a smartass- But have to learn to crawl before you run LOL- still have the fittings,pumps,etc. for rdwc, just haven't gone there yet; every method has ups and downs-I like tghe portability of the buckets(have 2 tents 1 veg. 1 flower-as soon as I chop the flower side, I can move the buckets to that tent & get another going in veg. no lag, just a bitch talking the girls into being done before my veg. babies hit the ceiling.You will be vertically challenged in any tent if you veg. too long even with scrog.

I understand what your saying that's why I said after I get this down and do you plug those holes up? Or just let light into you reservoir???

 

[David Music]

Not to be a smartass- But have to learn to crawl before you run LOL- still have the fittings,pumps,etc. for rdwc, just haven't gone there yet; every method has ups and downs-I like tghe portability of the buckets(have 2 tents 1 veg. 1 flower-as soon as I chop the flower side, I can move the buckets to that tent & get another going in veg. no lag, just a bitch talking the girls into being done before my veg. babies hit the ceiling.You will be vertically challenged in any tent if you veg. too long even with scrog.

And no worries on being a smartass. I've been asking lots of questions to learn.

 

[be4meliz]

I am using the flora series 3 part nutrient system trying to keep it simple. And I'll look into the pump and also just ordered h202 29% contracte heard It was good for root rot prevention . Have you ever used it? And if so is hydrogaurd better in your opinion?

Never had an issue in 2 years with hydroguard with res temps hitting 75+ during summer- I also use the 3 pt. And switch to Lucas(micro & bloom, no gro) in veg after plants well established. Just mix micro first(shake well) before adding the other 2 And use a 1 gal. bottle to shake it up. For your babies, go 1/4 strength then gradually step up as plants get bigger- once they are~ 1 1/2 ft. I usually run @ 800-900 ppm- some like to push it harder, but better to wait until you can REALLY read your plants(shit happens quick in DWC & too much food is a quick burn.Totally depends on type plant etc. Some don't eat much, some are pigs. Try sticking to all same type seeds/clones as you gain knowledge.And don't buy into all the Super Duper will grow 5 lb. monster additives. Keep it simple as you learn more and more.

 

[be4meliz]

I understand what your saying that's why I said after I get this down and do you plug those holes up? Or just let light into you reservoir???

I use a card board cover from my many amazon boxes-just enough to keep light out-light is bad for res water-grows strange stuff we don't like

 

[be4meliz]

And no worries on being a smartass. I've been asking lots of questions to learn.

This is the place- many great people here willing to help- I probably spent 200+ hrs. just learning before stepping out- try to pay it forward-Will help you any way I can.Main lesson is being able to separate BS from real- don't assume that people are stating fact when in fact it was BS that kept getting passed along by ignorance.

 

[JSB99]

I use a card board cover from my many amazon boxes-just enough to keep light out-light is bad for res water-grows strange stuff we don't like

Cardboard works great! You can easily cut it into any shape, and it's really lightproof.