Dwc Grow Club

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Illegal Smile

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McLovinBud said:
Hello everyone! I am starting to grow for my first time and have picked up a Stealth Hydro BubblePonic 4 Plant system. I have 2 Stelth Hydro Floros 1 veg and 1 flower. Can I use both of them for veg and bllom or is that the idea with the dual spectrum?
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That's the idea that you use them together for the whole grow. But most would agree you need to add some light and get a mix of 6500 and 2700 that shifts in flower. I'd pick up some 42w cfls and reflectors from Lowes are the same as what you get with that kit.

I'm using one of those now but plan to make changes next grow. I don't want to speak for people in this thread since I'm new to it, but IMO you will find more info on that system in one of the stealth bubbleponics threads. Good luck!
 
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onthedl0008

Well-Known Member
Illegal Smile said:
Howdy DWC people! I wonder if you can direct me to a place where I can read up on DWC basics. Specifically, the opening post in this thread talks about things I have been thinking myself. I mean, I've been fooling around with aero and bubble and thinking that as soon as the roots get in the water, it's all DWC. I have a keen sense of hype and I quickly came to the conclusion that all the different systems are largely hype. So now I'm thinking about doing a DWC grow.

My main question though is this - what are the various ways a DWC grower deals with watering (and feeding?) a seed until the roots are in the water? I know doing them in another sytem is an option, but I mean starting seeds, or at least germinated seeds, in DWC netcups. Thanks in advance for any help!
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Its best to germinate ur seeds and then transplant ur beanlings into ur choice of medium to begin with..
Whether its rockwool or.. PEAT PLUGS (Grow sponges) or whatever they are called now.. which work best in this system.
Placing the tap root inside the sponge flush with the top of the plug is proper...Transplanting the plug in a small buffer of hydroton bewteen the plug and water level are KEY.
Keep ur water level about a half inch above the bottom which is what im doing now until i get roots in the water. Just moist this also helps force root growth down to the food supply.
Once my roots hit the water i begin lowering the water level to force more root growth to the water.
My PPM now is 900 before transplantation to the water. I believe this helps my plants take off when the roots hit the water and begin feeding.

Anyway from there. I continue to lower my water levels. This saves on nutes. As well as brings the concentration of oxygen in the water up so the food is more readily available to the plants.
My PH stays consistent between 5.8 - 6.2 thruout the duration of the whole entire grow process.
Hope this makes sence.
Peace.
 
I

Illegal Smile

Guest
onthedl0008 said:
Its best to germinate ur seeds and then transplant ur beanlings into ur choice of medium to begin with..
Whether its rockwool or.. PEAT PLUGS (Grow sponges) or whatever they are called now.. which work best in this system.
Placing the tap root inside the sponge flush with the top of the plug is proper...Transplanting the plug in a small buffer of hydroton bewteen the plug and water level are KEY.
Keep ur water level about a half inch above the bottom which is what im doing now until i get roots in the water. Just moist this also helps force root growth down to the food supply.
Once my roots hit the water i begin lowering the water level to force more root growth to the water.
My PPM now is 900 before transplantation to the water. I believe this helps my plants take off when the roots hit the water and begin feeding.

Anyway from there. I continue to lower my water levels. This saves on nutes. As well as brings the concentration of oxygen in the water up so the food is more readily available to the plants.
My PH stays consistent between 5.8 - 6.2 thruout the duration of the whole entire grow process.
Hope this makes sence.
Peace.
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Thanks much, very helpful. I was actually pondering hand watering/feeding until roots were in the water. Do you know if there is a picture or diagram anywhere of the "loaded" net pot as you describe it?
 
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onthedl0008

Well-Known Member
I dont know of any diagram's showing this persay but maybe this will help further explain the process.. LOL im not sure how these guys do lengthy pictorials so this may take a little longer just hang tight haha..
First of all i start with a germinated seed. I throw my seeds in a cup of water until they drop to the bottom of the cup usually withing 24 hours or so then they go into a damp papertowel which i keep moist for a few days to grow out there taps until they look like so... I crack the plug open and seat the taps in them like i already explained previously.Here's transplantation of the beanling to the plug.

From there they go to the nursery like so..

Until they look like this..



Dont worry about the stretch because they are being transplanted low enough in the pot with a bit of hydroton between the plug and the bottom of pot.Dont have a picture of a loaded one persay but its very simple if u think about it here's a couple pots before plug transplantation to the pots..



Set the plug right on top and fill the rest of the way just below the bottom of the leaves should be fine at least it always works for me cause ur rock does not get wet. The rock below the plug stays wet and keeps the plug moist.

In 1-3 days u should see this...



Once ur roots hit the water and feed for a week or so u should end up with this..



I used to transplant my seed plugs directly to the pots and hand feed them as well in the system. If u have to do it that way... Place them exactly the same (U wont have to hand feed!) and allow them to stretch a little and fill the pot like already descibed.
The whole time try to keep ur PH as close to 6 as u can.
This is why i begin feeding right away now. The presence of nutes in a newly established REZ actually helps the REZ PH get established faster (usually withing 3-4 days) it should balance out. But watch it daily and bring it back to 6 and allow it to do its thing.
There's really not much more to it than that.
I hope this was clear enough. Im not surei could explain it any better.
Peace.
 
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Illegal Smile

Guest
That's similar to what I've done. I've germinated the seed in water till there was a clear tail, filled the netcup halfway with hydroton, put a rockwool cube in with the seed about a 1/4 in deep, then fill cup with hydroton. Are those layers right or would the cube have to go nearer the botton of the netcup? In my scenario above it was being fed with a feeder tube.
 
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onthedl0008

Well-Known Member
Throw the rockwool away man and get some starter plugs.
But if u have to use the wool.. Its best to keep it ONLY MOIST.
Overwatering seed's and clones is rockwools most terrible attribute.
U cant fail with plugs..
U dont even have to PH them.
Good luck.
 
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onthedl0008

Well-Known Member
And so not to sound like an ASS bro.. Let me explain..
Just by dipping and squeezing the plugs out in simple tap and setting them on the wet stone this is completely sufficient enough water and food supply to force roots down into the water. So u dont need a feeder tube.
Yank that thing out of there and save it for making hash in a couple months..
Take ur water pump and use that for quick and efficient water changes by attaching a piece of tubing to it and pumping the old used nutes into a bucket or ur nearest faucet..
U honestly dont need to make it that complicated..
And yes bro u can do exactly as i descibed with the rockwool as well.
Its just NOT something id particularly reccomend for begginers and hands down it just doesnt bring the same results as plugs do unless u get the wool completely mastered..
By then u could be going to flower tho..
Just some food for thought..
Also ive seen and read most of the arguements about feeder tubes and all that Jazz. But to be even more perfectly honest ive yet to see the bubbleponics system put out equivelant results as a simple tub ran efficiently with a simple air pump and stone.
Just to clearify.
Peace.
 
I

Illegal Smile

Guest
This is what I've been wanting to hear. I have to use the rockwool cubes this time because I have germinated seeds and need to start them today. But I'm looking ahead to the next grow and plan to modify to your approach. Thanks for the help! Are plugs plugs and where to find? I've never used anything but rockwool.
 
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Illegal Smile

Guest
Mindmelted said:
Rapid rooter plugs work great for germinating and clones.
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Thanks, I'll check on those. Can I put a germinated seed in those and grow it out to maturity as we have discussed here? Or is it something that has to come out at some point?
 
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onthedl0008

Well-Known Member
U grow out ur seed from veg to harvest exactly as described bro. The plug is ur germing medium. The roots grow into the plug just like rockwool. Hence it stays in the rock until u harvest. Like i said bro u can also do this with wool. But in my experience it just doesnt work well in a DWC type grow. It gets wet very easily.
U would be surprised how easy it is to overwater a seedling. Or clone for that matter.

Whaddup clubbers!
 
Mindmelted

Mindmelted

Well-Known Member
I used the rapid rooter through out the grow with no issues.
Rockwool on the other hand i do not care for so much.
The rapid rooters are all natural 2
 
I

Illegal Smile

Guest
onthedl and mindmelted, great info glad I came to this thread! it seems to me that when people go looking for info on DWC around here, what they find is feeder tubes and drips etc. I even had one tell me that if I didn't use feeder tubes I would have to hand water every couple hours and if I didn't they would dry out overnight. That and that the feeder tubes put the plant 2 weeks ahead in development.
 
Mindmelted

Mindmelted

Well-Known Member
Illegal Smile said:
onthedl and mindmelted, great info glad I came to this thread! it seems to me that when people go looking for info on DWC around here, what they find is feeder tubes and drips etc. I even had one tell me that if I didn't use feeder tubes I would have to hand water every couple hours and if I didn't they would dry out overnight. That and that the feeder tubes put the plant 2 weeks ahead in development.
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Well i use no feeder tubes and got 7 ozs dried of my last single plant grow.
 
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onthedl0008

Well-Known Member
Illegal Smile said:
onthedl and mindmelted, great info glad I came to this thread! it seems to me that when people go looking for info on DWC around here, what they find is feeder tubes and drips etc. I even had one tell me that if I didn't use feeder tubes I would have to hand water every couple hours and if I didn't they would dry out overnight. That and that the feeder tubes put the plant 2 weeks ahead in development.
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No problem bro. Alot of people here grow with the bubbleponics system and the comments where not said to knock that system.
Only to clearify that DWC and Bubbleponics are not the same and each system operates differently..
I used to hand water my plugs out of fear of overwatering so one of these growers may have seen or read one of my old grow threads and was repeating what they heard.
But after much trial and error ive found if u keep the rock wet and set ur wool or plug on it its completely sufficient enuff to keep the medium moist and manipulate the plants roots to grow to the food bro..

Im here to help man. IF i can help u sift thru the info and apply it to ur grow than id be happy to. If u do have a bubbleponics system. Then Roseman has a great thread and alot of good info u may be able to use and apply to ur grow.
Peace.
 
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