JMD's #2 Indoor grow (hydroponic)

JMD · Sep 17, 2013

I just got my 2nd indoor grow started, and I'm going to post regular updates in this thread.

I'm trying out hydroponics for the first time, hoping to see the difference between it and soil.
For lights I'm using 3x 30W Cree XPG modules, each with 10 LEDs in a 8:2 red:blue ratio - they are each driven at 24W. This is complimented by 2x 20W IKEA CFL. At at later state I will add more red and blue LED (~630nm and ~450nm).

10-09-2013 - 1 week old by now

14-09-2013 - Transfered to the cabinet and lamp installed. Fan to move the plant will be added in a few days.

17-10-2013 - Close-up of the yet small plant

Slipon · Sep 17, 2013

what strain is it ?

JMD · Sep 17, 2013

Slipon said:
what strain is it ?

It's a Royal Dwarf, a feminized auto-flowering strain.

PetFlora · Sep 17, 2013

Pullin up a chair

Flame21 · Sep 17, 2013

What's your hydroponic setup like?

PetFlora · Sep 18, 2013

If it's not too late, I recommend getting rid of the outer RW cube (holds too much water= potential for root/stem rot), just bury the seedling a little deeper into the hydroton. FYI ornamental (river) rock is much better and 100% clean.

JMD · Sep 18, 2013

Flame21 said:
What's your hydroponic setup like?

The setup is a GHE 45L hydroponic bucket. I like it because it only takes a 2W air pump to cycle the water and aerate it.

PetFlora said:
If it's not too late, I recommend getting rid off the outer RW cube (holds too much water= potential for root/stem rot), just bury the seedling a little deeper into the hydroton. FYI ornamental (river) rock is much better and 100% clean.

That's too late

By now I would think the roots are through the big cube.
The water is cycled 24/7 currently - I might change that later on. Not yet sure, since I've seen many different opinions about it.

JMD · Sep 20, 2013

Going to start the feeding today I think, she seems to big enough now to handle a small dose.

Slipon · Sep 20, 2013

good call, also seem`s a bit pale on the first set of leaves, just be carfull not to over do it, still just a small seedling, less is more

JMD · Sep 20, 2013

The tap water started at 1300 ppm, and with the added fertilizer it was 1600 ppm - so 300 ppm of fertilizer added, which should be around around 0.6 EC. Hy-Pro says 0.8 EC for the first weeks (the maker of the fertilizer).
PH of the tap water was 8.7 (quite high), which I dumped to 6.5 with PH minus.

Going to be fun to see the change.

Slipon · Sep 20, 2013

as fare as I know the PH in hydro should be around 5,8 to 6,2

View attachment 2828714

I use 0,5 ML of liquid PH down from GH to get a 2L soda bottle of my Tap water down around 6 and use that with good success in my Hempy bucket and also used the same mix in my coco grows

PetFlora · Sep 20, 2013

Slipon, the charts are helpful, but plants require different pH in veg than in flower.

This grow I vegged with ~6.5 pH. Plants are thick and loaded with side branching, but after 5 weeks only 10-12" tall.

Got a tip that the nutes transfer better at 5.5, so I adjusted down, within 3 days a huge growth spurt has taken place

I am now starting at 5.5 and letting pH drift up to ~ 6.1, which only takes 1-2 days

thunderrod · Sep 20, 2013

that's a lot of little in a grown up DWC......done it like that, veg a little more in DWC. Get a big bush, going then flower, big bushes have lots of flowers...

JMD · Sep 20, 2013

Slipon said:
as fare as I know the PH in hydro should be around 5,8 to 6,2

I use 0,5 ML of liquid PH down from GH to get a 2L soda bottle of my Tap water down around 6 and use that with good success in my Hempy bucket and also used the same mix in my coco grows

Yep, I have the nutrient lockout chart as well, and it's on purpose that I didn't go lower. I don't want to just straight from 8.7 to 6. I might not hurt to do it, but I'd like to do it over a few days.

PetFlora said:
Slipon, the charts are helpful, but plants require different pH in veg than in flower.

This grow I vegged with ~6.5 pH. Plants are thick and loaded with side branching, but after 5 weeks only 10-12" tall.

Got a tip that the nutes transfer better at 5.5, so I adjusted down, within 3 days a huge growth spurt has taken place

I am now starting at 5.5 and letting pH drift up to ~ 6.1, which only takes 1-2 days

I'm going to adjust in a few days as well

thunderrod said:
that's a lot of little in a grown up DWC......done it like that, veg a little more in DWC. Get a big bush, going then flower, big bushes have lots of flowers...

I have absolutely no idea what you are trying to say. Maybe I'm just tired..

Slipon · Sep 20, 2013

read a few places that the most necessary nutrients are best absorb at around 5,5-5,8 in Veg and a bit higher in flowering like 6-6,2

dunno no expert, also read many switch from 5,5 to 6 to let it absorb different nutrients better ? agin I dunno just know it works for me to go for around 6 in hempy with the strain I grow, 6,5 might be ok for some ? but I don't believe you should go much higher when its a soilless medium

JMD · Sep 20, 2013

Slipon said:
read a few places that the most necessary nutrients are best absorb at around 5,5-5,8 in Veg and a bit higher in flowering like 6-6,2

dunno no expert, also read many switch from 5,5 to 6 to let it absorb different nutrients better ? agin I dunno just know it works for me to go for around 6 in hempy with the strain I grow, 6,5 might be ok for some ? but I don't believe you should go much higher when its a soilless medium

Thanks for the advice mate

I'll take a look at it tomorrow.

Only downside with this hydroponic bucket so far, is that there's no easy access to the water - makes it a bit of a hassle to regulate nutes and PH.

PetFlora · Sep 20, 2013

2 words- outboard rez

JMD said:
Thanks for the advice mate I'll take a look at it tomorrow.

Only downside with this hydroponic bucket so far, is that there's no easy access to the water - makes it a bit of a hassle to regulate nutes and PH.

ellydee · Sep 20, 2013

JMD said:
The tap water started at 1300 ppm, and with the added fertilizer it was 1600 ppm - so 300 ppm of fertilizer added, which should be around around 0.6 EC. Hy-Pro says 0.8 EC for the first weeks (the maker of the fertilizer).
PH of the tap water was 8.7 (quite high), which I dumped to 6.5 with PH minus.

1300 ppm out of the tap? Umm... Seriously?
And I thought mine was bad at 250 ppm.

JMD · Sep 21, 2013

ellydee said:
JMD said:

The tap water started at 1300 ppm, and with the added fertilizer it was 1600 ppm - so 300 ppm of fertilizer added, which should be around around 0.6 EC. Hy-Pro says 0.8 EC for the first weeks (the maker of the fertilizer).
PH of the tap water was 8.7 (quite high), which I dumped to 6.5 with PH minus.

1300 ppm out of the tap? Umm... Seriously?
And I thought mine was bad at 250 ppm.

Click to expand...

Just remembered that the water had been running in the bucket for a few days, so there were a bit of clay etc.
Tap water reads at about 800 ppm, this is due to all the minerals in the water, because the water is pumped straight from the underground and not filtered (only aerated).

Don't mistake high ppm with pollution - the water here is very clean.

Slipon · Sep 21, 2013

agree, we even by law have no chlorine, its ground water, that stands in Lime stone and clean enough to drink out of the Tap, the high ppm is do to the high amount of Lime and other minerals, like Mg, Iron, zink, sulfate aso

according to the water plant near me there test show a PH on 7,4 tho, but I guess its different in other parts of our country, there quality demand, stated beside the test result claim between 7 and 8,5 is acceptable (guess they think more about me then my plants

)

I have been growing with it for two years soon, and did`t have any problems with it, actually do ok right from the tap to the pot, if you grow in a good quality soil that have a PH around 6,5 but in coco and my Hempy I do have to get it down a point or so (remember a PH of 8 is 100x the PH of 7 so to speak, so one point is a lot)

after a few early test I found that my tap mostly come out at around 6 with 0,5ml of GH liquid PH down to half a gallon (2L)

also, it do have a habit of climbing up agin (guess its the Lime in the water) over a few days, so better keep a eye on it and adjust accordantly, maybe start it at 5,5 so it might be at 6,5 when you about to chance res. or what ever fit you, higher amounts of nutrients as you will need later, once the plant is bigger and demand more also chance a lot, in full flowering with full strength GH micro/bloom in coco I did`t need to add any PH down as the nuts made it hit around 6-6,5

JMD's #2 Indoor grow (hydroponic)

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