Hey all,
I've been growing outdoors for 2-1/2 decades, and indoors for about six years, but almost exclusively in soil, non-soil soil (Promix HP, Sunshine #4 etc) and for a couple runs in a perpetual, a mix of perlite, vermiculite and hydroton (although I treated that mostly like soil all the same).
I'm now in the late design/early purchase stage for a DIY RDWC system almost all based on various posts here in RIU that I've scoured. I plan on using my aero cloner to root, then build a six bucket RDWC system for veg, and another six bucket RDWC for flower. This will be used in separate rooms in my basement than my current three-stage grow in peat is happening, so that if I mess things up, I'm not at a loss for product.
My basement temps are consistently 45-50F, with a humidity at 25-35%. My main op is within tents, which is how I maintain my environment. I exhaust heat from my HID lamps outside through my chimney. My new rooms will be literal rooms, insulated from the main environment of my basement, configured much like the tents.
Now, I could just search all over the Internet to find out what I want to know, but shit is all over the map. I'm hoping to consolidate everything into one thread that I can review, hoping that the RDWC leaders can provide somewhat of a summary of information.
My questions are:
1) When going from veg to flower, I plan on simply lifting out the net pots from the veg environment and putting them into the flower environment. I'll be using General Hydroponics nutrients in both. I will veg for about 8-10 weeks. Although the nutes are the same, will switching them in hydroponics from veg to bloom solution cause shock, or will it be fine? I use the same nutes in my current setup, and switch to bloom nutes as soon as they hit the flower tent
2) When adding more nutrient solution, do I just mix up five gallons at a time at the prescribed amount and dump it into the res until the system is completely re-filled, or is more work needed in order to identify how much of each bottle get added?
3) I plan on doing a perpetual, so when I go to clean out the entire system, flush it with water, then re-fill it again, will the roots dangling in air for (what, 30 minutes?) hurt anything?
4) What's your procedure (especially if you're a perpetual hydro grower) for removing, cleaning and re-installing your totes? I plan on having a shutoff at each waterfall as well as return, so I'm thinking I'll just build three or four extra totes, and continuously cycle them in and out. Reasonable?
5) With external environment 45-50F, will I need to order chillers, or will that temp keep temps stable?
I've been growing outdoors for 2-1/2 decades, and indoors for about six years, but almost exclusively in soil, non-soil soil (Promix HP, Sunshine #4 etc) and for a couple runs in a perpetual, a mix of perlite, vermiculite and hydroton (although I treated that mostly like soil all the same).
I'm now in the late design/early purchase stage for a DIY RDWC system almost all based on various posts here in RIU that I've scoured. I plan on using my aero cloner to root, then build a six bucket RDWC system for veg, and another six bucket RDWC for flower. This will be used in separate rooms in my basement than my current three-stage grow in peat is happening, so that if I mess things up, I'm not at a loss for product.
My basement temps are consistently 45-50F, with a humidity at 25-35%. My main op is within tents, which is how I maintain my environment. I exhaust heat from my HID lamps outside through my chimney. My new rooms will be literal rooms, insulated from the main environment of my basement, configured much like the tents.
Now, I could just search all over the Internet to find out what I want to know, but shit is all over the map. I'm hoping to consolidate everything into one thread that I can review, hoping that the RDWC leaders can provide somewhat of a summary of information.
My questions are:
1) When going from veg to flower, I plan on simply lifting out the net pots from the veg environment and putting them into the flower environment. I'll be using General Hydroponics nutrients in both. I will veg for about 8-10 weeks. Although the nutes are the same, will switching them in hydroponics from veg to bloom solution cause shock, or will it be fine? I use the same nutes in my current setup, and switch to bloom nutes as soon as they hit the flower tent
2) When adding more nutrient solution, do I just mix up five gallons at a time at the prescribed amount and dump it into the res until the system is completely re-filled, or is more work needed in order to identify how much of each bottle get added?
3) I plan on doing a perpetual, so when I go to clean out the entire system, flush it with water, then re-fill it again, will the roots dangling in air for (what, 30 minutes?) hurt anything?
4) What's your procedure (especially if you're a perpetual hydro grower) for removing, cleaning and re-installing your totes? I plan on having a shutoff at each waterfall as well as return, so I'm thinking I'll just build three or four extra totes, and continuously cycle them in and out. Reasonable?
5) With external environment 45-50F, will I need to order chillers, or will that temp keep temps stable?
