Weffy
Well-Known Member
Questions / Comments / Advice is welcome!
This will be my third run, but really my second using this method. My aim is to simplify the procedures and perfect the idea of using a "buffer"... I will be using the same system as I've used succesfuly on my previous run. This time, I have a female mother and unlimited clones. SCROG or SOG??? I think I will try both.
... I'll just leave this here for now. Pics are barneys farms Critical Kush using the method below
3 gallon bucket "hybrid hydro" system... (at lest that's what I call it)
I empty the bottom bucket and add water from the top to fill up past the bottom of the 3 gallon... about an inch past the bottom of the 3 gallon bucket sitting inside the 5 gal res. The gravel helps the exchange of salts and speeds up equalization... you want the water to sit near the top of the gravel layer barely soaking the coco
Once the water level in the outer bucket, or Reservoir drops lower than the bottom of the 3 gallon... I test and adjust if necessary. Then, I add tap water to bring the level back up. I use just water in between feedings unless the EC/ppm drops too low in my res... then I know my girls are hungry.
I guess you would call my method hydro... but the idea is to use the cocoa as a buffer and get the root mass hanging through the holes into the nutrient solution; Now, I did throw an air stone in there a few weeks into flower on my first run and the plant had zero complaints, but it was hard to tell if it made any difference.
If the PH is off I flush with tap water (my tap is LOW ppm 0 - 100 / PH 6.5 ) the idea is to wash all the salts out of the cocoa; I use Bush Doctor flush solution from Fox Farms
To flush the plant: ***Input on this procedure needed. is there a better/faster/simpler way???***
after I add water, I let everything even out for an hour or so... then I test the runoff in the res. If the PH is off target more than 0.5 we flush and start over. Otherwise, PH up/down is dropped directly in the res
You can drop PH up/down directly into the nutrient solution in the 5 gallon res. bucket, bring the water lvl up just barely touching the bottom of the smaller bucket (less is more) Here lies one problem of dealing with the cocoa buffer...
This will be my third run, but really my second using this method. My aim is to simplify the procedures and perfect the idea of using a "buffer"... I will be using the same system as I've used succesfuly on my previous run. This time, I have a female mother and unlimited clones. SCROG or SOG??? I think I will try both.
... I'll just leave this here for now. Pics are barneys farms Critical Kush using the method below
3 gallon bucket "hybrid hydro" system... (at lest that's what I call it)
- There are about 30-50 holes drilled in the bottom of the 3 gallon bucket
- fill it with a layer of gravel to try and cover the holes to catch the cocoa mix and not let it fall out
- it is then filled to the brim with a mix of brick cocoa and pearlite 50/50
- (if you're cheap and want to use less pearlite... you can try 70/30 coco/pearlite ... let me know how it goes)
- then it is set inside of another 5 gallon bucket. This is the "reservoir"
- We then fill the reservoir with nutrient solution.
I empty the bottom bucket and add water from the top to fill up past the bottom of the 3 gallon... about an inch past the bottom of the 3 gallon bucket sitting inside the 5 gal res. The gravel helps the exchange of salts and speeds up equalization... you want the water to sit near the top of the gravel layer barely soaking the coco
Once the water level in the outer bucket, or Reservoir drops lower than the bottom of the 3 gallon... I test and adjust if necessary. Then, I add tap water to bring the level back up. I use just water in between feedings unless the EC/ppm drops too low in my res... then I know my girls are hungry.
I guess you would call my method hydro... but the idea is to use the cocoa as a buffer and get the root mass hanging through the holes into the nutrient solution; Now, I did throw an air stone in there a few weeks into flower on my first run and the plant had zero complaints, but it was hard to tell if it made any difference.
If the PH is off I flush with tap water (my tap is LOW ppm 0 - 100 / PH 6.5 ) the idea is to wash all the salts out of the cocoa; I use Bush Doctor flush solution from Fox Farms
To flush the plant: ***Input on this procedure needed. is there a better/faster/simpler way???***
- Put it into another 3 gallon bucket with holes in the bottom first to protect the root mass.
- run tap water through it SLOWLY but generously.
- wash out your new 5 gal reservoir bucket and place the 3 gal bucket and plant into your new reservoir
- add 2-3 gallons of nutrient solution by poring it evenly over the top of the soil
- bring the water level up no more than 1" (one inch) past the bottom of the cocoa/buffer
after I add water, I let everything even out for an hour or so... then I test the runoff in the res. If the PH is off target more than 0.5 we flush and start over. Otherwise, PH up/down is dropped directly in the res
You can drop PH up/down directly into the nutrient solution in the 5 gallon res. bucket, bring the water lvl up just barely touching the bottom of the smaller bucket (less is more) Here lies one problem of dealing with the cocoa buffer...
