gr865
Well-Known Member
Well, after 4 surgeries this year and 3 failed attempts growing this year I am ready to get started again. Am all healed up and have the energy now to attempt using my Gro and Flo (ebb & flow) 6 plant system.
Cloning machine 20 clones.
Needed only 6 so the rest will go to my buddy for his grow.
On my earlier attempts this year I was not able to get the root system established. In an attempt to get control of my pH I added a Torus Hydro Automated pH Regulator to the system but that requires some roots for the ionic exchange to occur, which I did not realize in my earlier grows. The guy that recommended the regulator informed me that it needed a rooting system to work well. Now that I have some root system I have a bit of control over the pH, have only had to add pH down a couple of times. In a week or so I should have enough roots for ion production to start so the Torus regulator should begin working and my pH should stabilize @ 5.8 to 6.3. My EC is 0.8.
Earlier this year when I was trying to get the root system to establish a friend, @rkymtnman, recommended doing a "waterfall" to help get the root system going. Traditionally in this type of system the solution is pumped from the rez to the control bucket and as the control bucket fills it fills the grow buckets equally.
Instead of filling from the bottom I am using Rainbird full circle spray emitters and filling, via "Waterfall", the control bucket in reverse. This allows the roots to have aerated solution flow over the roots before the buckets are full, and then sit in the aerated solution till the buckets empty at the end of each cycle.
The Rainbird emitters.
Applying the nutrient solution from the top takes about 20 minutes to fill the control bucket in reverse. Then the roots sit in the solution for about 25 minutes before it is pumped back to the rez. At present I am running 16 cycles at 45 minutes on and 45 minutes off.
I am in adjustment mode now, setting the depth of the solution in the grow buckets, the solution level is a bit higher than I want or need.
You can see the depth of the solution in the grow buckets, right at the surface of the Hydroton when buckets are filled. To reduce the chances of getting algae and other bad stuff I lowered the solution depth about 2 plus inches below the Hydroton so as not to expose the liquid to the light. That will still submerge the roots in solution.
Level of the solution in the buckets prior to adjustment.
Once the roots are established I will remove the Rainbird emitters and hook the system back up and use the traditional rez to control bucket to grow buckets as designed. Will also adjust the timing of filling and draining.
This is a pic of the root system in the Gro & Flo in September of 22'. Things were going well and then on the 14th I had a heart attack. After spending just over a week in the hospital and a few days with friends that were near the hospital I came home to an empty reservoir and 6 dead plants. They had been switched to 12/12 just 18 days before they were growing like gangbusters and drinking over two gallons a day. Since I had been feeling very bad and not really paying attention to the plants it had been over 6 days since I had replenished the 30 gallon reservoir. So I lost my third grow for the year, hope my bad luck spell is over.
Plant at 16 days into flower and the root system.
Feel free to join in, suggestions and comments are always welcome. Would really like help from some of you that have grown with this method before.
Cloning machine 20 clones.
Needed only 6 so the rest will go to my buddy for his grow.
On my earlier attempts this year I was not able to get the root system established. In an attempt to get control of my pH I added a Torus Hydro Automated pH Regulator to the system but that requires some roots for the ionic exchange to occur, which I did not realize in my earlier grows. The guy that recommended the regulator informed me that it needed a rooting system to work well. Now that I have some root system I have a bit of control over the pH, have only had to add pH down a couple of times. In a week or so I should have enough roots for ion production to start so the Torus regulator should begin working and my pH should stabilize @ 5.8 to 6.3. My EC is 0.8.
Earlier this year when I was trying to get the root system to establish a friend, @rkymtnman, recommended doing a "waterfall" to help get the root system going. Traditionally in this type of system the solution is pumped from the rez to the control bucket and as the control bucket fills it fills the grow buckets equally.
Instead of filling from the bottom I am using Rainbird full circle spray emitters and filling, via "Waterfall", the control bucket in reverse. This allows the roots to have aerated solution flow over the roots before the buckets are full, and then sit in the aerated solution till the buckets empty at the end of each cycle.
The Rainbird emitters.
Applying the nutrient solution from the top takes about 20 minutes to fill the control bucket in reverse. Then the roots sit in the solution for about 25 minutes before it is pumped back to the rez. At present I am running 16 cycles at 45 minutes on and 45 minutes off.
I am in adjustment mode now, setting the depth of the solution in the grow buckets, the solution level is a bit higher than I want or need.
You can see the depth of the solution in the grow buckets, right at the surface of the Hydroton when buckets are filled. To reduce the chances of getting algae and other bad stuff I lowered the solution depth about 2 plus inches below the Hydroton so as not to expose the liquid to the light. That will still submerge the roots in solution.
Level of the solution in the buckets prior to adjustment.
Once the roots are established I will remove the Rainbird emitters and hook the system back up and use the traditional rez to control bucket to grow buckets as designed. Will also adjust the timing of filling and draining.
This is a pic of the root system in the Gro & Flo in September of 22'. Things were going well and then on the 14th I had a heart attack. After spending just over a week in the hospital and a few days with friends that were near the hospital I came home to an empty reservoir and 6 dead plants. They had been switched to 12/12 just 18 days before they were growing like gangbusters and drinking over two gallons a day. Since I had been feeling very bad and not really paying attention to the plants it had been over 6 days since I had replenished the 30 gallon reservoir. So I lost my third grow for the year, hope my bad luck spell is over.
Plant at 16 days into flower and the root system.
Feel free to join in, suggestions and comments are always welcome. Would really like help from some of you that have grown with this method before.
