Oh, as to recommendations, well you can't go wrong with a SE HPS. Know that most metal halide lamps won't work if used in the vertical position so they are out. You want a lamp thats universal or vertical (base up). For smaller areas you could use a 315 CMH with an adapter to fit a mogul base (e39/e40) socket. You can get the bare bulb vertical socket / cord / hanger as well (no reflector).
Got 3 4x8s side by side with 2 aisles that are ~ 15 inches each. I dont even use them until I chop down honestly. Might as well add some lighting in there.
My aisles are a lot wider, how many inches do you have between them? Perhaps a double sided strip light driven softly would work that close to the plants. To really benefit from side lighting you have to be growing taller plants. The inner stuff on mine has to get lolipopped, only what makes it to light stays.
It looks like the plants filled that space though, like there is 15 inches between the plants you have?
I don't have to mess with waste water, it all goes to a floor drain. I wouldn't grow without a floor drain. It takes me about 15 minutes per day per flowering room to mix nutes and water.There are few people I have seen on this forum (or any other for that matter) with the motivation and know how to do what you have accomplished in your grow room, and your efforts are an inspiration to indoor gardeners everywhere. I'm going to work through all the pages of your journal over the next couple of days. I hope to implement some of your ideas into my flower room in an effort to make daily maintenance easier and produce higher yields. I really like the idea of using the flora series in the big jugs with pumps. It's quick and efficient. Plus you get a huge bulk discount savings buying the big containers.
I'm apprehensive to ask any questions yet, because I'm sure you've covered an immense amount of detail in the 86 pages this thread has accumulated
One of the biggest problems I'm facing right now is that watering day is consuming nearly 2.5 hours every other day with mixing, watering, and cleanup. I'd love to automate the process in some fashion. I'm currently running 19 hempy buckets in drain to waste. I don't mind running the pump and water wand from the reservoir. The real time sucker and pain in the butt is having to use a kerosene transfer pump (cheap and very effective) to drain each saucer after the watering process is done. If I could just manage the waste water run off that would make life a lot easier.
What kind of system might you suggest to make this work easier? I'm all ears. I love the hempy buckets for their simplicity. If I could just find a way to manage the waste water more effectively I could solve my labor and time management problem. I'm not a good critical thinker
If you saw my watering process you'd have a good laugh. It gets done, but let's just say I'm having some growing pains
I see what you did there lol.
I never would have thought to do anything creative like that. Crafty and effective. That's a great long term solution. Something tells me your phone rings often for a lot of those "how do you think I should do this" type of questions. The world needs more MacGyver's like you dude. I don't smoke joints too often these days. I prefer my bong. It's the quickest and most effective path to being stoned. Today is different though. I've got 84 more pages to work through here, and I promised the wife I wouldn't work on any repair projects today. Time to get rolling and reading
Your mention of flood tables got my brain juices flowing a bit. I don't really have the vertical height in the flower room to raise the plants very much. However, If I placed those big trays (can't think of the proper term) on my floor or even a few rectangular kiddie pools to set the buckets inside of I could let the run off drain into those. I could run a garden hose to my floor drain, attach it to a pump, and I could drop the pump in each tray / pool after my water cycle to evacuate the waste. Man I really think this is my solution. Grow trays (as many as are needed to cover the bucket foot print), garden hose, and pump. I've got everything except the grow trays. I think that's the simplest and cheapest path to working this little situation out. Hell I could even do the same in my tent nurseries. 5'x5' trays in the bottom and no more saucers. Just let it drain to the floor and pump the floor tray. The hardest part for me right now is reaching into very awkward positions to pump the water out of each saucer. If I could just drop my pump in an easy to access spot my life becomes a lot easier, and provide a great deal of back pain relief. Getting old sucks
5x5s are a nightmare, you have no options. Drop down to 4 foot and the world is yours when it comes to flood trays, I'm currently ordering 3 5x5 end pieces and 3 5x5 drain ends for 3 5x10 tables but the tray for my 4x8 is right at the damn grow shopYour mention of flood tables got my brain juices flowing a bit. I don't really have the vertical height in the flower room to raise the plants very much. However, If I placed those big trays (can't think of the proper term) on my floor or even a few rectangular kiddie pools to set the buckets inside of I could let the run off drain into those. I could run a garden hose to my floor drain, attach it to a pump, and I could drop the pump in each tray / pool after my water cycle to evacuate the waste. Man I really think this is my solution. Grow trays (as many as are needed to cover the bucket foot print), garden hose, and pump. I've got everything except the grow trays. I think that's the simplest and cheapest path to working this little situation out. Hell I could even do the same in my tent nurseries. 5'x5' trays in the bottom and no more saucers. Just let it drain to the floor and pump the floor tray. The hardest part for me right now is reaching into very awkward positions to pump the water out of each saucer. If I could just drop my pump in an easy to access spot my life becomes a lot easier, and provide a great deal of back pain relief. Getting old sucks
Edit: Found these https://hydrobuilder.com/hydroponics/hydroponic-grow-trays-and-stands/grow-trays-1317/active-aqua-flood-table-premium-white.html One 4'x8' would cover 2 rows from end to end. I have 4 rows, so 2 of these would cover my flower room for under $500. Convincing the wife will be the hardest part. It just has to be done though. I mention the word jack hammer and my growing privileges may be revoked
I know this is an old post, but would you please clarify if this is an elemental ppm or an ec meter on the 500 scale? My limited experience tells me that's not elemental ppm?
This may be a silly question, but I have no experience with these trays. Can I block the drain hole so the water just pools in the table? I'm hoping to use them as oversized saucers as long as I can plug the hole. Draining 2 trays is light years easier than draining 19 saucers. Most of which are very difficult to get to. I think I will be able to use a 4'x4' in my nursery tents which should fit the buckets nearly perfect. They trays don't necessarily have to go edge to edge. Just far enough so the bucket sits in the tray. Losing 6" on each side adds up to the 12" reduction. In my head it seems like it will work perfect.
Anything's possible with the right amount of joints
Shit I like that man. I like that a lot actually. I never even thought about using a shop vac. The rigid I've got even has a drain hole in the bottom of the vac. That will actually work perfect for my nursery tents. I can pickup another dedicated vac just for that purpose. The hose is nice and long with great reach versus my kerosene transfer pump which is only about 2' long, and I have to use 1 hand to hold the pump vertically. Your way for clearing the water in the tents is simple and efficient. The hose on my rigid vac is at least 6' long. I can already feel the back pain relief
Good looking out dude. And I might even use this as an option for clearing the water in my flower room due to the long reach of the hose. It's just too easy. Why not, right?