How difficult is hydro?

papa canna

Well-Known Member
easy just watch out for overwatering... all my fuck ups were from overwatering
I have a mom in soil and her clones in hydro. The clones are massive compared to their mom and they were only vegged for 2 weeks vs 2 months for the mom. Soil seems finicky. I never know if they are getting everything they need, seems like I'm watering her every other day. Hydro system, change out the rez once a week (could go longer) fill up the top off rez and never really have to do anything during the week. Once you figure out the recipe, it's pretty much auto pilot.
So can either of you tell me, at what point do you allow the roots to grow into the water?

Also, how many plants might be prefered at 600watts? I have 9 in my soilless and I think it's too many. I'm only pulling about 6 ounces or so off the 9 :(
 

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
So can either of you tell me, at what point do you allow the roots to grow into the water?

Also, how many plants might be prefered at 600watts? I have 9 in my soilless and I think it's too many. I'm only pulling about 6 ounces or so off the 9 :(
I'm guessing the advice you were given on water levels was related to the bottom of the netcups, not the roots. The roots will grow out of the netcups and reach the water on their own.

A lot of people here swear by chillers, but I've never used one and the only time I've ever bumped into root rot was due to an air pump failing. I'm not saying a chiller won't improve conditions in the root zone, but I can say for sure it's not necessary for someone starting off as I've never used one before. Root rot comes from dead roots, not the other way around.
 

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
Also, if you only got 6 ounces off a 600W HPS, chances are you didn't have a full canopy after the stretch. Better canopy management along with hydro with inorganic salts should be able to yield more like 20oz under a 600W.
 

papa canna

Well-Known Member
Also, if you only got 6 ounces off a 600W HPS, chances are you didn't have a full canopy after the stretch. Better canopy management along with hydro with inorganic salts should be able to yield more like 20oz under a 600W.
holy cow. thats a lot of grass. my first 2 soil grows had a lot of ph and lockout issues. so thats probably what most of it was. along with my inexperience. my current soilless grow seems to be going much better. i'll know more about the numbers in about 3 weeks.
 

Gregor Eisenhorn

Well-Known Member
You start your seed in rockwool, starter plugs or any method of your prference and wait until there are a few good roots sticking out of the cubes. After that you carefully stick the cube into the netpot filled with hydroton/lava rocks etc.

The whole concept revolves around the roots trying to search for water. The air from the air pumps will agitate the reservoir water causing the bubbles on the surface to pop and thus spray the bottom of the netpot with water (that's why the water is just below the base of the netpot). The medium then wicks the water up a little bit and the roots naturally go were there is moisture, thus venturing down until they start sticking out of the netpots. They eventually find their way to the water... and then it's on.
 

papa canna

Well-Known Member
Use coco in hempy buckets and it's full-on hydroponic. It is also dead simple and effective. I used general hydroponics aeroflo18 for over a year and ditched it for hempy buckets.

These were the main colas in a couple Mephisto autos. 75 days from seed.

View attachment 3657010

View attachment 3657011
from what I found googling, (which wasn't much) hempy buckets are just a slightly modified container with coco. Isn't that just growing soilless. I dont quite understand.
 
from what I found googling, (which wasn't much) hempy buckets are just a slightly modified container with coco. Isn't that just growing soilless. I dont quite understand.
Hydro is basically "just growing soilless".

Hydro is:

Neutral Growing media with a
Nutrient solution constantly available or available on a fined schedule.

If you want something more complicated, there are lots of options. But this is the simplest. You have to treat it JUST like hydro because it is. Same ph. Same nutrient schedule. Same everything.
 

papa canna

Well-Known Member
Hydro is basically "just growing soilless".

Hydro is:

Neutral Growing media with a
Nutrient solution constantly available or available on a fined schedule.

If you want something more complicated, there are lots of options. But this is the simplest. You have to treat it JUST like hydro because it is. Same ph. Same nutrient schedule. Same everything.
I gotcha. I was looking into the direction of a DWC. using buckets of bubbling water to allow constant access to a recirculating feeding solution. From what I understand these systems have the fastest growth.

Technically speaking, I suppose what im doing at the moment could be considered hydro because I am using an inert peat moss mix.
 
Pretty similar. If so, then DWC should be a no brainer for you. Try it out and see how much better it is for yourself. It's cheap
To find out.
 

papa canna

Well-Known Member
Pretty similar. If so, then DWC should be a no brainer for you. Try it out and see how much better it is for yourself. It's cheap
To find out.
I agree. I'm working on getting everything all set up. Next thing I need to narrow down would be how many plants should I have. Thinking somewhere between 4-6 but its a tough call because 6 would cost a fair amount more than 4. and I dont want overcrowding issues because im only running a 600 watt and im currently growing 9 plants in my peat. (definitely think im currently overcrowded)
 

Anon Emaus

Well-Known Member
I agree. I'm working on getting everything all set up. Next thing I need to narrow down would be how many plants should I have. Thinking somewhere between 4-6 but its a tough call because 6 would cost a fair amount more than 4. and I dont want overcrowding issues because im only running a 600 watt and im currently growing 9 plants in my peat. (definitely think im currently overcrowded)
What size tent/room you growing in?

Btw growweedeasy.com has plenty of dwc info that you are looking for.
 

Anon Emaus

Well-Known Member
I do plan to do a bit of topping. I was thinkign 5 gallon coolers for res'
You could fill the 4x4 pretty easily with just 2. Lots of res' may become a pain. Really depends on what your lookin for though, could do rdwc to ease the work load if you really want a variety of strains.
 

papa canna

Well-Known Member
You could fill the 4x4 pretty easily with just 2. Lots of res' may become a pain. Really depends on what your lookin for though, could do rdwc to ease the work load if you really want a variety of strains.
with just 2?! really??? I'd prefer to do recirculating, but everything I read makes it sound very complicated, i suppose I just dont understand it. So i was just going to go with standalones. are you sure about 2? are we talking huge veg times here? I can get a little impatient sometimes :/ I thought 4 might not be enough o.o
 

Niblixdark

Well-Known Member
Changing your air stones every 2 grows is a good idea too because they wear out quickly and have less oxygen capabilities and are more prone to bacteria
 

Anon Emaus

Well-Known Member
with just 2?! really??? I'd prefer to do recirculating, but everything I read makes it sound very complicated, i suppose I just dont understand it. So i was just going to go with standalones. are you sure about 2? are we talking huge veg times here? I can get a little impatient sometimes :/ I thought 4 might not be enough o.o
Yeah, you'd have to train it right but you could just grow two big plants that would fill the footprint and get atleast a gram per watt. Nah only like a month veg, just stick one of these(https://www.rollitup.org/t/diy-dwc-5-gallon-scrog.510210/)on there nice n low and grow horizontally to fill your space. Of course it depends on the grower, I think you'll just have to do some growing and find the right method for yourself. I think with all the questions you have you might be in for a real treat jumping into 4-6 dwc buckets. That's why I'd suggest less for now until you've at least grown in dwc, but if you got the time and will then run 6 and see how things go. Experience is your best learning tool.
 

papa canna

Well-Known Member
Yeah, you'd have to train it right but you could just grow two big plants that would fill the footprint and get atleast a gram per watt. Nah only like a month veg, just stick one of these(https://www.rollitup.org/t/diy-dwc-5-gallon-scrog.510210/)on there nice n low and grow horizontally to fill your space. Of course it depends on the grower, I think you'll just have to do some growing and find the right method for yourself. I think with all the questions you have you might be in for a real treat jumping into 4-6 dwc buckets. That's why I'd suggest less for now until you've at least grown in dwc, but if you got the time and will then run 6 and see how things go. Experience is your best learning tool.
how do you suggest training for a 4-6 week veg? Is topping too stressful for the short period?
 
Top