Perlite, PE Auto and a Few Questions

OK. First time to order seeds and damn if I didn't screw up. I was gonna try some G13 Pineapple Express using Scottyballs waterfarm method.
Ordered everything and then realized I had ordered auto seeds so I'm gonna wait on using the waterfarm.
I've got three auto seeds and after putting my grow area together my budget is thin so I've decided to go quick and easy. G13 Auto PE is a pretty easy to grow strain so I think this will work and be quick and then I can get onto a waterfarm/scrog grow.
Anyway here's what I plan with a few questions.

I've seen several threads where grows were done in 100% Perlite and saw some great results with just a hole in the bottom of the container two inches from the bottom. This creates a small reservoir and the perlite can wick. Only need to water every two or three days. Kind of like passive hydro.
I'm using 400 watt MH/HPS and here are my questions.

1. I've got three 3 gallon buckets. I've seen people using much smaller but would I gain substantially using 5 gallon?

2. Would it help to place a small airstone at the bottom of these buckets in the two inch reservoir... I've got the air pump and the stone and thought it couldn't hurt (more oxy) but I don't know. I might do one or two this way just to compare. What do y'all think?

3. My water PH is 7.5 so I will ph down to about 5.7 to feed until I start adding nutes and then see what the nutes do. Does this seem right?

4. When checking PPM if your water is 100 and you are to add 250 ppm nute would that mean the total would be 350 ppm?

Thanks and thanks for this forum!

interesting but why do this instead of convention style?? anyway dont take the final results and set em in stone on the pe since its auto and your experimenting...def want to see what ppl tell you as i have no knowledge on this but again interesting...

thatsbetter said:

OK. First time to order seeds and damn if I didn't screw up. I was gonna try some G13 Pineapple Express using Scottyballs waterfarm method.
Ordered everything and then realized I had ordered auto seeds so I'm gonna wait on using the waterfarm.
I've got three auto seeds and after putting my grow area together my budget is thin so I've decided to go quick and easy. G13 Auto PE is a pretty easy to grow strain so I think this will work and be quick and then I can get onto a waterfarm/scrog grow.
Anyway here's what I plan with a few questions.

I've seen several threads where grows were done in 100% Perlite and saw some great results with just a hole in the bottom of the container two inches from the bottom. This creates a small reservoir and the perlite can wick. Only need to water every two or three days. Kind of like passive hydro.
I'm using 400 watt MH/HPS and here are my questions.

1. I've got three 3 gallon buckets. I've seen people using much smaller but would I gain substantially using 5 gallon?

2. Would it help to place a small airstone at the bottom of these buckets in the two inch reservoir... I've got the air pump and the stone and thought it couldn't hurt (more oxy) but I don't know. I might do one or two this way just to compare. What do y'all think?

3. My water PH is 7.5 so I will ph down to about 5.7 to feed until I start adding nutes and then see what the nutes do. Does this seem right?

4. When checking PPM if your water is 100 and you are to add 250 ppm nute would that mean the total would be 350 ppm?

Thanks and thanks for this forum!

Click to expand...

Hello! I think you'll be happy with the quality of smoke you get from those PE Autos - the yield will be smaller, but you won't have to wait that long to harvest! I don't have any experience growing in 100% perlite with a small rez like that, but here are my answers to your 4 questions:

1. Considering you're growing autos, I don't think using bigger buckets will give you much bigger of a yield - the flowering time will be the same no matter what size the bucket is, so I'd say you're fine with the 3 gallon ones. Once you're done this grow, you'll have a good idea for next time if you ever get autos again.

2. I don't think it's worth putting an airstone in the rez with it being that low. Again, since the grow-time is quite short (8-10 weeks from start to finish), you prob won't see a different with an airstone in there.

3. Sounds about right. In my last 2 waterfarm grows I didn't bother adjusting pH until I had roots reaching the rez - in your case with the perlite, it may be more important early on. Anywhere in the 5.8 to 6.2 range will be fine. If you're using Floranova nutes, you won't have to worry about pH adjusting once you start nuting.

4. Yep, you got it. Tap water at 100 ppm is getting up there, but just like you said - you need to subtract that number from your nutrient ppm to get the correct number. Keep in mind that the 100 ppms are there from additives or natural occurances in your water. If those extras are a problem, you will find out early on in the grow.

...hope that helps! Good luck - I'll subscribe to your thread and follow along. Post any pics that you can - it helps a ton!

peace.

Dayzt

ThanksDayzt. Probably right about the airstone but I think I'll do it in one just to compare. Seems like the waterfarm shines because the water is so oxygenated. I don't think it would hurt other then it might cause the water to evaporate faster in that container than the other. We'll see.
Actually the 100 ppm was an example. My meter hasn't arrived but I should have it tomorrow or first of week at latest. I'm worried it's higher but I've seen and read successful grows with 200 ppm. Hopefully it's lower. I'm a little concerned because I looked up my towns water quality report online and it scored 73 on the EPA chart. Didn't say anything about ppm but with some more googling I found someone that said that equaled to 200 ppm. I'm not 100% sure about that though. I'll know soon enough. Might have to dilute with some distilled. Hope not.
Yeah, I'll be using FN Bloom and it should buffer the water just fine.