Next thing you know I’ll be running coco
I usually use RO or 25% solution to flush out the medium.
I missed so many updates! Sad for the error in the veg, but they’ll catch up. That’s the magic of hydro, you get to see your errors fast. But you can also correct them as fast.
Meanwhile, woohoo, the other tent is alive!
Hey man. I wrote an answer to your “plain water” question. But it was several paragraphs and I hesitated to post it. So unless you want that, suffice to say don’t use plain/ro/tap water in hydroponics - particularly pure water hydro (R/DWC, Aero, etc.) and rockwool. No buffering capacity, difficult/“impossible” to pH “plain water” with any stability, can mess up “chemistry” in media. I doubt you’ll find any source (“reputable” or other) that will suggest using plain water, and will likely suggest the opposite (never do it).
I think there might be an error here. The only difference from mS to uS should be decimal places. Am I misunderstanding what you’re saying? My meter gives uS until it hits 1000 or 2000uS (can’t remember). 1mS = 1000uS. I can change that feature in mine though, I think.
Grodan officially released a statement years ago saying it’s not necessary any more. They used to use some kind of lime as a binder, which is why you had to “set” the pH. Now they don’t. I’m not calling you out, or saying to change just sharing some info.
You have the media sensors? And irrigation setup running off of them?
@FieldEffect I make covers for RW or coco, etc., from this often. It blocks most of any light, and allows irrigation. It even helps spread the water out over the surface a bit. Depending how you irrigate I suppose.: Amazon.com - Shelf Liner, Non-Adhesive Roll Drawer Liners 12 Inches x 20 Feet, Non Slip Grip Durable Strong Clean, Shelving Liner for Kitchen cabinets,Storage, Desks, Kitchenware, Tableware, Light Gray
And yea, like I think @m0sirys mentioned, don’t do any kind of “flushing”, or soaking+draining if it’s just going to end up in a reservoir.
I use gloves and a half/full face mask. It’s itchy, yes. And I once was coughing up some of the crap after having delt with mini-cubes and not wearing anything. I used a 200x usb microscope to see it amongst the…stuff I coughed up.
@FieldEffect How did/do the roots look? Do you notice any damage that might suggest ill effects of chlorine toxicity?
Well, I probably ended up writing too much anyway. I’ll stop there. They’ll probably bounce back. Doing well for this indoor attempt, on a pretty small scale, and learning a lot.
Well done.
Re: soaking for pH - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHKYm_cs4UE
I also remember writing them back then and they confirmed (years and years ago). I think I even recall seeing it on a bulk box of grodan before, but anyways.
Also, I found this video on grodan from the 1800’s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSdqTME8Um4 (It’s part of a 7 part series. Just sharing because there are some topics you might find of use, and it’s from Grodan.)
Oh - another mention about soaking not being necessary in this part - 20 seconds in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnT6WHA3Le4&list=PLyRZEYsbB9laht9IrKIaTQDJCBh1ZEaCR&index=4. However, again, they don’t use lime as a binder anymore.
Peace.
(The comment section is what you’d think it is. Haha. Ok, that’s all.)
Hey Nitt! Thanks for chiming in.
I rather like reading. Post away if you already have it written!
I guess what I meant by flush was more to sit the blocks in a bin of RO to dissolve salts and dilute them into the volume of water. Just as a means of increasing the dilution without mixing up so many gallons of nutes. After that “dilution/dissolution” stage, feed pH’d nutes as normal. Basically the nuclear reset. Dissolve everything in the media into solution then start with conventional feeding again.
That’s basically what I wound up doing with weak nutes (rather than my original plan of RO) as directed by you and others. The text just below that is accurate. I started at 1.3mS (1300uS) EC nutrient basin, about 4 gallons. I soaked the plants in it to the stems (entirety of the media under nutrient solution) and dunked them in and out over the course of 20 minutes or so. After I removed the plants the EC of the basin rinse solution was 1.75mS (1750uS), an increase of 450uS over where it was before I put the plants in it.
For the last several days I’ve drained the reservoir pretty much every day trying to maintain a more moderate EC of 1.5-1.8mS. It’s the closest thing I can get to flushing without taking them all out and back into the 4 gallon tub. I have really limited space and time unfortunately during the work week. I basically have an hour in the morning and maybe an hour or two at night to do all this stuff. It’s a bottom-feed flood-drain setup so I’m not pouring the reservoir solution back over the top of the media at any point. It floods for 10 minutes at 6am (I’m usually long gone to work at this time), and the next morning before it floods again I empty the reservoir and replace with fresh solution. Hopefully that makes enough sense to communicate what is happening. It’s post 322 I think showing the setup. It only fills to about an inch up the blocks so it’s more of a bottom-feed setup than flood/drain.
They looked not great, not terrible. Definately some damage but nothing I identified as positively pointing to Cl. I’ll take some pictures tomorrow morning.
That’s part of the appeal of hydro, I just didn’t realize how fast mistakes could manifest and how severe I could make them. Lessons learned! Thanks for linking your nutes I’ll check it out this weekend.
I made covers for the blocks on the flower side. Post 366 shows those. The flood table gets pretty near the top of the blocks on that side. I like that material, good idea!
I think maybe next time I try top irrigation to minimize some of these issues. Or get a deeper table on the veg side.
Live and learn I guess. The flower-side is doing well. Pics tomorrow. I think the cuts are rooted and time to flip that side to 12/12.
Cheers guys. I really appreciate all the input and support. I read it all but sometimes it takes me a while to really digest it. I’m biting off a lot at once, as usual. It wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it has been without all the support, and I’m very grateful for it!
I don’t believe you, there were no ways to do videos in the 1800’s, let alone post them on youtube
Cant’ wait to see how they jumped in the flo tent. Keep up the good grow!
Bookmarked at #334, can’t binge a whole month yet ^^
I use this balm (the ultra) on what was lips not so long ago lol The surgeon gave me the first tube and may jah bless him and his progeny for ten generations.
I’m totally frustrated to don’t write a multi-quote wall, but i’m happy to see the attraction law of good minds in your corner. I will not add much on spanlife of hydro tank, kelp stuff … maybe on phyllotaxy and your indirect reading of genetics. You have already a printfoot and a style in the sense of reading, you should use it at term. You even gave me a wtf moment on the NL#1, and the mnemonic steak ^^ Big congrats for the apex roots btw, it’s not only clones for my eyes. The fallen mean something genetically, keep it in mind for later when you read the source flowered.
Keep the vibes high, and the closet engineered.
@Fuel I can only imagine you supremely frustrated to not write a book. I’ve made plenty of bad guesses and wild presumptions that probably evoke a physical reaction in you . Glad you like the lip balm. If it makes you feel any better I’ve been busy dealing with my self-induced micro-tent-disaster and haven’t had time to dissect your updates and ask questions.
I’ve got a lot of questions on the genetic integrity of keeping the moms after such a mishandling. Too much for my remaining brain cells to dwell on at 4am.
Glad you are occupying your time with something and hoping you make a speedy recovery.
Well, let’s see. Up to ~450 PPFD and things are doing well in the larger cubes, isolated from the horror show that happened to the moms. I’m shortening the daylight interval today. 12/12! Day 1.
Back right corner is a couple days behind the rest. They got a few days of veg light cycle to root into the grow cubes (4"/10cm). Not enough space to do that all on the veg side.
The propagation deck of my microtent looking decent. Two of the cuts really stubborn generating roots. They are backup cuts but seeing if they pop roots in the next couple days. They have generated decent callus growth clearly visible from the top, perhaps they have been too wet. I’ll let them dry a bit to stimulate some roots.
The two Runtz x Sour Bubble clones are acclimating before heading to flower side in a few days. They are elevated for 200 PPFD and no humidity dome. I have clones of all 9 moms at this point, with these the last two that will arrive on the flower side.
The disaster recovery level “trauma ward” and some roots.
That’s about the worst looking root bottom in the tray. I am curious what the diagnosis is @Nitt . I have studied extensively the leaf charts and nutrient toxicity/deficiency manifestation in the leafs, but diagnosing roots is not something I have any exposure to.
Likewise everyone!
Flo party!
And they’re all praying again in the veg space.
All the positivity means a lot! I’m a pretty terse technical man, but hopefully the “vibes high” carries on somehow to the plants
No pictures today but all is well. I’m still running fresh solution everyday in the trauma ward/lower veg deck. Flower-side looks similar to yesterday, and I boosted the clones still living on the veg side a bit closer to the light today. 300 PPFD I think I’ll toss them into the flower side end of this weekend but I’m in no particular hurry. The two backup cuts are still not showing roots. Boring morning compared to the frantic mornings I’ve somewhat become accustomed to following the “incident.”
Expecting a cut of somthing very special to land sometime soon, keeping an eye out for that and making preparations. When it arrives I’ll get it into a plug quickly.
The veg plants are in better health still. Have no doubts they will recover at this point, quite a bit of subtle new growth and starting to get some uptake and movement started.
ORP meter shows up today but I have lots of other chores to do. Tomorrow we’ll find out if that works. It’d be nice to have that data point. At the very least I’ll get it out of the package today and soaking in some electrode solution overnight. My big fear with these or older pH meters are dried out sensors, new or not.
I really like the Apera cap design with the silicone o-ring and indicator line to ensure it stays filled correctly. The calibration has been within 0.05 since I initially received it 5-6 weeks ago, just storing the meter upright with storage solution in the lid. I dip it in the cal solutions about once a week just to check. Probably due for a fresh cal, maybe if I finish my chores early
Anyway, all seems well here. Have a fantastic Friday!
You really did a good job with those cuts
Beautiful Roots and very clean set up
Hope so! Just wanted to remind that you’re doing great
You’re teasing us! Surprise surprise.
I can’t find that AC infinity dome, extender, and inner trays “kit” on amazon.ca. Just the dome and bottom tray for $80cad.
How sturdy are all the plastic parts; the dome and extender, the outer tray, and the inner cell tray? Are they like a nice bootstrap farmer, or a double/triple thick super sprouter tray thick?
@Nitt I think it’s very similar to another one I found through Amazon and wanted before I ordered the ACI one from @Ris. It’s pretty robust… I’ll grab some pics tomorrow. Definitely some photo confusion in the one you linked. I’d say the plastic is about a mm thick at least 0.6mm or so.
@Ras-T they did turn out pretty good! Some were definitely more reluctant than others. Still have 2 waiting on roots, if they ever make it
@funkyfunk Appreciate it. As long as I don’t make the same mistakes twice I think we’ll cruising along shortly.
Just vaped a bowl of the 907 Blue Genes. I love that weed. Probably more than I ever have in a sitting, it’s a magically heavy but lucid sensation. Maybe this is what people mean when they say couch lock. I could easily get up, I just don’t want to. Can’t wait to see what the crosses are like.
Well, even if you do them twice, shit happens. Specially with stoners.
Couchlock to me refers to the heayvy body stone. Most of the time it comes with a foggy high, I find it’s not easy to pick a plant that gets you the couchlock effect while remaining a clear high. If you found one, keep it!
@Nitt here’s the model I have. It’s 2.2mm where I can measure it and feels to be uniform. The clear sections remind me of plastic terrariums when I had a small frog as a kid.
These were what I was looking at before I decided on the ACI, looked for them on the Canadian side.There are subtle differences in the tray and dome, but they look quite similar. ACI has a large and a smaller one, I have the smaller one (16" x 10").
I don’t regret the purchase at all. I think the size is actually perfect because it allows me some room. In retrospect, what I’d really like are two 10" square dome systems so I can have them side-by-side with different stages of propagation going on.
My ORP meter arrived and soaked in storage solution overnight. Doesn’t even need calibration. The ORP measurement definately has a longer time constant than pH, no big deal for me I use these little graduated funnels with 10mL of sample and they can sit on my desk as long as they need perfectly supported and immersed. Seems for the first two digits equalization takes ~2 minutes and 5 minutes if I wanted to know to all 3 digits after all drift has occurred. The calibration packets are wicked awesome but I just poured it into one of my little funnels. It’s a great method for field calibration, if I ever had to do that.
The storage cap was cracked, so it’s being stored in one of those funnels with 8mL of storage solution for now. I think I’ll wrap it in thread and super glue it back to sealing condition so I can sit it on my desk with the other meters. Turning quite well-equiped around here for a 6 square foot operation. pH, EC, ORP, PAR all I need now is a mass spectrometer
Stoked it seems to work properly and it only cost $20 shipped to my door. Love me a good deal
Plants are continuing to improve in the recovery ward. Raised the lights and bumped the intensity a bit to equalize the PPFD ~400 at the canopy.
The runoff ORP from todays fresh nute flood was 300mV and the runoff EC was very similar to the input. I think we’re in the clear as far as the media goes. I’ll go back to automated flood/drain tomorrow morning at regular EC of around 1.8.
Flower side looking good but the two of the additions are a little more pensive than the others. The bigger plants are the ones that rooted really well and quickly.
It’s bright as fuck in there compared to the veg side. About 400-500 PPFD at the canopy right now. The little ones have fresh growth but they better get their root-production asses in gear to keep up
The two slow clones sucking up 200 PPFD hardening off. I took the propagation tray out and washed it. Chucked the two that hadn’t rooted yet. They had nice calluses developed but just didn’t shoot any roots out. None. Just callus and rooting sponge. I wonder if I didn’t let them dry back enough. More lessons to learn.
Cheers guys, hope you all have a great weekend!
for sure. i’m still keen on berry lights
who is rear-center, the tank with the nice color and “ironed” leaves?
a looker
That’d be the strongest of the 907 x Shiskaberry. They rooted quickly this time and were also very strong during the “incident” on the other side. Slow starters though
Blue are 907 x Shiska, red are 907 x NL#1, purple are Runtz x Sour Bubble. The other two RxSBs are still on the veg side
Beautiful work and Hurray to the inaugural Flip @FieldEffect