Anybody Interested in Sharing

[orangesunshine]

thinking about starting up a hydro room---not sure what type of system to run---am hoping those already doing it might shorten my learning curve with examples and pics---

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

How much room do you have? How many plants do you want to grow?

 

[orangesunshine]

2 lights in 1 room---1 light in second room---total space is about 20' x 8'

 

[AlkaloidContent]

Hydro is a very complicated way to begin growing. THG hit the main point. WHat size growing space do you have. Next you have to actually understand the minimum that one must provide for MJ to grow indoors. As far as light, air, water, food, security. Its like getting an exotic pet.

Are you capable of maintaining a consistent schedule for at least 3 months? Are you financially able to buy everything the plant needs when it needs it?
Have you ever owned an exotic animal?

If you have never grown you really want to read up on everything you can. Im sure you have since your taking an interest this means you have been filing away bits of info you've seen online, but sit down and think it all out.

Come up with a game plan. Hydro is complicated only beacuse you either have to buy a good setup or be good at building one. You have to buy slightly more expensive materials since hydroponic is considered a step above.

Why not just go with soil? Indoors soil means you will have to understand how plants feed through soil and how to give em to em just right. It seems like it would be messier but messing aroun with bins of fertilized water is kinda the like.

Also with hydro you really invest more up front and since it would be your first dro setup failure is highly likely. Then your dissappointment would be even greater so. Further ending in giving up.

With soil you can get your materials at HD or Lows. Get a good organic soil with very little nutes if any at all. A good fast release all purpose organic plant food. You can get HID lighting if you prefer or go with CFL, LED and T5. Learn the benefits and drawbacks of each of the types of lighting listed above and MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION on it. People will fight to the death over their favorite lighting but it ultimately comes down to what you feel is best.

Go ahead and get pots up to 12" they should be sufficient unless your going big. (This is where the question above comes in real handy)

But hey dont let anyone not even me tell you what to do. I have gotten ish for my setup and I just poste about it 24 hours ago. Happy Growing!

 

[orangesunshine]

alkaloid---i am thinking of moving from soil to building a hydro grow---lighting, space, ventilation, power, is covered----just trying to find what peeps in hydro like using best---looking for some opinions

 

[AlkaloidContent]

oh okay well just getting the discussion going, you pretty much got the basic so now we can have some real fun .

As far as Hydro its like I said you can build one or buy one. I built one from two rubbermaid containers, water pump in the bottom tank with your nutrient solution, on a timer, timer goes of pump runs for 30 mins until the timer kicks again, what you want to try and do is, make sure that both tanks do not any light through and you want to feed your water pump from your reservoir (bottom tank) into your top tank make sure you get all holes sealed. and in your top tank right about and inch or so from the top put a nice big drain tube going back to the bottom reservoir. So the water will continuously run for 30 mins saturating the roots and overflowing back into the reservoir. Pump kicks off and they are good for a few hours until you have the timer kick for 30 again, the trick is to allow for a slight leak around the edge of your drain tube, NOT YOUR INCOMING LINE, this way when the pump kicks off the excess will still drain down into the bottom tank, and on the lid for the bottom tank make the hole for the drain tube a inch or so bigger around in diameter and square so that excess will run slowly run back to the bottom tank, where as the top tank can still fill up with solution. and soak the roots while the pump is running. IT miay be hard to imagine so im going to make a quick drawing BRB.

You seem to understand the indoor growing concept really the only major diff is using a different growing medium an you have to build the system or pay someone else to build and just buy one already made in a cabinet.

Its up to you. However Im sure you know that PH levels and other factors are different from soil too.

 

[orangesunshine]

what about aeroponic misting---or---fogging---many seem to have an issue with the misters clogging---i have flood trays---don't need to use them---but will if that's the road i choose---whatever it is i will be building from scratch---

 

[AlkaloidContent]

Maybe this will get the creative juices flowing.

You can basically see that the bottom tank holds the water. Timer kicks it on pump floods top tank right up to the middle of your cups and draning right back into the reservoir, using a common 24 hour timer you can leave two notches off at a time to run the cycle for 30 mins. Then the timer goes back off pump stops and rest of the solution slowly leaks around the edges of your drain pipe right past the top lid back into the bottom tank until the cycle starts all over.

Just make sure you change your solution on a timeframe suitable to your nutrients and pro advice (which I am no pro but have had successful dro setups)

And make sure you use some sort of air stone in your bottom tank to keep it fresh of O2.

 

[orangesunshine]

i am curious about a main rezzy constantly misting cups cut into 6-8" PVC pipe and recycling back thru the rezzy

 

[AlkaloidContent]

Yea your jumping from hyrdo to aero all in the same day. Patience grasshoppa. Hydro saturates the roots, where as aeroponics mists the roots more consistently. Unfortunately the tube setup your thinking of in PVC pipe is and ebb and flow setup. Where basically avery so often a pump pours water into the tubes until it runs back down in the reservoir again. No misting is done as this is a hydro technique. Aeroponics take ideas similar to the setup shown above but use misters and a very fine nutrient solution sprayed more often than any other feeding method of growing.

Ebbs and flows are cool but really the same idea goes right into whats illustrated above.

 

[orangesunshine]

hmmmm---so nobody is running aero misting with holes and baskets in a pvc pipe---it seems like the ebb n flow is the peoples choice???

 

[AlkaloidContent]

Im sure it can be done but It doesnt seem logical if your going to mist you may as well mist into a tub as opposed to a tube I guess. Maybe someone has done it. I guess we'll see.

 

[orangesunshine]

misting each site on a 6-8" round tube would constantly keep the solution moving---my biggest concern would be root volume---what size plant might one expect to see in a 6" grow basket hanging into a 8" pipe---if anybody is willing---i would really like to see root structure from the hydro guys vegging---life cycles gotta be short and sweet---can't get my head around how a plant with no soil to hold onto does not just topple over

 

[AlkaloidContent]

Well the baskets hold clay balls basically that sit in the baskets, it holds the nutrient solution just long enough for the roots to get a good drink before they dry back out. Even after the water is done circulating for a good 30 mins. The only issue I see with your idea is that I dont think the water/feed is meant to circulate non-stop. I mean even the lightest of nutrient solutions if fed constantly would be too much too fast the plant will get burned.

And really you can put a 6" basket into a 6" pipe the roots will just grow sideways. But remember roots do not like sunlight so make sure your baskets lips up against the holes cut for them and make sure you put no sunlight is getting into the tube. I imagine in Aeroponics that your root tube will have to maintain a specific ratio of O2 and nutrient mist when watering and if the ratio gets too out of whack then the roots wont absorb anything or could lead to root rot.

 

[nouvellechef]

Ebb
48 site
Equals
Alot
Of
Pot

 

[orangesunshine]

NC---what size baskets---if i remember correctly---somewhere i saw 5 plants dangling in 45 gal totes---it is only a 3 light spot---set up for a veg area and a flower chamber

alkaloid---idea is mist is constant---tube is out of all light----gravity drains it back to the constantly bubbling rezzy---

how do you all tackle a perpetual harvest with hydro clones

 

[AlkaloidContent]

Oh ok yea I mean Aeroponics is not something I have extensive knowledge in, but then again, the question started off as hydroponic not aero. Same thing if you ask me anyways.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

misting each site on a 6-8" round tube would constantly keep the solution moving---my biggest concern would be root volume---what size plant might one expect to see in a 6" grow basket hanging into a 8" pipe---if anybody is willing---i would really like to see root structure from the hydro guys vegging---life cycles gotta be short and sweet---can't get my head around how a plant with no soil to hold onto does not just topple over

I personally believe that hydro is easier than soil.

Eight inch pipe and fitting are really expensive. I also do not believe that there is enough room for the roots and misters to get along. In fact, I am not crazy about aero at all. Those misters are continually plugged.

If you want a quick turnaround, like sog from clones, I would recommend an ebb and flow table. But, just because a plant does not have soil, does not mean that it doesn't have some kind of medium to hold the roots. I put my larger plants in 6" pots with hydrotron. I like DWC--I find it the easiest.

 

[AlkaloidContent]

Okay well Im just gonna ask. Is Aeroponic just a fancy word for Hydroponic?

I dont get it, its the same exact thought just with misters instead of saturation. Maybe I just answered my own question lol.

 

[JustAnotherAntMarching]

how do you all tackle a perpetual harvest with hydro clones

Multiple tables with seperate res.... your talkin high plant counts at the point....