KeepsTen's First

[KeepsTen]

Hey all, this is my first time posting, and first time growing. All suggestions and pointers are welcome.

Heres what ive got so far. Ive built an 8 plant aeroponic system that floods the grow mediums from underneath then drains back into the nutrients solution. But at this point, I think I may just stick this outside for other herbs (basil, mint etc)

I want switch to an ebb and flow system due to its relative ease of set up and operation (as it looks) and the amount of room I have in my closet. Heres what ive got planned if I do.

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Dont know how big trays go, might have to do a 4'x2' cause that sounds like the common size, but I'd like to go with a 6'x3' tray. Id then use a gallon buckets, with netting inside to hold my transplanted babies into 4'' rockwool cubes, and burry them in hydroton.

Plug in a drip stick into each one, and place them all on my tray, thatll be elevated just a bit more on one side to allow draining back into my reservoir.

Ive got a 600w siwtchable lumatek system on its way, and gonna pick up the MH bulb when it arrives and a 6'' fan outlet for my sealed lamp housing. Im gonna pump this out into my attict space above my closet, but im afraid of heating/CO2 issues.
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Questions:
1) Is that right? or am I missing something somewhere?
2) Im using organic nutes (botanicare) that were at my local hydro store, or should I return these and switch to something stronger? (brand names to look for would help)
3) How would I get enough CO2 into the room, or would the ambiet area be enough?
4) Got any suggestions?

Ill have a million questions later, just havent gotten around to coming up with them yet on account of it all still needs to be built.

Oh, and heres a picture of my little grow box. (should I keep the vents open?) No nutes right now, when do I start? I plan on starting 1/4 str, then working my way up. Its quite ghetto right now, just an old cardboard box that I foiled and threw two 24w flourescents into it. Very temporary.

Ill pics post of my system/closet as I build it.

 

[Medman]

1. You'll want a HPS for flower if ya can afford it. MH will work though.
2. No experience with what you're using for nutes (anyone?). But can say General Hydroponics or Aurora Innovations are both easy to use and wallet friendly.
3. As long as you watch your temps and don't have the room sealed up tight you'll be fine CO2 wise.
4. If you're using rockwools why not just put em in 6x6 cubes and set directly in tray for ebb and flow? Don't know why you'd have buckets in the tray, aren't bucket systems completely enclosed?

Sounds like you'll do just fine either way.

 

[KeepsTen]

Forgot to mention my light kit came with an hps bulb, so I'll have both. Running the mh first then I'll switch over.

I was worried about root growth being exposed to light, as I've read from a couple of posts is very important. If I can get away with it without hydroton, then I'll gladly leave it out.

Thanks, I'll be heading to the store again before the week is over to pick up the rest of my gear. As well as home depot to build my set up, man do I love that store.

Good to hear about the co2 though.

 

[rosskemp]

keep it legal!

 

[Medman]

keep it legal!

??????????????? Is this not a marijuana growing site??????????????? Is that the cop from NYPD blues as your avatar? I wonder what your motivation to be on this site is. No offence

 

[KeepsTen]

Okay, so my Internet isn't working right now, so I'll post pictures tomorrow morning if it's back up. But, good news! 9 out of my 11 random collected seeds have sprouted and are are showing some small leaves. I added a little more water with like.... A taste of nutes, maybe a few drops from a pipette for 125ml mixture.

Question though. Some of em are growing pretty tall, with tiny leaves. I'd say 3-4" for the biggest one with 1/2" across from leaf tip to leaf tip (I know, picture would help).

Is this normal? Or, do I need more lights/lower them? Right now, it's just two 23watt flourescent bulbs on top of my little sprouting box.

Thanks for the help.

 

[KeepsTen]

Okay, here are the pictures.

Looks like I just need to transplant em. There are plenty of roots on the bottom of em. I have been way too busy lately to pick up the rest of the supplies and my lights dont come in till tomorrow night.

ARGH!! Plants dont grow on my time.

I opened up the hood, added a little more water + nutes, and gonna go get the tray right now for em, and some piping for the ebb and flow.

So, Do i really not need to get hydroton if I put them into 6x6 rockwool cubes? (no offense medman, just sounded different than Ive seen/read was all)

 

[TerrorAP2]

They look like they are stretching. How close is your light?

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Your lights are either inadequate, too far away or both. Do you have a fan blowing on your plants? These have stretched really bad. You are most likely going to need to do something to support and strengthen the stems or they are not going to make it.

I would use hydrotron. If the rockwool is exposed to light, it can grow algae too.

 

[pcduck]

I agree with THG.... If you are using cheap flors get them about an inch away or get some cfl's in there they are cheap too

 

[Medman]

Rockwool worked wonders for me for years. Yes the tops may form algae. Never hurt my plants, you can get little covers to keep light from top of cube if the algae really bothers ya. Hydrotron couldn't hurt just saying not nessecary.

 

[KeepsTen]

I'll start with rockwool first, and if it gets to be a problem, I'll add hydroton.

I'm gonna transplant em tonight, and drop the lights right on em. Hope they'll be okay for another day or two till I get my MH set up, that should be plenty I'd hope.

Gonna go get a table today, and I've got a small .5 gph drip system I just put together. Gonna run em for 15 mins/day 30 mins after the lights turn on with 1/4str nutes to start, then adjust timing as needed. Will I need drainage for the table if I keep watering to a minimum?

Also, where can I get mylar? Who would sell that. I went to home depot, and they had only the sort that was used to cover windows and absorbed light.

Same goes for an inline fan for the ducting.

And on support, could I just make a loop of string, or lean em against the drop stakes to support em, or how do I go about it?

Thanks all.

 

[Medman]

hydro shop or online for the mylar and fans. For support you can do all sorts of things, if you keep em small won't really need it. I use yo yos, google hydrofarm yoyo.

 

[KeepsTen]

Wow, those are cool, pretty smart too.

As you can see, I tried to make my own last night, its holding em up straight, you guys think theyll be able to last? I dont really have a source for seeds/clones right now, so I really hope I can get at least a couple of em alive.

Right now, they are under a 600w HPS bulb, gonna seriously get the rest of the stuff today, finally got a few hours in the afternoon to get the rest of the stuff (MH bulb, tray, hopefully theyll have mylar).... Dang have I been busy these last two weeks.

Just hand watering now, roots have been shootin out of the bottom, so I think im long over due for a transplant.

Do you think that a drip system, dropping just enough water to make sure the rockwool is always moist, will be sufficient? Or, do I need to really flood them and let them drain. I will just start it low, and increase time/frequency as it gets drier and drier.

But seriously, I think I went over board with the 600w, might just get a 400w MH bulb, ill talk to the guys there. Its so freakin bright, wasnt expecting that for some reason.

 

[lordhighlama]

I don't think you are going to want to put a 400w into your 600w ballast, these things don't work like household fixtures. As long as you can keep heat under control, a 600w will serve you very well.

 

[Medman]

You'll be fine hand watering too if you want. When I did rockwools I just flooded the trays when the cubes got light. Definately ready for a transplant as well if ya got roots coming all out the bottom. You'll be glad you got the 600 watt, prb wish you had a 1000 after a couple harvests. Good luck.

 

[thedonofchronic]

youll love the 600w after you see what it can do.
if you were using soil you could plant those plants half way down so they wouldnt look as streched imo.

 

[KeepsTen]

w00t. About time, I got all the goods.

Here are the picture as promised. Right now, hand watering, 1/4str in the morning, just soaking em, then leavin em for the day for now. Ill set up the pump this weekend. Finally got a weekend off.

Im lovin this white light much more. Its cool though, dont even need to turn on a room light anymore, the thing is bright enough to light my room just from my closet door.

Maybe in a month, or when they start to get larger, ill buy some mylar, and wrap it up to contain the light better, but right now, I dont think itll help all that much.

Cant wait till the month is over, im excited to see what becomes of my babies.

Thanks all for your help!

 

[pcduck]

That mylar would reflect all that light that is going into your bedroom, back onto your babies where it belongs.

 

[KeepsTen]

Okay, so, I set up the drip system. It works beautifully. It pumps through the pipe, and the excess pumps right back, never being touching the plants, and because it drains into the bucket above the water level, it creates a waterfall that im guessing would help introduce more air into the water.

At my calculations... My pump does 6.67 gph, connected with 9 .5gph drips, so... 30 mins would mean .37 gallons or 1.4L of water at each site. When I ran this, I had no water being drained into the waste bucket, and the rockwool abosrbed it all, and didnt dry out. Kinda cool, ill never have to worry about the water being contaminated or lacking nutrients, or changes in PH because of drainage.

Whatcha think? The leaves are startin to get bigger and the plants look like theyll be okay.

I was a little worried, but didnt even realize it wasnt even 2 weeks. Cant compare my babies to these bushes im seein huh? heh

oh yeah, and the last pic are just some other herbs im growing. You know... of Basil, mint, oregano sort. Figured id throw em in there with the extra room, and they not really taking much space/work.