High Brix Hydroponics

[Skybound]

Heya Sky
Have you seen this product?

Liquid Bone Meal 0-12-0

www.downtoearthfertilizer.com

Seems like a good way to get P without K, and Ca without N.

Not yet, but I got it on my wish list now. I was leaning towards seabird guano, but P and Ca are exactly what I want for a spray. This plus Maxicrop Soluble Seaweed @0-0-17 would be a great all in one spray. There was another DTE product I was looking at the other day but can't remember which, but that brand is on my watch list now.

FWIW, sprayed my Density spray today under dimmed lights and all plants seemed to respond well. I hope to develop more sheen in the leaves. Anyways, thanks for the link!

 

[Skybound]

THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD BRIX
Professor A. F. W. Brix was a 19th Century German chemist (b.1798, d.1890). He was the first to measure the density of plant juices by floating a hydrometer in them. The winemakers of Europe were concerned that they could not predict which of various grape juices would make the best wine. Being able to judge quality ahead of actual bottling was of immense importance in an industry where a bottle of the best wine might sell for hundreds of times more than a bottle of everyday wine. Professor Brix was greeted as a great hero when he emerged from his laboratory to claim his most generous prize. He was also honored by having the measuring process named after him.

• BRIX is a measure of the percent solids (TSS) in a given weight of plant juice---nothing more---and nothing less.
• BRIX is often expressed another way: BRIX equals the percentage of sucrose. However, if you study the contents of this book, you will soon enough understand that the "sucrose" can vary widely. For, indeed, the BRIX is actually a summation of the pounds of sucrose, fructose, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, hormones, and other solids in one hundred pounds of any particular plant juice.
• BRIX varies directly with plant QUALITY. For instance, a poor, sour tasting grape from worn out land can test 8 or less BRIX. On the other hand, a full flavored, delicious grape, grown on rich, fertile soil can test 24 or better BRIX.

I suggest that you remember that sugar is only one of the components of brix. Also remember that many other substances can falsely indicate "brix" readings (although those readings are valid in their own right). Try rubbing alcohol, whiskey, vinegar, or wine. Interestingly, cooking oil, molasses, syrup, and other thick liquids require a refractometer calibrated to read 30-90 brix. Honey is checked with a refractometer calibrated to measure the water within it instead of the solids in the water.

 

[Skybound]

Some useful bits on page 17-18. IDK how useful any of it is,

 

[FelipeBlu]

Some interesting - and a lot that could be debated.

Hate the slide background - very difficult to read.

 

[Skybound]

Some interesting - and a lot that could be debated.

Hate the slide background - very difficult to read.

Yeah, it's an annoyingly designed powerpoint which makes it that much more annoying, lol, but even though the contents are listed like a long list of bullet points, I can't help but feel like it all addresses everything I know about brix plus a whole shit load more content, so I can in essence use it as a road map, or collection of search terms. The frustrating part is knowing that about 98% of what I find will be dealing with a soil grow, so the best I can do is extrapolate what I can and put the rest somewhere else in my head.

I am open to debating whatever you want, I always want to learn new things and if possible get to the finish line sooner. I'm surprised I didn't see mention of exudates yet. That word seemed to get a fair amount of mention in a couple of threads this week. I wonder if the roots need the exudates removed for proper uptake to occur? I use teas to keep my roots cleaned, but I never thought much deeper into it.

 

[FelipeBlu]

Not that I know enough about things like paramagnetism
Just saying there seems to be some info presented that might be somewhat subjective.

I’m pretty sure that the roots perform regular duties, like excretion, regardless of the grow medium. I think my recent issues with elevated pH in the perlite were a result of my failure to address this. I was top-watering in one spot, and of course, the exudates in the rest of the perlite were not getting flushed out. I am now plugging the hole, fertigating until the perlite floats, and then releasing - kind of like a flood and drain. The plant is looking much better now.

 

[FelipeBlu]

Actually, I’m seriously considering a regular flood and drain table with a reservoir directly underneath.

 

[Skybound]

Not that I know enough about things like paramagnetism
Just saying there seems to be some info presented that might be somewhat subjective.

I’m pretty sure that the roots perform regular duties, like excretion, regardless of the grow medium. I think my recent issues with elevated pH in the perlite were a result of my failure to address this. I was top-watering in one spot, and of course, the exudates in the rest of the perlite were not getting flushed out. I am now plugging the hole, fertigating until the perlite floats, and then releasing - kind of like a flood and drain. The plant is looking much better now.

yeah paramagnetism and ERGs is some far out content, maybe for another time, lol.

Having the microherd everywhere the root hairs are IMO completes the circuit if you will. I've read that when the enzymes trigger exudation, the microbes exchange specific ions in exchange for the excretion. That would mean that the plant is telling the media what it shall eat for each exchange which I can see would result in perfect growth of the plant. Lacking the micro herd in hydro, we are in effect forcing the salt water into the plant and despite our (my) best effort, we (I) will only ever get "pretty close" to perfect feed due to those needs always changing (typical woman). Make no mistake, I am too invested to turn back now and I will continue trying to push this towards success, I am none the less more than fully prepared to be dead ass wrong. I can grow extremely healthy plants for sure and I can still dial it in better, but high brix might be a pipe dream. If that happens, perhaps I'll see if promix can be watered a lot more, lol?

 

[Pennywise]

Maybe concentrate on the environment and the plants can make better use of the nutrients.

 

[Skybound]

That's a long term goal, like score a mini split and get a dehumidifier. Then it would be worth it to connect the Arduino and creating ideal VPD, but ATM I can't really influence my environment. For me, that was switching from HID to LED for less heat, lol.

 

[Pennywise]

Lol I know it's extremely hard to do.

 

[Skybound]

Are you controlling your VPD?

 

[Pennywise]

Not as close as I could be.

 

[FelipeBlu]

Me neither. Just when it looks like I might be getting a handle on it, I get a lights out with a vpd below 0.4 kPa.

 

[Pennywise]

We’d have to have the equipment and controllers to get it perfect.

 

[FelipeBlu]

Indeed!

 

[Pennywise]

It makes a difference though

 

[Skybound]

We’d have to have the equipment and controllers to get it perfect.

I got the controllers, but no equipment. If I can swing a mini split this summer, it's game on! Before learning how to mix nutes, I spent a few years building a hydroponics controller, and still have all my MCUs, relays, sensors, peri pumps all just collecting dust hoping to once again be growing some dank.

 

[Pennywise]

Nice, add a little co2 during the second half of flower.

 

[FelipeBlu]

So Sky,
I input the GA for the DTE liquid bone into my spreadsheet. This doesn’t look bad for mid- to late-bloom:

And a quart is only $7 at my local hydro.