A Modest Attempt At DWC From Scratch

[Modest Grower]

Here is the first rough set up of my new vegetation station. This will eventually move to the closet in the garage but without the tent running and the weather in Calgary, I need to hold off as the room is too chilly at night.

My wife's future flowers seem to like it. The cherry pie in the beer can was a flop before I removed the helmet. I still did and moved it from perlite to soil but the damage was done. For some reason the tap root got really narrow just above the perlite and it just sorta flopped over. Any thoughts?

The little plant in soil is CBDIESEL. I need to let that pot dry out and hopefully she will be good. Apparently, I need to dust the rust off. We'll get there. Right now I am just hoping I can germinate and get a seedling going not in soil. Once I break that barrier I will be feeling good. Maybe my ph is terrible? Not sure but I won't try and germinate in perlite again until my meter arrives.

 

[Modest Grower]

Wait, one major upgrade (don't mind the weights just flattening the mat out.

 

[dick23rk]

I'm not sure I can tell you why that one didn't take in the perlite unless there was light getting at the white section of the stem/root. Your best bet may be to start in a plug of some sort like rapid rooters, rockwool or peat pellet. All can be introduced to hydro, even peat as long as is surrounded by another medium. It's what I do and I find it much easier.

Upon a second look at your picture... are those perlite plants sitting in water? If you're keeping the perlite too wet you could be dampening off the plants.

Ph can plant a big role as well but normally it's ok. Tap water supplied by the city? Ask the city for a water test report, they do them every month at least I'm sure. I got one from my small town for free. Definitely be good to get that ph pen though before diving in. It's pretty much a must have for hydro.

 

[Modest Grower]

Happy Friday everyone! I know it's cliché but so glad it's the weekend. Thanks @dick23rk your suspicions are spot on. I definitely had them sitting in water as I apparently thought perlite was magical and impossible to overwater but easy to underwater. I did also have the seedling off to the side from a very bright light so it is possible the tap root got some of that as well.

I really have much to learn to get my ladies to be happy in the new set up. But, I moved that one to soil and in the new little vegging nursery I think it is making a comeback. I can see signs of second leaves so hopefully she pulls through. Honestly, for my confidence if nothing else.

When I get my seeds, I will be using rockwool plugs. I will wait until I get my meter and hopefully with this heating mat have some good luck. This heating mat is amazing for my situation as the room I am using now is pretty chilly at night. I made a little foil tent around the light and the mat and the seedlings seem to be thriving now

 

[dick23rk]

It technically is impossible to over water perlite, so long as there is a place for the waste to go after. If the water can touch the perlite it can wick it up to a point, leaving all the perlite drenched with not much oxygen. Always best to empty out your catch trays after feeding, otherwise they can collect unwanted pathogens and grow algae due to the light.

Rockwool is a great starter cube but there are a few steps you'll need to take. Most come with instructions. The rockwool cubes need to be soaked in filtered water or light nutrient mix that is at a ph of 5.5 and left to soak for an hour or 2. Once this is done, do not squeeze the cube! If you squeeze them you break all the tiny pockets that hold oxygen for your roots. The cube may seem waterlogged but they never are and always hold air. Just let it drip the excess off. Once ready for seeds, make a hole if there isn't one already and place your seed in. Rip a tiny piece of rockwool off the corner and lightly cover the seed/hole. Then just don't let them dry out, use a dome to help keep them moist.

Speaking of domes, what's your rh at? Domes over all your seedlings could be a benefit. New seedlings love 70-80% rh but still need to give them a little fresh air a time or 2 a day. Clear pop bottles make great home made domes too.

Be careful with foil as well, it's not so bad with led lights, but tin foil can create hot spots from the lights. Black and white poly would be best or some mylar.

 

[KCCO 77]

Hey brother I hope all is good. Looking good over here and it’s good to see some beans popping.
Nice catch @dick23rk on the perlite and it helps to have many eyes watching.
Anyways just passing by to to say hi and see what’s been going on over with the 420 family.
Looking good MG and your off to the races.
Play safe and enjoy everyone

 

[Modest Grower]

Picked up a hunidty dome. This little veg spot is turning into something slowly. Thanks for the tips @dick23rk

 

[dick23rk]

Hey no problem man, that will help a lot.
Do you have a thermometer/hygrometer that could sit I there too?
Also depending on your Temps, you may want to have a plant tray or something like that under your containers instead of directly on the heat mat, don't want to cook the roots. The warmth from the mat inside the humidity dome should keep them plenty warm. I think you had them in trays before but with water? Clean and dry trays

 

[Modest Grower]

I don't have a meter on this set up. This was just kind of a thrown together set up where I definitely was cutting corners. Now, I hope to upgrade all of the needed areas for this little spot. I'll have tobfind a bottom tray and a thermometer and hygrometer

 

[dick23rk]

You'll get there my friend. I'm not telling you have to go and buy these things, but the thermometer and hygrometer is best to have.
A bottom tray could be anything really, something laying around the house, just to keep the mat and the containers from touching directly. Even a piece of cardboard would serve the purpose as a barrier.

 

[Modest Grower]

Much appreciated @dick23rk definitely agree. I'm just laughing at myself as I threw this together and have to catch up on the fundamentals. I do have a decent plan developing though for a fairly unique perpetual grow. More on that later.

I dropped some CBD Dutch treat in water today. Cherry pie is still kicking!

 

[dick23rk]

That's one I've grown, cb Dutch treat. Was a while ago now when I didn't have much experience lol

 

[Modest Grower]

Happy Monday! I hope everyone hD a great weekend. The CBDutch treat all germinated so I have them in soil with the others. The ph/EC/TDS meter I ordered arrived today and my seeds were re shipped by FedEx so they should get here fairly quick.

I went a little off the beaten path with the brand of meter. I think the brand is known but not as common as the others you hear mentioned. It was a really good deal and I liked the PH meter I had from them. hopefully, I won't regret it. I'll tinker with it later and see what the city water is sitting at as I hope to use that. I'm trying to keep it semi simple but if I have to do some stuff, it will be good to learn now anyway.

 

[dick23rk]

Oooh boy, you're set now. Some day I might bring my hydro to this level, I'll stick with the pen for now haha. Have fun tinkering and learning the new gear!

 

[Michael Hunt]

Happy Monday! I hope everyone hD a great weekend. The CBDutch treat all germinated so I have them in soil with the others. The ph/EC/TDS meter I ordered arrived today and my seeds were re shipped by FedEx so they should get here fairly quick.

I went a little off the beaten path with the brand of meter. I think the brand is known but not as common as the others you hear mentioned. It was a really good deal and I liked the PH meter I had from them. hopefully, I won't regret it. I'll tinker with it later and see what the city water is sitting at as I hope to use that. I'm trying to keep it semi simple but if I have to do some stuff, it will be good to learn now anyway.

I used to have an old meter just like that one nearly 10 years ago. You made a fine choice there One of my biggest growing regrets of my life was letting go of that meter years ago.

 

[HashFart]

The dome is life

 

[Modest Grower]

So, I'm running a bit of a test. Getting my feet wet, if you will. I am growing some flowers in a dwc set up from the scraps of my failures (lessons) and it seems to be going well. I figured I would try and explain my wacky plan. So I want to veg out a few different strains. I want to train those plants and have fun with them (think bonsai mothers) then I want to clone from them and put into these buckets for veg (2x5 gal buckets 7 pots each) to move into flower quickly but establishing roots ofcourse.

What I am hoping for is a variety of strains in budscicle form. Its probably a terrible idea and the first thought is different strains in the same nutes means compromise. But I know myself and will probably have to try it at least once through flower.

 

[Modest Grower]

So, I finally took the leap on a chiller. I'm trying to do a ton of research on everything but sometimes I try to move forward to keep things going with the time I have. Anyway, I went with a 1/10 hp which I understand is tiny in the grand scheme of things. Pros: my set up is tiny, the price was right (on sale plus 420 code) free shipping and a local dispensary. Cons: I'm not totally sure all of the ins and outs on what I should have went with and it was still a good amount of canadian bacon.

Either way, I am excited and optimistic so far.

To be clear the 420 code was for the date. Unfortunately, they are not a sponsor

 

[Michael Hunt]

Sounds like a fun experiment. We're going to take a similar plunge on our next grow so i'm hoping to learn a lot from your efforts

From my research on 1/10hp chillers, most of them handle right around 40gal/150L maximum. Each brand seems to have different specs on the pump sizes but the specs are all pretty similar give or take a few GPH. Insulating every tube or pipe also helps squeak a few more degrees out of these little chillers.

Enjoy the new toys

 

[Modest Grower]

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Good news is the girl scout cookies seeds which will be the first in the hydro set up will be here Friday. I was cleaning my office and finally had a solution to the tray that @dick23rk recommended a few days ago. I put the heat mat under the office mat it was previously on. Took the dome off for the picture.

These seedlings are doing alright. The biggest had struggles early on but making a great comeback. These will be trained and cloned while I do the GSC grow.

I might have gone a bit overboard with the seed popping while I waited for the GSC but honestly, it feels great to have some plants going again. My office will be a jungle. I'll Probably put a tent in there when I go back to the actual office. Have a great night