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[GroundControl]

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Looking good there GroundControl. If I may ask, what do you have your nutrient ph at?

WJ

I had adjusted to 6.1 ish.
I have all 4 containers connected to one nutrient bucket/controller to allow me to fill a five gallon bucket and its float valved into the four farms. When I filled the last bucket I had adjusted it to the 6.1 area.
I filled another 5 gal bucket with solution at 6.1 and refilled the top bucket..which will seep into farns as needed,
That was 3 days ago.
I checked the water in the top bucket tonight and it was back up to 7.2.
Im guessing the ph down /up's don't last very long.I have to now drain my top bucket because I over shot my mark with the down,...so had to add up...etc...

 

[GroundControl]

With the ph changes on its own when sitting, Ill have to change up how Im feeding them.
Maybe this is why they are growing so slowly.

 

[GroundControl]

Tomorrow I will probably drain all solution and run just well water for a bit (Ph Adjusted).

 

[GroundControl]

I emptied the Top bucket and checked the ph of the remaining solution and it was at 6.3.
I left it alone.


Here I have started a little bending/LST on the Sensi Star,since I Split it with my LED Light

 

[wildjim]

I had adjusted to 6.1 ish.
I have all 4 containers connected to one nutrient bucket/controller to allow me to fill a five gallon bucket and its float valved into the four farms. When I filled the last bucket I had adjusted it to the 6.1 area.
I filled another 5 gal bucket with solution at 6.1 and refilled the top bucket..which will seep into farns as needed,
That was 3 days ago.
I checked the water in the top bucket tonight and it was back up to 7.2.
Im guessing the ph down /up's don't last very long.I have to now drain my top bucket because I over shot my mark with the down,...so had to add up...etc...

Just a suggestion... hydroponic should be ph'd at 5.8. Calcium and Magnesium get locked out over 6.0. After getting mine set to 5.8 my girl started growing like she had a purpose.

 

[wildjim]

Check out this PH table. It will help you get the ph down pat.

You are locking out quite a few nutrients at 6.1


WJ

 

[GroundControl]

Check out this PH table. It will help you get the ph down pat.

You are locking out quite a few nutrients at 6.1


WJ

Ok..Thanks.
I have been typically shooting for 5.7 but have always stopped if it was withing 5.5 to 6.1.
Ill push it further to stop closer to 5.8.
Thanks


Did you see my post about using the WaterFarms...needing hand feeding at first? to get the farms going.

 

[GroundControl]

Well today I dumped the nutes.
I made a new solution...slightly more nutrients...went to 250 PPM with my tap being 145.
Still fairly mild. I'll check b4 bed to see if theres any burnt tips or anything.
I overshot on adjusting the PH ..I hit 5.6 so I left it there.
I separated each waterfarm so That I can customize nutes for each if need be. Up until they start sucking the solution down.
Then Ill gang them up again to my controller.
Lets hope they finally take off.

Heres a pic of the Sensi Star..I used some dental floss to tie the growpoints down some.

 

[wildjim]

Yea, I saw your post about hand feeding GH WaterFarms.
If you notice in ph chart, at 5.6, P and Mg are locked out. I only say this because I have had ph problems and others on here helped me out. I saw the difference when I set to 5.8 rather than 5.5.
Good luck to you and Grow Green!


WJ

 

[KingJohnC]

You want pH 5.8 for hydroponic and soiless (peat moss and coco coir) and pH 6.5 for soil.

Here is a nutrient availability chart

Here is a cannabis leaf deficiency chart

here is the Cannabis Plant and Pest Problem Solver and the Plant Abuse Chart

Cannabis Plant and Pest Problem Solver: Pictorial

Plant Abuse Chart

 

[GroundControl]

Yea, I saw your post about hand feeding GH WaterFarms.
If you notice in ph chart, at 5.6, P and Mg are locked out. I only say this because I have had ph problems and others on here helped me out. I saw the difference when I set to 5.8 rather than 5.5.
Good luck to you and Grow Green!


WJ

Thks

I checked the ph of the solution in the farm it self and its back up to 7.2
The youngest plant is starting to show deficiencies already.
GH PH Down apparently doesn't last very long.
Id imagine I can use vinegar to drop the PH. Going to go search that now.

 

[GroundControl]

I haven't found much of what I wanted.
But thinking about this..the solution is presumably at the 5.6 that I set it for...and Im assumed that the plants sucked up the nutirents etc from the water raising the PH to the 7.2.
I think the best I can do is drain it and give fresh solution adjusted to 5.8 but make it stronger ppm wise

 

[wildjim]

Thks

I checked the ph of the solution in the farm it self and its back up to 7.2
The youngest plant is starting to show deficiencies already.
GH PH Down apparently doesn't last very long.
Id imagine I can use vinegar to drop the PH. Going to go search that now.

I think it was KingJohnC that got me right with the ph. I had been testing my drain and the ph is always higher. The main importance is to get the reservoir correct at 5.8. I use a ph meter that shows ph to hundredths. So I set mine anywhere between 5.82 to 5.87. I stopped testing the drain because I have to add almost gallon every day. I have the bucket sitting in a tug and have a pump recycling nutes by dripping into the perlite and it seems to be doing well. I'm sure the nutes don't evaporate as fast as she is using them.
But I believe you are right when you say that the ph rises when the nutrients are used. When I did my first DWC it seemed like that happened. But when I did a DWC I didn't wash and ph the Hydroton beforehand and had some ph problems because of that. Just make sure to keep watch on the chart and try to keep it 5.8 in Hydro. It made the difference for me.



WJ

 

[GroundControl]

I didn't drain them and refill. I just added new solution that I set PH at 5.8
I bumped the PPM and its at 350 ppm with tap at 135ppm...it was 2 tsp grow, 1 1/2 tsp micro, and 1 1/2 tsp bloom, and
I put a 1/2 teaspoon of 35% H202 in the 4 gallons of water also. One plant was showing signs of def...I will check it again in a couple of hours.

I added about 5 to 6 solo cups full of the solution to each plant.

 

[KingJohnC]

Thks

I checked the ph of the solution in the farm it self and its back up to 7.2
The youngest plant is starting to show deficiencies already.
GH PH Down apparently doesn't last very long.
Id imagine I can use vinegar to drop the PH. Going to go search that now.

The reason your pH rises may be from 2 factors

1) As the plants use up nutrients from the nutrient solution the pH will rise if the solution strength is less then required by the plants. When your pH rises and your PPM drop your plant is using more nutrient then water and the nutrient strength can be slightly increased. When your pH drops and your PPM rise your plant is using more water then nutrients and your nutrient strength should be slightly decreased. You are attempting to find a balance between the current requirements of the plants and the rate that water and nutrients are used in your nutrient mixture to obtain a stable pH range. If you see slight nutrient burn on the tips of the leaves the nutrient strength should be slightly decreased.

2) If you are using tap water the minerals in the tap water will determine how much re adjustment is necessary to defeat the calcium buffering effect. You can use either pH down, vinegar or lemon juice to lower the pH of your nutrient solution but will use much more vinegar or lemon juice.

 

[wildjim]

Great info KJC. Another thing GroundControl, you can add CalMag. Since adding to mine the growth seems quicker. Especially with LED lighting.


WJ

 

[Lyra]

Ground control, are you sure it's your PH and just not enough nutes? Even when my PH gets over 7 in DWC I don't usually see any deficiencies. I like to up the nutrients until just the very very tip of a few leaves gets burned. It tells me that she's all the way maxed out.

Just a thought, every plant reacts differently. I wish I knew why your growth is so slow, but the girls look good! I don't know anything about LED lighting, maybe the slow growth is related to that?

 

[GroundControl]

Ground control, are you sure it's your PH and just not enough nutes? Even when my PH gets over 7 in DWC I don't usually see any deficiencies. I like to up the nutrients until just the very very tip of a few leaves gets burned. It tells me that she's all the way maxed out.

Just a thought, every plant reacts differently. I wish I knew why your growth is so slow, but the girls look good! I don't know anything about LED lighting, maybe the slow growth is related to that?

The latest nutes are a bit too much now...see some curling up of leaves on side edges,and a few burned tips.
When I put the first nutes in at about a 250 PPM with 140 ppm well water.
That made the plants stand at attention and grew a little.
Thats when I measured the waterfarms solution and saw it went to 7.2.
I made a stronger solution solution because the plant hadn't grown anymore...I bumped it up to about 350 PPM
and adjusted the new solution to 5.8 PH.
I topped off plants with about 5 to 6 solo cupfuls and saw the leave edges curl up..and a few tips browned.
I drained 2 of the plants and put the solution back at about the 250 PPM with the PH at 5.8.
So now Ill see how they respond.

The growth has been slow since about day 4.
I did have the LED's too close..bleached one plants growpoint..and made it Y

The plants look fairly healthy. cept one of them...when I added the 250ppm solution it stood at attention like the others..
and the following morning I saw its fan leaves veins grew darker and the area between grew pale.

The LED is at the recommended height away from the plants...1.5 to 2 ft away.

 

[GroundControl]

Ground control, are you sure it's your PH and just not enough nutes? Even when my PH gets over 7 in DWC I don't usually see any deficiencies. I like to up the nutrients until just the very very tip of a few leaves gets burned. It tells me that she's all the way maxed out.

Just a thought, every plant reacts differently. I wish I knew why your growth is so slow, but the girls look good! I don't know anything about LED lighting, maybe the slow growth is related to that?

I did further looking on the deficiencies and it might actually be nute burn.
I will grab a picture and post it shortly.

 

[wildjim]

Things I have read or heard about LED growing...
Use less nutrients than normal, 1/2 is what I read. I am using full strength with my NLxBB Auto and she is growing monstrous. I am using the GH FloraNova Simple Drain to Waste schedule. I tried Lucas last time but it did not work as well as the Simple Drain to Waste.

Reservoir temps are also important as that is what gave me the most trouble in my first grow with DWC, not too much different from GH WaterFarm. I use a digital aquarium thermometer, thEbay, only a couple bucks. But it helped tremendously.

I tried a farm in one DWC and I fed by hand, as you did, and my plant never grew roots because she didn't have to search for nutrients. That is what I was told.

CalMag is needed when using LEDs also. I am getting good results with CalMag for my tomatoes too, no blossom end rot.

Can't think of any other pointers except read as many Hydroponic LED journals as you can.

Good Luck to you and Grow Green


WJ

Here is my meds. Seed popped June 8th. Northern Lights x Big Bud AUto. Harvest 50-55 days. She is 30" tall with 25 budding tops. Unfortunately she is 7 inches from the Mars II 700 watt LED. Couple weeks from harvest and she is too big to get out of tent. She has taken over tent.