wildbill38
New Member
Sounds like a good plan. Keep updating with pix,
they look better also.
they look better also.
First Solo Grow - DWC Kosher Kush
- Thread starter AlphaPrime
- Start date
Is that ductwork hot?
- Thread starter
- #63
AlphaPrime
New Member
Will do - just need to grab some new O rings real quick - as 2 of the pots still have minute leaks of several drips per hour that I would rather fix now than (if and when) the plants get bigger !
Good analytical thinking
But no - its comfortably cool to the touch and delivers fresh air thats around 70-73 max.... Thanks again for all the input received thus far - in addition to the plants looking a little more perky i feel much more upbeat about their prospects! People really were not lying when they said that growing - especially as a beginner - can be a rollercoaster ride !
AP
Your plan sounds good.
Few more thoughts I had while running some errands... Can your 600w be dialed down at all/watts adjusted? Perhaps the lighting is a bit intense for those youngin's especially with all the reflective material around them? You just have the one 600w if I remember correctly, no? You had some dry conditions before, how are you getting your RH to stay at 40% now - and does it vary at all - how about at night/lights off?
Sometimes when they're young things are a little tougher if somethings off just a little, but they tend to adapt some as they get older - and so will you. This will all work out.
Glad to see them looking better!
Few more thoughts I had while running some errands... Can your 600w be dialed down at all/watts adjusted? Perhaps the lighting is a bit intense for those youngin's especially with all the reflective material around them? You just have the one 600w if I remember correctly, no? You had some dry conditions before, how are you getting your RH to stay at 40% now - and does it vary at all - how about at night/lights off?
Sometimes when they're young things are a little tougher if somethings off just a little, but they tend to adapt some as they get older - and so will you. This will all work out.
Glad to see them looking better!
- Thread starter
- #65
AlphaPrime
New Member
Your plan sounds good.
Few more thoughts I had while running some errands... Can your 600w be dialed down at all/watts adjusted? Perhaps the lighting is a bit intense for those youngin's especially with all the reflective material around them? You just have the one 600w if I remember correctly, no? Are you still using a humidifier due to dry conditions? If so, is it off during "lights off"?
Glad to see them looking better!
Unfortunately i got the Lumatek ballast which only has the option of running at full power or in their 'Boost' mode which apparently gives something like a 10% (cant remember to be honest) boost to the light - so obviously not of much help in this scenario.
Im still using the humidifier and fogger - but have both turned off whilst lights are off because when i first started using them - there was 'fog' in the tent when i checked in the morning !
Just about to run to the hardware shop for some O-rings - i dont think they have panda film or anything similar in stock - probab ly left this question last minute - but would something like styrofoam work until i can get panda film tomorrow ?
Got my phone phone on me so can check whilst im there ^^
THANKS
You said you "need new meter" in relation to your ppm #s. Is it the same as the ph meter? When did you last calibrate your ph meter? Was it fresh reference solution?
Maybe your meter is reading a little high. If that were the case, then when you thought it was 5.5, it could have been 5.2!
You definitely should be following X's guideline about letting ph drift. When adjusting down, I aim for 5.5. If i hit 5.6, sometimes I'll just stop there. You already know to add a little at a time, so no problem there.
Can you get a picture of the roots of the problem plant?
I just read that last part of your post. You're running a humidifier and fogger?
My first reaction to your picture was it looked over watered, but that's unlikely with RDWC. If your rh is too high though, it could have a similar affect. The plants will still grow in low rh (my rh was 16% until just a few weeks ago). I know plants like more RH in veg, but what if you turned those off for a couple days as a test?
Maybe your meter is reading a little high. If that were the case, then when you thought it was 5.5, it could have been 5.2!
You definitely should be following X's guideline about letting ph drift. When adjusting down, I aim for 5.5. If i hit 5.6, sometimes I'll just stop there. You already know to add a little at a time, so no problem there.
Can you get a picture of the roots of the problem plant?
I just read that last part of your post. You're running a humidifier and fogger?
My first reaction to your picture was it looked over watered, but that's unlikely with RDWC. If your rh is too high though, it could have a similar affect. The plants will still grow in low rh (my rh was 16% until just a few weeks ago). I know plants like more RH in veg, but what if you turned those off for a couple days as a test?
- Thread starter
- #67
AlphaPrime
New Member
Up until now was running both humidifier and fogger as my rh/temp meter was displaying perfect temps but what appears to be low rh! I just stuck an old school manual one on side of tent and thats reading 30% with no humidifer or fogger !You said you "need new meter" in relation to your ppm #s. Is it the same as the ph meter? When did you last calibrate your ph meter? Was it fresh reference solution?
No, the ppm meter is seperate - just checked calibration for pH meter and it was almost spot on - only off by 0.01 so seems all good on that front.
Maybe your meter is reading a little high. If that were the case, then when you thought it was 5.5, it could have been 5.2!
You definitely should be following X's guideline about letting ph drift. When adjusting down, I aim for 5.5. If i hit 5.6, sometimes I'll just stop there. You already know to add a little at a time, so no problem there.
Will treat his guidelines as gospel =) Guess i got a bit overactive when trying to perfect the almost perfect - lesson learnt lol...
Can you get a picture of the roots of the problem plant?
Will get pic of roots in a second
I just read that last part of your post. You're running a humidifier and fogger?
My first reaction to your picture was it looked over watered, but that's unlikely with RDWC. If your rh is too high though, it could have a similar affect. The plants will still grow in low rh (my rh was 16% until just a few weeks ago). I know plants like more RH in veg, but what if you turned those off for a couple days as a test?
- Thread starter
- #68
AlphaPrime
New Member
So the good news is that I managed to flush out everything ... Bad news is that it took just over two hours with the plants sitting in empty buckets to create a dark environment...
The reason it took MUCH! longer than planned was that 3/5 buckets had a bad leak - the kit i bought (need to look on first page in a second) is the biggest piece of crap ive laid eyes on recently. I could have built a better system for half the price and incorporated leak free and durable connections =/ I have managed to fix the leaks for the most part - but unfortunately no more hardware stores open for me in the local area - need to get something to stop the last remaining drips in the morning. I applied water proof quick dry putty meant for plumbing applications to the outside conenctions (no contamination risk...) but it only did the job 99%, guess i shouldnt have relied on the 60 minute promise lol !
Need to get my thinking cap on and figure out what else i can apply to it to finish the seal
As far as the girls are concerned - They look just about as bad as they did in the morning - and cant say that I blame them after the stress they have just gone through. Hope they will recover - if; and i know this sounds negative - and only if they end up wilting on me I will build the bucket system from scratch as it will save a LOT of headache!
Will post a couple pics in a few minutes ! Guess they say what doesnt kill you only makes you stronger lol....
AP
The reason it took MUCH! longer than planned was that 3/5 buckets had a bad leak - the kit i bought (need to look on first page in a second) is the biggest piece of crap ive laid eyes on recently. I could have built a better system for half the price and incorporated leak free and durable connections =/ I have managed to fix the leaks for the most part - but unfortunately no more hardware stores open for me in the local area - need to get something to stop the last remaining drips in the morning. I applied water proof quick dry putty meant for plumbing applications to the outside conenctions (no contamination risk...) but it only did the job 99%, guess i shouldnt have relied on the 60 minute promise lol !
Need to get my thinking cap on and figure out what else i can apply to it to finish the seal
As far as the girls are concerned - They look just about as bad as they did in the morning - and cant say that I blame them after the stress they have just gone through. Hope they will recover - if; and i know this sounds negative - and only if they end up wilting on me I will build the bucket system from scratch as it will save a LOT of headache!
Will post a couple pics in a few minutes ! Guess they say what doesnt kill you only makes you stronger lol....
AP
Hozona
Well-Known Member
That's where being a HOTROD freak, my other hobby, comes in handy...always some sort of sealant in a tube out there somewhere...IF it hasn't dried up! 
- Thread starter
- #70
AlphaPrime
New Member
Pics coming in a second as promised - just waiting for camera to charge up =/
The leaves feel a bit / moderately dry - should I be applying a foliar spray or is that likely to cause more harm then good ?
Also, considering they have been outsife of tent in relatively low light conditions for 2 hours.. will they repair themselves better with lights off as usual or should i stick to 24/0 for a day or two ?
The leaves feel a bit / moderately dry - should I be applying a foliar spray or is that likely to cause more harm then good ?
Also, considering they have been outsife of tent in relatively low light conditions for 2 hours.. will they repair themselves better with lights off as usual or should i stick to 24/0 for a day or two ?
Hozona
Well-Known Member
Even if its tap water...misting is better than drying out...I mist all but my clones frequently...
Your pics will help with the suggestions...I use a GLR light schedule, but unless the lights are hot and close, 24/7 shouldn't hurt, but something like 18/6 or 16/8 would give them the dark period they need.- Thread starter
- #72
AlphaPrime
New Member
Even if its tap water...misting is better than drying out...I mist all but my clones frequently...
Here are the pics of the poor patients:
Feel quite sad seeing them like this - but on the upside I'm glad I've done a lot learning today and will write it down to experience and hope for the best !
Any more suggestions as to whether I should let them reach for the light over next few light cycles I.e. keep them in 24/0 - or should I stick to 18/6 and let them get some rest ?
Only have a second, but I'd stick with 18/6, don't worry about taking them out today. In bloom, it would matter more.
Consider a product like Dutch Master "Zone" for any pathogens in the root zone. I love the stuff fir DWC. there are other brands, too, but that's what I use and know. Not as harsh as h2o2, but it will perk them up, keep roots healthy, and prevent further infection. It looks like the roots are a little unhealthy unless the pic is misleading. If you get it, use at 12 ml per 5 gal to start. Then, reduce it to 2 ml per gallon the next week and thereafter. Really helps eliminate and avoid root pathogens. If they look slimy or brown at all, add this stuff asap and keep the chiller at/below 68f. 66 is fine. The warmer res temps almost assuredly caused problems. After much thought, this is my suspicion as to the issues. The chiller is great start but it might have also improved oxygenation that fed the pathogens that may have started to move in when things were warmer. Lot of maybes still, but this is where I'm leaning at the moment...
Soon, start weaning your plants away from fog and humidifiers/misters etc., gradually. They are problematic in bloom and the plants will need to adjust to not having the extra moisture. You are right to leave them off during lights out - that's actually why I asked.
Consider a product like Dutch Master "Zone" for any pathogens in the root zone. I love the stuff fir DWC. there are other brands, too, but that's what I use and know. Not as harsh as h2o2, but it will perk them up, keep roots healthy, and prevent further infection. It looks like the roots are a little unhealthy unless the pic is misleading. If you get it, use at 12 ml per 5 gal to start. Then, reduce it to 2 ml per gallon the next week and thereafter. Really helps eliminate and avoid root pathogens. If they look slimy or brown at all, add this stuff asap and keep the chiller at/below 68f. 66 is fine. The warmer res temps almost assuredly caused problems. After much thought, this is my suspicion as to the issues. The chiller is great start but it might have also improved oxygenation that fed the pathogens that may have started to move in when things were warmer. Lot of maybes still, but this is where I'm leaning at the moment...
Soon, start weaning your plants away from fog and humidifiers/misters etc., gradually. They are problematic in bloom and the plants will need to adjust to not having the extra moisture. You are right to leave them off during lights out - that's actually why I asked.
- Thread starter
- #74
AlphaPrime
New Member
Only have a second, but I'd stick with 18/6, don't worry about taking them out today. In bloom, it would matter more.
Consider a product like Dutch Master "Zone" for any pathogens in the root zone. I love the stuff fir DWC. there are other brands, too, but that's what I use and know. Not as harsh as h2o2, but it will perk them up, keep roots healthy, and prevent further infection. It looks like the roots are a little unhealthy unless the pic is misleading. If you get it, use at 12 ml per 5 gal to start. Then, reduce it to 2 ml per gallon the next week and thereafter. Really helps eliminate and avoid root pathogens. If they look slimy or brown at all, add this stuff asap and keep the chiller at/below 68f. 66 is fine. The warmer res temps almost assuredly caused problems. After much thought, this is my suspicion as to the issues. The chiller is great start but it might have also improved oxygenation that fed the pathogens that may have started to move in when things were warmer. Lot of maybes still, but this is where I'm leaning at the moment...
Soon, start weaning your plants away from fog and humidifiers/misters etc., gradually. They are problematic in bloom and the plants will need to adjust to not having the extra moisture. You are right to leave them off during lights out - that's actually why I asked.
Well at least I did one thing right by not running foggers at night - a slight victory at last haha
Thanks for taking yet another 'second' to respond - your posts have been invaluable and now that I think about it the pathogen / more oxygen theory does seem to make a lot of sense !
Just looked at DM Zone and am glad to see its not priced in rocket fuel rates
will hopefully get myself a bottle tomorrow ! Am actually excited to sleep and kill 8 hours to see what they look like in the am ! Lol- Thread starter
- #75
AlphaPrime
New Member
That's where being a HOTROD freak, my other hobby, comes in handy...always some sort of sealant in a tube out there somewhere...IF it hasn't dried up!
I may not be a HotRod freak - but addicted to super bikes as well as my beloved TVR Tuscan - sadly/gladly the radiator seems to be the only reliable part in the damn thing ! Hence no sealants
Hozona
Well-Known Member
I may not be a HotRod freak - but addicted to super bikes as well as my beloved TVR Tuscan - sadly/gladly the radiator seems to be the only reliable part in the damn thing ! Hence no sealants
Another thing I noticed is you root in root riot cubes. I never ever had as much brown muck in my hydro with rockwool as I did root riot cubes...Now that I am almost exclusively in soil...I use either aero or rooter cubes to get my youngin's growing....just a thought...- Thread starter
- #77
AlphaPrime
New Member
I only came to realise that the RR cubes are overhyped once I boght the propagated kit overpriced lol
2 days into germ I realised for a little extra I could have built my own aeroponic prop and ended up with much better roots - but at least sth to look forward to for next time !!Also for anybody else - somehow came to read lots of articles about 'Mycorrhizae' - fungi that lives in harmony with roots - would a product lik this actually work / is it something used in addition to DM Zone or is it supposed to be a replacement ?
Thanks !!
AP
Hozona
Well-Known Member
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I would wait until after the zone treatment before adding 'Mycorrhizae' to you reservoir. And since X is the hydro guy...what he uses is what I would use in your grow also...I only came to realise that the RR cubes are overhyped once I boght the propagated kit overpriced lol
Also for anybody else - somehow came to read lots of articles about 'Mycorrhizae' - fungi that lives in harmony with roots - would a product lik this actually work / is it something used in addition to DM Zone or is it supposed to be a replacement ?
Thanks !!
AP
Go to the first pages of his journal and check out what he uses...
ive heard good things about myco
i myself dont use it
one problem i dont like about rdwc systems is if one plant has an issue because of the nutes res whatever they will all get the problem
i myself have used dwc not rdwc all seperate and in its own nutes also making it easier for me to have plants on different timelines for harvest, keeping track of what week for what isnt too hard either unless your doing alot which looks like you might be so rdwc is probably the way to go but as i stated problems with one will reflect on all.
ive done weekly res changes following my nute schedule
heres a question i dont use a ppm meter so i have to ask does it show ppm's for each individual nutrient?
if not how can you really tell what the plant is uptaking and what it isnt using?
as far as ph goes 5.8 is the magic number, i have vegged with my ph up to 6.2 and it did fine
ive never gone lower tho i try to keep it between 5.8-6.0 if all possible keep it at the 5.8
sorry if i may seem to be rambling a bit
buckets cleaned weekly with weekly res changes i dont use a chiller and knock on wood have had no issues maybe the weekly res change helps
the water when at its fullest is maybe about an inch or less above the bottom of the netpot, as long as you got good air i dont think the roots will have any issues
and when i do have to add during the week i use 1/4 strength nutes for the scheduled week to top off according to the manufacturers product im using
hope something i said helps
btw did you figure out the issue with the droopy leaves?
i guess im subbed now so if i can add any input i will
i myself dont use it
one problem i dont like about rdwc systems is if one plant has an issue because of the nutes res whatever they will all get the problem
i myself have used dwc not rdwc all seperate and in its own nutes also making it easier for me to have plants on different timelines for harvest, keeping track of what week for what isnt too hard either unless your doing alot which looks like you might be so rdwc is probably the way to go but as i stated problems with one will reflect on all.
ive done weekly res changes following my nute schedule
heres a question i dont use a ppm meter so i have to ask does it show ppm's for each individual nutrient?
if not how can you really tell what the plant is uptaking and what it isnt using?
as far as ph goes 5.8 is the magic number, i have vegged with my ph up to 6.2 and it did fine
ive never gone lower tho i try to keep it between 5.8-6.0 if all possible keep it at the 5.8
sorry if i may seem to be rambling a bit
buckets cleaned weekly with weekly res changes i dont use a chiller and knock on wood have had no issues maybe the weekly res change helps
the water when at its fullest is maybe about an inch or less above the bottom of the netpot, as long as you got good air i dont think the roots will have any issues
and when i do have to add during the week i use 1/4 strength nutes for the scheduled week to top off according to the manufacturers product im using
hope something i said helps
btw did you figure out the issue with the droopy leaves?
i guess im subbed now so if i can add any input i will
I only came to realise that the RR cubes are overhyped once I boght the propagated kit overpriced lol
Also for anybody else - somehow came to read lots of articles about 'Mycorrhizae' - fungi that lives in harmony with roots - would a product lik this actually work / is it something used in addition to DM Zone or is it supposed to be a replacement ?
Thanks !!
AP
Actually, Root Riot cubes/plugs are fantastic for hydro in my opinion. Hozona, I suspect something else was the cause of your brown muck - I've never had any problems (quite the opposite!) with Root Riot plugs (Rapid Rooters - I've used both and other knock-offs too). Personally, I think they are the best thing since sliced bread. I germinate all of my seeds, and clone all of my cuttings with them, and often get roots in as quick as 6 days with cuttings. They maintain a nice moisture/air ratio and are packed with micro-nutrients that give them a nice start. Though, it's cheaper to buy them in smaller packs than the Propagation kits. They work well for both hydro and soil. I was always going to build an aero cloner, but these simple plugs were so effective that I couldn't see a reason to stop using them. In a larger scale grow, the aero cloners shine, and I'm sure they work great when dialed in.
Mycorrhizae is another way to go as far as root zone help, and may indeed have some efficacy in conjunction with Zone. I experimented the last round with using both together, and I think it helped some. But, mycorrhizae gets tricky in hydro a bit. I did have some extra muck and a lot of particulate when used as indicated on label as a reservoir additive, so I found a creative way to apply it between reservoir changes.
My advice would be to keep it simple for right now, and start with Zone as it will get you quicker improvement. It can do the job on it's own, and you'll be out less $. If you want to try mycos later on instead of, or in addition to, Zone - go for it, but Zone will help get your problem sorted out faster I think... In soil or coco coir, mycorrhizae is a no brainer - it's great stuff. In my journal, maybe 5 pages back or so, is a post explaining how I applied mycorrhizae when I used it this past round in the Flo N Grow.
