Skybound's Journal

[Skybound]

I'm done screwing around with High Brix and Hydro, and trying to somehow merge the two. That said, I'm back to familiar elemental ranges that produce good results and more importantly, more weight. I just took 2 back to back low weight chops and I'm really feeling the cost of my poor choice to screw around in the first place.

Gorilla Glue (my #2) @ 20 days;

 

[irie lion]

Looking good Sky.

I'm done screwing around with High Brix and Hydro, and trying to somehow merge the two.

Looking forward to it!

 

[Skybound]

Thanks Lion! I spent a few months trying to stretch what I could get out of hydro. I failed at the goal of high brix, though I did learn a lot that I would otherwise not know and now I feel very comfortable switching to soil.

 

[Skybound]

I just made 4-5 cubic feet of Faux Mix. It took up almost the whole 55 gal tote. I hope to be in it around September, so I should have enough time to collect amendments, amend it, cook it and do that to at least another batch. I don't know how much is actually there, but I estimate 2 or 3 10 gallon fabric pots. $33.50 for the Mix materials and $20 for the 55gal tote. So basically a 55gal tote of ProMix for $55, not bad. Thanks @farside05 !!

 

[StoneOtter]

I'm done screwing around with High Brix and Hydro, and trying to somehow merge the two. That said, I'm back to familiar elemental ranges that produce good results and more importantly, more weight. I just took 2 back to back low weight chops and I'm really feeling the cost of my poor choice to screw around in the first place.

Gorilla Glue (my #2) @ 20 days;

Welcome back Sky! Appreciate all the work you do. I still read a lot of it like a dog watching tv but am learning. Thanks!

 

[Skybound]

Welcome back Sky! Appreciate all the work you do. I still read a lot of it like a dog watching tv but am learning. Thanks!

Thanks Otter. I wish screwing around wasn't so costly to my yields or I'd keep chasing my tail, but sadly the bottom line has the biggest say in this.

 

[StoneOtter]

Maybe it's the cost of advancement? I don't know but you figured tons of things out.

 

[Skybound]

HSO Em Dog. Circa 4/11, 10 days into bloom.

 

[irie lion]

Looking good Sky, we should be seeing some pistils soon!

 

[Skybound]

Looking good Sky, we should be seeing some pistils soon!

Thanks Irie, that comment was right on time!

Em Dog 14 days in

 

[Weaselcracker]

They’re looking pefect. So just to be clear now because I feel like things have been revised so many times I’ve lost track, what nutrient target numbers are at nowadays?

 

[Skybound]

..........................NO3......NH4.......P........K.....Ca......Mg......S
Veg..................120..........15.........70.....150..110.....50......80
Stretch............105..........12.........60.....160.......................100
Mid Bloom......95............8...........60.....170
Late Bloom.....85............0...........50.....180..100

Be mindful of a few factors though, that's in rockwool. Still looks to be a slight P def as well as a slight Ca def. I also inoculate my roots once weekly with a frass tea, and I also make a foliar spray once a week which is a major add to my grow. BTW, since I got your attention, added reading has shown that your SRP is likely the good shit. They list it as 0-3-0 because 3% P is immediately available, but it also has 20% P2O5 and 20% Ca that the microbes can slow release. I also found out that the site I get my salts from also sells smaller quantities of the CalPhos SRP as well as the Azomite, both of which are in the brix kit. You might want to look into investigate the shipping options from "CustomHydroNutriients" because they have an immense selection of synths and organics.

 

[Skybound]

The Em Dog is being a little fussy.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Thanks
I’m hoping my theory is right about my plants just being plain underfed on your regimen. That could explain half the alphabet’s worth of deficiencies appearing all at once. I bumped everything up a notch.

Using a mix created with HBuddy, I had been arriving at a similar tds range to what I usually had in the past. However, I was using Epsom salts in the mix for the first time- and I notice they tend to skew the numbers upwards a lot.

Also, you’re feeding often, and I’m only feeding once a week.
Another thought occurs to me too. Something I heard VillageIdiot say. He uses beneficial teas a lot and mentioned that when using them you should lower your feeding levels, since according to him the teas will increase the plants ability to process nutrients.

 

[Skybound]

microbes in the tea eat the exudates off the roots as is usually the case in soil, but in hydro, the microbes aren't always present so the exudates can build up (slime) which then can slow nutrient uptake. When in soil, the microbes constantly take the exudates (sweets) and exchange them for ions. I believe (but don't know) that the plant can chemically tell the microbes which ions the plant wants with the exudates, but I got a shit load more reading to do. That just makes the most sense to me.

I forget what that one link to ScienceHydroponics I put on your journal (weeks/months ago) said, but I think it said that peat is very high in K. If that is so, I suggest you experiment with a regimen that has diminished K. In the DBHBB kit, there is no K added in the soil amendment and the Roots amendment has such a low amount of K2O that it's almost not worth mentioning. I presume DB knew not to add any K to any part of his amendment due to there being plenty in the pro mix. Of the 2 drenches used with the kit, only one of them has a small dose of K2O and the other has none. I see most of the brixxers also favor the drench that has no K, though some of the old heads remind them of the importance of not forgetting the left out drench too much. The Destress spray is high in K, but it is only used when stress is evident, but if none is witnessed, they don't use De-Stress.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Interesting info. Maybe that holds promise for my bunny turd experiment as they are generally considered to be around 2.4-1.6. 0.6 and I was wondering if that K would be too low.
I’ll have to do some more reading. Just heading out in the bush out of range for a few days so am about to disappear.
Also was curious what you thought about some of the opinions in the thread if you haven’t seen it already. What is the main nutrient for flower?

 

[Bode]

Highya SB,

I remember reading (but not where) about the plant excreting exudates of different biological makeup so as to attract certain bacteria to devour, then the bacteria release whatever the plant called for. I didn't explain it very good, but the jist is there. Was a fairly new article, though.
Oh, I also read about microbes not liking living in the reservoir. It was awhile ago, and that's all I can remember about that subject. I'm not a scientist, lol. Cheers

 

[Skybound]

Highya SB,

I remember reading (but not where) about the plant excreting exudates of different biological makeup so as to attract certain bacteria to devour, then the bacteria release whatever the plant called for. I didn't explain it very good, but the jist is there. Was a fairly new article, though.
Oh, I also read about microbes not liking living in the reservoir. It was awhile ago, and that's all I can remember about that subject. I'm not a scientist, lol. Cheers

It makes perfect sense, even paraphrased from memory. For example, the bacteria that's in Mammoth P, the one that that liberates P from P2O5 is called Bacillus Megaterium, and I believe other elements have respective bacteria.

Here's a great read about bacteria in hydro.

Beneficial Bacteria and Fungi in Hydroponics | Med-Tek Nutrients

 

[Skybound]

Herbie's Bulk - Gorilla Glue - Day 30

 

[Skybound]

I'm not used to seeing this much development 16 days into 12/12. This is the Em Dog (Chem/OG). This to me looks a good week ahead of schedule. I don't expect her to finish any sooner, but damn if she isn't on point with staying ahead of her growing curve. FWIW, triacontanol @ 5ppm which I think is about the sweet spot.