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Old 03-28-2016, 07:58 PM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Havasu AZ.
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Hello brandonbelew,

What caused the water flow problem???

My favorite growing media is coco coir/chips. Not only is it inexpensive, but it holds moisture well, and without being saturated. However it doesn't mater what growing media you use when the roots are hanging in mid air. The only roots that benefit from the growing media are the roots in the growing media. The roots hanging out of the basket/s in mid air will dry out very quickly regardless. The more growing media you use, the more roots that growing media can hold. That's part of designing the hydroponic system.

Another part of designing the hydroponic system is deciding on the water level in the off cycle. If you design the system so there is a small pocket of water/nutrient solution 1/2 inch to one inch at the bottom of the tubes during the off cycle, the roots that hang out of the baskets can still access water during the off cycle, as well as if there is a water flow problem. That helps even watering, and can buy you some time in case of a problem. However strawberry's don't like wet feet, so you wouldn't want the water pocket at the bottom to be to deep for them.

If your nutrient reservoir water level is doping to low for the pump, your reservoir is to small for your plants. You don't want your reservoir water level to drop below 75% of full volume. When it does it causes major fluctuations in your nutrient concentrations, and that's stressful for your plants. Stressed plants aren't healthy plants. When you replace the water the plants drink, you want to add plain water, not nutrient solution. By adding nutrient solution back instead of plain water, you increases your nutrient concentrations. Again causing stress for the plants.

You could increase your light time to 18 hours on. I could be wrong, but I thought you were using the Verti-Gro nutrients? I didn't know they had a mixing chart. But since I use them myself. I know the directions. Equal parts 15 ml (1 tbsp) per gallon of water of both fertilizer and calcium nitrate for full strength nutrient solution.

I believe you said your plants were growing runners. Are you cutting them off? They will take energy from the mother plant, and not produce anything. You can get them to root into a growing media, then when they do, cut them from the mother plant. But depending on the variety of strawberry, they will need to over-winter before they produce any fruit. Strawberry plants don't produce fruit the first year (except for a specific varieties).

I have two articles written by by Dr. Lynette Morgan I could send you if you send me a private message with an e-mail address you want them sent to.

HOW TO GROW STRAWBERRIES
Berry Bonanza: Growing Indoor Strawberries

I cant just post a link to them because they aren't online anymore, but I have them saved in text documents I can e-mail you.
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