New Guy with Questions

[rick_ca]

Hello All
This is my 1st post so be gentle LOL, anyway tried growing various peppers last year in a 6ft X 5ft grow room with a 400watt light/ballast the medium I used was soil and watered/feed when pots got light, needless to say the results were dismal so over the winter I’ve been researching Hydroponics and I’m leaning towards the “Dutch Bucket” system. So here are a few questions I have
1 I can get access to food grade dark blue buckets but they are only 2 gallon are they big enough
2 Totally confused on what medium to use (internet overload) leaning toward perlite and Rockwool, can I use Rockwool cube surrounded by perlite or would the clay pebbles be better.
3 I’ve read watering/feeding 3 to 4 times a day but for what duration
Ok that’s a start I will be looking for your input and advice before I go any further.
Thanks in advance

[rick_ca]

Guess I'm on my own with this setup was hoping for a reply or two, back to google for answers I guess

[GpsFrontier]

Hello rick_ca, Sorry I missed your post.

1 I can get access to food grade dark blue buckets but they are only 2 gallon are they big enough

What plants are you going to try and grow using them?

2 Totally confused on what medium to use (internet overload) leaning toward perlite and Rockwool, can I use Rockwool cube surrounded by perlite or would the clay pebbles be better.

Personally I don't really like rockwool because among other things it gets waterlogged easily. But you can use just about any growing medium as long as you design the hydroponic system with the growing medium's characteristics in mind. As an example you wouldn't really want to use perlite as a growing media in a flood and drain system because it floats, and would pour out the top the first time you flood the system. That is unless you mixed it with something else like coco fiber and adjusted the water level so it didn't flood so high. And/or used something like rocks on top to weight it down. etc. etc..

3 I’ve read watering/feeding 3 to 4 times a day but for what duration

The cycle times depends largely on the type of system your growing in, how you designed it, type of growing media, temperature, humidity, etc. etc.. You only need it on long enough to get the roots wet, and you don't want it off so long that the roots dry out in-between cycles. You want the roots to stay consistently moist 24/7.

[rick_ca]

Hi thanks for replying thought I was going to have to go this alone LOL anyway here’s what I’ve come up with so far.
Found a 8 x 4 ft. drip pan on used equipment site
Went to a hydro shop and after some talking a demo’s going with a drip system with 4in Rockwool stacked 2 high in 3gallon bucket with small stones for weight, so getting away from Dutch bucket system. As to what I’m growing its hot peppers under a 1000watt grow light.
I’m still looking for inputs on what I’m doing as this will be an ongoing learning experience.

[GpsFrontier]

Hello rick_ca,

1. Are they determinate (bush) or indeterminate pepper varieties?
2. How many plants are you going to be growing?

I prefer to use a drip system for growing large plants myself. But I'm not sure if your planing to buy a system, or build your own system. The guys at the hydro shop want to sell products, so their not really helpful if you want to build your own system. That is unless you build it from stuff they have for sale in their store, then they will be happy to sell it all to you.

P.S.
Personally coco fiber/chips is a far better growing media, and much less expensive too.

[rick_ca]

Peppers I'm going to try grow are as follows
Ghost, chocolate scorpion, red habanero and Carolina reapers and now some different tomatoes (wife’s idea), drip system will be a self-built not complete store built. Parts I've been picking up locally and via amazon and will build and adapt to what works.
I Have already purchased Rockwool cubes so will go with them this grow, as for how many not sure yet I want to keep 1st hydro small and expand to bigger as I get used to it