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Old 10-22-2014, 09:25 PM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Havasu AZ.
Posts: 1,855
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Hello Bigdaddy216,
I'm sorry I could have sworn you said your humidity level was about 45%. But 65 to 71% isn't bad.

1. I know you have a fan, but I'm not there to tell if the air is circulating well.

2. I looked at the link you provided for the nutrients, and I'm not the manufacture, but to me it looks like you may have mixed them wrong for seedlings. Both instructions for seedlings say 1/2 of the quantity of Calcium Nitrate, and Magnesium Sulfate than that of the CHEM-GRO 4-18-38. But you say you are mixing the same amount of the Calcium Nitrate as the CHEM-GRO 4-18-38. In other words assuming your math is correct for breaking down the 100 gallon amounts to 5 gallon amounts. It looks to me that you should be using 12g CHEM-GRO 4-18-38, 6,g Calcium Nitrate, and 6g Epsom Salt instead. Cutting back the calcium nitrate by 50%. The example at the bottom shows 1/2 lb, 1/2 lb, 1/2 lb, but that's for larger plants I believe. Near the top of the page for SEEDLING PLANTS it shows using 50% calcium nitrate for seedlings. But you can always e-mail Hydro-Gardens to be sure.

3. You should check the pH every day. It can change for many reasons, and can cause many problems, but you will never know if it changed if you don't check it. later on you can go longer between checking pH once you have the hang of things. But I strongly recommend you check it every day in the beginning. Also I would suggest using pH drops instead of a electronic pH meter. Electronic meters can give false reasons, but pH drops never will. And you don't need to be at an exact pH, you just want to be in the right pH range, and that's very easy to tell with drops.

4. Why did you add extra Epsom salt?
5. I don't think you have had to yet, but if you have needed to add more water back, did you add fresh water or nutrient solution?

P.S.
I like that guys dutch bucket system, but I would probably just use my old standard rock and coco fiber for the growing media. I can get all the rock I want free from my back yard (and is easy to clean and sanitize), and I like the better drainage with it at the bottom, as well as it adds weight I need to keep the wind from blowing things over (he is growing inside out of the wind). Also I would light proof the buckets, either by painting them or wrapping bubble wrap insulation around them. Not sure the size of his reservoir, but in my area for tomato and pepper plants I would want at least 4 gallons water volume per plant (including what's inside each bato bucket), but would prefer 5 gallons per plant (it's hot and dry with very low humidity all year long here in the desert). Here they can easily suck up over two gallons of water per plant each day.
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