My Very First Setup

[GpsFrontier]

Hello Bigdaddy216,

My first thoughts are the humidity is still too low at 45%. 65% to 85% is much better for the plants, you just want to stay under 90% as long as you have good air circulation (which the plants need anyway). But I have a few questions that could be other potential issues:

1. What is the pH, and are you checking it daily?
2. What nutrients are you using and are you fallowing manufactures instructions (other than 1/2 strength)? Do you have a link to the nutrients?
3. You made a reference to salt "maybe it because I added some more nutrients and pinch of salt." What type of salt are you referring to? Salt (sodium chloride) is toxic to plants. However Epsom salt is is different. But unless the nutrients your using require adding Epsom salt, that's unnecessary and could raise Magnesium levels to toxic levels as well.
4. How are these plants being watered, and what is the water level in the buckets?
5. If they are on a timer, what is the on/off cycle?
6. Is the top of the growing media moist or dry?
7. Is there a chance there is any tiny water droplets getting on the leaves.
8. Are the plants getting good air circulation?
9. How old are the plants?
10. What is the nutrient solution look like? Is it clear or cloudy? Does it smell bad (musty)?

[Bigdaddy216]

[QUOTE=GpsFrontier;12120]Hello Bigdaddy216,

My first thoughts are the humidity is still too low at 45%. 65% to 85% is much better for the plants, you just want to stay under 90% as long as you have good air circulation (which the plants need anyway). But I have a few questions that could be other potential issues:


Okay Here info u wanted to know
1. Humidifier Run 7am Till 9pm (Bedtime) (Humidity 65 to 71%)
2. Masterblend 4-18-38 (See Link Below)
3. Average Room Temp 75 to 80f & Inside Tent No higher Than 82f
4. 12in Fan On 24/7
5. DWC Setup, Air stone in Bottom Bucket Air pump On 24/7
6. lights On 7am Till 9pm 12hr
7. Started Plants On 10-4-14
8. top of the growing media is dry YES
9. I Keep Water Level 1.5in Above Bottom Of Net pot
10 Started Feeding Plant on 10-14-2014 Half Strength

11..I Measures Out Fertilizer In Grams On Digital Scale
(12g,MB 12,g Calcium Nitrate 6g Epsom Salt) = 30g Then Cut That Back To (15g)

12.. I Mix The Solution For 5 Gallons Then Pour Enough To fill 3.5 Gallon Bucket

13. Do I Check Ph Daily (No).. I Only Do That At Water Change
14. Water Seems Okay ,, Don’t Smell


Tomato Formula 4-18-38

[Bigdaddy216]

P.S
This Where I Learned Everything I Know This Guy MHPgardener He
Show How To Setup Hydroponic and what he use for fertilizer and if u look u se his result
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXy32Dr4Z4A

[GpsFrontier]

P.S.
oTOMMYo
Absolutely, Florescent lighting is great for starting plants and seedlings. As well as even economical for non fruiting plants like different varieties of lettuce, as well as herbs if done right. You still don't want to skimp, you still want to have a good healthy amount of light. But fruiting plants have much higher light requirements/needs because they are also taking on the load of producing the fruit. Non fruiting plants don't have that load. Plants like cucumbers, melons, tomatoes, strawberry's, peppers, etc. are continuously fruiting plants. They don't have separate veg/flowering stages. They do both at the same time, and it's quite common for them to begin fruiting when their no more than 4-6 inches tall, and would want to upgrade their lighting by then.

As an example of using florescent lighting economically for growing lettuce. You could grow up to 18 butter lettuce heads (if spaced right in 3 rows) with two 4 foot long twin bulb T5 lights (212 watts). At 35 cents a day for 18 hours of light, times 30 days, that comes out to $10.50 a month. If you rotated the crop and harvested three heads a week, that would give you 6 weeks (standard for lettuce) to go from seedling to harvest. Essentially costing $0.58 per head of lettuce for electricity. You can even use three twin bulb T8 fixtures. That would equal about the same light output as the two twin T5 fixtures, and at 32 watts a bulb (x6) be close to the same wattage (192) as the 4 T5 bulbs. But the three fixtures may give more even coverage over three rows of plants. Either way would cost basically the same to run ($0.32 a day for 6 T8's- or $0.35 a day for 4 T5's).

[GpsFrontier]

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.

[Bigdaddy216]

Originally Posted by GpsFrontier

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.

Ok so no1 I need to check PH level everyday and far az buckets go their all black kinda their not see threw.. but I think I add some reflective radiant barrier round bucket to help maybe keep lil more warm and added protection to block light... now far ass nutrient goes I mixed mines according to mhpgardener and I just cut it in half to 15grams pre 5 gallon bucket then poured that into my 3.5 gallon bucket I thought I was doing right ,,,,now for air circulation I know u cant tell from here lol but I basically have tent half open all time not closed up so air flows better with fan inside and my humidity was 40% to 50% I upped that to round 70% like u told me first time I came here I think it was u that told me humidity was to low im not sure ,,, and yes I did add a pinch salt to water when I looked at it couple days ago.. but all in all my math is bad real bad sorry to say

[oTOMMYo]

You need to listen to ^^^^ this guy about your PH .....its so important.....if its wrong it will lock out your nutrients from your plant ( your plant wont feed ) and you'll think you've not added enough nutrients..... So you'll add more to the water and nothing happens and its just problem after problem which could have been fixed with the right ph.......PH VERY IMPORTANT!!!

any nutrient deficiency needs addressing from the PH first.

Im actually thinking of going hps now after reading you can get 100/150 watters..........looks like were both gonna learn from these hydro vetrans ...........happy days.

[Bigdaddy216]

Originally Posted by oTOMMYo

You need to listen to ^^^^ this guy about your PH .....its so important.....if its wrong it will lock out your nutrients from your plant ( your plant wont feed ) and you'll think you've not added enough nutrients..... So you'll add more to the water and nothing happens and its just problem after problem which could have been fixed with the right ph.......PH VERY IMPORTANT!!!

any nutrient deficiency needs addressing from the PH first.

Im actually thinking of going hps now after reading you can get 100/150 watters..........looks like were both gonna learn from these hydro vetrans ...........happy days.

He asked About How I Do Things & What I Do So I Told him
Now As He Saying I Need To Check PH every Day ..Because I was only checking that when I change water to make sure its between 6.5 and 6.8 so now I just do total nutrient change out in morning

[Bigdaddy216]

so way I see it .. my lack of check water PH is starving the plant of it nutrients ...

[Bigdaddy216]

ok what are bennie?

[oTOMMYo]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy216

so way I see it .. my lack of check water PH is starving the plant of it nutrients ...

No .....only if your ph is out. That's why he said check everyday until you get used to it ....you may only need to check it weekly once you've got it right but because its your first new setup its best to check daily for a while .

When you start a grow and put fresh water and nutrients in the bucket with correct ph you might find if you check in 2 days that its gone out abit ......

Youll be fine mate .

[oTOMMYo]

Big daddy ....you mentioned putting insulation round your bucket to keep them warm?......... If your water gets too warm you'll be giving bacteria and all the bad stuff a nice warm place to do there thing ( problems ).....thats where the good bacteria comes in ( bennies ) they kill the baddies and colonise your roots with great benifits ......hence ' beneficial bacteria '


.......or you can chill the water so the bacteria cant live ( 16°c )....good or bad.

[Bigdaddy216]

4. How are these plants being watered, and what is the water level in the buckets?
6. Is the top of the growing media moist or dry?
8. Are the plants getting good air circulation?


@ GpsFrontier;
Say I Was Scrolling Back Threw Posts From Your advise here to me
Well no1. Bucket water level now I know in the beginning it have to be just under netpot this I know, but do I need to reduce that water level at some point?

Also when u asked if top of my grow media was wet or dry so do that makes difference? Because tops of my clay pebbles was always dry cause when I changed out nutes I just transferred plant into 2nd bucket

Now Last Question; Air Circulation as I stated my fan was always on never off, so did I mess up by not having another fan pulling on other end?

[oTOMMYo]

Hi big d

Just wondering how your plants are doing mate.