My Very First Setup

[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

ok what are bennie?

Bennies is short for beneficial...... Beneficial bacteria or good bacteria.....do a google search on them im new to the bennies myself iv been using a water chiller.if your bucket water gets too warm it gives the bad bacteria a nice warm environment to live. .....you either add bennies or chill the water to kill the bad bacteria..

[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.