Strip LEDs in the garden of Paradise

[Moldy]

Nice man! I love Paradise seeds too. Just chopped a Wappa and a DelaHaze (my fav).

 

[Prawn Connery]

Any reason you didn't fill the coco to the top?

Yep. One good reason. I don't need all that root space. I've grown with these same 2-gallon pots for years, so I know how much coco I need for each sized plant. You might remember I gave a general guide of 1 litre per oz. I'm not expecting much more than 3oz per plant this grow - if that - so I only filled the pots with about 6 litres (1.5 gallons) of coco, including the pots they came out of.

The close-up photo is a little bit deceptive, as they're actually filled a little more to the top than they appear.

I like your sig!

 

[Prawn Connery]

Nice man! I love Paradise seeds too. Just chopped a Wappa and a DelaHaze (my fav).

I've been smoking a lot of Wappa lately. It's my favourite skunk - and I'm not even a fan of skunk!

 

[Prawn Connery]

So someone asked me what type of strips and drivers I would use to build a frame for a 3'x3' area.

What would you guys build?

I cannot find 280mm (1') F Series strips anywhere, so I suggested using 48x 280mm (1') H Series strips arranged 3x2 per U channel x 8 rows and wire them 3 in parallel and 2 in series per row (x 8 rows) to use with a HLG-480H-48 driver. Each U channel would look like this and be 48V x 1.2a:

____________ ____________ ____________ P
____________ ____________ ____________ P x S

The frame would be 900mm (3') x 810mm, with each row spaced 70mm apart.

But a much easier frame to build would use 8x or 10x 560mm (2') F Series double row strips wired in parallel to use the same HLG-480H-48 driver. The frame would be 600mm x 800mm - not quite the same light coverage, but the same power.

I'm only basing my suggestion on what I've already built, so I know there are many other ways to skin a cat.

So, any other suggestions?

 

[nfhiggs]

As a vertical grower, the only time I defoliated was when leaves grew into the light or were damaged by the floor fan.

This time around, I'm gunna have to do what I'm gunna have to do!

I'm going to leave them until the stretch is over and then I'll start removing some fan leaves. I don't mind a bit of shading at this stage because, as I mentioned earlier, it promotes stretch in the undergrowth which brings more bud sites up closer to the canopy. If you start removing fan leaves in the early stages, those lower branches don't stretch as much and you end up with quite a disparity.

Yeah, I have just been doing my pruning at the end of the stretch. Seems to work pretty well.

 

[T-Time]

I'm pulling a chair for this one
You got me nearly convinced to give it a go. I'm picking up a table today to raise my tent and if I'll menage to gather all other parts before xmas I'll give it a whirl

Just one question. Your nutrient solution is only oxygenated for one minete , five times in 12h ?
If so, do You think it is really that important to use the sprinkler in the system other to mix the solution? I might be wrong but it might not be enogh time to saturate water with DO and water probably wont hold that for 2h40m .

Your plants look great!

 

[Prawn Connery]

The primary purpose of the bypass is to regulate nutrient flow. But it does help in mixing the nutrient solution and preventing it from going stagnant.

The sprinkler is located right over the pump. As the pump works, nutrient solution is squirted back towards the pump pick-up - creating a loop - sucking (pumping), mixing and aerating at the same time.



A friend of mine who has copied my design uses a larger pump, which stirs up quite a lot of water as it squirts back into the reservoir. But it also makes a lot of noise! It sounds like a garden hose squirting into a bucket! Multiply that by 8 reservoirs - he is a commercial grower with a large room - and you get the idea.

So a bigger pump is an option - but not necessary, IMO.

The bypass system is better than an air stone, because surface tension aeration (mixing oxygen into water where they meet at the surface) is not only more efficient, it prevents a lot of the oxidation of nutrient, which falls out of suspension and creates a bit of sludge on the bottom of the reservoir.

However, unlike DWC and NFT, you are not relying on aerated nutrient solution to deliver oxygen to the root zone.

Coco is like a sponge. When you water it, the action of water being absorbed by the coco also draws fresh air in with it. As nutrient solution is taken up by the plant - and as the coco dries - more fresh air is drawn into the root zone.

It is a constant process of aeration. The bypass provides a small benefit for no extra work. If you are tipping a new bucket of water into your reservoir each day, then that is also helping to stir up your nutrient solution and add a bit of oxygen. The combined effects keep the reservoir "healthy".

 

[OneHitDone]

The primary purpose of the bypass is to regulate nutrient flow. But it does help in mixing the nutrient solution and preventing it from going stagnant.

The sprinkler is located right over the pump. As the pump works, nutrient solution is squirted back towards the pump pick-up - creating a loop - sucking (pumping), mixing and aerating at the same time.

View attachment 4057752

A friend of mine who has copied my design uses a larger pump, which stirs up quite a lot of water as it squirts back into the reservoir. But it also makes a lot of noise! It sounds like a garden hose squirting into a bucket! Multiply that by 8 reservoirs - he is a commercial grower with a large room - and you get the idea.

So a bigger pump is an option - but not necessary, IMO.

The bypass system is better than an air stone, because surface tension aeration (mixing oxygen into water where they meet at the surface) is not only more efficient, it prevents a lot of the oxidation of nutrient, which falls out of suspension and creates a bit of sludge on the bottom of the reservoir.

However, unlike DWC and NFT, you are not relying on aerated nutrient solution to deliver oxygen to the root zone.

Coco is like a sponge. When you water it, the action of water being absorbed by the coco also draws fresh air in with it. As nutrient solution is taken up by the plant - and as the coco dries - more fresh air is drawn into the root zone.

It is a constant process of aeration. The bypass provides a small benefit for no extra work. If you are tipping a new bucket of water into your reservoir each day, then that is also helping to stir up your nutrient solution and add a bit of oxygen. The combined effects keep the reservoir "healthy".

One other clever aspect of the sprinkler setup you have going (not sure if it was part of the plan or just an added bonus) is that if the top of your reservoir was higher than the plants, the sprinkler head would serve as a vacuum breaker when the pump turns off preventing nutrient from being siphoned from the reservoir

 

[Randomblame]

Hey Prawn, I need your help.
I'm looking for these little "branching spikes" that stick in the hose and lead to the small hoses going to the pots. Can only find "t-pieces", but I do not like them. What are the little spikes called and where can I get them?
It's really hard to find these shitty thingies if you do not have a precise name. I'm sure you can get them in any hydrostore, if only I knew their name, LOL!
Have used zig search terms, but only find "sprinkler spikes" but no "branching spikes"! It's really a PITA!

 

[Prawn Connery]

One other clever aspect of the sprinkler setup you have going (not sure if it was part of the plan or just an added bonus) is that if the top of your reservoir was higher than the plants, the sprinkler head would serve as a vacuum breaker when the pump turns off preventing nutrient from being siphoned from the reservoir

Yes, that's part of the design. It's a breaker in the circuit in case one of the 4mm feed lines falls out on the floor and starts siphoning water out of the reservoir.

Thanks for noticing

 

[Prawn Connery]

Hey Prawn, I need your help.
I'm looking for these little "branching spikes" that stick in the hose and lead to the small hoses going to the pots. Can only find "t-pieces", but I do not like them. What are the little spikes called and where can I get them?
It's really hard to find these shitty thingies if you do not have a precise name. I'm sure you can get them in any hydrostore, if only I knew their name, LOL!
Have used zig search terms, but only find "sprinkler spikes" but no "branching spikes"! It's really a PITA!

They're called 4mm threaded/barbed adapters or poly fittings.

But you're going to laugh, because I replaced them with 4mm>13mm T sections. The problem with the threaded/barbed poly fittings is it's very hard to seal them. You can use silicon etc - and drilling holes is better than punching - but when the main line flexes, it sometimes opens up the 4mm hole and breaks the seal. Then nutrient drips or dribble out. It was driving me mad, so I replaced them with these:

If I could find 4mm>13mm crosses, I would have used those. I still might look for some on eBay or something:

 

[T-Time]

Or You can get something like this. I just happen to have 2 of those laying around. Perfect for my 10 pots

 

[Prawn Connery]

Better still. If you're in Europe I'd get these:
https://www.rollitup.org/attachments/s-l1600-png.4057867/?temp_hash=15be407921a69280b5c3717f9aca31f0

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CROSS-CONNECTOR-13mm-4x4mm-x5-SPLITTER-Irrigation-Pipe-Fitting-barb-hydroponic/252314675275?epid=862912354&hash=item3abf20684b:g:4RkAAOSwTM5Y7QgL

 

[Prawn Connery]

Or You can get something like this. I just happen to have 2 of those laying around. Perfect for my 10 pots
View attachment 4057866

Even better!

Beat me to the punch!

 

[Randomblame]

Ahh okay, if they are not 100% tight it makes no sense. I have a lot of these T-connectors left over from my blumat system but I've seen other things from this e3ay seller like pumps or these splitters below.
It's definately a part of my wishlist.

 

[Prawn Connery]

They look fine. Here's another tip - which you've probably already thought of it, as it's just common sense . . .

Try to keep your feeder lines all the same length, but also measure the flow from each one in position (the flow will change with feeder line height and distance). Then, either try to balance them out between plants, or if one of more plants are growing faster/drinking more than the others, move those plants to the fastest-flowing lines.

The reason you move the plants first and not the lines is there are lots of variables that affect flow, like line resistance (which is affected by line length, twists, bends, tube crush, poly connector diametre, distance from main pump etc), gravity (pot height), and nutrient build-up due to the way the feeder lines drain back into the main line and then dry out, leaving salt residue.

Once in position, you can try swapping lines and raising or lowering the holding stakes in the pots to marginally increase/reduce flow due to gravity.

More often that not, you'll find no matter what you do, some pot positions just seem to flow more than others. Sometimes it's a complete mystery why!

Whilst growing, lift each pot every now and then to see if they weigh the same or of some pots are lighter than others - they're the ones that need more flow, and it's sometimes hard to tell unless the coco has really dried out compared to others.

If you have grown lots of pot, you will know that some plants have bursts of growth or slow down during flowering, and so their nutrient needs may go up or down. Lifting pots is a good way to keep track of lots of plants.

Multiple lines going into each pot are easier to balance and add insurance against line blockage and other factors (inadvertent twisting) that may impede or prevent flow. They also provide more even nutrient distribution, though the benefit is small as any moisture will be wicked through the pot due to capillary action.

 

[Sour Wreck]

wow, nice strips !!!!!

i just completed an F-Series strip build. trying to get some plants big enough to go into my tent now.

 

[Randomblame]

They look fine. Here's another tip - which you've probably already thought of it, as it's just common sense . . .

Try to keep your feeder lines all the same length, but also measure the flow from each one in position (the flow will change with feeder line height and distance). Then, either try to balance them out between plants, or if one of more plants are growing faster/drinking more than the others, move those plants to the fastest-flowing lines.

The reason you move the plants first and not the lines is there are lots of variables that affect flow, like line resistance (which is affected by line length, twists, bends, tube crush, poly connector diametre, distance from main pump etc), gravity (pot height), and nutrient build-up due to the way the feeder lines drain back into the main line and then dry out, leaving salt residue.

Once in position, you can try swapping lines and raising or lowering the holding stakes in the pots to marginally increase/reduce flow due to gravity.

More often that not, you'll find no matter what you do, some pot positions just seem to flow more than others. Sometimes it's a complete mystery why!

Whilst growing, lift each pot every now and then to see if they weigh the same or of some pots are lighter than others - they're the ones that need more flow, and it's sometimes hard to tell unless the coco has really dried out compared to others.

If you have grown lots of pot, you will know that some plants have bursts of growth or slow down during flowering, and so their nutrient needs may go up or down. Lifting pots is a good way to keep track of lots of plants.

Multiple lines going into each pot are easier to balance and add insurance against line blockage and other factors (inadvertent twisting) that may impede or prevent flow. They also provide more even nutrient distribution, though the benefit is small as any moisture will be wicked through the pot due to capillary action.

Thank you!
Good tips are always appreciated and I write them down for later use.
My old Blumat system worked via dropper, which are automatically controlled by the "suction tension"(soil water potential) worked without a pump, but they do not produce a run-off. Same principle as their tensiometer, which are more known around the world. I've never worked with a pump, so I warmly welcome every one of your pointers.

 

[T-Time]

As I'm starting to gather my equipment as well I have some questions You might be able to answer. I wan't to be prepared before I start

1) How did You end up with 5x 200ml of solution in 12h of light on? Are You looking at the runoff or how the plants react ?
2) Are You changing that value when the plants are small and progress when they are bigger ?

3) What do You use to clean the hoses afterwards ?

4) You mentioned that the timer is set up at 2h40m between the waterings. That brings us to 13,5h . Is that right ? That the last watering os done at "night" time ?

5) did You try more/less frequent waterings ?
Im just wandering what made You to water 5 times a day, not 2, 6,7 or 12.


EDIT:

Ok, I've got some of the questions answered by watching this
[Video=youtube]

[/video]

 

[vertnugs]

The "catchment" buckets you're using,what exactly are they?

They look like buckets used for flowers.I got a bunch from the flower section at the grocery store one time.Was walkin by and the lady had a stack of them so i asked her what they were going to do with them and she said more than likely go to the dumpster......they came with me.