Scotty, my man, really glad to see you tuning in. I wasn't sure how active you were on RIU these days. Thanks again for creating your original journal and taking the time to answer all those questions. I've learned a lot from you!
My first question/concern is related to my plant seeming a little droopy. As if those large fan leaves are just too heavy for the plant to fully support sometimes. Again, this is just a bit of drooping. She's not wilting at all. It doesn't seem to be that big of a problem though as she looks very healthy otherwise. Despite being a few days behind where you were at this stage (with regard to plant size) she's growing very well. Should be laying the screen down in a day or two.
I also always meant to ask for your thoughts on using an air-stone in the reservoir. Don't think you used one (at least you never mentioned it,) but other growers seem to have good results with that particular addition. Mr2shim and I were discussing this a while back. We're both currently using air-stones.
Stay tuned for an update tonight! Finally got a new battery for my DSLR, too. The pics should bump back up in quality as a result.
As for the leaves drooping that fine you will notice when in flower they will perk up right before the lights come on and will start to droop when the lights are about to go out.. Im not sure exactly why this happens I guess the plant is resting and waking up.. but during vege its also fine dont worry about that at all them leaves can get heavy..
As for a bubble wond in the resivor been there done that seen no difrence I had a overkill pump too for a 150 gallon fish tank.. roots looked no better and no difrence in yeild.. the water farms are already capable of packing the lower res and upper grow bucket with a brick of roots another line and bubble wond is just going to take up room imo.. also bubles them selves dont add much O2 to the water its the agitation of the surface layer where air meets water that 95% of the exchange happens..
That said think about it every drop of water that go's over the hydroton is surface layer water that is the key why waterfarms perform the way they do with the root system.. if you see somone with not so good looking roots with a WF its do to over fertilization.. or adding things that dont need to be in there...
also note the roots will turn a light brown orangish color from the hydroton and nutes.. so dont be alarmed ..
99% of the time if you have root rot its from damage from over ferting.. you will see signs from the smell of your water (like somthing died) and a lower water uptake then normal, Like if your plant was drinking a gallon of water a day then it starts cutting back. If you start seeing these signs flush with straight water for a few days then start back off at 1/2 strength.. I do most of my grows at 1/2 anyway its a 1000 times better to add less nutes then to much..
Im glad to see so many more WF grows, seems to really have taken off since that old PE grow..
Keep it up!
