RickyPussy
Member
Deep Water Culture has rose in popularity because it is a cheap hydroponic medium. 1 Bucket > $20. It also has superb growth rates and raging yields when executed properly. I have had a lot of experience with ghetto dwc units and want to share so others can skip the trial and error process.
Materials needed and tips:
5 gallon bucket with lid.
Net pot & hydroton
Air pump w/ airlines and airstones
& a utility knife to cut the bucket lid and airline lengths.
1. Obviously get a light proof 5 gal bucket. I have had good success with lowes $2.50 buckets w/ lid. They are gray, (vs. white or home depots orange), and 5 dollars cheaper than hydro-black buckets. Always have at least one extra bucket. Preparing the new reservoir makes rez changes that much easier.
2. Go with 5" net pots or bigger. 3" will work but you'll have to do a lot of tying to hold the plant up. 6" netpot/lid combos are your best option. Chances are your going to have to tie regardless of net pot size. You'll need hydroton.
3. If buying your air pumps at walmart, go with the dual output 30-60 2800cc. $11. The small ones don't cut it. I also use clear airlines and have never had a problem.
4. Airstones - I don't mind the little one inchers. Yea they get dirty and eventually break apart, but they are a dollar, and replacing them only makes my reservoir feel cleaner.
There's your Equipment. Now on to tips with feeding:
If this is your first-ish grow doing dwc w/ little prior growing experience, I would go with a chemical fertilizer. Organic nutrients can be used in dwc but its a huge headache for a first time grower. KISS method. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID.
1. Chemical fertilizer - can't go wrong with General Hydroponics 3 part. Why Chemical fertilizer?
Three Reasons to go Chemical in DWC :
a. Most/all problems arise in dwc in the reservoir. If you have to fight slime, you'll want h202 (hydrogen peroxide 35%!!) on your side. You cannot use h202 with organic nutrients.
b. Most newbies aren't running reverse osmosis or at the very least a SmallBoy (great product - $100) to remove chlorine from the water. Again, its disadvantageous to use organics with chlorine. I like chem ferts because they leave the roots white when all is in order.
c. I'll get shit about this, but organic nutrients can't get a perfectly accurate reading of ppm's in the water. Ec/tds/ppm measures salt & mineral content in the water, of which organic nutrients are not entirely comprised. Chemical-mineral derived nutrients can be accurately measured with a tds meter. If your base ppm is over 200 you may want to consider a reverse osmosis. If you don't have a tds meter, fuck it give her hell.
2. If you want to remove the chlorine from your water, here are some methods.
a. Boil it. This is fuckin boring.
b. Leave your five gallon bucket full of water lid off for 48 hours. (24 is not enough!)
c. Run an airstone through it for 8-12 hours.
3. Check your PH Daily!!!!! Ph shifts a lot in dwc as the plant drinks water and eats nutrients at different speeds. Once you have an extra 20 bucks, order a digital ph meter online. You should replace these cheap ph meters annually.
4. Set your Ph to 5.8 (or yellow) and check it 4-6 hours after you make a nutrient change!! As the airstones run chlorine evaporates; the ph will go up. Even with chlorine free water the airstones generally cause a rise. Always adjust your ph 4-6 hours after a nute change!
5. Always start at least at 1/2 strength nutes in dwc. There's no other system where nutrients are available 100% of the time w/ no buffer. Also as your water level drops, your nutrient concentration increases, making it more likely to burn. With seedlings/cuttings, start at 1/4 strength or less and gradually bump it up through flowering. I've never ever gotten a bucket to take full strength nutes, at most 75% at late flowering. This will vary with the nutrients you are using. I have used dynagro, gh 3 part, and botanicare pure blend pro (organic). Have burned with all 3 at even 1/2 strength.. WATCH IT! (also F1's will burn faster. I love F1's in dwc, they at most take 1/2 strength in late flower). Flush for at least a week with clean water before harvest when using chem ferts.
6. With every bucket change, clean your bucket, airstones, and tubing with cleaning solution and rinse well. I suggest flushing your plants with clean ph'd water for one day each time you do a reservoir change. Replace airstones monthly. I'd suggest having an extra reservoir of clean water that is already ph'd around for topping off each day. Only feed at rez changes. (Light (<1/
feed with top off is ok once you have some experience).
7. Try to keep your rez temps down. At the very least, mylar or aluminum foil the top, and preferably sides as well, of your bucket. Fans blowing across the top of the buckets can keep temps down. Placing buckets on concrete is very effective. Take 2/3 filled w/ water frozen 1 liter pop bottles in the reservoir. At the very least try to keep it below 80F, 75F preferably - 72F or less is great. Lower rez temps make fungal and algae attacks less likely, as well as many growers using chillers report better potency with temps as low as 64F.
8. I suggest trying a quick flowering hardy strain for your first go. Alot less can go wrong in a shorter period of time. Might I suggest anything by DNA Genetics, TGA Subcool, Reserva Privada, or Barneys Farm. As of nov 2010 these guys are the stuff, imho.
I am currently trying to figure out organics in dwc. I don't know why. Whatever. I'll post about that when I feel more confident.
Materials needed and tips:
5 gallon bucket with lid.
Net pot & hydroton
Air pump w/ airlines and airstones
& a utility knife to cut the bucket lid and airline lengths.
1. Obviously get a light proof 5 gal bucket. I have had good success with lowes $2.50 buckets w/ lid. They are gray, (vs. white or home depots orange), and 5 dollars cheaper than hydro-black buckets. Always have at least one extra bucket. Preparing the new reservoir makes rez changes that much easier.
2. Go with 5" net pots or bigger. 3" will work but you'll have to do a lot of tying to hold the plant up. 6" netpot/lid combos are your best option. Chances are your going to have to tie regardless of net pot size. You'll need hydroton.
3. If buying your air pumps at walmart, go with the dual output 30-60 2800cc. $11. The small ones don't cut it. I also use clear airlines and have never had a problem.
4. Airstones - I don't mind the little one inchers. Yea they get dirty and eventually break apart, but they are a dollar, and replacing them only makes my reservoir feel cleaner.
There's your Equipment. Now on to tips with feeding:
If this is your first-ish grow doing dwc w/ little prior growing experience, I would go with a chemical fertilizer. Organic nutrients can be used in dwc but its a huge headache for a first time grower. KISS method. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID.
1. Chemical fertilizer - can't go wrong with General Hydroponics 3 part. Why Chemical fertilizer?
Three Reasons to go Chemical in DWC :
a. Most/all problems arise in dwc in the reservoir. If you have to fight slime, you'll want h202 (hydrogen peroxide 35%!!) on your side. You cannot use h202 with organic nutrients.
b. Most newbies aren't running reverse osmosis or at the very least a SmallBoy (great product - $100) to remove chlorine from the water. Again, its disadvantageous to use organics with chlorine. I like chem ferts because they leave the roots white when all is in order.
c. I'll get shit about this, but organic nutrients can't get a perfectly accurate reading of ppm's in the water. Ec/tds/ppm measures salt & mineral content in the water, of which organic nutrients are not entirely comprised. Chemical-mineral derived nutrients can be accurately measured with a tds meter. If your base ppm is over 200 you may want to consider a reverse osmosis. If you don't have a tds meter, fuck it give her hell.
2. If you want to remove the chlorine from your water, here are some methods.
a. Boil it. This is fuckin boring.
b. Leave your five gallon bucket full of water lid off for 48 hours. (24 is not enough!)
c. Run an airstone through it for 8-12 hours.
3. Check your PH Daily!!!!! Ph shifts a lot in dwc as the plant drinks water and eats nutrients at different speeds. Once you have an extra 20 bucks, order a digital ph meter online. You should replace these cheap ph meters annually.
4. Set your Ph to 5.8 (or yellow) and check it 4-6 hours after you make a nutrient change!! As the airstones run chlorine evaporates; the ph will go up. Even with chlorine free water the airstones generally cause a rise. Always adjust your ph 4-6 hours after a nute change!
5. Always start at least at 1/2 strength nutes in dwc. There's no other system where nutrients are available 100% of the time w/ no buffer. Also as your water level drops, your nutrient concentration increases, making it more likely to burn. With seedlings/cuttings, start at 1/4 strength or less and gradually bump it up through flowering. I've never ever gotten a bucket to take full strength nutes, at most 75% at late flowering. This will vary with the nutrients you are using. I have used dynagro, gh 3 part, and botanicare pure blend pro (organic). Have burned with all 3 at even 1/2 strength.. WATCH IT! (also F1's will burn faster. I love F1's in dwc, they at most take 1/2 strength in late flower). Flush for at least a week with clean water before harvest when using chem ferts.
6. With every bucket change, clean your bucket, airstones, and tubing with cleaning solution and rinse well. I suggest flushing your plants with clean ph'd water for one day each time you do a reservoir change. Replace airstones monthly. I'd suggest having an extra reservoir of clean water that is already ph'd around for topping off each day. Only feed at rez changes. (Light (<1/
feed with top off is ok once you have some experience).7. Try to keep your rez temps down. At the very least, mylar or aluminum foil the top, and preferably sides as well, of your bucket. Fans blowing across the top of the buckets can keep temps down. Placing buckets on concrete is very effective. Take 2/3 filled w/ water frozen 1 liter pop bottles in the reservoir. At the very least try to keep it below 80F, 75F preferably - 72F or less is great. Lower rez temps make fungal and algae attacks less likely, as well as many growers using chillers report better potency with temps as low as 64F.
8. I suggest trying a quick flowering hardy strain for your first go. Alot less can go wrong in a shorter period of time. Might I suggest anything by DNA Genetics, TGA Subcool, Reserva Privada, or Barneys Farm. As of nov 2010 these guys are the stuff, imho.
I am currently trying to figure out organics in dwc. I don't know why. Whatever. I'll post about that when I feel more confident.
