My first hydro w.pics

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unity

Well-Known Member
Merry x-mass everybody!
Thanks for your thoughts guys, I reflected on what you guys said and came up with some more questions:-?.

First I wanted to share some extreme stupidity on my part, so it may prevent some one else from being a complete knuckle-head,lol!
Yesterday I decided to raise the shorter plant up a little so it would get the same light as the bigger one. I placed the waterfarm on the box that came with my air pump (thought it was a great solution for a day or so until I could get me a wood block or something else).
Next, I added a couple of water bowls with paper towels sticking out, placed them on my big drip pan that the waterfarms sit in (that was done for some added humidity since I turned my drips off)
Who knows already what's going to happen next?!,lol. Sure thing, the water dripped from the paper towels in to my drip pan puddeling right under my 'great-idea' cardboard box. Then the cardboard box collapses, obviously, my middle plant falls over and 2 gallons of water along with half my clay pebbles dump out, but no, not into the drip pan, it dumps it right over the drip pan edge onto my very well sealed floor of the grow area. So, next my water level raises 3-4" on the floor, can you guess it, lol, yes it submerges the lowest power strip (3"up) Thank God for my German genes I added ground fault circuit interrupts which cut the power immediately and nothing got damaged besides the power strip:-?
Now, I do not usually show my stupidity on a bulletin board, but in this case I made an exception due to the hazard!! Learn people learn!!!!

Now back to my grow:
I added some more pics, one of them you can see a fan leaf that is curling in a little close to the stem. Do you guys think that's heat stress, and if, then why, since the temps are only 79 with the light being 15" away?

I also wanted to know why many people with waterfarms have their drips running 24/7, their argument is that since we are growing in rock-wool and clay pebbles the roots can not drown and drowning is more an issue with soil.

Another question was, when I should start flowering since my larger plant is growing at about an inch a day and it's at 15" now??? (grow space for plant 5')
Also what about the middle plant, it's smaller but structurally identical to the larger one??

Oh, the one that still shows significant deficiencies I'm just keeping in there for now to see if it would recover!

So, that's it for now, let me know what you think:mrgreen:
 
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unity

Well-Known Member
Oh, I wanted to mention that my drips do not splash, I moved the pebbles right underneath and the water kind a just runs off :peace:
 
OGdreams

OGdreams

Active Member
i think you should be good wiht watering them 3 times a day for 15 minutes, untill they are bigger that is
 
OGdreams

OGdreams

Active Member
i have never used a waterfarm but when i was looking up what system to get i heard with a drip system watering them 3 times a day for 15 minutes was plenty but could be wrong since i have no experience w/ the waterfarm
 
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unity

Well-Known Member
Here is an update:
Day 3 of week 5, all is the same, the larger one still growing at over an inch a day:-?, smaller ones are trying to catch up. The middle on has the drip still off (it was watered twice the last 2 days), I want to see if these fan leafs will ever start to reach for the light?!
The larger one grew from 16 to 17 1/2 inches over the last 18 hours.

I have not heard back from anybody regarding my questions!
Anybody???

Unity:peace::joint:
 
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UserFriendly

New Member
unity said:
Here is an update:
Day 3 of week 5, all is the same, the larger one still growing at over an inch a day:-?, smaller ones are trying to catch up. The middle on has the drip still off (it was watered twice the last 2 days), I want to see if these fan leafs will ever start to reach for the light?!
The larger one grew from 16 to 17 1/2 inches over the last 18 hours.

I have not heard back from anybody regarding my questions!
Anybody???

Unity:peace::joint:
Click to expand...
STOP WATERING YOUR PLANTS!
 
C

cruzer101

Well-Known Member
Hi there,

I am a first time hydro grower using the same system and have similar problems. What helped me was to balance the ph in the containers. I found that after a few days the ph goes up because of the salts the plants produce. This can cause a toxic enviornment.

One drawback I have found in this system is once you fill the containers you have to adjust the ph or nutes individualy unless you flush it out.

I went one week without nutes and closley monitored the ph. That brought color back to the leaves and over all a healthyer plant. Granted I have some runts but after 3 weeks in the hydroton I have a few that are 20 inches tall.

I am working on a way I can move the water from the containers to the reservior balance the ph all at once then drain it back into the containers. ( I have 8 )
It takes a week for my reservior to drain, I added a shut-off valve between the res. and the controler. So, I close the valve and then pump the water from the controler to the reservior, wait for the controler to fill again by gravity feed, pump again, wait and pump the rest. I am thinking a fountian pump on a digital timer will do the trick. That way anytime I want to balance the ph in all of the containers I can do it all at once.

I am going to try it next weekend.

Good luck.
 
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unity

Well-Known Member
UserFriendly said:
if the added air pump doesn't help, lower the water level.
Click to expand...
I think you misunderstood:blsmoke:
What I meant was: does it realy mater if the drip is on or off, since my roots are in the reservoir?

The airstone works great, roots look bright white, no slime whatsoever!

They are eating a lot too, about 300-400ppm a day, the little sick one less about 200ppm a day

Unity
 
fallinghigh

fallinghigh

Well-Known Member
if roots are in the rez you need to water less now you should start budding that haze you got 12 weeks of budding to go 8 of wich the plant will still grow like a weed start budding or you could have a mess on your hands
 
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unity

Well-Known Member
fallinghigh said:
if roots are in the rez you need to water less now you should start budding that haze you got 12 weeks of budding to go 8 of wich the plant will still grow like a weed start budding or you could have a mess on your hands
Click to expand...
Thanks man, I will head the advice regarding flowering. I've just now have relized how big this sativa can get:? Any tips on slowing it down?

My leafs are starting to droop less, and that is after 2 days of no watering. So I must have way overwatered from the get go!:peace:

Unity
 
fallinghigh

fallinghigh

Well-Known Member
ok there is a product called (humbolt counties own bushmasters) but it is pricy and it is said to stop vertical growth and promote side shoots with your haze i dont know what effects it would have could be a mess if indeed you have a good haze this is what i would consider if i was you bud it right away after one mounth it should still be growing with little to no sighn of buds yet at that point top and tie the plant like my (crapy illistration) if at that point virtical growth stops and you have a lot of buds showing you prob dont have a real haze and you can let it finish without topping.
 

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unity

Well-Known Member
thanks fallinghigh! I sure hope this plant isn't going to outgrow it's space. I'll put some more pics up later. You said that 'if it is a haze...', The only way it wasn't is if they sold me the wrong product at the bank. I think AH1 is supposed to be 80/20 sativa. Do you think it makes any sense to keep the small one in there, does it have a chance at this point? I thought I'll keep it in there until they sex?! Advice appreciated!!

Unity:peace::blsmoke:
 
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