420GreaseMonkey
Member
Thanks for stopping by. Still learning but I've got a feeling you never stop
Was actually just flicking through your Endless Sky grow. You've got some awesome looking girls there!
Yet another newbie first grow...
- Thread starter 420GreaseMonkey
- Start date
Was actually just flicking through your Endless Sky grow. You've got some awesome looking girls there!
farmerfischer
Well-Known Member
Thank you , to kind.. Yup, you never stop learning. My take on the meaning of life.. People are always trying to improve by trying new things. That's why I like This place all ways seeing something new or or something old with a new spin
420GreaseMonkey
Member
So it was about time I made a rookie mistake and it finally happened.
Changed out my reservoir two days ago and was in a bit of a hurry. I thought I had got the PH right but when I checked it yesterday the nute solution was cloudy and the PH had spiked over 7. I immediately dumped the new solution and started again taking a bit more care. Looked over my girl but she had obviously been stressed and threw out a couple male flowers. Spent the next hour hunting down every last one and carefully plucking them out with tweezers (about 10 in total). Just spent another 30minutes or so hunting again today but there were no new ones.
Hopefully I can sort of salvage her from here since I'm only about three weeks from harvest. Should be ok though with a little luck.
Definitely learnt to take my time adjusting PH properly. It moves quickly!
Because I finally got our rain water tank sorted, I decided to start with rain water for this change. Previously I had been using tap water and the resulting mix only needed very little change. The rain water being much softer needed a bigger swing and that's where I came undone.
I think what I did was not let the reservoir mix properly before checking it and calling it done. Definitely not one I will be repeating. Will also be tweaking my setup for the next grow so that it is a lot easier to get into the reservoir for mixing/testing/dosing. Still a learning experience and still enjoying myself though. Here's hoping for a smooth cruise to the finish!
In my panic i didn't get any photos but here's a couple from before that.
Changed out my reservoir two days ago and was in a bit of a hurry. I thought I had got the PH right but when I checked it yesterday the nute solution was cloudy and the PH had spiked over 7. I immediately dumped the new solution and started again taking a bit more care. Looked over my girl but she had obviously been stressed and threw out a couple male flowers. Spent the next hour hunting down every last one and carefully plucking them out with tweezers (about 10 in total). Just spent another 30minutes or so hunting again today but there were no new ones.
Hopefully I can sort of salvage her from here since I'm only about three weeks from harvest. Should be ok though with a little luck.
Definitely learnt to take my time adjusting PH properly. It moves quickly!
Because I finally got our rain water tank sorted, I decided to start with rain water for this change. Previously I had been using tap water and the resulting mix only needed very little change. The rain water being much softer needed a bigger swing and that's where I came undone.
I think what I did was not let the reservoir mix properly before checking it and calling it done. Definitely not one I will be repeating. Will also be tweaking my setup for the next grow so that it is a lot easier to get into the reservoir for mixing/testing/dosing. Still a learning experience and still enjoying myself though. Here's hoping for a smooth cruise to the finish!
In my panic i didn't get any photos but here's a couple from before that.
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roseypeach
Well-Known Member
Hi and welcome to RIU!!
It's great to see a new member that takes the time to research thoroughly before growing, so kudos to you sir! Your plants are very rigorous and healthy, looks like you're off to a good start. May I ask what nutes you're using? We use GH, it auto buffers so there's no mistake in your pH. Of course you still need to monitor, and have some calmag or such on hand. Bloom boosters are overrated, you can mix your own for next to nothing, and get just as good, if not better results. If you're no chemist, you can always go with RAW by NPK industries. They have potassium, calcium, etc and tell you the measurements. Here's a guide to help you along the way, should you choose to try it out. http://scienceinhydroponics.com/2010/07/preparing-your-own-hydroponic-nutrients-a-complete-guide-for-beginners.html
You don't have to go so far as it says but it's a great way to learn measurements.
Good luck to you, will be watching your grow!
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420GreaseMonkey
Member
Hi! Thank you for the kind words. It's funny, I was just reading through your journal. You have some amazing looking plants.Hi and welcome to RIU!!
It's great to see a new member that takes the time to research thoroughly before growing, so kudos to you sir! Your plants are very rigorous and healthy, looks like you're off to a good start. May I ask what nutes you're using? We use GH, it auto buffers so there's no mistake in your pH. Of course you still need to monitor, and have some calmag or such on hand. Bloom boosters are overrated, you can mix your own for next to nothing, and get just as good, if not better results. If you're no chemist, you can always go with RAW by NPK industries. They have potassium, calcium, etc and tell you the measurements. Here's a guide to help you along the way, should you choose to try it out. http://scienceinhydroponics.com/2010/07/preparing-your-own-hydroponic-nutrients-a-complete-guide-for-beginners.html
You don't have to go so far as it says but it's a great way to learn measurements.
Good luck to you, will be watching your grow!
Like I said, the pH problem was partly a design limitation where it's a little difficult to get into the reservoir and mix properly and partly just that I'm not used to using pH Up (a little of that stuff goes a LONG way!). Will be fixed for next time and will chalk it up to experience in the meantime.. I was actually a little scared of hydro for exactly this sort of reason but once you get into it the whole concept is a lot easier than it first sounds.
I'm using House and Garden Hydro nutes with seaweed tonic for the first couple weeks and have Canna PK 13/14 for the last few. Will definitely be checking out that link though, thank you. I'm a proper sucker for some DIY. Never could just pay someone for something I could just do a bunch of reading on and give a crack myself. Hence why I'm here growing I guess. Must be the mechanic in me. I'm not personally that handy with the chemistry but my partner is a Chemical Engineer, specifically a process engineer in the water industry, so she's got that bit covered (she had a chuckle about my pH problem).
For my first grow I have gone with the recommendations of the guys down at the local hydro shop as far as nutrients go and once I've got a feel for it I figure I can start playing with nutes/additives etc. They tend to lean towards Coco run to waste over my flood and drain setup but I thought dialing in a feeding schedule without excessive nutrient waste would be easier with the flood and drain for a beginner and it seems to be doing OK so far.
I've seen CalMag mentioned a lot through people's posts but haven't yet looked into what it's for. Will add that to the list
Thanks again for the pointers, I appreciate anything people are willing to provide.
"To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge." Confucius... Smart guy that one.
Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
Hopefully next time, the screen will actually serve a purpose? Lol
420GreaseMonkey
Member
That will be the plan. Totally underestimated the whole "stretch" thing! Haha... Such a noob
Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
I have the exact opposite using General Hydroponics pH up and down. Ph DOWN goes a HELL OF A LOT longer way than pH UP EVER could. Like one drop to a gallon of water brings it down almost a full number. It takes like 5-10 drops of up to do that.Hi! Thank you for the kind words. It's funny, I was just reading through your journal. You have some amazing looking plants.
Like I said, the pH problem was partly a design limitation where it's a little difficult to get into the reservoir and mix properly and partly just that I'm not used to using pH Up (a little of that stuff goes a LONG way!). Will be fixed for next time and will chalk it up to experience in the meantime.. I was actually a little scared of hydro for exactly this sort of reason but once you get into it the whole concept is a lot easier than it first sounds.
I'm using House and Garden Hydro nutes with seaweed tonic for the first couple weeks and have Canna PK 13/14 for the last few. Will definitely be checking out that link though, thank you. I'm a proper sucker for some DIY. Never could just pay someone for something I could just do a bunch of reading on and give a crack myself. Hence why I'm here growing I guess. Must be the mechanic in me. I'm not personally that handy with the chemistry but my partner is a Chemical Engineer, specifically a process engineer in the water industry, so she's got that bit covered (she had a chuckle about my pH problem).
For my first grow I have gone with the recommendations of the guys down at the local hydro shop as far as nutrients go and once I've got a feel for it I figure I can start playing with nutes/additives etc. They tend to lean towards Coco run to waste over my flood and drain setup but I thought dialing in a feeding schedule without excessive nutrient waste would be easier with the flood and drain for a beginner and it seems to be doing OK so far.
I've seen CalMag mentioned a lot through people's posts but haven't yet looked into what it's for. Will add that to the list
Thanks again for the pointers, I appreciate anything people are willing to provide.
"To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge." Confucius... Smart guy that one.
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roseypeach
Well-Known Member
The only stupid question is the one you don't ask..Hi! Thank you for the kind words. It's funny, I was just reading through your journal. You have some amazing looking plants.
Like I said, the pH problem was partly a design limitation where it's a little difficult to get into the reservoir and mix properly and partly just that I'm not used to using pH Up (a little of that stuff goes a LONG way!). Will be fixed for next time and will chalk it up to experience in the meantime.. I was actually a little scared of hydro for exactly this sort of reason but once you get into it the whole concept is a lot easier than it first sounds.
I'm using House and Garden Hydro nutes with seaweed tonic for the first couple weeks and have Canna PK 13/14 for the last few. Will definitely be checking out that link though, thank you. I'm a proper sucker for some DIY. Never could just pay someone for something I could just do a bunch of reading on and give a crack myself. Hence why I'm here growing I guess. Must be the mechanic in me. I'm not personally that handy with the chemistry but my partner is a Chemical Engineer, specifically a process engineer in the water industry, so she's got that bit covered (she had a chuckle about my pH problem).
For my first grow I have gone with the recommendations of the guys down at the local hydro shop as far as nutrients go and once I've got a feel for it I figure I can start playing with nutes/additives etc. They tend to lean towards Coco run to waste over my flood and drain setup but I thought dialing in a feeding schedule without excessive nutrient waste would be easier with the flood and drain for a beginner and it seems to be doing OK so far.
I've seen CalMag mentioned a lot through people's posts but haven't yet looked into what it's for. Will add that to the list
Thanks again for the pointers, I appreciate anything people are willing to provide.
"To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge." Confucius... Smart guy that one.
You're very welcome! Sounds like you have your bases covered.
Subbed..
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abe supercro
Well-Known Member
Rigorous or vigorous?
420GreaseMonkey
Member
I think that was my other problem. I was trying to use a 60ml syringe to dose with. Not very accurate in such small quantities. I have since gone and got myself a glass dripper, should be much better.
roseypeach
Well-Known Member
frickin typos... Was tired as hell, give a girl a break man...Rigorous or vigorous?
farmerfischer
Well-Known Member
Cal/mag is commonly used during flowering and for deficiencies.. I see you said something about it in a earlier post
roseypeach
Well-Known Member
Good stuff!! a must have for hydroponics
420GreaseMonkey
Member
Ah, thank you. I did find some info about calcium deficiencies when I had a quick look around but not about using it as a general booster additive. Have you found it worth while to use during flower? I have been told that calcium deficiency is not all that common in my area due to our slightly harder than normal tap water but since Cannabis seems to like some extra calcium is it worthwhile using cal/mag as a general rule? Maybe it's a good idea to get some to keep on hand anyway.
420GreaseMonkey
Member
Thank you again for that link to the Science in Hydroponics page. I read through what they had there and downloaded a copy of the HydroBuddy software. Not only is it a good resource for being able to save a bit on nutrients but I think it's important to have at least a base knowledge of what goes into the products that we use as well. It's a shame that his community based formula database didn't take off though.
Have you tried making your own concentrates? I guess the general hydro formula or maybe even the tomato formula would be a good place to start. I will be definitely giving that a try once I've got a little more experience. NPK Industries break down of their products will definitely be useful in that respect as well. In fact their idea of supplying separate element concentrates so that you can mix your own or boost another is also quite interesting.
roseypeach
Well-Known Member
You are very welcome
It is a great resource, I'm glad to help. We just started mixing our own bloom fert, it's only potassium and water, and we just started using it today. I'll let you know how it does.You can actually by the different nutes from other manufacturers but they aren't as helpful when it comes to mixing.
farmerfischer
Well-Known Member
When you say tap water, are you city water or well water?
farmerfischer
Well-Known Member
City water around my parts is gnarly and should be filtered but my well water is good but lots of lime and iron in it . so it makes my ph climb when I run hydro. So I bought ghp's hard water micro formula .
roseypeach
Well-Known Member
we're on a well, our ppm is under 200 if it's not a drought, gets a touch higher with more rainfall. We use GH, it auto buffers which helps a lot.