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Best advice on hydro

paperchaser825

Active member
The title says it all. What is the single best piece of advice you have found/been told/came to you in a premonition.....
 

Snook

Still Learning
Veteran
1. less is better than more
2. exercise patience
SS is correct :dance013:, these two are a great place to start.. also, RO water, instead of tap water, will have less unknown "stuff" (PPMs) in it (calcium??, nitrogen? dono) than tapwater.

with emphasis on less is better: more fertilizers = higher PPMs = lower PH, PH, lowered by 'higher' PPMs can/will create nutrient imbalances, PH imbalances require PH adjusters, PH adjusters 'accumulate' and too much "adjusted PH" = mor e PH imbalances..

"Patience" is acheved once system balance is obained. :tiphat: chasing PH doesnt lend itself to 'patience'. matter of fact, it will add anxioty.
 

LyryC

Active member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Hydroponics requires daily waterings - the more frequently watered - the more growth. 2x to 5x a day - depending on your set up.
 

PetFlora

Well-known member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I have been playing with hydro for ~ 5 years - F & D, drip, low pressure aero, high pressure aero, DWC and lastly Hydro Halo Drip Rings. Combining things I like about all of them, I feel as though I have developed a simple system to both assemble and maintain.

It is based on Hydro Halo Drip Rings, but I SPRAY a ~ 6" diameter band of nutes all around the base of the plant (top roots get properly fed is very important to a strong main stem), the rest trickles down through a cap of ornamental rock over lava rock in 1G Air Pots.

Nutes are pumped from the rez via a 160 gph pump which will be replacing a too powerful 320 gph pump.

Due to fast draining I can quick feed mini-meals ~ 36-xs during lights on. Night feeds are only 3-4 times but increase on time. What's left drains back to the rez.

I have a in-depth HH thread on riu

Buds were nice and fat (PHAT), taste amazing, smooth. See chopped plant pic...

I expect to be starting a new thread here HH 2.0 by mid August using HH 2.0 under 4 @ 20w iBright LED tubes + A19 globe bulbs BUT may be getting a hot off the press led grow lamp to test for you guys. The things I do for you :woohoo:

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Desert Hydro

Active member
Veteran
dont do DWC for your first hydro experience! i did and i finished ok but all the other newbs i know that started in DWC failed. its a lot of upkeep and changes happen quickly since the roots are in the water directly.

rockwool is very forgiving and yields very well and is easy to set up on a timed dripper or you can simply hand water like you would in soil for the easiest transition ever.

coco is great but wouldnt completely reccomend it for fist timers because of the inherent cal shortages and lockouts if it becomes dry. needs specialty nutes or at least extra calcium boosters on the side. other than that it is great.
 

Wild1

New member
Learn to grow the strain(s) you have before jumping to another one. Otherwise you will never learn what a specific strain likes. That and watch your pH.
 

Weird

3rd-Eye Jedi
Veteran
buffer your PH

remember in chem grows every extra component you add past basic nutrients can act as catalysts that require you LOWER not raise your ppm
 

adz007

Member
1. less is more, dont over feed
2. running a bb tea has helped me with all root problems i brew one every week now also helps with pests
3. i run grow nutes for a week at flip then mix in flower nutes as res drops, depending on your setup but should be strait flower nutes by week 2 (credit Heath Robinson).
4. try to keep every thing clean
5. check you plant every day making sure it looks healthy, and make sure your pumps and drainage in working
 

paperchaser825

Active member
3. i run grow nutes for a week at flip then mix in flower nutes as res drops, depending on your setup but should be strait flower nutes by week 2 (credit Heath Robinson).

Could you elaborate a bit more? I am interested in this. Wondering specifically what you mean by "flower nutes".
 

zamzia

Active member
Veteran
Because the veg nutes have higher nitrogen. As paperchaser825 says, Heath Robinson said he would always run veg nutes for the first two weeks of 12/12 to prevent premature leaf yellowing/drop.

I would say don't be afraid to try. Although it's great to have all the help from these and other forums, personal experience is the way to go. I thought this was all mad science when I first started lurking these forums years ago, but I've have a few good grows and have now moved from my first system (aquafarm in tent) to a RDWC similar to one of Heath Robinsons design. It's much easier to manage and keep a check on things now.

Don't be afraid to ask questions either. Everyone can look at situations differently so it's good to pool ideas and see what wrks best for your setup.

Good luck!
 

adz007

Member
Yeah zamia hit the nail on the head. Most nutrient companies have a different nutrient for flower and veg periods. When I flip my plants to 12/12 for flowering I still use veg nutrients for a week then slowly add flower nutrients. After week 2 you want it to be 100% flower nutrients though imo.
 

Jellyfish

Invertebrata Inebriata
Veteran
winner@420giveaway
If you have never grown before, and you want to try hydroponics, Hempy Buckets is a great way to get started and learn!
 
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