[Deft]

I've been having terrible trouble inside with soil grows, outside I grow healthy vigorous plants but inside something eats the roots.

So I decided to spend the $120 to get set up for DWC and bought GH 3 part nutes, a control wizard PPM/EC/CF digistick, Hydroton, more net pots than I can use, pro-tekt potassium silicate, a 18 gallon rubbermaid, a turkey baster that measures in ML and Oz, an 18" airstone (great), an external fish tank stick on thermometer and probably some other things I am forgetting.

I had a lot of stuff that I allready needed like 3w air pump (hung on elastic cord), my 250w CMH/HPS DIY lamp which has been great so far, mylar, PH meter and calibration solution, etc etc etc..

I started two Holy grail seeds to test things and if things go right I may have a mother for outdoor cuts come spring. I forgot to buy rockwool so in a pinch I used peat pucks and its worked out fine so far. I am worried I might get pathogens growing in them so I give them a shot of SM-90 every now and again as preventative care.

I have been having fairly bad temps in the high 70s at peak during lights on so I have added a little SM-90 in the rez but thats just because of unseasonably warm temps in winter. Today it was 65* outside when its normally freezing. I use AC in summer.

My tap PH is crappy at well over 8 after in sink carbon filter, but ppms are acceptable in the 80-100 range.

I've measured the vital statistics today and they are as follows. PPM 420, ph 5.5, ec .8..... I've set up a spread sheet to chart those stats so I might see changes more easily.

So I'm going to make a grow thread for the first time in a long time, I really hope to get feedback and avoid any pitfalls I can't see coming and maybe get something to smoke along the way.

[Deft]

Took a pic after lights out just now, the reflector is cocked because the arc tube in my cmh is a little off kilter I think because my socket base is a little off.

The roots hit the water yesterday and are starting to branch out rapidly and are healthy and white so far though I worry about temps a lot. I cut a little hole which the turkey baster is in so I can easily check the ph/ec/tds without having to lift anything up. Can also add nutes that way.

[FreezerBoy]

Are the 70º temps air or water? I grew one with water temps in the 75-80 range with no res troubles and I'm guessing that using GH instead of organics played a part. Got any air movement around the res? You want to be careful you don't build an Easy-Bake Oven.

Break a leg!

[Deft]

Temps have been up to 78* on hot winter days, today its 76 as things are cooling off outside.
I found that a fan on the rez increased temps by 2 degrees or so, probably because cab temps are in the high 80s. I need to find the fan I use to exchange air between the closet and the room but no luck finding it yet. It helps a lot in keeping the closet air temps down and bringing in fresh air.

There is a fan up above kicking air on the cold roof and it falls down to the plant level. I really need to look for my other fan though.

Best of luck Deft, I didn't have any root troubles until they started to overrun the DWC and were filling the container anyways. That was without any water safeguard such as your SM-90. Hopefully it all works out real well for ya, and I'll be a few days behind you with my SWC holy grails... Found two ladies already

Grow on,
FB

[Deft]

Yea fullybaked, I was wondering if we would be doing twin grows and I guess we will be.

I think I like hydro already, I have not had healthy white roots in soil inside in a while sine there is something that kills them. Outside is fine but inside the roots die and rot even when relatively dry so hydro may just be the answer.

I'm already impressed with the speed of root foliage and stem growth and roots just hit the water the other day.

[hehateme19]

Yeah ok Deft I found you. I asked some questions on a different post earlier and I guess they have been answered here.

Hows the bubbles looking in that rubbermaid with that airstone.

Also I couldn't tell but what color is that container, did you wrap the outide of it? I saw how you wrapped the lid but was just wondering about the sides did you do anything for that? (black trash bags?)

You have now motivated me to go out and get some net pots tomorrow for sure. I gonna but a GH dual diaphram pump as well and just run 2 of the outlets. I am thinking about running a 10 inch airstone (but it looks like it has a larger adapter for air that what the pumps have... any suggestions) or 2 smaller ones or a 4 ft air diffuser or maybe 2. any ideas???

Anyways glad I found you, Im gonna add this one for sure.

Happy Growing

[Deft]

Sorry I missed your questions in the other thread.

The bubbles look great, lots of them even from the big stone. Its so big it can only lay from one corner to the opposite and I think the extra surface area will help keep it from getting clogged like the regular stones do.

The container is grey with a black lid, the black lid was getting very hot so I covered it in foil, I'll probably spray pint it flat white before I use it again. No trash bags or anything, its very dark inside the rez so I'm going to leave it that way for now, if it becomes a problem I'll just buy another rubbermaid and stick this one inside it to help with heat and light insulation.

Net pots are so damn cheep that I got 10 3" and 6 6" and I'll probably never use them but I have them if I need them or find someone else who needs some.

Pics are real easy to take as my comp has a built in card reader so I'll be showing a lot hopefully, heres todays set.







I'm kinda worried that they are a little too light in color but I think I'll wait till the ppm starts dropping to add more nutes.

[hehateme19]

Yeah Dude (Im not an expert like you) my lil ones are always that lighter green in the beginning. Those plants are gonna blow up, just wait.

do you top your plants??

[Deft]

Lol me an expert?? I laugh when I hear that, but your not the first to say it. I'm much much much better at vegetable gardening which I have been doing for 90% of my life. Indoors I am not so good but hydro may help with that. I set up a veggie garden for a relative this past summer and they ended up with a jungle of tomatoes brussle sprouts cukes and all sorts of other yummies, they had to donate most of it to the local homeless shelter/pantry and give a lot away because there was no way they could use it all or can it.

I do top plants, some love it and from my reading in the holy grail thread they should do well with it and turn into minoras or bushes. Sativa plants don't seem to like it but plants with a good bit of indica seem to like it a lot.

They are allready blowing up, they well more than doubled in size over the last 48 hours.