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Dwc question

I posted a thread on the hydro section but I forgot about this newly section here so I copied and pasted thread

I have a dwc grow where I have a 5 gallon bucket being filled with 2.5 gallons I am in week 6 of flower. The plant is extremely healthy and drinking a whole lot

At the end of week four moving to week five I noticed that she drank a whole lot she actually drank 2 gal, or 8 qts. Today when I replaced the bucket she drank all of it. There was a little puddle left. She drank 2.5 gals in 7 days

So my question is do I need to consider doing maybe a bucket change every 4 days?
 

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as long as the system isnt leaking then yeah, add solution as often as the plant requires. or get a bigger reservoir.

Ok thanks. I'm just using a basic bucket system tho and I'm not sure if I can go larger. I'm sure I could fix up a tub but the amount of nutes I use would probably equal out

And I don't think there is a leak I use a different bucket each week. I have two I alternate. I fix the nute water in a fresh bucket then take my net pot off the old bucket and place it on the new one. Then I take the old bucket and clean it out. I haven't noticed any cracks or anything and getting a crack in either of the buckets, well is kind of hard to imagine that happening.

I have been begging this plant for close to a year I attempted to make clones but I'm retarded or something I can't do it. But yea this plant is pretty big.

I think my question really is should I use fresh nutes solution every four days or just top off with water?

To be honest I like the idea of fresh nute solution it just seems like it would benefit her more you know
 

Speed of green

Active member
Yeah i got what you mean.
The plant looks very healthy good job!

i would replace your nutrient solution as necessary, topping with water is not advised and will only slow down growth.
 

justanotherbozo

Active member
Veteran
...yeah, i'm no expert but if you converted to a recirculating DWC and plumbed your buckets together with a seperate reservoir, say a 50 gallon blue barrel or even a 30 gallon trash can i believe your system would be a lot more stable.

...like i said, i'm no expert so you should do some research on RDWC and don't be afraid to ask questions, we have lots of growers inhouse with years of experience that can help you.

peace, bozo
 
R

Rageous8899

Yeah dont even change buckets. Just add solution and if the ph is fine then fine. Sometimes i wont change out for 2 weeks. Led will zappp your water during that thirst period but it will decipate
 
R

Rageous8899

My girls often lack calmag with led so if you notice any def id point to calmag right away
 

gh0stm0de

Active member
Bozo is all the way right.

Should be using float valve in control bucket linked to a reservoir such as drum or Rubbermaid etc to maintain appropriate level. 2.5 gal in a 5gal is not sufficient and you are limiting your potential rootspace. Should be more like 3.5 depending on depth of netcup.

Like bozo said connecting allows for all buckets allows for even water level regulation and constant top off on demand. Integrating a water pump to recirculate is ideal because it keeps even tds composition in each bucket, allows for water temperature control via chiller or heater, and helps aerate.
 
Bozo is all the way right.

Should be using float valve in control bucket linked to a reservoir such as drum or Rubbermaid etc to maintain appropriate level. 2.5 gal in a 5gal is not sufficient and you are limiting your potential rootspace. Should be more like 3.5 depending on depth of netcup.

Like bozo said connecting allows for all buckets allows for even water level regulation and constant top off on demand. Integrating a water pump to recirculate is ideal because it keeps even tds composition in each bucket, allows for water temperature control via chiller or heater, and helps aerate.
Sounds great. This is my first time doing a bucket. I will certainly consider this the next time I want to do this

My net cup takes up half the bucket which is why I only do 2.5 tho. I have a smaller net cup but it wouldn't fit on the bucket lol weird.
 
...yeah, i'm no expert but if you converted to a recirculating DWC and plumbed your buckets together with a seperate reservoir, say a 50 gallon blue barrel or even a 30 gallon trash can i believe your system would be a lot more stable.

...like i said, i'm no expert so you should do some research on RDWC and don't be afraid to ask questions, we have lots of growers inhouse with years of experience that can help you.

peace, bozo

Do you really think I should go 30 or 50 gal for a one plant 600w grow??
 

gh0stm0de

Active member
Hes talking about a reservoir for top off. No you dont need that much for one small plant but you SHOULD install float valve and res for automatic top off. 10-15 gal is plenty for one small plant.
 

justanotherbozo

Active member
Veteran
...yeah, based on the pics you posted above it sure looks to be 3 buckets anyway.

...if you only have a single bucket then there is need for recirculating.

...if you have more than a single bucket then recieculating would improve your outcomes and make your grows more consistent.

...here is a good how-to to explain the process.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=26343

...and here is a different sized net pot for the future so you'll have more nutriment in your buckets. (keep in mind that i didn't shop for price so do some shopping as i am certain these can be had for considerably less money)

https://m.ebay.com/itm/6-MESH-NET-P...%3A143c566a15d0a9e4b51d1947fff26d98%7Ciid%3A2

peace, bozo
 

Dro Smoe

Member
Complete Noob, looking good. Yes 30-50 gallons is overkill for one plant, but when making upgrades try to picture where you'll be at in a year or two from now. You're better off making one purchase that can meet your needs for the next few years, rather than two or three purchases as your experience increases. You could always partially fill the reservoir until you're in need of its full capacity.
 

Dro Smoe

Member
Sorry for double posting, still can't edit...

Also, you should be topping off daily from late veg to late harvest, not waiting for the bucket to run dry. I top daily with ph adjusted nutrient solution, and I keep my level a few inches above the bottom of the net pot as it allows me to occasionally skip a day in between top offs. Be mindful as to how deep you plant your clone in your net pot, as you don't want the root crown of the plant to be submerged.
 
Sorry for double posting, still can't edit...

Also, you should be topping off daily from late veg to late harvest, not waiting for the bucket to run dry. I top daily with ph adjusted nutrient solution, and I keep my level a few inches above the bottom of the net pot as it allows me to occasionally skip a day in between top offs. Be mindful as to how deep you plant your clone in your net pot, as you don't want the root crown of the plant to be submerged.

Thank you one more question

It's about dry koolbloom

When should I begin using it? I see the bottle says last two weeks before flush. But I know things aren't always as simple as instructions on the bottle make it

Do I use it once I begin to see red hairs? In my mind I want to begin adding it once I begin to notice red to me that is when late flower is beginning. Instead of going by number of days or weeks I like to go by the plant itself. Does this sound right?
 

DeMonet

Member
Thank you one more question

It's about dry koolbloom

When should I begin using it? I see the bottle says last two weeks before flush. But I know things aren't always as simple as instructions on the bottle make it

Do I use it once I begin to see red hairs? In my mind I want to begin adding it once I begin to notice red to me that is when late flower is beginning. Instead of going by number of days or weeks I like to go by the plant itself. Does this sound right?


Two weeks before flush is good, as a general rule. However, you're also right about reading your plant, and trusting your own senses. I'd say it depends on the plant. Here's what I mean:

A lot of cannabis plants put on a bunch of their bulk in the last 2-3 weeks of flower. That's when dry kool bloom is crucial, to help put on that bulk and keep 'em green during a time when you're also reducing N and they're likely to start yellowing. Now, if you've observed that the plant you're growing tends to start yellowing earlier than that, feel free to start using Dry KB earlier. Or maybe instead increasing by a little (say, 20%) the amount of liquid KB you're using, assuming you're using it.

If you've observed that you have a plant that bulks up gradually, rather than kinda suddenly all at the end, feel free to start using it earlier.

The feeding schedule is a very, very well laid out set of general guidelines, and is meant to be tailored by you, to your own needs. I think the best course of action is to grow it once or twice according to the directions (unless the plant tells you something's wrong, by yellowing or dying or whatever.)

Once you've got a base of experience with this plant, you can start to dial in specifics with your nutes (like for example, you've learned that it yellows in week 3 if you don't reduce N, aka "A" nutrient. Or, it puts on all its bulk by the end of week 6, so you'll use dry KB earlier.) You can't know these things til you grow it at least once, and there's no way around that.

Good luck, and happy growing!
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
I know you want to rock DWC, it's a smashingly easy way to grow. :)

You can get a better idea of the process happening in your buckets by reading a particular thread. I guess I should duplicate it, but for now it's over on another site. Do a search for "Ask Lucas" and read the entire thread a few times. :)

15 years later and I'm still loving it. :D
 

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