oG critical ppK

bloyd · Oct 18, 2017

You should do an AFP test. Mix your perlite accordingly to get proper 35-40% AFP. With the larger perlite you may only need 30-40% perlite, a 5 min AFP test would let you know. In the future consider adopting d9s 2.5qt buckets on 27 gallon tub for small plants. Plants will turn around when you dial in the "nutrient rich fog" that makes the ppk so special.

datal4b · Oct 18, 2017

just did some re-reading on the ppk for a 6 plant limit thread, got the afp test refreshed in my head. just a quick question before i perform it, what do you recommend as far as time goes on letting the media soak? longer the better..? or is there a usual go to time to ensure its accurate or does it not matter a whole lot. i guess im asking how long do you do it for.

bloyd · Oct 18, 2017

Just fill solo to the top with media, add water, couple taps to get rid of bubbles, re ad water till full. No soak time necessary it will fully saturate in seconds.

datal4b · Oct 18, 2017

missed the bit about 5 min..

46%

:/

datal4b · Oct 18, 2017

think this needs rectifying or can feed schedule be adjusted to satisfy watering needs? i don't want to create any obstacles. luckily i only have 4 containers to fix if need be.

Desert Hydro · Oct 19, 2017

i have never messed with any of that stuff in my PPKs. not saying you shouldnt or that it wont help but i never had to i guess. hows the rest of your room looking? and by that i mean ph, temps, rh, vpd, nute strength etc?

mine have a bit of funky burn but im thinking it was from before when i was having weird fluctuations in ph for a week as everything was settling in. now im dead on at 5.8 and about 1.5 EC every day without adjustments. mine also got accidentally monster cropped and they are just now beginning "normal" looking growth. my ph is always low and my temps are 85 in veg. once they get big i have to run a dehumidifier but during veg i am always more dry than i should be.

datal4b · Oct 19, 2017

since bloyd's recommendation of 1/2g feeds every 90 mins the media is now staying wet & my rh is up to 65-70 which is good. temps are 78-79 so pretty much in range on vpd, ph stable at 5.8, ec 1.1. originally when i packed the dishes full i noticed that the perlite was tinging brown from not washing the turface enough so i had left them all running under water to rinse more and inadvertently a lot of perlite had floated to the top, mostly the 1/2"+ sized pieces. i did a little more investigation beneath the top and it seems that a good majority that's left is 1/2" and smaller pieces. i redistributed it once more to try and keep it uniform. i've read of people like av8or & d9 running straight perlite which is gotta be 50%+ afp so idk. if things don't start turning around i can probably deduce that the afp is the culprit as enviros and feed schedule is dialed currently

datal4b · Oct 19, 2017

worse case scenario have to re-do it, i guess i was a little confused by everyone referring to perlite as "chunky" and "extra large" but from what ive taken away from the latest posts is that smaller grade is actually how you achieve the correct afp at a 50/50 blend. i wish i had remembered about the afp test prior to mixing up. thanks to bloyd got it fresh in the noggin now

datal4b · Oct 20, 2017

got a little bit of new leaf showing, so that's cool. not moving as fast as i'd been hoping for but i did hurt them initially.

with how airy this mix is and with the lack of root mass and size of the 7gal dishes the only way i can keep everything wet is pretty much a constant feed, it's set to feed every 8 mins for 1min20sec. not seeing any overwatering signs at this time

Desert Hydro · Oct 22, 2017

i had my 6 inch pots on the same timer because i was lazy. they were getting overwatered real bad so i put them on their own timer and now they are fine.

i think as long as they arent getting over watered you should be fine. i think this is a pretty resilient system, and will work pretty much no matter what. obviously attention to detail will really boost the performance but like i said i pretty much just set it and forget it.

new growth looks clean so i would just wait and see what they do in a week or so as long as all the other parameters are in check.

bloyd · Oct 23, 2017

datal4b said:
worse case scenario have to re-do it, i guess i was a little confused by everyone referring to perlite as "chunky" and "extra large" but from what ive taken away from the latest posts is that smaller grade is actually how you achieve the correct afp at a 50/50 blend. i wish i had remembered about the afp test prior to mixing up. thanks to bloyd got it fresh in the noggin now

Sorry to leave you hanging here. Your perlite has 1/2 inch particle size according to specs. The xlp that d9 recommends is 1/4 to 1/2 inch particle size. The xlp from supreme is only available in the northwest, but all perlite suppliers should have an equivalent. In the Midwest I use a super coarse perlite with the same specs. You don't want regular coarse perlite, that shit will clog tailpieces fast.

To lower your AFP you could simply cut in more turface. Another thing to consider will be that your capillary rise may be lower with the larger perlite. To combat this you may need to run a smaller air gap. Do capillary rise test to confirm. Your current watering tech seems excessive but I've never put such small plants with little root mass directly into 7 gallon pan. The reflectix mulch will keep top of media moist in between pulses and eventually allow roots to fully encompass the feed pan.

I've run mixtures of coco, 8822, turface, rice hulls, and perlite in the ppk with success. All will work some take more prep work and have greater potential for clogs. When you get the "nutrient rich fog" via proper AFP, air gap, feed, the growth is phenomenal and takes hard work to stay on top of.

I would suggest re reading again and again the something wicked thread and filter posts by av8or. This will give you posts from just d9 and av8or. A masters level class for huge plant growing. Those that copy it verbatim and understand the system have huge success.

datal4b · Oct 23, 2017

what's up bloyd

in the meantime i built the small setup

screened mvp in the tailpiece also. 35-40% on all samples taken. still not optimal as i know tailpiece clogs were becoming an issue. got it built at least.

thanks for making that clarification for me. im trying to source some super coarse right now. im for sure re-doing the 7gals. no reason to run an entire cycle without everything being perfect... kind of seems like a waste...it's all good though and i really appreciate the tips centered toward my particular issues

datal4b · Oct 23, 2017

having a re-read of something wicked also, that's a good technique to filter them

datal4b · Oct 23, 2017

by the way i got reflectix on the 7gals now too. the plants are definitely slowly growing but im thinking its this early on, might as well just remix them man. next run i will veg in the 2.5qts properly first

datal4b · Oct 23, 2017

ok i found a manufacturer here with different grades am i looking for the horticultural grade or chunky??

datal4b · Oct 23, 2017

hey also man, i just got off the phone with a mfg here that was telling me about how their perlite only has a particle size of about 1/8 to 1/4 but that the ore they mine their perlite from is unique and produces super strong perlite that doesn't break down like your typical horti grade. she said she'd give me a 25lb bag for free to try out. thinking if it doesn't break down that it might be kick ass for capillary rise and make the medium super distributed well. maybe give it a go in some 2.5 quarts. she said they keep competition perlite on hand that you can crush side by side with theirs and see the difference

datal4b · Nov 11, 2017

things seem to be goin alright. decided not to remix the media. giving some co2 now at 800ppm

wish me luck

Thirdtime · Nov 11, 2017

Looking good, how long til you flower?

datal4b · Nov 14, 2017

shootin for monsters and nothing less so could be 4-6 more weeks i imagine

Desert Hydro · Nov 14, 2017

those are gonna blow up real soon

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