Blah's First Ppk

[Mr Blah]

Sorry for updates. Been busy with outdoor crop and downstairs crop.

Anyhow got some pictures of Blueberry Headband at about 3' tall out of the bucket. I think she is ready to flower. Not sure if it will vertically grow any more in the flower chamber with double stacked 1k's....
Still using 5Tbsp of each; Jacks and Nitrate.

Only issue I see is one bucket not draining like the rest and I noticed this in the control bucket....my first guess is the screen came off the tailpipe. Anyone concure this before I go balls deep in the tent.

 

[delta9nxs]

Sorry for updates. Been busy with outdoor crop and downstairs crop.

Anyhow got some pictures of Blueberry Headband at about 3' tall out of the bucket. I think she is ready to flower. Not sure if it will vertically grow any more in the flower chamber with double stacked 1k's....
Still using 5Tbsp of each; Jacks and Nitrate.
[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/attachment.php?attachmentid=376241&thumb=1]View Image[/URL] [URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/attachment.php?attachmentid=376240&thumb=1]View Image[/URL]
Only issue I see is one bucket not draining like the rest and I noticed this in the control bucket....my first guess is the screen came off the tailpipe. Anyone concure this before I go balls deep in the tent.
[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/attachment.php?attachmentid=376242&thumb=1]View Image[/URL]

healthy plants! we are not using screen anymore at the bottom end of the tailpiece, we are using a pvc drain grating type fitting and packing the tailpiece with coarse perlite, making a little mound of the perlite over the top end of the tailpiece and then putting a piece of screen over that before filling the rest of the container with whatever medium we are using.

this eliminates roots clogging the tailpiece and stop screens from slipping off.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Sioux-Chief-3-in-Snap-in-Drain-845-3PPK/202313209

this for the 3" one but they are made in 2" and 4" also. coarse perlite will not pass through the grating.

 

[Mr Blah]

I did pack the 1.5" tailpipe with perlite and mounded it over the bottom of the bucket and over the hole. But I still had the screen on the bottom.
Do you see this as a bad idea or luck that the others are looking good?

 

[Mr Blah]

I just went in the tent moved some things and checked things out with the full bucket of water.....She has roots coming out the bottom of the tail piece. SHIT! I did fill the 1.5" tailpipe with chunky perlite and put a mound on the bottom of the bucket like I said in the last post......WTF!?

Ideas?

I will clip the roots...But should I drill som relief holes on the bottom of that bucket?

funny the other buckets, done the same way are not doing this.

 

[delta9nxs]

I did pack the 1.5" tailpipe with perlite and mounded it over the bottom of the bucket and over the hole. But I still had the screen on the bottom.
Do you see this as a bad idea or luck that the others are looking good?

it's ok to have some roots growing down the pipe but yank them off to minimize the amount that's immersed in the solution. it's almost impossible to stop some roots from growing down the tailpiece.

the screen is ok for the 1.5" tailpiece but i put it on with a zip tie about 3/8" from the end and then run a bead of amazing goop plumbers edition around the end basically glueing the screen and the zip tie in place. use the nylon vent screen from lowes. it has a larger mesh size.

 

[Mr Blah]

it's ok to have some roots growing down the pipe but yank them off to minimize the amount that's immersed in the solution. it's almost impossible to stop some roots from growing down the tailpiece.

the screen is ok for the 1.5" tailpiece but i put it on with a zip tie about 3/8" from the end and then run a bead of amazing goop plumbers edition around the end basically glueing the screen and the zip tie in place. use the nylon vent screen from lowes. it has a larger mesh size.

Cool! I all ready did zip tie the right screen on the bottom of tailpipe. I will yank/cut the ones coming though. But the clog is the reason the bucket is full....Should I drill some holes on the bottom of the bucket or transplant into another bucket? It is about 18" tall above the bucket rim.

 

[delta9nxs]

so the plant container is not draining at all? lift the plant container out of the reservoir bucket and set it between two buckets so the tailpiece is hanging in free air and you can see it. then shoot a load of water through it to check for draining. you can catch the water with something if you don't want it on the floor.

 

[Mr Blah]

I took some pictures of the clog. Out of all eight just one had the roots coming down threw.


For being in such warm liquid I am impressed with the root color.

 

[McKush]

Wow M ive never gotten that much thru my tailpipe. Usually nothing at all.

 

[Mr Blah]

Now that I think of it, this one might be the one that I forgot to put the extra piece of screen over the mound of perlite covering the tailpipe.
That ring around the bucket shows that pulse every 1.5hrs feed, is too much. I have since turned the valve back on these.
The first ones on the left on the above photo where my first and they are doing great. Never adjusted the valve. These will/should be headed to flower in the coming week.

The Turface/perlite on the good ones are still wet after each feeding but never any standing water.
This I believe is the way it should be??

 

[delta9nxs]

I took some pictures of the clog. Out of all eight just one had the roots coming down threw.
[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/attachment.php?attachmentid=376370&thumb=1]View Image[/URL]
[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/attachment.php?attachmentid=376371&thumb=1]View Image[/URL] [URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/attachment.php?attachmentid=376372&thumb=1]View Image[/URL]
For being in such warm liquid I am impressed with the root color.

wow! you should never let that much root grow down into the solution. one of the main points of the ppk is minimizing root contact with and therefore dependency on the solution to provide oxygen. this is how we get away with not using chillers.

it does look as if you forgot the screen.

but tear off all that root material anyway.

you may want to consider moving the plant to another container with a screen if you think you can get the rootball out intact.

 

[Ravenboy]

wow! you should never let that much root grow down into the solution. one of the main points of the ppk is minimizing root contact with and therefore dependency on the solution to provide oxygen. this is how we get away with not using chillers.

it does look as if you forgot the screen.

but tear off all that root material anyway.

you may want to consider moving the plant to another container with a screen if you think you can get the rootball out intact.

wow - so the screen i use i t think is the same..... but i have a question

why is it that roots won't grow through a screen that coarse? what is it that prevents roots, which start out pretty thin, from heading right on thru the screen and down the tailpipe.

i believe the info, i am just curious

 

[Mr Blah]

OK so I planted my last four into this veg cabinet.
It seems that overnight I lost one of the last four I planted due to flooding in the bucket.
I have since turned the valve practically off and turned my attention to the four I planted last night.....One of those buckets are flooded also. WTF?
I turned the valve next to off on that one as well.

It's funny.....The first 4 I planted had NO issues.

 

[Mr Blah]

So what I have come to realize is that this system as easy as it is to build and maintain by itself. Is in fact harder to keep plants going consistently.
So out of my 12....3 are starting to flood (with the 6" halo's).
Just to recap; there is a 950GPH pump on 3/4" trunk line and 12 branches with 1/2" ball valve and halos.
The ones that have flooded during the 90min/30sec pulse feed I have since turned the valve practically off.

Do other PKers have this issue also?

 

[McKush]

Mr B sorry cant recall and to buzzed to care to look but are you feeding off a circlular loopfield? You should have a loop and taps off the loop off roughly equal distance and valves on the lines to fine tune them. If you are running taps off a line that just terminates then you will likely be getting that result. Even with valves. The loopfied and equal lines will help normalize the flow. It wont be perfect so the valves fine tune. Turning one valve affects all lines also. Not just the one with the valve.

Appologies for restating stuff already mentioned if so

Peace

 

[Mr Blah]

No No..... not re mentioning anything.
Talk up a storm....Please.
I need all the help I can get. Been checking out your thread among others. Looking great Mckush.

I know what you mean about the loop. Too bad I didn't do that when I built it. I was so amazed at the hole in the pipe than shove in the rubber hose I just did the one 2" trunk line down the middle. I may reduce the feed time to every 2hrs/30sec. It seems to be a "dialing in" issue.

My flower rooms that I am building now have loop feeds. 3/4" loop line with 1/2" secondary lines to the top buckets. Bottom has 2" line with 1/2" rubber lines connected to the bottom buckets.
The loop lines go on the outside wall of each tent alone with a 6" or a 8" fresh air intake line. Still not sure.

 

[Mr Blah]

As I build my flower rooms I am now questioning the size water pump I have for the pulse feedings....Mag drive 1200.

I have a Mag drive950 for the vegging 12 bucket and I am turning valves down daily. I am also turning the feed down to 20secs instead of 30.

 

[delta9nxs]

As I build my flower rooms I am now questioning the size water pump I have for the pulse feedings....Mag drive 1200.

I have a Mag drive950 for the vegging 12 bucket and I am turning valves down daily. I am also turning the feed down to 20secs instead of 30.

have you checked for uniformity? this can be done by taking the line off the halo and catching it in a container like a 1 gal kitchen pitcher.

you should check them all to see if they are putting out similar amounts.

it will be impossible to dial all containers in if they are uneven.

the feed line from the pump should go around in a circle as mckush said to even the flow close enough to allow you to start dialing down the ones flowing heaviest first.

you will find that the last ones can still be run wide open.

if all this doesn't work then you have a clogged drain.

 

[McKush]

Heya Mr. B. I also use a master control valve on the 3/4 inch line after the pump and before the loopfield.

Ive even considered and just may go to 4 pumps all located in the volume res so i can feed each plant on its own schedule or duration. To me that is better for non-mono growing which i do. If you are monocropping runs then it really doesnt matter as the cultivar and growth stage is identical. Only have minor phenotyping differences. That said im not really needing to do it but i think it would be and improvement for my flushing setup.

When i was setting up the room and at diff times ive run the test that D9 suggests. Try to keep the halo at the same height it is on the plant when you collect it to keep the same pressures. I was surprised to see how *much* i was feeding per event with my big pump.

Fyi lots of sump pumps have 3/4 threaded male ports for garden house. I paid US$60 for mine. I use one for feed and one for flush and these pumps are made for short cycles... hth brother

 

[Gauge]

I'll be following you