Drip to Waste, Pure Rockwool, Lucas Formula

[Herborizer]

Hello. I am running my first round with a Drip to Waste system and Rockwool cubes.

• RO Water.
• Lucas formula.
• 4 x 4 Table.
• 2x2 rockwool clones put into 4x4 rockwool cubes.
• 9x9x4 Rockwool slabs that the 4x4's will sit on top of.
• 430w (8 bulbs) T5 light with orange and blue bulbs.
• 600w HPS with super sun hood (new in box), with digital ballast (nextgen).
• 8 Grand Daddy Purple, 4 Purple Kush.

I am a personal medical grow. I bought the clones in 2x2 rockwool at the dispensary. I then transplanted them into 4x4 rockwool cubes. Cubes were pre-soaked in 50% strength Lucas formula (0-5-10), superthrive, and drip clean. PPM around 400. PH about 5.7.

I put the plants on the table and put the T5 about 24 inches above. I measure 3000 foot candles of light on meter (meter at top of plant).

4 Days later the rockwool started to feel light so I mixed up more lucas formula at 80% strength, superthrive, drip clean (ppm around 700, PH around 5.9) and I hand watered the plants until 15% run off. I also mixed up a batch of kelp foliage spraying and gave them a spray after the lights went out (green light).

Today the plants still look nice and green and more shiny now. I feel that the leaves were darker green when I bought them from the dispensary, then they are now. The leaves are dipping down a little, but they have been since the day I bought them. The leaves don't feel sluggish at all. They actually feel very stiff and strong. Maybe the dipping is a genetic thing?

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any experience with drip and pure rockwool growing? What do you PH your nutes to? How much run off do you try to achieve?

Also, anyone using T5's? Sometimes I feel that maybe the flouro version of the lucas formula (0-5-10) might not be enough for T5's. Sometimes I wonder if the HPS version of the Lucas formula (0-8-16) is closer to the correct amount for T5's. Or somewhere in-between? It would be great to get feedback here.

At what point should I switch to my HPS? I have the T5 to help transition the plants from CFL's at the dispensary (where they used to live) to my setup. I am eager to switch to the HPS as soon as possible without shocking the plants.

Lastly, how often are you dripping? Any difference in feedings from transplant (early veg), Veg, and flower?

Thanks!

 

[Craven_au]

u can switch to a single 430w hps now at least 3ft 1m above young plants as long as the humidity doesn't get to low stay above 50.
be careful the rockwool slabs can hold a lot of water so young plants can be easily over watered, ph around 5.5 is good try to stay below 6. I've tried superthrive once in dwc gave me ph problem won't use it again its best used in organic grows.

some people cut or place holes in the rockwool slabs for better aeration and drainage. them moisture meter work in rockwool.

 

[Herborizer]

Day 18 and everything is going fantastic. I switched to the HPS on Sunday. I am still only watering twice a week. They are growing really nice. See pic below. A LOT of progress in 10 days.

 

[Craven_au]

looking good man keep pic coming is that 18 days flower? watering twice a week is about right don't let them dry out.

 

[gregor_mendel]

Also, anyone using T5's? Sometimes I feel that maybe the flouro version of the lucas formula (0-5-10) might not be enough for T5's. Sometimes I wonder if the HPS version of the Lucas formula (0-8-16) is closer to the correct amount for T5's. Or somewhere in-between? It would be great to get feedback here.

0-5-10 is not a flouro formula or veg formula, but a low intensity light formula
Lucas considers T5s to be high intensity.

I feed everything under my T5s full strength.

 

[Herborizer]

0-5-10 is not a flouro formula or veg formula, but a low intensity light formula
Lucas considers T5s to be high intensity.

I feed everything under my T5s full strength.

Thank you for confirming that!!! I suspected this all along.

 

[Herborizer]

looking good man keep pic coming is that 18 days flower? watering twice a week is about right don't let them dry out.

18 days in veg, from clone. Switching to flower today most likely. Here is an updated picture from last night (21 days in veg). I just installed the drip lines. Up to this point I have been hand watering.

I suspect if I added CO2 I could cut my veg time in 1/2. I have yet to find a CO2 system that is under $500 though.

 

[Herborizer]

These pictures are from Monday. They are growing like crazy!

 

[EvilTwin]

Herb,
Doing great there Dude. Nice to see someone finally using rockwool properly. Just wanted to say Hi and to tag along.
Cheers,
ET

 

[Herborizer]

Herb,
Doing great there Dude. Nice to see someone finally using rockwool properly. Just wanted to say Hi and to tag along.
Cheers,
ET

Thanks ET. I really don't understand why more people aren't stoked on pure rockwhool setups like this. I swear this is the easiest setup and I am seeing fantastic growth. All without CO2! I look forward to seeing what CO2 will do to my setup. Maybe someday... when that is in the budget (not soon).

 

[Wait...What?]

You are going to think I'm completely insane

16ml grow
6ml micro
5ml bloom
3ml cal-mag+

with my tap water, gives a 1:1.5 N:K ratio, a 1:1 N:Ca ratio and a 1:3 Mg:Ca ratio. don't be afraid of the high tds/ppm if you are running to waste.

this is for vegging and early flower as you would obviously want to cut all that stuff off by the 1/3rd-of-the-way point in the flower cycle.

but again, im completely crazy and laugh at conventional wisdom.

if anyone can prove to me that cannabis even responds at all to more than ~90ppm of P, i'd be happy to change my views on things...

 

[Craven_au]

Don't bother with co2 its only good with sealed rooms with split ac and 100% temp control, with air cooled hoods and shit.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

if anyone can prove to me that cannabis even responds at all to more than ~90ppm of P, i'd be happy to change my views on things...

Until you start understanding all this... I wouldn't advise listening to much of what you have to say. Yes, I've actually marked a post or two of yours as unhelpful. They were.

Read more, post less


Stay Safe!

Edit: Hmmm... must have been an off-med day for me. *sigh* Totally misunderstood the post and ripped them for other posts. Gah! I'm actually interested in lower P testing. Figures, eh? My apologies Wait.

 

[dubbalicious]

ouch

 

[Herborizer]

15th day of flower. Everything is going great. Bud sites everywhere. Pics below. Enjoy.

 

[Herborizer]

21st day of flower. Things are moving along nicely. Earlier in this thread there was some interest, so I am updating. Hopefully this is informational to someone. Pics below.

 

[ghostly]

co2 under 500

co2 under 500

18 days in veg, from clone. Switching to flower today most likely. Here is an updated picture from last night (21 days in veg). I just installed the drip lines. Up to this point I have been hand watering.

I suspect if I added CO2 I could cut my veg time in 1/2. I have yet to find a CO2 system that is under $500 though.

buy a 20lb tank with a regulator and a timer, run the gas every couple hours for 5-10 min depending on room size and flow rate.
use 1/4 line and pop holes every 6 inches and loop it above the table... under 500 easy. refills are 10-15 where i live, again, how much u use depends on you.

 

[Andyo]

rockwool too wet for me

rockwool too wet for me

I used rockwool for years and initially i found it much too wet for me and prone to ph climbing ,i then went over to rockwool flock in pots which drained well exellent results feed to 25% run of and wait till dry and repeat .worth putting hydroton on top as dry fibres get in the air cough cough !
The little rock wool cubes in a sack 3/8x3/8 are the best plenty air gaps between great surface area and drainage and minimum fibres in the air .but still need to watch the ph climb .A

 

[ghostly]

my veg room is a lot like yours.

my veg room is a lot like yours.


I run all blue t5s for up to 6 weeks, using Cutting Edge, 500ppm, 900ppm, then up to 1300ppm and they love it! the table looks like a chia pet before i transplant. i rarely use co2 unless i need to speed them up a bit. (i do however hit em with the co2 in flower, if you have high light intensity co2 works alot better and your room will be warmer but again, the co2's effect is slightly better in warmer temps.)

a cheap trick is to spray (with light off until it drys) the leaves with soda water- read the label! it should only way water and co2... no carbohydrates or anything else, tonic, seltzr... not when buds appear, dont spray with nada.

run your light 18 on 6 off for max growth and vigor. (ive done both 18/6 and 24straight, by far the 18 is better. unless you want to slow them down for some reason. (like me, i have 2 rooms,if they arent ripe but the next round is ready, i slow em down, or speed em up if finishing early.)
i flood the table for veg. when i transplant the hugo cubes to buckets with hydroton, i water 2-3 times a day for a minute or two. sometimes more or less, your plants will tell you.

i like to flower when the plants are half what i want them to finish at, so 24" and they finish 4-5 feet, depending on strain of course.
switch to the 600hps when your ready to flower, and run it 12 hours on and 12 off.
(you probably knew that)

if you get bugs (avid/floramite) or mildew (sulfer burner), they are easy, measures to fix, preventative care is much better.

i have a few of your strains too, almost don in fact. mind if i share some pix with you?

i run ph at 5.5 to start a fresh res, then let it drift up to 6.8 before bringing it down, (no more than 1 point per day to prevent nute lock out and shock) drift is good because the plant uptakes differnt nutes at differnt range points. there are schedules that demonstrate this in detail.

ive been wanting to that exact model for kicks with a 1000w hps or a spinner set up

anyways keep it up, don't be afraid to ask.

 

[Oldmxer]

Herb,
Great looking project you have going there. Thanks for sharing !