First time grower using ebb and grow system

[Gooch]

well i have a tent and it is consistently at around 80 degrees and relative humility of 60%
The reason i wanted to go with stg is because its clean and light, hydrocorn im told can clog systems etc, unless you use really large piping, i can get coco stuff but i am highly allergic to coconut, peanuts, tree nuts etc so i need to be cautious with what i use. I am certainly open to suggestions. I was hoping that the conditions would be a good fit for the STG, plus i believe using the STG i would have to have fewer watering?

 

[zem]

oh now i get what you're trying to do, that is finding a medium for the ebb and flow, and not just for clones. in this case, the price of stg becomes ridiculous imo i use hydroton with no problems at all, i have a simple net filter on the flood and drain holes that makes it impossible to clog and i just forget about it, never had an issue for many years that way. i use 3/4" hose. rockwool cubes are also an option.

 

[Gooch]

i understand I dont think it ends being that much more money though its about $6/pot . Is there a good means to control algae? I suspect i will take a look at rapid rooter and rockwool since both are non organic

 

[Gooch]

ok I have my ph up and down now, along with a few different testers, Bad news on my soil plant, I think i burnt it up pretty bad, i did not realize the led put off so much heat i had it really close, I am trying to nurse her back so hopefully everything turns out well.
I need a couple more parts for my tent, some tubing and i will be off to the races

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

How close do you have the LED?

 

[Gooch]

5 inches away i hung it vertically and was on the side of the plant, im such a tool, i am not sure she is dead, i am trying to nurse her back now but it appears my soil is a acidic also at 5.5, i did not have a soil meter before today cause i would have put in some 7 or 8 ph to try to draw it up before giving it 6ph liquid nutes, more rookie mistakes rushing not paying attention even though i thought i was ;-(

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Read the directions that came with the LEDs. I have never heard of any that recommend the light that close. I keep mine 12-24" away.

Soil? I thought you were going ebb and flow?

 

[Gooch]

I have a single plant in soil i used MG, and it was an experiment, i did not mean to burn it at all let alone this badly. This is why i am switching to hydro, i just purchased everything for hydro and i am trying to figure out how to get the seeds started I think i am going to use the paper towl only method, and when the tap is about 1/4" i will put it in the rockwool.
I will soak the rockwool in 1/4 strength seedling.
The GH calls for
2.5 grow micro, bloom, and rapid start
1 mil floralicious
10 milflorablend
I will 1/4 each of those for the cubes, and maybe even soak the paper towel in it
What do you think of that idea?

 

[Gooch]

ok questions about nutes for hydro, and i suppose soil also for that matter. I am curious about PPM, is that increased because of the nutes, or is that just the water itself, and how does ones lower/lessen/eliminate? I took a sample of the nutes i have mixed in a 1 gallon jug(1500ppm tap) i used full strength nutes and i was taking the full strength nutes and watering them down. I assume this is the wrong way of approaching it?

 

[zem]

when you dissolve soluble solids in water, your ppm rises. the correct meaure is EC which is electrical conductivity of the water, the instrument measures that and converts it into ppm (parts per million) so you are basically measuring the concentration of ferts in water. 1500ppm is on the high end, and usually growers don't grow at these levels except some strains in peak flowering. a seedling is grown a bit before beginning to add ferts at low 1/4-1/3 strength and increase gradually. hope this helps

 

[NiceBud]

I Love the clone aspect. Keeping a good strain moving on. Its just so perfect,

 

[NiceBud]

MG

There are other time release soils that work better. I get sick root penetration on the kind that drain the best and hold moisture.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I have a single plant in soil i used MG, and it was an experiment, i did not mean to burn it at all let alone this badly. This is why i am switching to hydro, i just purchased everything for hydro and i am trying to figure out how to get the seeds started I think i am going to use the paper towl only method, and when the tap is about 1/4" i will put it in the rockwool.
I will soak the rockwool in 1/4 strength seedling.
The GH calls for
2.5 grow micro, bloom, and rapid start
1 mil floralicious
10 milflorablend
I will 1/4 each of those for the cubes, and maybe even soak the paper towel in it
What do you think of that idea?

Soak the rockwool cubes in 5.5 plain water. I would not use all those nutes on the rockwool. Seeds are not seedlings. It is extremely easy to kill fragile little plants that have just popped.

 

[Gooch]

you don't use any nutes at all in the rock wool? all the videos i have seen from people using rockwool showed they first soak in 5.5 ph, then they rinse and sometimes add .10 of nutes to the rockwool, if i don't give it food in rockwool what will it eat? how will it root?

 

[Gooch]

I did get some rapid start rooting enhancer 1-.05-1 says 1 tsp per 5 gallons of water

 

[Gooch]

ok well my first attempt to test the system went well but i am thinking my tent is not made properly for an ebb and flow system as the holes are 12-14 off the floor. The ebb and flow needs to be level so the water travels freely within the system. So now I am going to use the tents for the seedling stage to get them healthy, and growing vigorously within the rockwool. I am going to start with a 2" starter cube, and likly move it up to a 4 or 6 inch block then put it in the clay pebbles i got as the first medium, although it isnt exactly clean it is light. I am going to setup the ebb and flow on the floor inside a room i am building with orca grow film.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

ok well my first attempt to test the system went well but i am thinking my tent is not made properly for an ebb and flow system as the holes are 12-14 off the floor. The ebb and flow needs to be level so the water travels freely within the system. So now I am going to use the tents for the seedling stage to get them healthy, and growing vigorously within the rockwool. I am going to start with a 2" starter cube, and likly move it up to a 4 or 6 inch block then put it in the clay pebbles i got as the first medium, although it isnt exactly clean it is light. I am going to setup the ebb and flow on the floor inside a room i am building with orca grow film.

I don't understand this post....what has to go through the openings that would interfere with the ebb and flow?

 

[Gooch]

well the tent is not big enough to hold the controller unit which is what pumps water back to the drum.When the water get pumped into the system it goes into the controller box, and all the hoses hook up to the controller box, then connect to the buckets, so the buckets are inside the tent the controller is outside the tent, and since my tent was made before ebb and flow systems were used the holes are much higher. They were used for bringing in and out wires etc..

 

[Gooch]

so my new plan of attack is to get them started in the tent(2-3weeks) while i build the room out that they will go into, and setup the system on flat ground

 

[zem]

can't you simply make new holes in the tent to meet the requirements for your watering system? i normally have the control res below the grow chamber which is placed above the res on a table. keeps res temps lower and i can manage the res any time during lights off. i would never place it inside the flowering chamber