New Grower, planning my new grow space

[Rich 3033]

I here yer salt I have spent multiple thousands on equipment in the past that’s why this site is so cool I wished I would have joined ages ago and saved my self loads of moola and not listen to promises these companies make about there products but at the start you don’t know and take there word for it, now I don’t bother buying anything unless I see it with my own eyes working and proof it does what it’s supposed to do.

Looking at a dutch pot hydro system is this at it's bones, not including a water cooler/heater etc. a 1m2 system is about 350€ !!

I drew it out so I can build a small one as the parts won't cost very much. It's crazy how much profit can be made off of premade systems.

 

[Old Salt]

That Dutch pot system has given several folks here problems. It's a recirculating hydroponic system. The manufacturer recommends turning the pump on for two to six times per day for 15 minutes. They say it's good with soil, coco, and expanded clay. In soil systems this leads to overwatering. With expanded clay, underwatering is a problem. Coco presents problems as these are normally drain to waste rather than recirculating systems.

If you plan to grow in soil, I suggest controlling the pump with a moisture sensor rather than timer. For expanded clay, I suggest adding a good air pump and aerating the reservoir. The water pump will need to be activated much more often for shorter periods of time, with a higher flow rate. If you choose coco, I suggest a separate reservoir for your nutrients, and using the tray under the pots for drainage.

I'd be very surprised if more than 100€ was gross profit. All the pots, and trays are custom pieces. The moulds for them are very expensive to make. Similar systems are not much cheaper. The advantages of these manufactured systems are that they look good, and are pretty much a complete setup. When I add automatic watering to my setup it will be equivalent to that Dutch system. It will have cost less than 1/2, but I will have put many hours into the design and building of the system, and it's certainly not as pretty. That's the trade off many, unlike this Dutchman and you, are willing to pay.

 

[Old Salt]

So that big bottle of pH7 buffer?? Thats a lifetime supplu if you are using it for meter calibrations? Do you use that for stabilising pH when mixing nutes and additives as well??

That 500ml bottle (roughly 16oz or a pint) lasts about 3-4 months, as I use about 15ml or 1/2oz per calibration every four days. Cost is roughly $10 USD. I just use it for calibration, not pH stabilization of my nutrient solutions.

 

[Rich 3033]

That Dutch pot system has given several folks here problems. It's a recirculating hydroponic system. The manufacturer recommends turning the pump on for two to six times per day for 15 minutes. They say it's good with soil, coco, and expanded clay. In soil systems this leads to overwatering. With expanded clay, underwatering is a problem. Coco presents problems as these are normally drain to waste rather than recirculating systems.

If you plan to grow in soil, I suggest controlling the pump with a moisture sensor rather than timer. For expanded clay, I suggest adding a good air pump and aerating the reservoir. The water pump will need to be activated much more often for shorter periods of time, with a higher flow rate. If you choose coco, I suggest a separate reservoir for your nutrients, and using the tray under the pots for drainage.

I'd be very surprised if more than 100€ was gross profit. All the pots, and trays are custom pieces. The moulds for them are very expensive to make. Similar systems are not much cheaper. The advantages of these manufactured systems are that they look good, and are pretty much a complete setup. When I add automatic watering to my setup it will be equivalent to that Dutch system. It will have cost less than 1/2, but I will have put many hours into the design and building of the system, and it's certainly not as pretty. That's the trade off many, unlike this Dutchman and you, are willing to pay.

Thanks for the info! I am going to be using 100% perlite as I've seen the buds a hydro perlite system produces.

 

[Rich 3033]

I think people should buy a pre made system if that's whats best/easiest for them. I pay a mechanic to fix my car, I have no interest in mechanics.

But construction is one of my joys, and I can plumb a system like this together so why not. It saves me money when I need it, and I can customize the size and design to the shape I want.

I will work out the linear meterage of pipework, how many t junctions and elbows etc.

I can't wait to get a little system on the go because I like how strong the plants grow.

 

[The70’s]

That 500ml bottle (roughly 16oz or a pint) lasts about 3-4 months, as I use about 15ml or 1/2oz per calibration every four days. Cost is roughly $10 USD. I just use it for calibration, not pH stabilization of my nutrient solutions.

Will u check ur watering Ph before each watering or at least do one bigger batch of water, say maybe a weeks worth.
I had a pool some years ago and used Ph Up/Down to make sure the pool water was correct.

 

[Bud basher]

Rich I to fabricate my systems as I can see flaws in a lot that is out there pre made but most you have to cut bits to length and mess about with components you may as well buy the bits and make your own as it would that that much longer and save so money, there’s a uk company call Grow insane they sell lots of stuff for making your own system really cheap too check them out.

 

[Old Salt]

Will u check ur watering Ph before each watering or at least do one bigger batch of water, say maybe a weeks worth.
I had a pool some years ago and used Ph Up/Down to make sure the pool water was correct.

I adjust the pH whenever I mix up a new batch. I never mix more than I use in a week. It drops to every four days during the aggressive vegetative and flowering stages, as I use a five gallon bucket to mix up 18 liters. (4 plants x 1 liter/day). I have both the full strength pH down an 10% pH down. It takes about 8 -10 drops for 18 liters of vegetative nutrients. It takes 4-5 drops of the 10% solution for one liter during the seedling phase. In flower, I need pH up at full 6-8 drops strength.

I can limit myself to adjusting the pH only when I mix the nutrients as I don't aerate the solution. Aerating the solution will cause the pH to change.

 

[The70’s]

I adjust the pH whenever I mix up a new batch. I never mix more than I use in a week. It drops to every four days during the aggressive vegetative and flowering stages, as I use a five gallon bucket to mix up 18 liters. (4 plants x 1 liter/day). I have both the full strength pH down an 10% pH down. It takes about 8 -10 drops for 18 liters of vegetative nutrients. It takes 4-5 drops of the 10% solution for one liter during the seedling phase. In flower, I need pH up at full 6-8 drops strength.

I can limit myself to adjusting the pH only when I mix the nutrients as I don't aerate the solution. Aerating the solution will cause the pH to change.

So, you’ll mix in ur nutrients, and then check the PH, at which time u can adjust as needed, but last step is a PH test....

 

[Old Salt]

So, you’ll mix in ur nutrients, and then check the PH, at which time u can adjust as needed, but last step is a PH test....

yes

 

[The70’s]

yes

Im not the best with graphs, can you briefly explain “just” the vegging stage using the graph numbers, i should be able to punch in the other numbers myself

 

[Old Salt]

If you go back to the feed schedule I posted, in the colored section you'll see the amount of each nutrient to add for the volume of water specified. For 'Aggressive Vegetation' in 18l of water that's 5.9ml CALiMAGic, 15.7ml Flora Micro, 23.5 Flora Grow, etc. The pH usually was close to 7.0 after mixing them together. I added 8-10 drops of 100% strength pH Down, then stirred the solution again and rechecked the pH. It would be much closer to my desired 5.8. Based on the reading I'd add another drop or two of the pH Down. I try not to overshoot, so I don't need to add pH Up for correction.

In the blooming and ripening solutions I usually need to add pH Up, rather than pH Down to achieve my desired pH of 6.2.

The length of time plants are left in the 'Aggressive Vegetation' stage depends on how large the grower wants the plants to end up. It can be from days to months. Indicas stretch to about double their height during the first three weeks of flower. Sativas can reach three times their height at the flip.

 

[The70’s]

If you go back to the feed schedule I posted, in the colored section you'll see the amount of each nutrient to add for the volume of water specified. For 'Aggressive Vegetation' in 18l of water that's 5.9ml CALiMAGic, 15.7ml Flora Micro, 23.5 Flora Grow, etc. The pH usually was close to 7.0 after mixing them together. I added 8-10 drops of 100% strength pH Down, then stirred the solution again and rechecked the pH. It would be much closer to my desired 5.8. Based on the reading I'd add another drop or two of the pH Down. I try not to overshoot, so I don't need to add pH Up for correction.

In the blooming and ripening solutions I usually need to add pH Up, rather than pH Down to achieve my desired pH of 6.2.

The length of time plants are left in the 'Aggressive Vegetation' stage depends on how large the grower wants the plants to end up. It can be from days to months. Indicas stretch to about double their height during the first three weeks of flower. Sativas can reach three times their height at the flip.

Wow, the manufacturer recommended amounts is pretty strong, could that be a reason for noob failure ?

Thanx for explaining again :0)

 

[Old Salt]

Wow, the manufacturer recommended amounts is pretty strong, could that be a reason for noob failure ?

Thanx for explaining again :0)

Those manufacturer numbers at the top are for 100 liters. The ones in the colored section are almost all for 18 liters at 1/3 the manufacturer's recommendation.

That's one of the reasons for noob failures. It's pretty much tied to the most common one - a lack of research, and just going for it. I met a first time grower today at the hydro shop that was wondering why he had problems with Miracle Grow. After he left the staff and i were

 

[The70’s]

Those manufacturer numbers at the top are for 100 liters. The ones in the colored section are almost all for 18 liters at 1/3 the manufacturer's recommendation.

That's one of the reasons for noob failures. It's pretty much tied to the most common one - a lack of research, and just going for it. I met a first time grower today at the hydro shop that was wondering why he had problems with Miracle Grow. After he left the staff and i were

Hats off to you guys !

Ahhhhhh 18l = 4.75gal = 40lbs = 18kg, hence the hanging scale,ok. Get use to the metric system, more good advice

I think some charts where i can see the weight of what im measuring, and compare to US weights just to give some reference, eventually i’ll be familiar and enjoi the metric system.

 

[Calvados]

Hats off to you guys !

Ahhhhhh 18l = 4.75gal = 40lbs = 18kg, hence the hanging scale,ok. Get use to the metric system, more good advice

I think some charts where i can see the weight of what im measuring, and compare to US weights just to give some reference, eventually i’ll be familiar and enjoi the metric system.

You also don’t have to get involved with imperial weights.

 

[The70’s]

You also don’t have to get involved with imperial weights.

Not sure i follow ?

 

[Jackalope]

One great thing about growing. You can use lots of different experience to make things better. Whether it is using your skills for building stuff or in other ways.

 

[The70’s]

One great thing about growing. You can use lots of different experience to make things better. Whether it is using your skills for building stuff or in other ways.

Because its so new my head is spinning Lol. I do really like build’n stuff too

 

[Calvados]

Not sure i follow ?

UK gallons/quarts aren’t the same as the US.