Grow Mediums Deep Water Culture Basics - Bubbleponics

[Mañ'O'Green]

Good write up.

After years of side by side testing, and always looking for what works for me(a simple home grower who smokes an oz a week), and is the simplest, cheapest, and most effective. I've come up with a couple of things I'd add.

1. In addition to Hydroguard, Flying Skull's additive Z7 is a must. It's worth it just for how much cleaner my buckets are staying and I only use 2ml in each bucket on weekly water change days. When my season begins again next Sept I am going to run buckets with just the Z7 to see if I can do away with the Hydroguard. I've heard of people doing this successfully and if it works that's more $$ in my pocket.

2. Chasing pH is a PITA. Especially in 5 gallon buckets when your actual nutrient solution volume is more like 4 gallons. Do yourself a favor and spend a little more for Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect 3 part, and never bother with checking pH again.

Regarding the pH Perfect......I tested this many times, even went 18 months without a pH pen. It works. And it works at much lower dosage than they recommend. I average 5oz per plant in 90 days and never use more than 21ml/4gal. AN says to use 60ml/4gal. At lower dosages using tap water the pH going into the reservoir will be between 6.1 and 6.3 No worries, the chelation factor still allows for proper uptake. HOWEVER...for this to work like that, I always adjust my top off water to a pH of 6.0 , and change my reservoir every 7 days or sooner. If a plant has used 14-16qts since the last water change and the week isn't up yet...change the water! Don't wait for the regular day. This is where note taking is important.

That's my $0.02

DWC can be a very easy way to grow huge harvests . Just don't over think it.

Yep 4 down 9996 to go.

The volume on my 5 gallon buckets got down below 3 gallons when the roots were full grown. It makes it really hard to keep PH.

 

[Henry]

I have moved on to growing hydroponically in rock wool cubes because it solves my oxygenation problems associated with high summer reservoir temperatures. !

O2 is the most vital element required by aerobic plants and aerobic microbes. The gurus say the O2 supply must be continuous and high throughout months of the growing period and low O2 events will compromise plant and microbial health because of low ATP production.

Low O2 really does causes serious problems and insures poor health - Check this out: What happens to plant mitochondria under low oxygen? An omics review of the responses to low oxygen and reoxygenation. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pce.12312/full http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pce.12312/pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24575773

I have also heard and read the high DO is great, 16 PPM is most ideal.

First, how did you know that you really had an oxygenation problem, I assume you are talking about a low DO problem?

What was your actual DO Concentration/DO Saturation when you discovered that you really had a low O2 problem?

What was your DO when you fixed your low oxygenation problem with rock wool?

How does rock wool increase O2 when air contains mostly nitrogen and 20% O2 regardless of the volume of air pumped and bubbled?

What kind of DO Meter do you use or do you just guess you DO is low?

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Henry:

I do not have a lab or lab equipment and really do not need it on the scale I am growing. I am growing a weed. Rock wool solves the oxygenation problem with air. During the dry back period (no watering) air is drawn into the rock wool giving the roots the oxygen they need. I think plants are more adaptable than you think and even with high reservoir temperatures; I have grown some very good plants without the knowledge of what the oxygen PPMs were. Remember HydroGuard is a must under these conditions.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

More food for thought and discussion…

The only difference between growing Mexican Dirt Weed and growing Pharmaceutical quality weed is insuring the quality of plant health over months of the growing period and the quality and purity of the product.

Keep in mind that all this high-tech oxygenation stuff is no more than food for future thought and discussion. As long as the air pump is humming and the bubblers are bubbling air and the reservoir water is cold, DO is meaningless to the average grower, not worth reading or even thinking about… too abstract.

Insuring continuous excellent plant/root/microbial health (a dual hydroponic eco system) can very challenging and problematic for some growers.

Henry: I do not know what you mean by "a dual hydroponic eco system".

Were you even around to smoke "Mexican Dirt Weed"? Genetics, growing, harvesting, and curing methods are drastically different. There really is no comparison.

Hydroponic growers must all learn about dissolved oxygen or they are doomed to eventual failure - even if that only means keeping that air pump running.

If hydroponic growers will listen to the voice of experienced growers it is not so challenging. If you use Botanicare HydroGuard, keep your res temperatures reasonable, water level constant, nutrient system designed for hydro, PH/EC in range and change it out weekly you can be very successful. It is true that there is much scientific information behind what we do but you don't need to understand all of it. Just follow instructions.

 

[Rifleman]

I was on another forum last year where the d.o. conversation was continually being brought up by a single member. It was his only talking point. And what a lot of talking about it he did. Lots of facts and scientific speak. It took a few weeks before that member finally came up with a full proof way to insure maximum d.o. and great harvests, sliced bread, and windshield wipers for your tail lights. Just send yo money...

I HOPE this isn't where this is going.

 

[Rifleman]

No, what i did not appreciate was that member was there specifically to spam for his product. Again, I HOPE this isn't where this is headed. Nothing more, nothing less. Anything else you read into it is on you.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

@Henry If all of those things are living in the same pond (bucket) that is 1 ecosystem by definition; granted a more complicated ecosystem but still just one. I smoked some weed grown in Aquaponics with fish once - tasted like catfish yuck!

 

[puggle6]

Dude don't be dissin my catfish...

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

RM - Woah, that really did offend you, eh?It’s just hard to let stuff like that go sometimes, it can take years, cause nightmares too sometimes. Peace of mind be with you Bro. Hope you can get over this someday. Did you know, the Grieving Process only takes a year to get over it.

Yes, It would have probably tasted much better if the fish were Gold Fish. I have heard that catfish are really slimy nasty fish in general. They are bottom-feeders like little suckers, you know about those bottom-feeders? They are like turkey buzzards and fungi. They eat dead rotting stuff and middle eastern people won’t touch them at all, like pigs, bacon and ham.

@Henry I believe they were Koi fish in the aquaculture/cannabis grow. Those old Hippies ate them and smoked the dope. It just tasted like catfish to me.

 

[puggle6]

Those dirty old hippies clearly knew nothing about DO...