Root mass and pot size

[Tmonney]

If you search this sight for the term "budget grows" you will find quite a few journals of people that have spent from $5 to $50 total and everything in between. There are sooo many ways to pull that off.

That's the plan man, try out a few of these methods find a reasonable one to perfect then put together a comprehensive start to finish guide on it. I get some cool experience and hopefully I can help some other people in the process.

 

[Tmonney]

@Mañ'O'Green are those monsters in your home grow space? Or do you work at a industrial grow op?

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

@Mañ'O'Green are those monsters in your home grow space? Or do you work at a industrial grow op?

Missed this post somehow? Stoned. This is my home space, my only space. I am retired and a bit OCD on my projects. Grandma always said if it is worth doing it is worth doing right.

I have a thread here when I built it, if you are interested.

Mañ'O'Green's New grow room.

Ok so I am building a new grow space. The area is dictated by the space in the spare room that is not used for exercise equipment, bookcases, and shelving for pantry items. My wife and I have lots of stuff and we use it regularly so it has to stay. I spent a lot of time in Visio trying different...

www.autoflower.org

 

[Tmonney]

This

Missed this post somehow? Stoned. This is my home space, my only space. I am retired and a bit OCD on my projects. Grandma always said if it is worth doing it is worth doing right.

I have a thread here when I built it, if you are interested.

Mañ'O'Green's New grow room.

Ok so I am building a new grow space. The area is dictated by the space in the spare room that is not used for exercise equipment, bookcases, and shelving for pantry items. My wife and I have lots of stuff and we use it regularly so it has to stay. I spent a lot of time in Visio trying different...

www.autoflower.org

I'm gonna devour this info lol. I have zero experience in hydro systems. They seem a little daunting to tackle simply because it's foreign territory. But you can't argue with the efficiency and the final product.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

This

I'm gonna devour this info lol. I have zero experience in hydro systems. They seem a little daunting to tackle simply because it's foreign territory. But you can't argue with the efficiency and the final product.

OMG if you live in an environment that allows DWC it grows monster plants. The reservoir temperature needs to be as close to 68°F as you can keep it. This is the temperature that it holds the most dissolved oxygen. I live in The San Joaquin Valley of California and it just gets too hot here in the summer. I have had reservoir temperatures over 80°F and the plants really suffer. I do not have the space or money to install a chiller so this is why I grow in rock wool. It is still true hydro but air is sucked into the cubes during dry back solving my oxygen problems.

 

[Tmonney]

OMG if you live in an environment that allows DWC it grows monster plants. The reservoir temperature needs to be as close to 68°F as you can keep it. This is the temperature that it holds the most dissolved oxygen. I live in The San Joaquin Valley of California and it just gets too hot here in the summer. I have had reservoir temperatures over 80°F and the plants really suffer. I do not have the space or money to install a chiller so this is why I grow in rock wool. It is still true hydro but air is sucked into the cubes during dry back solving my oxygen problems.

Yeah i am in central virginia, I probably only get 2-ish months out of the year that would allow for these conditions. We are roughly on the same longitude so I would likely have to use the method you are using now.

Just a thought for a super budget friendly chiller system (since you are obviously a pretty handy guy) you could maybe use an old car radiator that has been thoroughly cleaned and flushed. Run a simple water pump for like small fountains or ponds to move water through the radiator and a box fan to put air through it to cool the water. Could possibly pull it off for under 100 bucks.

 

[Tmonney]

As far as

Yeah i am in central virginia, I probably only get 2-ish months out of the year that would allow for these conditions. We are roughly on the same longitude so I would likely have to use the method you are using now.

Just a thought for a super budget friendly chiller system (since you are obviously a pretty handy guy) you could maybe use an old car radiator that has been thoroughly cleaned and flushed. Run a simple water pump for like small fountains or ponds to move water through the radiator and a box fan to put air through it to cool the water. Could possibly pull it off for under 100 bucks.

As far as space goes a simple system like this would only be like maybe 8"x 24"x18"?

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Yeah i am in central virginia, I probably only get 2-ish months out of the year that would allow for these conditions. We are roughly on the same longitude so I would likely have to use the method you are using now.

Just a thought for a super budget friendly chiller system (since you are obviously a pretty handy guy) you could maybe use an old car radiator that has been thoroughly cleaned and flushed. Run a simple water pump for like small fountains or ponds to move water through the radiator and a box fan to put air through it to cool the water. Could possibly pull it off for under 100 bucks.

Your nutrients can never come in contact with copper, Aluminum, iron or brass so you need a stainless steel or glass heat exchanger $$$$ in the reservoir. I ran 3 reservoirs when I was doing DWC . The air temperature is higher than the water temperature so without refrigeration $$$ of some type you would be heating the water. Trust me I have looked at many many options and none of them make sense for a 4x6 space with 6 plants.

 

[Tmonney]

Your nutrients can never come in contact with copper, Aluminum, iron or brass so you need a stainless steel or glass heat exchanger $$$$ in the reservoir. I ran 3 reservoirs when I was doing DWC . The air temperature is higher than the water temperature so without refrigeration $$$ of some type you would be heating the water. Trust me I have looked at many many options and none of them make sense for a 4x6 space with 6 plants.

why can't the nutrients come into contact with most metals? is it just extremely corrosive? ill have to ponder on this cooling mechanism a bit, i'm usually pretty good at finding creative solutions to problems like these. if i come up with some more viable ideas ill pass them along for further brainstorming of you like.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

The nutrient ions will strip and bond to the metal ions in an oxidation process that will Leach toxic levels of the metals into your reservoir. It will kill your plant post haste. Even the smallest fitting. I know this from experience. The whole ugly thing is in a thread here somewhere.

Found it.

https://www.autoflower.org/threads/dwc-amphetamine-narcotic-kush.56984/

It is not likely I would go back to DWC now. This system is working well for me now. If it ain't broke don't fix it.