New Grower Seedsman - Speed Bud Auto Fem

[Mike20132]

I'm still using one of those old-fashioned humidifiers. I keep a bucket next to mine and I dunk that sponge in the bucket because they stopped working after a while or at least they stop working very well and then I can get more time out of each sponge. But yeah, I'm in the same boat as you I think I'm going to get a big ultrasonic model once I can.

When it stopped being able to maintain more than +5 points to the ambient humidity of the room, I took the sponge and rotated it 180 degrees. Got a few more days out of it that way. Still way to expensive to be sustainable. I am wondering if I give the filters a soak in some diluted citric acid if that will help clean out the minerals and give me some more use. I might try that when I replace the next one. Its the same stuff I use to clean the still, so it might work.

 

[jingo]

I actually keep a bottle of 75% Tech grade phosphoric acid around just for that type of thing. I also dilute it 50% with distilled water and use it as my pH Down.

 

[Mike20132]

Week 3 update. Day 20 (from germination)

Mixture (reserve): pH 5.7, 117 PPM

Mixture (in tank): pH 6.2, 45.2 PPM

Last night I topped off the res with 1L of new solution, and an hour later the measurements were pH 5.8 and 57.7 PPM. This afternoon they are as indicated above.

If the PPM trend is accurate, the plant is being underfed, as I understand things. Yet there is nute burn on two leaf tips. Not sure what this is. There were two days (not consecutive) where the humidifier decided it needed a new filter, and as such the RH dropped to about 25%. But besides that it is being maintained at right around 50%. Temps are low to mid 80s F, and there's not much I can do about that. If speed the fan up too much more, it will suck out the humidity faster than it is being produced. This is the first time in my life I can remember hoping the summer humidity gets here soon.

 

[jingo]

You're correct in your reading when your water level is falling and your total dissolved solids are falling as your pH Rises your plant is hungry. However, your plants look very healthy and I think you're in a perfect state right now.

Don't worry about those funny Leaf tips down on the bottom of your plant that damage happened sometime ago. Keep an eye on the top of your plant looks real healthy to me. The only time you concern yourself with changes in your lower leaves are when you're losing mobile nutrients too early in your grow, you're not, you're doing just fine. Actually you're doing quite good for deep water culture [emoji106]

 

[Mike20132]

You're correct in your reading when your water level is falling and your total dissolved solids are falling as your pH Rises your plant is hungry. However, your plants look very healthy and I think you're in a perfect state right now.

Don't worry about those funny Leaf tips down on the bottom of your plant that damage happened sometime ago. Keep an eye on the top of your plant looks real healthy to me. The only time you concern yourself with changes in your lower leaves are when you're losing mobile nutrients too early in your grow, you're not, you're doing just fine. Actually you're doing quite good for deep water culture [emoji106]

Thanks. Like I said earlier, it is certainly looking better than my first go at this. That one I had 1/4 strength nutes in there from day 0. The overfeeding continued from there. Needless to say, I am putting some effort into avoiding that this time around.

Also, I have an auto-fem Diesel that finally popped. Will probably be a day or two before it breaks the surface. Will be getting a second light in about a week for it. Then the fun really begins :smoking:

 

[Mike20132]

Day 22.

She's really starting to bush up.

Environment is stable. Just today increased nutrients by 50%. Also posting the grow log I've kept after the pics.

 

[Mike20132]

The PPM trend continues downward. I figure between 5 and 10 points of sample error for PPM, that or the last measurement is exactly what I was hoping for... what are the odds of that.

Legend:

Day: Number of days since initial germination
M PPM - Media PPM (what's in the tank)
M pH - Media pH
M Temp - Media Temperature (F)
S PPM - Solution PPM (whats in the bottle)
S pH - Solution pH
S Formula - Nutrient amounts per litre
Nutrient Add - Amount of mixed solution added (Negative numbers are samples for testing not returned to res, or amount remove for flush)
Water Add - Amount of plain distilled water added
pHUp/Down - obvious

 

[Mike20132]

Day 25 pics

 

[jingo]

Looking perfectly healthy, looks like she likes her current feed level. It would be okay to clean up those bottom leaves now if you're of a mind to. I usually do at some point.

 

[Mike20132]

Looking perfectly healthy, looks like she likes her current feed level. It would be okay to clean up those bottom leaves now if you're of a mind to. I usually do at some point.

Now that she's starting to take up water faster, keeping the nutes stable won't be so hard. Though it still looks like she's being underfed, if I look just at the water chemistry. The PPM was down to 32 this morning. So for now I have 2 liters of ~3/8 suggested strength for topping off the res. Don't want her to starve!