ttystikk
Nerd Gone Vertical
I've been using dry nutrient salts for years, I'm happy to be of use.
I build lights
- Thread starter TerpyTyrone
- Start date
ttystikk
Nerd Gone Vertical
Absolutely! Now when we're talking about soil, most of the processes that convert nutrients into water soluble forms are different. But the end goal is the same; water soluble nutrients, because plants can't absorb them any other way.
Even the calcium sulfate (aka gypsum) that's useless in hydro is just fine in an organic soil environment because microbes will break that material up into calcium nitrate and either magnesium sulfate or mag nitrate, all of which the plants can use.
Hydroponics is just skipping the middleman and presenting nothing but water soluble nutes to the roots.
ttystikk
Nerd Gone Vertical
No Sir! Epsom salt is great stuff because plants need the magnesium for metabolism and growth... and the sulphur? If you look at the chemical composition of most of your cannabinoids and terpenes, you'll find sulphur is an essential component!
My dry nutrient recipe is really straightforward and uses only 3 or 4 ingredients:
1. I use 5-11-26 plus micros from Chem-Gro. Find it at www.hydro-gardens.com
2. Calcium nitrate. I use Yara brand but it's the same everywhere
3. Epsom salt. I get mine wherever it's cheapest. Wal-Mart, for example.
4. MKP. Monopotassium phosphate, 0-52-32. When I do a peak bloom mix I'll add a small amount of this. A little goes a long way.
If you're interested I can give you my mixing recipes too.
It's the same nutrients, it's just pennies on the dollar compared to the water bottled nutes at the hydro store.
Zaphod420
42
Say ttystikk, I have been trying to puzzle out if there are any simple additives that you can add to your nutes in dwc to help with terp production which seems to be one of the only real knocks on hydro vs soil. Well, that and the fact that stop think and lift still needs to be very much a part of your lexicon. Have you ever went down that rabbit hole with any ingredients like sulfur or iron maybe?
Oh and I would love to know your mixing recipes!
Oh and I would love to know your mixing recipes!
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
Also with organics it's the long game. If my plants need calcium today adding castings isn't gonna do much. But the cover crops are also accumulators. Different plants accumulate different nutrients and if you are not harvesting the plant (chop-n-drop) it is returned to the soil and those nutrients are then available when the worms break them down.
Lots of fun science on both sides.
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
I wouldn't fight it that much. The main thing about organics is having stuff living and growing in your soil. I think in any hydro system having something growing in your water is usually a bad thing, right?Say ttystikk, I have been trying to puzzle out if there are any simple additives that you can add to your nutes in dwc to help with terp production which seems to be one of the only real knocks on hydro vs soil. Well, that and the fact that stop think and lift still needs to be very much a part of your lexicon. Have you ever went down that rabbit hole with any ingredients like sulfur or iron maybe?
Oh and I would love to know your mixing recipes!
Zaphod420
42
For me I use beneficials/fungicide and make sure they are always growing and flourishing so there is no room for bad things to grow. A lot of people run sterile though and nuke anything that grows in their nutes.
ttystikk
Nerd Gone Vertical
Yes there is; epsom salt. Seriously, it's that simple.Say ttystikk, I have been trying to puzzle out if there are any simple additives that you can add to your nutes in dwc to help with terp production which seems to be one of the only real knocks on hydro vs soil. Well, that and the fact that stop think and lift still needs to be very much a part of your lexicon. Have you ever went down that rabbit hole with any ingredients like sulfur or iron maybe?
Oh and I would love to know your mixing recipes!
These are for the dry nutrient salts listed above. These are RATIOS, you dilute to your desired nutrient strength in the res and then pH balance at the very end;
VEG
4 parts of the 5-11-26 hydroponic mix
4 parts calcium nitrate (mix it into solution separately)
2 parts epsom salt
BLOOM
5 parts mix
4 parts calcium nitrate
2 parts epsom salt
PEAK BLOOM
2.5 parts mix
1.6 parts calcium nitrate
.75 parts epsom salt
.75 parts MKP
ttystikk
Nerd Gone Vertical
Sorta... The point of RDWC is to maintain oxygen saturation and proper temperature throughout the system. This tilts the playing field in favor of aerobic bacteria and microbes which are generally helpful and against anaerobic (without oxygen) microbes which are generally detrimental to plants.
I prefer to keep my water in the upper 60s but a temperature swing can be useful as long as the temperature drops below 70F at least once every 24 hours. Higher water temps accelerate plant metabolism and boost growth.
ttystikk
Nerd Gone Vertical
You make a great point here about the influence of time. Hydro, especially RDWC, is RIGHT NOW, and if you guess wrong you can fuck your girls up in an hour. Guessing right means amazing growth rates.
Organics are the opposite because of the microherd middlemen. They take their time breaking things down which results in availability over time. Your plants play a role by giving the microbes exudates in the form of sugars for them to metabolise and keep doing their work. It's less about the daily feed and more about the long term balance.
Zaphod420
42
Thanks very much for sharing your mix/ratios and I am definitely going to give your Peak Bloom a shot here in a few weeks as I actually have a small bag of some MPK but didn't really now how much(or when) to use it.
ttystikk
Nerd Gone Vertical
Use it for a few weeks starting around week 3 or 4 of bloom. If you use it at the end, you'll get more weight but you also get nasty, chemical tasting weed. That's where the bad reputation for hydro got started.
m4s73r
The Laziest
450nm and 390.
NoWaistedSpace
PICK YOUR OWN
I believe you have Nitrate and Phosphate fertilizers. If I am remembering this correctly, you try not mix the two. You wanna match them up.
NoWaistedSpace
PICK YOUR OWN
I ordered some 365 and 485's. They should be getting here pretty soon.
m4s73r
The Laziest
I'm leaning at the 450nm because that is the wavelength with my veg light. I have a ChilLed Mono Rail with veg board in it. They use their normal full spectrum but swap the deep reds for the blue. So id like to match that. (and ill admit I may be over thinking this). 365s, Thats almost to UVB isnt it?
NoWaistedSpace
PICK YOUR OWN
365 is still Uva , Uvb is around 310nm I think? Chilled make damn good lights.
m4s73r
The Laziest
Ahh ok cool.
Ive been very happy with my 3. Its just when I drop my clones in the bed id like them to have the blue for a week or 2. I dont have to do it but for the closer node spaceing would be nice.
NoWaistedSpace
PICK YOUR OWN
Making these 660 strips to add to my bars.
These are 12 bead strips. Roughly 20 volts in series.
Waiting on the 365's and 385's to get here.
These are 12 bead strips. Roughly 20 volts in series.
Waiting on the 365's and 385's to get here.
DiamondLevel
Member
I have not read through each of the pages here but I am in need of a light upgrade. 4 ft x 8 ft flowering only and I would like UV to be added in the light itself. Do you do certain kinds of lights ? Info would be appreciated.