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Question and Answer Page 45

Subjects

the overflow pipe best place to position the overflow end plants are close to the wall.
valve controller germinating seeds in a paper towel plans for an Aeroponic system?
is it ok to stop flooding when its dark time? question on the watering cycle rockwool holds LOTS of water.
using an air stone to control solution temp How do you raise or lower PPM? what age can you force your plants to flower?
small closet garden gets way too hot (30-70 gph) good enough for 9 plant garden? "air cool" the solution
Date:
23 Jun 2000
Time:
04:06:03

Comments

Attn: Bill S.

Thanks for your input. I found 1 web page that showed a setup that resembled a NFT system where pipes joined several plastic boxes together for the spraying system. The boxes are tilted a little to have a drain on one end of them and the nutrient is collected and sent back to the tank. Today, I'm going to stop by Walmart and see what kind of plastic boxes they have there to whip up a system like that. I figure I need at least a 16 plant garden to grow more plants. Incidentally, Rons posted pictures on the Members project page of my garden. It's shown next to a storage shed, but I've since moved it cause I discovered that around 2 P.M. half of it was in full shade.

Last weekend, I built another system with 49 pots located on either 7-1/2 or 12 inch centers. I may use all if I'm growing smaller plants, or use just a few if I'm growing larger plants. If I have time today, I'll send Ron a picture of it.

I'm curious of what kind of pump you used on your aeroponic system, and if you run it off a timer.

Regards, Tailwheel

Date:
22 Jun 2000
Time:
16:58:05

Comments

HEY Bill S

Could you e-mail me those areoponics plans that you downloaded

thanks

e-mail saspgm@hotmail.com

 
Date:
22 Jun 2000
Time:
16:53:25

Comments

Hey Ron,

about the 11-plant garden, would it be possible to put rockwool cubes in the solo cups to start seedlings, then transfer to grow rocks

Pingman

I have never tried it before. Has anyone else.

Date:
23 Jun 2000
Time:
00:27:41

Comments

I know the overflow pipe in your 9 plant garden can go anywhere on the system. My question to you is how do connect the other end of the overflow pipe to the reservoir if your system isn't sitting on top of the reservoir? My guess is a hose of some kind?

Yes you can use flexible hose or add PVC fittings and pipe to run it anywhere you like. Sometimes I even put the tanks outside of the grow room and run the overflow and pump hose to the garden. 

Date:
23 Jun 2000
Time:
05:48:22

Comments

Do you have a design i could follow, to build a 56 unit system for tomatoes. The one gallon system in the pics looks good, but how do you attach the bottles to the pvc, and will the roots plug up the drainage hole at the bottom. thank you--luke ---ELucas2240@aol.com

Epoxy glue.

Date:
23 Jun 2000
Time:
07:55:29

Comments

I apologize for this not really relating to hydro, but it seems our government is developing software that will place a cookie-script (not a regular cookie) on our computers if we visit certain sites pertaining to drugs manufacture, (this includes pot people) therefore go to internet settings and under security disable your cookies. They will not win the war on drugs over the internet.

Spread the message. Peace :-)

Their is at least 4 bills that are now working their way through congress making it a crime to post any information or even links to the production of schedule 1 drugs. The government wants you to believe the law is for the latest scare tactic the manufacturing of methamphetamamine.  But we who know about the conspiracy by big business who pay politicians to keep pot and hemp a crime. It is time to put some of their crooked asses behind bars. Don't get me started now.

Date:
23 Jun 2000
Time:
11:32:56

Comments

Hi Ron, My name is Leslie and im new to hydroponics. I have my 9 plant garden in the works and a couple questions arose.

1) I have a 11.5 Rubbermaid reservoir and the only pump that I can locate is a 150 GPH. I already built my overflow pipe , is this pump considered small enough? I don't need a valve controller do I?

That size is fine and you will know if you need a flow control valve if water comes out the little hole on top of the over flow pipe.

2) Also what is a good timer? What timer do you use??

I use the cheap kind for some gardens with overflow pipes and an $80. Dayton cycle timer for my large gardens without overflows.

3) I know that you cap off 3 corners of the tees in the 9 plant garden, but the 4th is where the pump hose goes through. I know that but if im using 1 inch pvc, do I use a threaded tee and 1/2 in hose connector for the 4th corner??

That is correct.

Thanks Ron Ill keep in touch!

Date:
23 Jun 2000
Time:
12:01:39

Comments

I Can't find any information on growing pumpkins in a Hydro System Does any one have any experience?

Date:
23 Jun 2000
Time:
12:25:06

Comments

Yo, Ron... This is an update about the two month old bud plant grown in a soil mixture. I transplanted it into a larger container, so the roots could grow some more, and now I'm about ready to cut back the light, and let her flower. The question is: Should I switch over to 1500 ppm from my current 1000 ppm all at once, or should I increase the nutes gradually? By the way, thanks for the note about 6.5pH for soil...This plant is really gobbling the nutes. I will take the clones hydro for sure.

Not to gradually. Sock it to um. Only got couple months.

Date:
23 Jun 2000
Time:
16:11:26

Comments

When flooding your system is it ok to stop flooding when its dark time?

I dunno how this flooding works in the 2 liter bottle setup. When you say flood every 20 min, do you mean like if your lights go on at 5:00 am and off at 11:00 pm, and your pump goes on at 5:20 am then 5:40 then 6:10 then 6:30 and so on till the lights go off???

What kind of timer would you need?

Yes you don't need to water during dark period. 
If your light comes on at 5:00 am then your pump should come on at the same time or a little before. The pump will fill the garden in a few minutes and if the timer you are using has a minimum on time of 30 minutes then it has to run that long. That is what the over flow pipe is for so the pump can run for the minimum on time without overflowing.
So at 5:30 am the pump will shut off and it will take a few minutes to drain.
Then at 6:00 am it comes on again. Off at 6:30 am, On at 7:00 am, so on until dark.
You can water with one hour between waterings when the plants are small or if it gets really hot, like on my back porch, I water continuously. 

Date:
23 Jun 2000
Time:
23:23:19

Comments

RON, I have a dilemma. I have a 55 Gal. barrel buried in the ground for the nutrient solution. The average temp here is 85-90 F. Would using an air stone in ambient air raise the solution temp to the ambient air temp? Would it make a difference?

No different unless you put the air pump inside a refrigerator. 

Date:
24 Jun 2000
Time:
14:54:27

Comments

I have a small closet garden but the area gets way too hot because of the metal halide lamp. Putting in a vent is not possible. Are there any small air conditions that would do the job?

Not that small and the air conditioner  would need to be vented also.

Date:
25 Jun 2000
Time:
09:13:54

Comments

Ron, i would like to build a 20 ft long, ebb & flow system to grow tomatoes, Where would be the best place to position the overflow, close to the reservoir, in the middle or at the end of the 20ft and route the drain back to the resiviour. Thank you- Luke- Elucas2240@aol.com

It is more important to place the intake in the middle to fill the bottles more evenly. The over flow won't work until the bottles are filled so it can go anywhere.

Date:
25 Jun 2000
Time:
12:29:33

Comments

Yeah man, cool site! Couple buddies told me about it. Dude, Ive learned so much.

I was wanting to know when growing hydroponically (in this case a few plants of skunk bud) in the 2 liter 9 plant setup that I learned to build off of this site!!!!, what should the PPM range be from when you put the sprouts into the grow rocks through the vegetive stage,flowering stage and finally maturity????

Please let me know Ron because Im a first time hydro grower and I dont want it to be a nightmare. Thanks, choke420!

You talk just like a police officer would talk if he was gathering information to use to close this web site down. 
Try again.

Date:
25 Jun 2000
Time:
13:56:09

Comments

Ron, when germinating seeds in a paper towel can i just use distilled water and soak about 3 paper put the seed in between them and put them in a sandwich bag and store in a warm area making sure the paper towels are damp? Will that work even without plant starter. Then when they sprout transfer them to the vermiculite?

Also can i use the windowsill to grow the seedlings in the vermiculite then transfer to my hydro medium and start using my hps?In other words can i use sunlight from the window instead of floros or mhs?

Yes but watch they don't cook. And you need more than 12 hours too.

Date:
25 Jun 2000
Time:
16:42:41

Comments

Yes Ron on the watering cycle, when you say "30 on 30 off", do you mean flood for 30 min. or flood every 30 min? I dont have a timer so I dunno.

You don't need to flood for 30 minutes. That is only for people with 30 minute on time timers. You only need to flood the garden to wet the medium and roots then drain immediately and 30 minutes later do it again, 30 minutes later again and so on as long as the light is on.

The over flow pipe is only so you can run the pump for longer periods without the bottles overflowing. 

Date:
25 Jun 2000
Time:
16:46:19

Comments

How do you raise or lower PPM?

By adding more nutrient solution you raise the PPM which stands for (parts per million) 
It will usually say on the nutrient bottle how much to add to raise your solution to a certain PPM level.
Add just water to bring the PPM down and don't forget to adjust the pH after you add solution or water.

Date:
26 Jun 2000
Time:
13:58:25

Comments

Hi Ron, I have a 11 1/2 gallon reservoir. Also i have an adjustable submersible pump (30-70 gph) is that good enough for the 9 plant garden?

Also, do i need a 12" airstone and air pump? I want to get one. How does it work? Does it somehow connect to the submersible pump?

A 70 GPH should be enough if the tank isn't to far away. It will take longer to fill but that is ok especially if you use a timer with a minimum 30 minute on time.

Date:
26 Jun 2000
Time:
18:19:53

Comments

Im growing tomatoes in a limited space. (3.6'/2'. Im using the 9 plant setup and I was perfectly able to position all plants about 10" from each other and the garden fits in my closet. Perfect! The only thing now is that the end plants are close to the wall. Does this matter? I hope not too significantly because I already glued my parts.

Thanks.

Your plants will die if they rub up against a wall.  

Date:
26 Jun 2000
Time:
19:39:44

Comments

Hi Ron,

Ron, can i germinate my seeds in wet paper towels then instead of transplanting to a TRAY of vermiculite can i use paper cups with holes in the bottom that's about 3" in dia. and 4 inches deep, filled with vermiculite and plant starter? Then grow to about 3 inches tall then use a plastic fork to loosen up the verm. and carefully wash the roots and transfer to growrocks?

Also can i get any type of plant starter at Kmart, Wal Mart? Do i have to adjust the ph?

Yes Yes and Yes

Date:
26 Jun 2000
Time:
20:18:12

Comments

Hey Ron, 16 plant system working great for the hot peppers. Any plans for an Aeroponic system? It seems like you can use a sewer pipe and put the spray nozzle on a 1/2 pipe inside and have it drain back into the solution and continuously cycle it.

That would work. Here is an easy Aeroponic system from Ron K. You use two rubbermaid containers. I will build one soon.

Date:
26 Jun 2000
Time:
23:29:27

Comments

Pingman,

I started some seeds in rockwool cubes (the little ones with the holes). When the seedlings were a few weeks old I put them in the 11 plant system surrounded by growrocks. It will work. I wont do it again though. The rockwool holds LOTS of water. You may end up loosing some plants to root rot. Some of mine are growing great. Some died (more than percentages say should).

From now on I start seedlings in a seedling mix. Then in a few weeks, depending on plant type, they go into a hydro unit.

CM

When using rockwool, drip from the top system is better than ebb and flow.

Date:
27 Jun 2000
Time:
00:51:05

Comments

Ron, Can I grow my little sprouts indoors with soil under floros until they are big enough to transfer to my grow rocks to grow hydroponicly?

I want to make a germinating box for seedlings and cuttings. Can I make it out of cardboard?

Also what kind of floros do you recommend and does 2'/2'/2 feet high sound ok?

Guess if it does sound ok ill have to use 2' floros.

Date:
27 Jun 2000
Time:
10:31:32

Comments

Hey Ron,

Quick question!

What kind of pump, how many gpm, and where to get it (fish store perhaps)?

I am using the 11 plant 2L system with a 18 gallon rubbermaid.

Thanks

Submersible 50 to 120 GPH pump and yes.

Date:
27 Jun 2000
Time:
13:48:03

Comments

All the info you are asking for is on this site. Why not look for it first. There's a FAQ that might help. Look at the other pages on this bulletin board. It's already been answered over and over.

They like to see themselves in print.

Date:
27 Jun 2000
Time:
18:40:37

Comments

At what age can you force your plants to flower? Can you flower after a month of veg?

Any age. It depends how big of a flower you want.

Date:
27 Jun 2000
Time:
21:09:17

Comments

Random thoughts, comments, questions...

1) One possible solution to nutrient heating might be to "air cool" the solution -- spray it through open air before it winds up back in the reservoir. The down side is... this is evaporative cooling... a) won't work everywhere and b) it changes the ppm as the H2O evaporates off. If you have fresh water inlet hooked to a float valve, that might help keep things close to normal.

2) Another sol'n, but will add to the complexity a little... Peltier Junction -- the semiconductor "heat pumps" that they use to heat and cool those truck and automobile cooler that plug into your cigarette lighter. You can find them in electronics parts places on the net -- not too expensive, you don't need a lot, just one should work. Down side... a) it needs DC power, b) it will need to have one side in thermal contact w/ the solution (through plastic or other electrical insulation) and a heat sink outside the reservoir to dump the heat to, and c) you'll probably want to put IT on a timer or design a thermostat control with a sensor to dunk in the solution. It's not rocket science, just a pain.

Q: Anybody ever use this to grow cataloup?

Tnx, Marc Visconte, mvisconte@yahoo.com

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