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Ron, love your site. Have made the 11 plant garden and all is going ok...so far. One question. In some posts you say to use Calcium Chloride, and in other posts you say to use Calcium Nitrate, both with Miracle Grow. Which should I use? I have access to both. Thanks!
Brett
It's Nitrate I'm not sure where Chloride came from. That is a mistake.
Ron,
I've switched from a metal halide light to a sodium one for some plants I have growing indoors to go to the flowering stage. Do I still need to cut back the number of hours to get my plants to flower, or will the sodium light do the job? Thanks.
12 on 12 off unless they are indeterminate plants like tomatoes then they will continue to flower all year long unless it gets to hot like mine did.
I've seen quite a bit in Ron's web pages reference timers for turning pumps on and off. Check out www.x10.com it has a product called Active Home that you can easily program your whole house (including pumps) to turn on/off whenever and as many times as you want according to the documentation. The application runs on a PC and once set up, you supposedly can turn your PC off and the scheduler still operates. I haven't tried it yet, however it looks very interesting. Tim
Yes I am using X-10 to control lights and cameras all over my 5 acres. I bought the deluxe hole house computer setup but have yet to set it up on my computer. It is easier to use the remote control that came with it to turn my lights on and off. For the ultimate X-10 products magazine try www.smarthome.com 800-762-7846
what is the difference between a "powerhead" and a regular "pump"? I recently was in a Worm's Way retail store, and asked the clerk, and his answer was "Hmmm, I think they are the same."
I thought I would call on the collective expertise of the group (and Ron).
Thanks a boatload.
A power head pump injects air bubbles into your water at the same time as it pumps water.
can grow rocks be re-used? And if so for how long, how many crops.
Thanks
Grow rocks can be used forever. Just clean them between harvest with a ten percent bleach solution.
grow rocks can be reused indefinitely......
I just priced calcium nitrate. It was 23 dollars a pound around here. Can anything be substituted for it? I will eventually go with a normal hydroponic solution.....this is just to get me by for a bit. Thanks,
Brett
Not that I know about.
Ron, In the Hydroponic Society of America email comments someone stated that Bell Peppers only need about 400 - 500 PPM strength solution, otherwise they burn and/or don't grow well. I was thinking of growing Bell Peppers, is this true ? Thanks
Different plants do need different strengths of solution. I can't find any reference to the ppm for peppers in my books. But I am feeding my peppers at twice that and they seem to be doing ok except for the wilting from the heat during the hot mid-day.
Re: PPM Bell Peppers
My plant guide lists the ppm for peppers at 1260-1540. You can get information for more plants at: http://www.foothillhydroponics.com/p2library.htm
Tailwheel
Hi all,
Just for info, I saw this link in HT mag. They have HID light kits at real good prices (1000W HPS for 140 Canadian Dollars = $95 US, 400W for 120 CAD = $80 US). Anyone ever dealt with them? Possible link Ron?
Gman
Re: Calcium Nitrate
Look in the yellow pages under "agriculture chemicals". I bought a 50 lb. bag of 15.5-0-0, just like the one Ron shows in the website. It cost me $15.00. With the sales tax, it came to $16.25.
Tailwheel
Tailwheel, Thanks a ton!!
Brett
Gman, I have not delt with them ( www.thcbc.com/itm00008.htm ) before but I just gave them a call and they seem very nice. They have a catalog available by mail as well so I ordered one, he also told me that they will be adding pictures of the products in about a week. Look at the kits section if you want a complete system. Later, DC420
Average problem. How often do I clean out the reservoir, what do you clean it with. Is there any chemical or item that you add to the nutrient solution to keep green slime out of the system. Have been growing for a year.
About every
couple months clean the reservoir with a
ten percent bleach to 90 percent water
solution.
And if you don't have green slime in you
system then your nutrient solution isn't
right. You can't grow hydroponicly without
green slime. Some systems more than others
depending on how well you can keep light
from hitting any water in your system.
There is a natural ingredient called "DARK", normally found between sunset and sunrise that you must add to minimize algae growth in your system.
Sunlight reacting with water causes green slime (algae)to form in the solution through photosynthesis. Make sure all components of your system are painted and that NO chance of sunlight shining on any part of it.
Tailwheel
How often does the water in the reservoir have to be changed?
Thanks
When it gets low or if your plant show signs of a problem. Or if you notice a lot of particles in your water.
Only because it was grand fathered in. It would not pass FDA scrutiny today without paid politicians help.
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