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Question and Answer Page 70

Subjects

do I need drainage holes in the bottom? is it okay to leave the bottles clear how far down should i put the plants in the 11-plant system?
can i use your 10-8-22 on both plants how far to put a rooted plant into your 2 liter bottle? how to identify the plant's transition from vegetative to bloom phase
anything to worry about when using pvc tubes, pvc glue, and painting a bottle? where can u get magnesium sulfate and calcium nitrate How do you get the seed to germinate
At least I'm not a boob. do you account for the ppm of the water value. thinking of purchasing a water conditioner
how often do we change are water mix? some bottles overflow. Any ideas ? can I grow aloe vera
Date:
03 May 2001
Time:
16:35:39

Comments

Ron, Several years ago while surfing sites concerning hydroponics I saw a page dealing with different aspects of hydroponics and one item they had for sale was a software program for mixing nutrients.

I believe the name of this program was ProChem or something like that. Do you happen to know where I could get this program or the site/page where it is sold?

Thanks

Steve

No but if you find it I would like to check it out.

Date:
04 May 2001
Time:
06:36:47

Comments

I just got my system built and thought I would use a perlite/sand mixture. Right now it is about 60%/40% respectively. Should this work

I don't know. Let us know if it does.

Date:
04 May 2001
Time:
13:02:50

Comments

If I use wood shavings as my growing medium in 5 gallon buckets (I can't find bean hampers), do I need drainage holes in the bottom?

Yes

Date:
04 May 2001
Time:
22:38:26

Comments

ron i grow chile peppers and herbs in my 15 bottle sys can i use your 10-8-22 on both plants in the sys claude ps i built your 11 bot sys some time ago and having real good luck with it and now i have add to it to15 bot sys

yes it is an general purpose hydro-solution 

Date:
05 May 2001
Time:
01:05:24

Comments

hi bruce,

regarding those plans from futuregarden.com, if you still have a copy available...

my email is:

laputaquelepario@hotmail.com

Date:
05 May 2001
Time:
01:09:44

Comments

is there anything to worry about when using construction-grade pvc tubes, pvc glue, and painting a bottle?

commercial-grade plastic/pvc normally contains lead, which is poisonous, and paint and glue all contain very harsh chemical substances. would that affect plant growth in any way?

thanks for any insight that you may provide.

my email is:

agrimbal@hotmail.com

You paint the outside of the bottles not the inside where the solution is.
And modern PVC pipe is safe and used in all commercial growing systems. 
 

Date:
05 May 2001
Time:
21:06:47

Comments

Ron, I drive truck and I get down to FL quite often. Would it be all right if a person stop by. I would really enjoy visiting with you. At least I'm not a boob. HA!! Got a charge out of that one. Vince--vince@osage.net

Yes you can and I will decide if you are a boob or not.

Date:
06 May 2001
Time:
09:05:34

Comments

how often do we change are water mix? does it have to be covered or can i just sit my unit on top? i have a bet with my women that mine will be better then hers that are in the ground. i better win the bet was heavy, house work for a year.

every couple weeks or sooner if your plant show signs of problems. And yes keep the water solution from the light source to cut down on algae. 

Date:
06 May 2001
Time:
11:31:35

Comments

is it okay to leave the 2 liter bottles clear, or do they have to be opaqe? is there a difference?

Click hear

Date:
06 May 2001
Time:
12:42:21

Comments

hi all, saw the solar stuff and was looking for more information for cheaper things. i have some land in mexico and would like to do it in solar,12 unit garden, out side lights, bringing water from the well, maybe solar for tv. any help out there? not ebay please. sjanosko@aol.com

Date:
06 May 2001
Time:
13:45:01

Comments

I am interested in finding commercial grade growing systems for lettuce that can be built by myself.

Date:
06 May 2001
Time:
19:33:30

Comments

how do you know how far to put a rooted plant into your 2 liter bottle? do you put the stem so that its in the water? do all the roots go in the water?

roots but not the stem

Date:
07 May 2001
Time:
19:47:05

Comments

Hey Ron, I started the 11 plant garden and am using a commercial hydroponic fertilizer. I check and correct the ph daily. My timer is 15 min on and 15 off. Problem is the leaves on the plants are turning brown on the edges and dieing off. the plants keep growing and are about 2 feet tall and are blooming. What could be causing this dieing off

Cliff Lasiter

Alamogordo, New Mexico

Date:
07 May 2001
Time:
21:54:58

Comments

where can u get magnesium sulfate and calcium nitrate at for mixing with the bulk nutrient. also, is there anywhere to get cheap ph up and down. thanks ron chris

magnesium sulfate is just epson salt. You can buy that anywhere. Drug stores, garden stores, super markets. 
And I am now selling calcium nitrate and pH up and down in small quantities. 

Date:
08 May 2001
Time:
16:09:51

Comments

when you add the nutrient and you want to make sure your ppm value is right, do you account for the ppm of the water value. like say my water was 260, should i fill it to 1260 to get a ppm of 1000 or just 1260.

yes add the ppm of your water to the total you want. 

Date:
09 May 2001
Time:
10:45:47

Comments

I finally got my MK 1 "bottle garden" going. It was somewhat more challenging than I thought. Up here in Canada I couldn't find any 1" PVC pipe or fittings. 1/2" or 3/4" are the common sizes - I used 1/2 for this one to get an understanding of how it will work. I was not able to use the "cap in tee" technique. I 've tried another approach which seems to work for about 1/2 the bottles the others leak. My next step will be to fix up the leaks and the get some plants going.

One question I have is about the overflow - I've set that up according what is shown in the web site but the levels creep up beyond the height of the overflow and the and some bottles overflow. Any ideas ?

chryselwood@ns.sympatico.ca

your pump is to strong for your system. you need to use a overflow control valve to slow the flow to your garden or you can add another overflow that will give it more volume. You can add as many overflow pipes as needed. 
I hope you didn't forget to drill the small hole at the top of the overflow pipe because that will cause problems also.

Date:
09 May 2001
Time:
11:05:30

Comments

Blake:
The plans you mentioned back in April - are they still available? My email is jmorton3@aol.com. Thanks!
Jim

Date:
09 May 2001
Time:
12:55:26

Comments

using an Aeroponic system looks to be simple, however if the plant grows at a tremendous rate, how do you adjust the light cycle to promote correct growth, such as flowering and how do you readjust light cycles for the faster plant growth. GB, Austin TX

Date:

09 May 2001
Time:
17:45:37

Comments

The plans you mentioned back in April - are they still available? locator1@bellsouth.net

Date:
10 May 2001
Time:
10:58:01

Comments

I have several questions i woule like to ask.
how far down should i put the plants in the 11-plant system?

halfway 

what interval should the timer be set for water to flow and the light?

15 minutes on, 15 minutes off

how much epson salt and calcium should be put in the water? (per gallon?)

calcium nitrate - 1 teaspoon per gallon
epson salt - 1/4 teaspoon per gallon

thanks alot!!

Date:
10 May 2001
Time:
11:31:08

Comments

First off I would like to say thanks for providing such a great site Ron; I have spent many days studying the abundant material here. I have a couple of questions for the hydro veterans regarding my 16-plant garden that I modeled after Ron's design, consisting of various vegetables (bell; jalapeno; hot-cherry; cayenne peppers, tomatoes, yellow crook neck squash, garlic-chives, and cucumber).

Now for the Questions... I am using General Hydroponics’ Flora Advanced Nutrient System. I have not been able to pin down how to identify the plant's transition from vegetative to bloom phase, to blooming and ripening phases.

How do I best recognize the phase transitions?
Most of my plants are young, 6 inches tall or less, and not yet blooming, except for the bell pepper and the cucumber, which are at least 10 inches tall with a couple of flowers. How should I handle the different nutrient formulas for plants in slightly different growth phases?

That is the problem with those two part grow and bloom nutrient formulas. When to change to the bloom mix. That is why when I did use a liquid solution I used Formula One A&B because you use the same mix throughout the life of the plant. You just increase the ppm as the plants matures. 
I would switch when I saw fruit on at least half the plants in your garden. 

When stringing the plants up is it better to wait until there is fruit on them, or start supporting them early on (I am using Dixie cups and grow rocks).

Are there any newbie mistakes I can avoid when stringing the plants?

wait for the fruit so you won't have to do it twice unless your plants are falling over.

Thanks again for providing a outstanding resource for first time hydro gardeners. GB

Date:
10 May 2001
Time:
16:20:55

Comments

are your lights on 12/12 what kind of light(s) do you have

Date:
10 May 2001
Time:
17:22:23

Comments

can you send me the plans Blake? my address is freehydroman@yahoo.com

Date:
11 May 2001
Time:
08:34:34

Comments

How do you get the seed to germinate in those cups of water? What is the process for seeding?

E-mail: jimmyestover@hotmail.com or thesmoke@messagez.com

germinate in wet paper towels and then transplant to vermiculite and then transplant to the garden

Date:

11 May 2001
Time:
10:40:27

Comments

Hi Ron, I am thinking of purchasing a water conditioner to add to my system's nutrient solution. I heard that it helps the plants absorb the nutrients in the solution. Do you think it would be aw good investment? Thanks Ron. great site!!

Yes if you are using city water.

Date:
11 May 2001
Time:
16:03:15

Comments

i like a set of Aeroponics too Ricky165@prodigy.net

Date:
12 May 2001
Time:
08:31:34

Comments

I have Vita Grow's 3 part nutrient solution. The parts are Micro Grow, Super Bloom, and Super Grow. I have just bought a tomato plant that is about 1 foot high. Should i put more Bloom in it or Grow?

grow

Date:
12 May 2001
Time:
08:39:18

Comments

i am using vita grow 3 part nutrient for tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and okra. do you think there is a need for epson salt or calcium?

no 

Date:
12 May 2001
Time:
11:54:37

Comments

hey ron, do you think you can grow aloe vera in the 11-plant hydro system?

aloe vera grows so well that the pups fall out off the pots because they grow so fast. You will need a larger pot like the gallon system before long.

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