Subjects

Date:

10 Sep 2001

Time:

14:45:50

Comments

Can anyone tell me what is the best tomato to grow hydro? using the gallon system? also what could i expect in return per plant as in lbs of yield per plant.....also i live in a subtropical climate 75 to 80 Fht every day and 11.5 hours of sun

Date:

11 Sep 2001

Time:

02:41:49

 

Comments

HELP ! 2 weeks into flowering and 1 plant died the next day 5 more. PH ok, PPM ok,Temp ok, Air ok,Temp of water ok, I changed the solution to just plain tap water with the right PH. Can someone help me ? Darbob

Date:

12 Sep 2001

Time:

21:02:08

Comments

I am building the eleven plant system and have a pump and light controller chip I have programmed but I need to know the time delay between the flood cycles, is it a half hour or is that dependant on the medium being used? I cannot get grow rock for the life of me, I dont want to pay shipping on rocks. I am trying to devise a substitute, would there be ph problems if I used a combination of lava rock and vermiculite? Im hoping that the two together will retain proper moisture as vermiculite alone retains too much. Thanks. Daprean

Date:

12 Sep 2001

Time:

22:05:29

Comments

I wanted to share a recipe for nutrient solution that I dug out of an old book (1982). I think that this would be a very complete nutrient mix if one could actually find this stuff.

sodium nitrate 8 oz.--calcium nitrate 1 oz.--potassium sulphate 4 oz. --ammonium phosphate 1-3/4 oz.--magnesium sulphate 3-1/2 oz. --now you have to combine 1/2 tsp of the following trace element mix: --iron sulphate 1 oz.--magnesium sulphate 1 tsp.--boric acid powder 1 tsp. --zinc sulphate 1/2 tsp.--copper sulphate 1/2 tsp.--This nutrient mix should be stored dry and makes 120 us gallons, it doesnt say how much powder should be used per gallon. I hope this helps someone who is really hardcore on making their own mix. I dont think Ill try because it looks expensive for the scale I want to accomplish. Daprean

Date:

13 Sep 2001

Time:

07:34:00

Comments

Is a 30 watt fluorescent light enough to provide light to four plants, which are all herbs catnip, mint, etc..?

Thanks

No. Why? Click Here

Date:

13 Sep 2001

Time:

11:51:42

Comments

Help... I used a blooming fertilizer two days ago and like an idiot did not read the directions. Now my plants look like they are dying ..the leaves are just about toast (and of course they've just started to bud) I'm trying to flush them with water.. any tips to bring them back or did I just ruin my whole crop..

You need to put them back into veg. stage and rejuvenate them back to health before trying to bud them again. 

Date:

13 Sep 2001

Time:

13:30:27

 

Comments

Ron, I read where you said you had a hard time finding calcium chloride. I just found out that calcium chloride is road salt. Are you using road salt now? Or do you have to find some kind of processed calcium chloride?

No that was calcium nitrate and I can get that in 50 lb. bags. Magnesium sulfate is just Epson salt which is good for plants but I don't know about using road salt.

Date:

14 Sep 2001

Time:

13:00:38

Comments

How much time can be added to the time between changing solution by using pH and nute dosing systems? How would one go about having the change happen automatically? I don't mean that some robot walking around measuring out cups of gh gro and bloom, but what about bleeding? One time I tried making a large reservoir for my Sunshine #4 soiless garden by using various chems to attach chunks of garden hose between the bottoms of 35 gal trash cans, but none worked. Then I tried siphons, but it was hard to see if they were working as I had to wait for a few waterings to see if the levels were changing. I want to try hydro because even though there is some more room for play with soilless, there is not much, and I found I was tinkering all the time anyway. I want a garden as automatic as possible. I have 5 yrs experience with 2400 watts of hps for flowering and understand that there is NO way to avoid manual care and attention, but still I want to invest over a grand for the dosing. I want to use clay pellets with flood and drain setup I'll custom build. Obviously, the larger the res you use, the less often you have to replace, especially with dosing, but would it be practical to create a res that's large enough to last a cycle (3 months)? How do I go about having different ratios of gro and bloom and mico with the dosers? They all seem to dump equal parts of a and b. Maybe dilute one of them? Also flood and drain seems to suck with auto topping of the res with water. I could submerge the float down in the res, but I just don't trust the seals. I'm a physics/engineer and know that all shit fails. Thanks for the time.... My advice to all: RO water is awesome. Great for drinking to - and for house plants and fish tanks. Salud Lizzy

Yes you can automate the nutrient solution and pH control with dosing pumps. You have to use one pump for each maneuver to control dose and that can get expensive. You can get any number of dosing pumps, timers, and anything else you might need to automate a greenhouse at www.aquaticeco.com 

Date:

14 Sep 2001

Time:

21:24:40

Comments

Hey Ron, great site!

I built the 11 plant garden and it's working fine but I have a question on timing because I've seen a dozen different answers. I'm currently using grow rocks supporting a 1" rockwool starter cube with my "tomato" plants ;) and my timer is set for 15 on and 1:45 off because I want the rockwool to drain well. Do you think 15 on 45 off would be too much?

Maybe if you don't have roots growing out the cube yet. You can increase the time in 15 minute increments until you see signs of wilting in your plants. Then you will know to move the timer up 15 minutes. You don't want any wilting between waterings.

I've also noticed a pinkish brown leaf tip (just the tip) here and there, on my seedlings, but other than that the plants seems ok. I don't have a TDS meter yet so I'm just winging it. Is that from over fertilizing the seedlings?

Might be mold. Make sure you use a fan on your plants at all time even when the light is off.

Thank you for your time.

Date:

15 Sep 2001

Time:

13:15:00

Comments

Ron, How do you safely get rid of Leafminers? I have 4 tomato plants in a drip system, and the little bastards are really puttin' a hurt on my plants leaves. I am in Jacksonville, FL, and am aware that leafminers are a problem here, but haven't found out how to get rid of them thanks.

I use Sevin dust to control loop worms on my tomatoes but I never had a problem with leafminers.

Date:

17 Sep 2001

Time:

06:41:42

Comments

Is any fluorescent bulb enough to provide light for four small plants all of which are herbs? Thanks again

For the first two weeks of a plants life then you will need a MH or HPS light. Click here.

Date:

18 Sep 2001

Time:

02:32:18

Comments

Lights, lights, lights...

There are so many choices for HID's, I thought I'd see what you thought. I can only afford 1 good HID system (or about 500.00) and I'm torn between the following choices.

LumenarcIII (HPS-MH Switchable) with it's up to 45% more lumens. 400/430(x2 MAYBE) - 600 - 1000

or

Sun System VII Super Spectrum System (Dual ballast HPS & MH in one reflector/ballast) 500 - 800

Then there are the following bulb choices: Hortilux SonAgro Agrosun SuperAgro

If I got the Super Spectrum, would I benefit by replacing the bulbs with a combo of Hortilux/*Agro* type lamps? Would that @ 800, spread spectrum, watts be better than 1000 MH then switched to 1000 HPS. If I got the 2x400W LumenarcIII, I could seperate the veg/flowering rooms but they'd be smaller. Which combo would YOU choose of one system with any combo of those bulbs? These are all based on new systems so used might be an option also.

Also I'm torn between the various light movers.

Thanks!

Always buy the most lumens you can afford. A combo of MH and HPS is best because your plants will get the full spectrum of light. Two 400 watts on a Sun Circle is better the one 1000 watt because you get light from two points instead of one. 
Using two rooms, one for veg. and one for bloom is better because different kinds of plants grow faster than others.

Date:

18 Sep 2001

Time:

15:40:42

Comments

What kind of science project could i do with hydroponics for a ninth grade science fair at a magnet high school?

Date:

18 Sep 2001

Time:

23:10:38

Comments

Is there any common household item I can add to my nutrient solution that will lower the ph levels?

Yes Click Here

Date:

19 Sep 2001

Time:

16:35:47

Comments

What types of plants grow best using the hydroponics method? If you have any suggestions please email me at pretty_n_pink39@hotmail.com

Date:

19 Sep 2001

Time:

17:09:36

Comments

I plan to grow plants hydroponically for my science fair. I'm going to order a ready made kit, but i'm lost after that. If you'll please let me know how to get started actually growing the plants I would greatly appreciate it.

Date:

20 Sep 2001

Time:

17:36:43

Comments

Ron,

I found a kit for a 400 watt metal halide light with a ballast, socket, cord, plug, and reflector for $150.00 but no body to mount the ballast to. Will this still be suitable for the 11 plant garden?

Thanks, curious grower

More than enough.

Date:

20 Sep 2001

Time:

17:55:03

Comments

Hi there. im a high school student whose doing my science research project on hydroponics vs. regular soil growing. I need help on how to build a low maintenance passive hydro system. I would deeply appreciate an email with any sites, tips, or advice. my email is FUzzyStarz@aol.com thanks a bunch and please help me out!

Date:

21 Sep 2001

Time:

18:26:13

Comments

I AM AN AMATEUR GARDENER WHO WANTS SOME INFORMATION ON HYDROPONICS AND THE PRINCIPALS INVOLVED. I HAVE TRIED TO GET INFORMATION FROM OUR LOCAL LIBRARY, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION WHAT SO EVER! HAS ANYONE OUT HERE GOT ANY INFO ON IT? I HAVE TRIED THE USUAL WEB SITES, ALL I GET IS A LOAD OF COMMERCIAL SITE SELLING EXPENSIVE GEAR WITH LITTLE OR NO INFORMATION ON THE WHY AND WHERE AND WHAT THAT IS INVOLVED.

HELP!

MANY THANKS,

KEN!

Date:

21 Sep 2001

Time:

22:21:48

Comments

Ken..............click on page 1 of this Bulletin Board and start reading. Nearly every question you have has been discussed on this website before. Explore my friend. Everything I know about hydroponics I learned from this site.

Frank

Date:

22 Sep 2001

Time:

09:23:04

Comments

see the worlds most efficient hydroponic garden on cbc. newsworld wensday sept. 26 4pm. or cbc. 6 oclock national news [canada now] also Wednesday, in the future now segment. the spot is about future home appliances. if you can,t wait check out www.omegagarden.com or searching for omega garden via google.com will yield even more interesting pics

Date:

22 Sep 2001

Time:

19:37:47

Comments

My 13 year old daughter wants to do a Science Project for school...any suggestions so she can win a blue ribbon? (Would be nice for her.) Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions and comments. We need to get started asap. Don

Date:

23 Sep 2001

Time:

00:26:35

Comments

Hi, Stan Putter, Re your reatives in RSA.There is a very good book on the SA market. HYDROPONICS By Dudly Harris ISBN 086977283x.It tells you everything you need to know about hydroponics. I am also prepared to help. My EMail addr. is westa@intekom.co.za

Date:

23 Sep 2001

Time:

11:59:10

Comments

Ron,

I am going to be try to plant bulbs in a hydroponic solution. Do you think bulbs will grow hydroponically?

Thanks!

MR. MATT B.

I would think so.

Date:

24 Sep 2001

Time:

10:00:10

Comments

Bulbs contain all the nutrients they need to flower, so they will grow in plain water. If you want to rejuvenate them so this will happen again, well, different story. Find a bulbs site, tulips, amaryllis, etc. look up forcing. lizzy

Date:

24 Sep 2001

Time:

10:05:43

Comments

Everything can be grown hydro. It just depends on how much of a scientist you want to be. Once had visions of a hydro oak tree with the roots wrapped around a big rock. Hydro moss? mushrooms? raspberries? lichen?

Date:

25 Sep 2001

Time:

09:31:48

Comments

i have 17 diamond grow lights with 34 bulbs 3 1000dhps 14 460wattdhps some hoods need 2800 for all would like to know best place to sell these thanks 4 your help email at dcginfl@msn.com

Date:

27 Sep 2001

Time:

07:38:06

Comments

Have you had any success with cucumbers?

Yes but always have had a problem with White Fly infestation before they matured. 

Date:

27 Sep 2001

Time:

13:26:50

Comments

Ron, What's a good place to get those 55 gallon fruit juice barrels? I could really use a couple, but don't know where to look for them. Thanks. 

I get mine at a local feed store. They held pickles at one time.

Date:

01 Oct 2001

Time:

03:53:33

Comments

THANKS FRANK, YOU WERE RIGHT, I WAS IN TOO MUCH OF A RUSH TO GET STARTED, COULD NOT SEE WOOD FOR THE TREES SO TO SPEAK, TA MUCHLY FRANK! IN FACT, READING THROUGH THE OTHER COMMENTS HAS GIVEN ME A GREAT INSIGHT TO THE WHAT, WHY AND HOW!

REGARDS,

KEN FROM ENGLAND,

AND YES, THE SUN DOES SHINE HERE,......WELL.....NOW AND AGAIN!

Date:

02 Oct 2001

Time:

19:49:43

Comments

Anyone tell me what (which way) can household ammonia help a hydroponic plant? Please?!

Date:

02 Oct 2001

Time:

20:03:58

Comments

Is there available in USA a hydroponic forage kit or plan for producing livestock feed via hydroponics? I know in Australia the whole system is available, but I am not aware of any such on this side of the pond. Thank you.

Date:

05 Oct 2001

Time:

16:15:23

Comments

I have a phototron, I dont want to sent soil samples in to get check. I cant get the budding fertilzer solution with out this process. What liquid fertilzer solution do you recomend. wes

Formula One A&B 

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