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hydroponic Hydroponics Virgin with some questions

GMDGEEK

GMDGEEK

Brief growing experience with hot peppers - basically none; so please forgive as I am sure some of my questions will seem pretty lame. Lol, my buddy Craig has been growing them for about 5 or 6 years now and well I love hot peppers. So thought I'd give it a go - and have to say I am fascinated and all in. I love gardening so this is the next step in the evolution and since i just bought a house I can actually do some permanent things.
Right now my 150+ seeds are germinating in starter pots in a mini-greenhouse inside, with a maintaining temperature between 84.5 and 88 degree F. After they sprout, I'll transfer the seedlings to a hot box where I'll let them develop.
In the meantime I need to decide if I am going to go with my 5 gallon bucket and soil method or Hydroponics.
I have to say I really like the idea of Hydroponics, specifically an NFT system. I have seen videos and pictures of several Super Hot Pepper Hydroponics Gardens and like what I see. I just have a few questions about it. Which I really started reading about the past week or so and even went and visited a Hydroponics store – very educational. Heck, I’m still digging thru these forums.

Location: Outside vs. Garage
I live in the Dallas, TX Metroplex

Outside
  • Pros: free lighting
  • Cons: a mercy of weather, greater change of insects

Garage
  • Pros: sheltered, temperature control
  • Cons: Lighting costs and water temp control during summer

I am honestly considering my first go as being outside. Then the next round migrating to the garage – this is mainly to allow me to offset additional costs of growing indoors; namely lights.

From this I have 2 really big questions:
  1. Water Temperature
  2. Lighting Sources

Water Temperature: What is the ideal temperature for hot peppers? I’ve read that the water should be between 65 and 75 degrees to avoid Fusarium, Pythium, or other complications. However none of the threads or articles that I have read to date indicate for peppers? With the NFT system I am looking at very little light will be making its way into my 4” tubes (using 2” net pots) as I will also have a soft, flexible cap covering the base of the pepper. Also, what are everyone’s thoughts on proper PH?

Lighting: I thought grow lights would be sufficient until I read 2 articles, 1 forum entry, and spoke with the Hydroponics guy at the store where suddenly I was over taken by High Pressure Phosphorus lighting. I will admit, I have not yet made it to the lighting posts on this forum as I’m still hung up on the water temp thing. But since I’m writing this post I figure might as well put it in here.

Fluorescent vs. High Pressure Phosphorus Lighting – from what I’ve seen as the majority I haven’t seen anyone really talking about the High Pressure lighting. Will making sure I have a Fluorescent light with the correct Kelvin be sufficient? I know it will be way less on electricity and less cost. I don’t mind spending the money on something; I just don’t want to be wasting my money.

I have other questions but as I need to take baby steps I’ll leave those for a little later.

Sincerely,
The Newb – Gerry
 
You have so many questions I will answer some.

Lighting- Do not bother with t5 only HID like MH and HPS. With the right ventalition you want HID they are more economical, t5 you waste power on a light that will not grow plants fast to consider a light. :cool:


I am a pro and I have no patients and when I used t5 for vegging I threw the system away to find MH grew plants 2x as fast. I find you can grow lettuce with t5!!!! :cool:

Water temp should 60 like you said. PH in the 5.5-5.8 zone. I have long grown inside and outside. I have tryed hydro, nft, dwc, everything but Aeroponics. I can tell you know I stay soilles drain to waste just a basic container garden with high porosity grow medium and hydro fetilizer. No water probs. no ph probs, no mesing with temps, same harvest.You have to get grow medium but that is the only downfall.

But if you want go for it you will never have to buy soil again. That is about the only advantage to growing full hydro I can see.
 
Thanks Cap - I've been doing reading (dangerous thing) cause there are so many people out there with different thoughts but from what I can tell little experience. I prefer people like you who have been in the trenches and tried it.

I was just reading about LED Grow lights ... you don't by chance have links to the lights you use. What does MH mean?

Big reason for Hydroponics for me is it honestly saves me a lot of space. 32 x 5 gallon buckets can take up a chunk of space. Granted the bucket method means should there be a Frost warning I can carefully move them to safety. I am still liking the idea of sacrificing part of the garage and going indoor but temp control ... hmmm.
 
Yes your very right About space. I tend to push my production in small containers that are watered a lot with fertilizer and plants are held up be bamboo because they fall over in small pots because their roots are all in one area. I should not be saying do not use hydro, I guess soilless is just easier for me. You may need a water chiller. MH=Metal Halide.
 
I have a 8 bulb T5 over 400 watts of blinding light.

I have 3 huge plants in 5 gallon buckets all covered with peppers. T5's can grow plants to full potential if you place them right.

My brainstrains are easily bigger then golfballs.


I also have a 50watt LED light over my peter pepper plant in a 5 gallon bucket. It has 15 peppers on it at all times, growing a little smaller then normal, BUT growing peppers.
 
Where does everyone recommend to buy lights? I am still sorting the difference between T5 and T12. My wife thought we were talking about Terminator movies.
 
GMDGEEK said:
Where does everyone recommend to buy lights? I am still sorting the difference between T5 and T12. My wife thought we were talking about Terminator movies.
Click to expand...

Haha.

from what I understand t5 is higher output then t12 or t8. So go with T5 lighting. I said do not bother with T5 because they really can not come close to HID. Just read Lighting 101 on the top of the page. But T5 can be a good choice too.
 
The T5 is a good option for germination your plants. I leave the plants under the T5 untill they are ready for transplant ( 6 - 8 real leaves) . The HPS light produce a lot of heat, you have to be really carefull not to burn your plants.

I keep my plants on a PH 5.8 - 6.0. This seems to work for me. The plants have access to all their nutrients.
 
It is not good to use hps, they need full spectrum. I used a blue spectrum HPS from seed with really good results. They make wide hoods for the metal halide that is good for seedlings. I think HID is the best choice for all stages of growth.
 
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