soil Soil vs Hydro starts experiment

juanitos

juanitos

Aim:
[SIZE=14.6667px]This experiment is to test a couple questions i have about my setup. Your setup is probably different than mine so it doesn't mean results will be the same everyone..[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Question1: Does 150w of leds grow better/faster than 100w?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Question2: Will a small kratky raft grow better/faster than soil?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Question3: Is perlite better than rockwool for kratky setup?[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Setup:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]2 trays on each shelf(placed in middle)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]2 shelves each with a kratky and soil tray [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Top shelf with 3 led bars, bottom with 2 led bars.[/SIZE]
30” Tower Fan blowing ~4 feet away near center
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Hydro:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]1020 tray with 3/4in polystyrene float[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]2in net pots[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]grodan rockwool 1inch[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]1.5in pots[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]perlite[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Soil:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]1020 tray[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]606 jumbo insert[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]berger custom mix[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Water:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]tap water[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Nutes:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Chem-gro tomato formula + cani + mgso (per manufacturer instructions)[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Variables not controlled:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]medium ph, medium/room temperature, ppm, humidity, air flow[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Process:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Germinate seeds in tupperware until enough samples reached[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Pre-wet soil / rockwoo / raft[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Soil: fill soil up, poke hole with finger, cover[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Hydro: place inside rockwool, and place in net cup | fill pot perlite, add seedling[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Bottom water soil every time it appears dry. (approx every 4 days)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Hydro refill tray if it gets less than 25% full[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Runtime:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]do an assessment every 2 weeks[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]​end time flexible([/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px]at least[/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px] 8 weeks)[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Documentation:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]timelapse if possible[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]picture from same position every day[/SIZE]
 
 
Updates:
pics showing starts + setup
 
 

UPDATE 1
starts are ready @ 17 days old.
 
choc bhut
0SD9cIG.jpg

 
paper lantern habanero
EdSxmFf.jpg


2 trays side by side on shelf. hydro left, soil right
wAfKvxY.jpg

 
net pots are same size so will hang down in water the same pretty much.
green cup is for perlite
black is for rockwool
HOertD8.jpg

 
the tray it will sit in.
S6t7eHm.jpg
 
Followed!
 
Is this for the purpose of seeing what grows best during seedling stage only? Do you have any intention of following through with your kratky grown seeds into a larger hydro setup or transfer to soil?
 
juanitos said:
just for starting them is all i plan to test. i may keep them going until November i don't know.
Click to expand...
 
Ok cool, look forward to the results.
 
I usually never give any nutrients to seedlings until I see true leaves. If I understand correctly you have already dosed them, although very lightly?
 
while they were germinating they got no nutrients, now they are running at full nutrients.
 
i don't really want to change it for soil vs hydro.
if all go's bad i can redo it with low nutrients.
 
My hydro seedlings crawl at 500 ppms. When I use 100 ppms they show much faster growth. But still not as fast as soil. It wasn't until maybe the second or third set of leaves until I saw my hydro start doubling the size of soil. For me I haven't been able to beat seedlings under a T5 24/7 in soil. Closest I think I came was using water only with 6.0 ph.
 
6 days
 
stuff always goes slow until the roots start really developing.
Most of them have true leaves starting to come out.
 
20150623_132025.jpg

 
one of the  ones in perlite died because it wasn't wet at all, probably the pot didn't let in any water.
20150623_132045.jpg
 
the hydro ones are looking a little overwhelmed hopefully they get used to it. i may have to get a ppm meter and restart experiment i dunno.
i dunno what is with that middle pot, i've put a couple plants in it and they always die.
20150629_001635.jpg

 
20150629_001812.jpg

 
20150629_001916.jpg

 
soil ones are doing good
20150629_001639.jpg
 
so the grow room and pretty sure water temps are getting to be 90+
i should probably not be doing this in the height of the summer.
 
some thing i notice is the perlite cups haven't got any roots out of the pots yet. I do not think the openings are big enough that the roots will find it. i'll put up some pics tonight and check on my timelapse.
 
juanitos said:
so the grow room and pretty sure water temps are getting to be 90+
i should probably not be doing this in the height of the summer.
 
some thing i notice is the perlite cups haven't got any roots out of the pots yet. I do not think the openings are big enough that the roots will find it. i'll put up some pics tonight and check on my timelapse.
Click to expand...
 
Are you top watering the perlite cups?
 
this one is the biggest, rockwool hydro
20150710_171847.jpg

 
20150710_171853.jpg

 
 
All the perlite ones are dieing. the roots never made it out of the pot.. i need to poke some holes in the pot or something for next try.
20150710_171904.jpg

 
20150710_171952.jpg
 
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