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2009 Grow Log

Pepper Ridge Farm said:
Nice design on the drip hydro TxCG. I guess you are putting the reservoir underneath and that is why it's tall. Are you using the PVC to transport water or just drip from under the buckets?
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Yeah, the reservoir is going to sit underneath. Part of the stand that is built doubles as the drain. I'm going to build another manifold out of 3/4" PVC pipe for the irrigation.

I'll probably get back to work around 6ish.
 
Also, this morning I noticed my biggest strawberry starting to turn red.

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and it's progressed a lot in the course of the day, so hopefully I can eat it tomorrow!

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Finished(ish)!

I decided to try and keep this thing in two pieces so it can be disassembled for storage and moving. I decided to risk not gluing the junction of the two drain pipes, instead opting for a bead of plumbers putty and then press-fit. Since the drain isn't under pressure, I think this will be enough to prevent leaks. For additional safety, I tried to position any potential leak spots over the top of the reservoir so in the event a leak occurs it will drain back into the tank.

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These are the pieces of the drip manifold:

2 pieces of 3/4" tubing cut to fit. These don't need to be exact just cut them short enough so that they end up about as wide as the whole system when put together. Drill holes accordingly for your fittings. These required a 9.3mm hole.

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I'm going to let everything dry overnight then fill 'er up with water when I get off work tomorrow and run it to check for leaks. I'm debating on running it with a mild bleach solution to sanitize everything, would that damage any of the rubber or plastic or the pump? (Turns out answer is yes, it will. It dissolved that soft spongy filter on the pump into small pieces.)

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FiveSix said:
Who needs a septic system, I just go in my pants and then wash them after a week or 2 :!:
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Ah, composting! Very organic of you!




I agree it doesnt make them "more" available, but the plant sees no difference between organic sources or not. so I don't think using a nutrient solution is less "natural"(to the plants) but natural is a relative statement.
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Well, but, that might not be true; however, after a day playing with the tiller and bags of rabbit poop, followed by an excellent grilled dinner and even more excellent beer, I'm lucky to still be sitting up, much less googling wildly because someone might be wrong on the Internet.

(Take *that* Josh!)


Just saying there's less wasted energy on root development.
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I don't know there there is all that much inequity . Thinking about it, the plants I have seen come put of hydro have plenty of roots, too.



My nutrients will not contain hormones only dissolved nutrient salts. We all agree that hormones are steroids i was just trying to say that the solutions don't contain hormones.
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What are you using? All the hydro stuff I've seen has plant hormones in it. Granted my hydro nute browsing is not terribly extensive, but I'm curious about what you're using.




I also mean that the plant only uses the pure elements for nutrition. I wasnt saying only nutrients can only absorbed by the plants
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I think maybe you're not using element as strictly as I am. What the plant absorbs and uses is rarely pure enough to be called an element.



again im still learning and can have some flawed statements, just clarifying my original points :)
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That's why I like to talk it out, make sure we're both on the same page, and to clarify where we disagree. I love a good debate.
 
Things are looking smooth , I hope you get no leaks!


This could turn into a good conversation, but I dont want to ruin TxCloset's thread. Maybe we can start a new thread and thehotpepper can move our posts there? I really do apologize TXCG! :)

pam said:
the plants I have seen come put of hydro have plenty of roots, too.
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Hydro plants have tons of roots but they dont have to tunnel and bore through soil to "search" for what they need. I think of it as the plant is "mining for gold".

What are you using? All the hydro stuff I've seen has plant hormones in it. Granted my hydro nute browsing is not terribly extensive, but I'm curious about what you're using.
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general Hydro... Flora Advanced nutrient 3 part system

http://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/floraseries.html


I think maybe you're not using element as strictly as I am. What the plant absorbs and uses is rarely pure enough to be called an element.
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maybe I should say minerals, metals, I am referring to whatever micro and macro nutrients the plant uses. I was just thinking that most of the things the plant uses can be found on the periodic table, so i called them elements.:lol:


That's why I like to talk it out, make sure we're both on the same page, and to clarify where we disagree. I love a good debate.
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:cheers:
 
Pam said:
.

(Take *that* Josh!)
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Hahha. Well played Pam.

Although, your use of the semi-colon and the "however" has all the symptoms of proper grammar. I will try not to hold it against you.
 
Excuse my ignorance for asking this but how is this dutch pot system different than an ebb and flow system? other than the individual buckets and the drippers as opposed to flooding and draining a basin?...it looks cool..where did you find the pots for this system TX?...I loved hydro when I did it, nutes are just soooo...dam expensive.. and then keeping up with the ph can be a pain but a lot of the good nutes have buffering capability to keep it in the right range. Did you decide on which nutes, you were going with in this new system?...I remember you saying you were thinking of 2 different ones TX?... looking awesome...I am just waiting on the next pic's.
 
PeterPepperPicker said:
Excuse my ignorance for asking this but how is this dutch pot system different than an ebb and flow system? other than the individual buckets and the drippers as opposed to flooding and draining a basin?...it looks cool..where did you find the pots for this system TX?...I loved hydro when I did it, nutes are just soooo...dam expensive.. and then keeping up with the ph can be a pain but a lot of the good nutes have buffering capability to keep it in the right range. Did you decide on which nutes, you were going with in this new system?...I remember you saying you were thinking of 2 different ones TX?... looking awesome...I am just waiting on the next pic's.
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Ebb and flow has pots that sit in a tray and the tray floods, then the water recedes. These are buckets that have a small reservoir in the base that holds about an inch of water and they are top watered via 2 drippers in each pot. But basically the same concept I guess.

Haven't figured out which nutes, but I'm going with a hydroton/coco mix. Probably about 60/40. I'm not sure if I still need coco specific nutes, I don't think so. The guy at the hydro store seemed to think that the botanicare pure blend pro line would work great. Which is nice since i already have the pro grow one.


My mom is getting me a pH/EC meter for my birthday in april too, and i don't think i'll be running into pH problems that soon since the plants will still be tiny and I have a huge 31 gallon reservoir.


And it works. It's running right now. All I can hear is the water draining back and it sounds like a waterfall its pretty soothing lol. :cool:
 
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