indoor DWC indoor grow - struggling to flower

SentencedToBurn

SentencedToBurn

Hi everyone
 
A bit of a weird case here, I've got a new setup with a single chinense growing in a DWC bucket. It's about 15 weeks old now, at 12 weeks Ive switched to the bloom nutes but have not a single flower yet. Otherwise it seems pretty healthy, I have to regularly prune it so it stays away from the lights.
 
The setup:
  • The airflow is very thorough (800Lpm air pump with 4 long stones)
  • Changing nutes every 2 weeks: I'm using Nutrifield Elements (switched from Grow to Bloom: https://www.easygrow.co.nz/hydroponic-nutrients/117-nutrifield-elements-bloom-10l-2x5l-ab.html)
  • The fans are on 24/7 so the circulation is all good
  • Humidity and temp are stable
  • Lighting: 3 T8s at the top at 4100K. I found that for me 4100K T8s seem to work really well for the growing phase, whether it's because of the canopy penetration combined with the reflections off the walls, etc not sure, but they seem to almost outperform 6500K lights so that's what I'm using now.
My thoughts so far:
  • I was thinking perhaps I need to try to replace 1 or 2 of my T8s with 2700K lights? Although this is chillies not the other stuff, so not sure whether the light colour makes as much difference here.
  • Another thought I had was changing from Nutrifield to Dynagrow Bloom which has worked for me in the past - this is the first season I'm using Nutrifield and the grow phase was great, but perhaps Bloom is not as suited to chillies?
 
Any suggestions are welcome, my goal is to grow this guy for a few years and ideally get fresh pods in winter.
 
P.S. ignore the plastic bags - I'm currently doing some grafts of different varieties so I end up with a single plant that produces a bunch of different varieties.
 
Vhrv4pv.jpg
 
I don't have direct experience growing fruiting plants in hydro under lights, so take this for what it's worth...
 
Your plant looks happy.... too happy.  With rich nutrients, all that root room in the hydro and the nice aeration I think your plant is happy to stay vegetative. Primarily I think it is getting too much nitrogen, so going to Dynagrow Bloom, maybe even at half or 3/4 strength for a while as you watch the plant's reaction, would be my first suggestion.  The increased P level should also be helpful.  I sometimes have 6 inch tall seedlings setting flowers when they are in small cells under lights, but it is because they're root-bound and are maxing out their resources so they start flowering/fruiting/making seed for the next generation.  So put your plant on a stricter nitrogen diet than the current nutes.  Make it nervous about the future so it starts thinking it might be time to reproduce.
 
Secondly I think a lot of the leaves are shaded by the canopy and many are pretty far from the light source as well, so increasing the light could help.  A quick and inexpensive way of increasing light would be to add a single cfl in one of those inexpensive clip on single socket fixtures, ideally from the side to light up the lower leaves.  You could make that light a 2700K light as well, although I don't think color temp is really the issue.  While what you have may be okay, usually more light will yield more flowers.
 
Just some thoughts on what I would try, but maybe someone with more direct DWC experience will chime in.  Please let us know how things work out.
 
Bloom nutes for peppers are a myth.  A simple, balanced nutrient solution for the entire life of the plant, is more than sufficient.
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I'd suggest that toying with nutrients, thinking that it's going to trigger some kind of mass flowering event, may lead to disappointment.
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It's the other parameters that you need to focus on.  Optimal light, temp, humidity, etc.  The nutrients are literally the easiest part.
 
In my experience, you don't really need separate "Bloom" and "Veg" ferts for peppers like with certain other plants. I just use Masterblend together with epsom salt and calcium nitrate. In general, any fert that works well for tomatoes should also work well for peppers.
 
You can try switching out to 2700K bulbs if you want, but I am not sure that it is really necessary. Last season I had plants producing pods under a mix of 4100K and 6500K T8s. Granted, they were under more than three tubes. But the point is that, at least in my experience, peppers don't seem to be too fussy about light spectrum. If you have a PAR meter you can check to get an idea of whether your setup is putting out enough light to support production, or whether you might benefit from adding some supplemental lighting. My guess is that more lights may be helpful. But I doubt that the 4100K spectrum is the issue.
 
All of that being said, your plant looks very healthy to me. As long as you provide sufficient light and nutrition, it should flower and set pods when it decides it is ready.
 
Hey thanks everyone, i'll give it a few more weeks and then might chuck the dynagrow bloom anyway if still nothing happens. But sounds like i might just need to give it some more time.
 
SentencedToBurn said:
Hey thanks everyone, i'll give it a few more weeks and then might chuck the dynagrow bloom anyway if still nothing happens. But sounds like i might just need to give it some more time.
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The last thing you do for a healthy plant, that just isn't producing, is throw fertilizer at it.  
 
If you meant chucking the bloom in the garbage, then yes, good call.  :thumbsup:
 
Another update - still nothing here, I'm still pruning it etc, still no flowers. The plant is looking healthy as, new shoots coming up all the time.
 
I think I might swap out 2 of the 3 T8s to 2700K and leave one 4100K in there, and will see how it goes now. Surely at some point it'll kick in.
 
Any chance you can try getting more light on it, even just a single bulb socket light with a CFL in it?  Also, maybe reducing the overall concentration of your nutes.    I'll reiterate I haven't grown in a big hydro setup, but when my seedlings are overdue for repotting and under bright lights they start flowering at a very small size. I still think the combination of lots of root space, possibly more nutrients than it needs and maybe less light than it can use is keeping it growing vegetatively longer.  Just my $.02 
 
zendog said:
Any chance you can try getting more light on it, even just a single bulb socket light with a CFL in it?  Also, maybe reducing the overall concentration of your nutes.    I'll reiterate I haven't grown in a big hydro setup, but when my seedlings are overdue for repotting and under bright lights they start flowering at a very small size. I still think the combination of lots of root space, possibly more nutrients than it needs and maybe less light than it can use is keeping it growing vegetatively longer.  Just my $.02 
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Hey that's a good point! I too have noticed mine flower when they're getting a bit rootbound, i'll half the concentration for a few weeks and will chuck in an extra light to see what happens. Thanks!
 
SentencedToBurn said:
Another update - still nothing here, I'm still pruning it etc, still no flowers. The plant is looking healthy as, new shoots coming up all the time.
 
I think I might swap out 2 of the 3 T8s to 2700K and leave one 4100K in there, and will see how it goes now. Surely at some point it'll kick in.
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I only use T 5s 6800K and mine bloom all the time. You can try to use a foliar spray. I'm using Bloom Khaos from Nectar Of The Gods. works great! I don't think i've ever had anything bloom under a T8. Just my opinion. 
 
Smokin James said:
I only use T 5s 6800K and mine bloom all the time. You can try to use a foliar spray. I'm using Bloom Khaos from Nectar Of The Gods. works great! I don't think i've ever had anything bloom under a T8. Just my opinion. 
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Good suggestion will have to try! I got 3-4 flowers so far but that's it so something's defintiely off.
 
solid7 said:
Bloom spray isn't what's getting you flowers. If it is, then you've got a deficiency in your media...
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But its DWC, the bloom nutes are the only thing that's in there apart from water. I'm not sure I follow?
 
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