I have always been fascinated with hydro systems. From what I understand though, without a huge chiller, the water temps will get way too high outdoors. Especially in southern Georgia. Can it be done, and what will it take to do it? I am pretty open to most budget friendly system types.
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Hydro outdoors? Can it be done? Heat issues?
- Thread starter Scuba_Steve
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I lived in Phx az and was told the exact same thing... It was BS. I did a grow log on it. I tried drip, ebb/flow and DWC. they all worked in 110+ temps. Drip and ebb and flow worked the best. I used enzymes and benis. Got great results! Someone else copied my work and made more improvements. Can't remember who. Maybe someone here can chime in. The problem was with the massive growth and heat I went through a crapload of water. I shut it all down because I was going through 5 gallons of water a day. Phx water has a high PPM so that was 5 gallons of reverse osmosis water a day. I started mixing with tap and it didn't seem to matter but still too much work.
anyway start small and work out the bugs and then go full bore.
anyway start small and work out the bugs and then go full bore.
on the canna forums they all toted it as being supremly difficult but i've seen quite a few here have success including a Hawaiian grower I see here and FB that the plants are doing great. I think to have success with DWC outdoors burying the plumbing and buckets would be the best bet to keep temps down. Let the earth insulate and regulate temps a little.
Here is my Glog:
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/29198-frostys-glog-2012/?hl=frosty
I wish I could remember who improved it
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/29198-frostys-glog-2012/?hl=frosty
I wish I could remember who improved it
99% of my plants are outdoor hydro. I grow super budget "ghetto" grows that are working just fine. You don't need expensive equipment. You don't even need air pumps. Keep in the shade and they will survive the heat. See for yourself.
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/52946-yellowfin2na-hydroponic-grow-2015-pic-intense/page-3
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/52946-yellowfin2na-hydroponic-grow-2015-pic-intense/page-3
D3's suggestion of letting the earth regulate the temp swings is probably the best bet if you are concerned about temperature control, but you can also look at making a jacket for your buckets (I'm assuming you're thinking 5 gal buckets for DWC) out of thermal bubble foil (or whatever it's called) if you can't bury your buckets. Burying your buckets will create a whole new issue with draining/water changes and movement of plants in general.
Boutros used to wrap his buckets with foil tape used in AC duct work back when he was living in Cali and active on this site.
If you have an HOA and neighbors who like to complain about anything that isn't "normal" (which is what I have at my place), a couple coats of white spray paint will at least reflect some of the solar radiation that a black bucket would otherwise absorb, and hopefully won't set off the neighbors. Check Pinoy83's glog. He's in Hawaii doing a Kratky Lowes bucket in what looks like full sun, and the last I saw that pepper plant didn't look like it was struggling.
Boutros used to wrap his buckets with foil tape used in AC duct work back when he was living in Cali and active on this site.
If you have an HOA and neighbors who like to complain about anything that isn't "normal" (which is what I have at my place), a couple coats of white spray paint will at least reflect some of the solar radiation that a black bucket would otherwise absorb, and hopefully won't set off the neighbors. Check Pinoy83's glog. He's in Hawaii doing a Kratky Lowes bucket in what looks like full sun, and the last I saw that pepper plant didn't look like it was struggling.
Thanks for the replies. I think I am going to go for it! I have a couple plants that are ready to pot up that I didn't dedicate room for. They will make the perfect test subjects.
I grew three plants in one DWC (about 7 gallons or so) and had them outside. Here is my glog for it. It was wildly successful (until the painters killed one of them) except I wish I had used a larger reservoir.
Also, once one plant died, I had to kill the other two, the dead roots were intertwined which would cause havoc on ph levels.
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/45694-mrgrowguys-2014-dwc-hydro-and-soil-comparison/?hl=%2Bdwc+%2Bsoil+%2Bcomparison
Also, once one plant died, I had to kill the other two, the dead roots were intertwined which would cause havoc on ph levels.
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/45694-mrgrowguys-2014-dwc-hydro-and-soil-comparison/?hl=%2Bdwc+%2Bsoil+%2Bcomparison
The problem with nutrient temperatures is this. You want oxygen in the nutrient.
oxygen-solubility-water-2 by Willard Bridgham, on Flickr
oxygen-solubility-water-2 by Willard Bridgham, on Flickr
willard3 said:
So as water temp increases dissolved oxygen content decreases? I assume there are other influencing factors like pH, but what would be the ideal water temperature range for optimum O² saturation, everything else being equal? And another question, would an air pump/air stone combo help oxygenation in elevated water temps?
Thanks Willard!
willard3 said:
Algae control is difficult even indoors. Many of the commercially available hydro kits offer plastic buckets that are white on the outside to keep the heat down, and black on the inside to keep the algae down. White buckets in sunlight will almost certainly grow algae and black buckets in sunlight will likely overheat.