hydroponic Hydroponic Experiment, The Beginning

[Matt50680]

So I decided to buy ANOTHER hydro setup, same as the first one...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DWC-Bucket-Deep-Water-HYDROPONIC-GROW-SYSTEM-Bubbler-/330648331301?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cfc2d2425

It seems like a good starter system, comes complete minus nutes. I just couldnt wait to start the Yellow Brain Strain and decided to put my already growing Butch T into this one. I am still going to start some Yellow Brain Strains in rockwoll saturday as planned. Anyways, I took the Butch T out of its pot and carefully washed the roots off in warm water. I got 99% of the soil off, a couple roots were tangled around some clods and I didnt want to damage them so I left them.
I filled the DWC bucket until an inch of water was in the net, I laid out a little Hydroton and then spread the roots over it. I then filled up around the stem with more Hydroton to support the plant and it is now bubbling away. Once the roots find their way down through the net I will lower the water level. Or am I doing this wrong? I hope not and the plant finds itself happy, since it has been growing since the first week of september. Here is a picture.

 

[Greg]

Looking nice. Can you describe your lighting and nutrients? I run a DWC bucket as well with a butch-t. If you've had this going since September, then I would imagine you're good to go in terms of transplantation. Are you growing in closest? If so what is your temperature and humidity at?

 

[Matt50680]

This is actually a book rack I converted to a grow chamber. It is lined with reflective material and it has 2 28" grow lights in the ceiling. It is about 77 degrees in there with the front closed up, humidity unknown since I dont have a meter for that. Right now for the nutes I am using a week solution of Jack's plant food, I know its wrong, but I am going tomorrow to pick up my X-Nutrients sample pack and I will adjust the solution accordingly then.

It has been in the system for almost 12 hours now, no drooping, no dying, no burning, no shock of any, looks like I may have done something right for a change. I am planning on updating this weekly, I am very excited to see how fast and big this is going to get. I know I will have to move it soon as it is going to outgrow the chamber.

 

[Matt50680]

Well it has been 24 hours and it is still alive and looking really good! Not a ounce of shock at all, I was very worried it would die, but this morning brought me hope. Still looks the same, so no pics today, although I am proud of it

 

[Matt50680]

Here is the sample pack I received today from X-Nutrients, should be enough to last me a couple months following the bottle directions. Says to use 15ml of solution per gallon of water, so I added 37.5ml of grow and 37.5ml of micro to the 2 1/2 gallons in the hydro bucket. Here is the package I received...

After some advice from X-Nutrients fans and a couple other sources I decided to do a little modifying. I removed the plant from the net and gently combed the roots with my fingers and then fished some down through the nettting. I then adjusted my water level to just below the net and pruned a coulpe of the lower leaves. I think I may need a little more Hydroton though, its about an inch below the top of the net. I added 2 1/2 gallons of water and then the proper amount of grow/micro nutes to the mixture. The pump is bubbling away and is actually kind of a soothing sound.

The plant seems well supported, here is a picture of my setup as of tonight...

 

[fireman]

Looking great there matt

 

[Edgie]

Great start! Good luck.

 

[Matt50680]

I picked up a 45 count block of Rockwool and a 10 Litre bag of Hydroton from my favorite Nursery. Going to wash some more Hydroton tonight and fill the net upto the top, it would probably be ok, but for some reason it bothers me, plus they gave me a great deal on the 10 Litre bag since it was the last one they had and they arent really doing much with hydro anymore.