Looking to get my feet wet. seeking advice.

GB4 · Jun 17, 2015

So i came across this video and it has inspired me to try out some hydro as a indoor fall/winter project.

Just a few questions, I was planning on using net pots in 3 or 5 gallon buckets with a air stone. What would be the best medium? could I use coconut coir or would I need rock wool?
I have some dyna gro grow 7-9-5 would these nutrients be good? I have seen good success with the masterblend stuff would that be better?
What about any other "specialty" items that are must have, ppm meter etc.

any advice is appreciated

juanitos · Jun 17, 2015

note: in the video he's using kratky method, no air stone. watch more of his videos.

1. growstone / expanded clay pebbles / hydroton is best medium for dwc. usually you start the plant in a smaller container in a small rockwool cube. for kratky/hempy method coco is good.

2. masterblend would be better. dyna gro isn't a complete nutrient solution.

3. as long as you mix per manufacturer instruction you don't need ppm meter. ph meter you will need. or you can just get a simple ph test kit for 5$ on amazon.

D3monic · Jun 17, 2015

I use hydroton on my dwc net pots

GB4 · Jun 17, 2015

Ok cool. I did watch a bunch of his vids I heard him say he was going to start using a air pump due to some dark roots on one of those baby container plants. I might try the kratky method and dwc to see what works best for me. I guess its pretty straight forward, almost seems easy.

oldsalty · Jun 17, 2015

GB4 said:
Ok cool. I did watch a bunch of his vids I heard him say he was going to start using a air pump due to some dark roots on one of those baby container plants. I might try the kratky method and dwc to see what works best for me. I guess its pretty straight forward, almost seems easy.

Oohhhhhhh man never say it's easy have you ever heard of Murphy's law?

Yellowfin2na · Jun 17, 2015

For just starting out you should defiantly get a starter kit or something similar that has hydroponic nutrients. That way you just follow the instructions and don't run into any problems with defeciencys.

You can get a cheap ppm meter from ebay and you can use the ph dropper tester. It's very important to make sure your ph is at the right level.

I use both the Kratky method and the traditional dwc bubble bucket with an airstone. I can tell you both methods work. But for sure the airstone creates faster growth and larger plants. However the Kratky method has been rewarding for me as well.

Ignite · Jun 17, 2015

I wouldn't recommend using a 3 gallon bucket for DWC, 5 gallon is a minimum and 8 gallon is ideal. With a 3 gallon bucket you'll have at most 2 gallons of solution which is going to be tricky keeping the PH in check and filled. A 5 or 8 gallon bucket with a 5-6 inch netpot works great. If you go with DWC you'll need an air pump that produces at least 1L/min for each gallon.

I would also recommend purchasing a good PH and PPM/EC meter. Monitoring the PH and PPM is critical because it tells you what your plants are doing and allows you to make adjustments on the feeding schedule. If your PPM is rising rapidly you're overfeeding your plants and need to back off the concentration, if your PPM is dropping rapidly then you're feeding too light. Good PPM and PH meters last a long time and will be more than worth it in the long run.

willard3 · Jun 18, 2015

Ignite said:
I would also recommend purchasing a good PH and PPM/EC meter. Monitoring the PH and PPM is critical because it tells you what your plants are doing and allows you to make adjustments on the feeding schedule. If your PPM is rising rapidly you're overfeeding your plants and need to back off the concentration, if your PPM is dropping rapidly then you're feeding too light. Good PPM and PH meters last a long time and will be more than worth it in the long run.

+1

GB4 · Jun 18, 2015

great tips everyone. When I get my aji jobito seeds they are going to be my first test subjects.Hopefully they produce so I can share the bounty.

TRPV1 · Jul 11, 2015

I've used coco, rockwool, and clay in both drip and ebb and flow systems. Coco and rockwool retain more moisture and are more forgiving in the event of a pump failure, but it's really just a matter of personal preference. I've never tried DWC but I would personally use an air stone in that type of system. I think that a minimum 5 gallon container for DWC was good advice by Ignite. As far as nutrients go, I don't really buy into all the marketing that these companies put out. You can get powdered hydroponic mixes like JR Peters Jacks line that work just as well as high priced liquid alternatives. You're really just paying more for water with the liquid stuff in my opinion. I would definitely recommend an EC/PPM meter and a pH meter. Bluelab makes great products. Also, it's more difficult to control pH fluctuations with a smaller reservoir so keep that in mind. Right now I'm doing some organic soil plants in earth box self watering planters.