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Next to My Chair Again

Baby plants again!  Down on the floor again next to my chair in my little library.  Here's how it looks right now.  I've got seeds in the germinator moving to cups every day now, will end up with another dozen or so seedlings under the light.   
 
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I'm scaling back from the 20+ plants I had last year to seven or eight plants, some in Kratky containers of various sizes, others in fabric pots with dirt.  The list: 
 
10G D - Sugar Rush Peach - WDC
10G D - P. Dreadie - CD
5G D - JPGS - WHP
5G D - 1208 Red - UE
5G K - 1208 Red - UE
5G K - 7 Pot Jonah - WHP
32G K - Haskorea - PtMD989
1G K - Rocoto Arequipa Giant Red - CD
Bonchi start - 7 Pot Yellow - BB
 
Kratky will be Botanicare CNS17 Grow and bottled spring water at first, tap water later.  Dirt will be a mix of pine bark fines, potting soil, and perlite with fish pellets.  Dirt will occasionally be watered with Kratky solution. 
 
I'll be growing out on the deck again on the north side of my house.  I'd love to have a wide open space with southern exposure, but this will have to do. It works. I've got a decent means of hanging shade cloth ready to go. I'm good. 
Thinking about sticking a plant in the ground over where the ill-fated Siv's Plant once made a valiant effort to survive a completely unfair transplant, too..  Will see.
 
Any and all comments or criticisms are very welcome and I thank you all most warmly for having me and schooling me and reading my noodlings!
 
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I have a Kratky question, and forgive my lack of knowledge on the subject.
 
It regards the nutrients. What schedule are they on versus a fill and drain type hydro system? An example would be great.
 
I'm trying to grow greens in the house, as they will bolt this time of year outside. Currently I have the seedlings in a basic seedling strength mix.
 
Devv said:
I have a Kratky question, and forgive my lack of knowledge on the subject.
 
It regards the nutrients. What schedule are they on versus a fill and drain type hydro system? An example would be great.
 
I'm trying to grow greens in the house, as they will bolt this time of year outside. Currently I have the seedlings in a basic seedling strength mix.
Click to expand...
 
So long as they look good and grow well all I do is try to maintain the fluid level within a small range. This seems to keep the air roots where they're supposed to be and promote robust growth. It gets more difficult as the plant grows and drinks more.
 
I usually mix my nutrients to about 75% of what the instructions on the bottle direct.
 
Devv said:
I have a Kratky question, and forgive my lack of knowledge on the subject.
It regards the nutrients. What schedule are they on versus a fill and drain type hydro system? An example would be great.
I'm trying to grow greens in the house, as they will bolt this time of year outside. Currently I have the seedlings in a basic seedling strength mix.
Click to expand...
 
Don't mean to interrupt your flow Unc., but have you seen this, Devv? - https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hawaii/downloads/Three_Non-circulating_Hydroponic_Methods_for_Growing_lettuce.pdf
 
This is the original paper by Kratky himself, proposing the method specifically for greens. Might have some helpful stuff.
 
Uncle_Eccoli said:
 
So long as they look good and grow well all I do is try to maintain the fluid level within a small range. This seems to keep the air roots where they're supposed to be and promote robust growth. It gets more difficult as the plant grows and drinks more.
 
I usually mix my nutrients to about 75% of what the instructions on the bottle direct.
Click to expand...
 
Interesting...
 
Do you add more nutrient to keep the fluid at a certain level? or just add water? 
 
A "true" Kratky will have enough fluid to last through the entire grow and is never refilled. However, we know that is not always practical so we must refill somehow. Most of the videos/sources I've seen let the fluid go down considerably before refilling and is what I've been doing. However, I can see the reasoning behind not letting air roots grow to the point where they might be submerged in subsequent refills.
 
I let it get down not quite halfway, then maintain that level as best I can. 
 
I considered trying a true set-and-forget Kratky this year in an 80g rain barrel, but I never found a price I liked. It would have to be off the deck, too, which would suck.
 
HeatMiser said:
How long do you let the seedlings float in that solo cup? Seems like an interesting alternative to rockwool...
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Usually until they've got at least two sets of leaves started.  Really it's a matter of how long the roots have grown - they stay in the cups until I'm confident there's enough root length to dangle through the bottom of whatever net cup I mean to use. 
 
Mixed up a big pile of dirt. It's pine bark mulch, couple different potting mixes, and perlite. 
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Clockwise from top left Sugar Rush Peach, P. Dreddie, JPGS, and super fruity project plant from last year.  Ended up with enough dirt to fill another 10g bag for my Roma (not ready to come outside yet). I also have around ten gallons left to hold in reserve.  
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Kratky plants will have to wait to move up; I've had enough for today.  Gotta fill the garbage can with water soon..
 
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