Any Rockwool/Grodan Growers Here?

[kurt]

Originally Posted by FourOaks

Thanks for the links, Kurt.

My plan for the Coir is slowly developing. Im going to forgo any drip trays, instead focusing on runoff. My goal is roughly 10-15 percent. This will help to wash salts out, and hydrate the plant.

I just need to pick up a decent digital timer to control the fertilizer pump.

Obviously as the season goes, the time settings will have to be adjusted. This one time may be a good time to actually keep notes, for future reference.

I use a fish/kelp mix with the perlite/coir.I noticed that the oils(nasty at first)will stick and dry to perlite.Upon subsequent non fert well water fresh flushing, the oils will sluff off into the ( new volume enhanced root ball coir/perlite mix).As I said before I am in 10b,somedays you can spit and it will start raining.Anything to keep the sludge and ferts from collecting as a unuseful pile of salts.

[FourOaks]

Originally Posted by AKmark

Four Oaks, pH will depend on the pH of your source water, and the ratio of Ammoniacal N. versus Nitrate N. I have to use Phosphoric Acid to lower mine.

Touche' I really need to purchase a PH Meter, and a PPM Meter.. or EC/EH.. whichever.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by FourOaks

Touche' I really need to purchase a PH Meter, and a PPM Meter.. or EC/EH.. whichever.

It will help you get maximum production.

Many people fail with container growing because they guess to much, it is a method where the grower is in total control. The learning curve is a bit steeper though, it is THE science of gardening. A container grower should know what each element does, how much of each element the plant needs, and the application rate.

One of the hardest changes I made was transitioning from a home gardener to a commercial grower, things change when one cannot fail. I had to break many habits, had to brush away much skepticism concerning methods, I had to empty my cup. I also keep in mind that I don't know what I don't know, so I keep an open mind, open ears, I observe, I read, go to conventions, I do everything I can to help me succeed.


Dirt gardening is much easier, and much more forgiving, but is also not as precise, however, it usually guarantees a harvest. Bad habits in container growing can leave a gardener with nothing.

[Cole_Robbie]

Originally Posted by FourOaks

Touche' I really need to purchase a PH Meter, and a PPM Meter.. or EC/EH.. whichever.

You get what you pay for. Hannah and BlueLab are good brands. But those $5 meters you see on Amazon are a waste of $5. They don't work at all.

Even with a quality meter, you absolutely must follow all manufacturer's instructions for the storage of the probe, as well as make regular calibrations. Having a meter that goes out of calibration is much worse than having no meter at all.

[Ricky Shaw]

A very good thread on pH and EC meters.

Precision Nutrients and Equipment Users Thread
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=39837

[FourOaks]

Originally Posted by AKmark

It will help you get maximum production.

Many people fail with container growing because they guess to much, it is a method where the grower is in total control. The learning curve is a bit steeper though, it is THE science of gardening. A container grower should know what each element does, how much of each element the plant needs, and the application rate.

One of the hardest changes I made was transitioning from a home gardener to a commercial grower, things change when one cannot fail. I had to break many habits, had to brush away much skepticism concerning methods, I had to empty my cup. I also keep in mind that I don't know what I don't know, so I keep an open mind, open ears, I observe, I read, go to conventions, I do everything I can to help me succeed.


Dirt gardening is much easier, and much more forgiving, but is also not as precise, however, it usually guarantees a harvest. Bad habits in container growing can leave a gardener with nothing.

I understand what your getting at. I agree, when you want to actually make a profit, things change. Grant it, I sell at a Farmers Market, and grow only a fraction of what you grow, the lessons are the same.

Im curious, do you measure your leachate? I think that is the proper term? The runoff from the growbags?

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

You get what you pay for. Hannah and BlueLab are good brands. But those $5 meters you see on Amazon are a waste of $5. They don't work at all.

Even with a quality meter, you absolutely must follow all manufacturer's instructions for the storage of the probe, as well as make regular calibrations. Having a meter that goes out of calibration is much worse than having no meter at all.

Yeah, not quite ready to drop a load of cash on meters yet. The meters I ordered last night are in the $30 range, each. I know, you get what you pay for. I read a bunch of reviews, and what I took from it, CALIBRATE, CALIBRATE, and make sure its CALIBRATED before each use.

Assuming all works out this year, I want to up the game for next year, and plan to step up to the next level in PH and PPM meters. I have seen some that are permanent installation, that have real time readings. I like going from one extreme to the next.

Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw

A very good thread on pH and EC meters.

Precision Nutrients and Equipment Users Thread
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=39837

Going thru that now. Thanks!

[FourOaks]

Wanted to add that I will be using Masterblend fertilizer. I know that the Chem-gro is spoke of highly, but the shipping alone is a bit much for my taste.

[Ricky Shaw]

I believe Chem-Gro Tomato Formula is produced by Masterblend and is essentially their 4-18-38 with possibly small micro-nutrient changes. I'd use it and may on my next 25#, Morgan Seed is cheaper with that flat fee on USPS of $13.45

Hydro-Gardens sill looks to be the better deal on CalNitrate and MagSulfate with the #15 and #25 lb sizes. The #50 bags at Morgan are a little too much for me, and that Mag is touchy stuff in heat and humidity. Watch for that now!

[Cole_Robbie]

Originally Posted by FourOaks

The meters I ordered last night are in the $30 range, each. I know, you get what you pay for. I read a bunch of reviews, and what I took from it, CALIBRATE, CALIBRATE, and make sure its CALIBRATED before each use.

Yep. PH calibration must be 2-point, meaning you use two different solutions.

If you bought the hand-held kind, the probe is never supposed to dry out. They make a storage solution. I don't know if it is really required to use the solution, but you absolutely have to keep the probe moist at all times. Sometimes there is a little sponge inside the cap - that's why it's there, to hold moisture on the probe tip.

[FourOaks]

My PH and PPM meters arrived earlier today. I was out working on the big tunnel and heard the mailman (lady) come up the gravel. I was surprised to be honest, being a holiday. She informed me that they were delivering Amazon Prime only.

So I eagerly opened the packages and decided to give em' a try. I poured 3 samples of water. 1 tap, 1 from the fridge, and 1 Costco bottled water. Keep in mind were on a shallow well.

Tap: 112 PPM, 6.3 PH
Fridge: 109 PPM, 6.3 PH (just installed a new filter so I expected a better result)
Bottled: 20 PPM, PH 7.0

I still need to get some calibration fluid to double check these numbers, but they look promising in my opinion.

[Ricky Shaw]

Excellent for well water, the pH will probably need to be adjusted up after you've added ferts, no big deal. My experience so far has been ferts pull the pH down by about a full point, my 7.2 becomes 6.2

[Cole_Robbie]

Yeah, that's absurdly low ppm for well water. My tap water has twice as much dissolved solids as your well water. For most people, well water is going to be over 1,000ppm, easily, sometimes 3-4,000ppm

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Yeah, that's absurdly low ppm for well water. My tap water has twice as much dissolved solids as your well water. For most people, well water is going to be over 1,000ppm, easily, sometimes 3-4,000ppm

What kind of water are you guys drinking down there? Most well water up here that I have tested runs between 250- 450 PPM. That is a lot of dissolved solids, what are the abundant elements?

[PureHarvest]

My well is right around 100 ppm
It has to be mostly the parent material of your surrounding soils and what activities have gone on in the last 50 years.
My understanding is that it takes 30 years for today's rain to get to the point below ground where my well is taking it up

[Cole_Robbie]

Originally Posted by AKmark

What kind of water are you guys drinking down there? Most well water up here that I have tested runs between 250- 450 PPM. That is a lot of dissolved solids, what are the abundant elements?

When I lived in Macon, my whole neighborhood was on wells. It was a nice neighborhood, and water was quite tasty, but it stained all my sinks blue. I am reading now that it may have had a low ph and been corroding the copper pipes? I was thinking it had a high iron content already as well.

Where I live now, sulphur is the typical culprit, which is why the only wells around here are for ag use. No one wants to drink rotten-egg water.