Nematode's not yet epic Hydroponic thread - Page 3

Nematode · June 14, 2015

Fish Lake is feeling frisky. 5 trusses in a row, not sure what that's all about

HydroExplorer · June 14, 2015

Lookin good

Nematode · June 15, 2015

Eggs on dill are black swallowtail butterfly eggs.

crazybean · June 15, 2015

I am using Canna coco substrate and following mix for 5 liter of feed:

16ml Canna Coco A
16ml Canna Coco B
~4ml Canna Risotonic
~4ml Canna Zym

I am using espresso cleaner to bring pH to 5.8. EC is around 2.0.

Tomato plants love it.

Nematode · June 17, 2015

Looks like I might have some herbicide damage, what you guys think?
Could this be another stressor or is it classic 2,4,D?

25 of 35 plants are showing it. sungold sunsugar seem immune...for now
at least one stupice will be dead within days, leaves are limp and hanging straight down.

Hopefully they will pull through and i'll get a couple tomatoes.

sux

Nematode.

HydroExplorer · June 17, 2015

I don't know what herbicide damage looks like.

I do know that you can get droop from a few nutrient problems. It's hard to tell from your pic but this chart might be helpful.
https://www.hydroponics.net/learn/nu...ficiencies.asp

Also, I found a good youtube channel on hydro stuff. I learned a lot from this guy last night. I decided I need to get an RO filter

https://www.youtube.com/user/Just4Growers/videos

RO filter will make managing all your nutrient stuff a lot easier to do. It will also make you need calmag but that's a better Ca Mg form than what makes water hard because calmag is plant available and water hardness is not.

Also, after watching this guy's channel I am more inclined to give chemical hydro another shot. I had moved away from it because it requries more maintenance than just growing stuff in fish tank water. It seems that it is also more controllable if you have the right tools for it.

crazybean · June 17, 2015

Why RO? All it takes is to control pH to have it at 5.8. However, you need proper hydroponics fertiliser. I am using coco substrate that is why I have chosen Canna Coco. Other brands may do it just as well. In order not to convert to salt fertiliser comes in two components.

You can also try Britta filters.

Mike723 · June 17, 2015

While RO is a wonderful base, you'll find PH to be much less stable due to the lack of tds.. I personally blend my RO 60-40 with tap (more or less, depending on the stage of growth, additive being used etc).. The tap helps you to maintain stability (all the calcium), and the 60% RO dilutes enough to leave plenty of room for nutes to your target EC..

Hope you overcome the issues Nematode! It's such a bummer to put all our time and effort into nurturing these beauties, and then to see them get knocked down.. Like losing a friend almost.. (am I being overly dramatic? lol)

HydroExplorer · June 18, 2015

RO is the best base. It removes the TDS caused by Ca and Mg carbonates which are not plant useable and block the root zone from uptaking nutrients. Then you add chelated Ca and Mg which is plant useable.

This according to Everest Fernandez on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg8URazaZlM

I think this guy knows a lot more about hydro than I do. I certainly can't debate his results... He does seem to throw money into his garden in a very willynilly sort of way though lol. Regardless, after watching his videos I realized I have been doing a lot of things wrong and it explains a lot of the problems I have had. I've only been doing hydro about 4 years so I'm still a bit of a newb at it.

amideutch · June 19, 2015

Dr. Cooper who developed the NFT technique found that maintaining the root zone temperature at 70 deg. F was optimum for tomato growth and production.

Ami

Nematode · June 19, 2015

Plants are recovering. I fertilized the yard with the reservoir, ran tap water through the drippers for 30 minutes, and mixed a new batch of nutrient. I was rushing a little when mixing the previous batch and could have mixed something up, but I am suspicious that some of the nutrients I received are not what I ordered. They are all white powders in ziploc bags with magic marker scrawled on 2 of the 3 items. If they are smoking what the site looks like it is geared to growing, a mixup would be very likely

Anyway switched to last years leftovers and things are looking better.
It doesnt make a lot of sense last year I absolutely tortured the plants and they never looked near as bad as they did a couple days ago. This year I am trying to take it easier on them.

Nematode

Nematode · June 19, 2015

Was pruning some lower leaves this morning, most were clean, but there were 2 or 3 that were completely infested with aphids. Hundreds, many hundreds.
Made up my mind to spray, but was sitting in the garden and saw a couple hoverflies working over the infested areas. Maybe since the infestation is not widespread I'll see if the hoverflies will take care of the aphids. Its good to have minions.

Nematode, King of the garden realm, for now.

Mike723 · June 19, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nematode

Was pruning some lower leaves this morning, most were clean, but there were 2 or 3 that were completely infested with aphids. Hundreds, many hundreds.
Made up my mind to spray, but was sitting in the garden and saw a couple hoverflies working over the infested areas. Maybe since the infestation is not widespread I'll see if the hoverflies will take care of the aphids. Its good to have minions.

Nematode, King of the garden realm, for now.

Gotta hate those darn aphids, but best of luck your highness!

Nematode · June 20, 2015

Plants are looking baaad again. Think its herbicide damage.
Posted pics in the "pest" area.

Nematode · June 21, 2015

Let's file this under better late than never.

These are pulls from some Wagner supplied seeds grown to tubers last season.

bed is 4x4
media is pine shavings
spacing is approx 8" per stem
nutrient feed is same as the rest of the garden.

I have noticed pine shavings can be a rough start for some plants, but they usually catch up later. Possibly terpenes acting as root inhibitors that have to wash out.

Hopefully something will come of it.
Since they are Wagner sourced and have lots of phureja I may also have missed a day length tuberization window.

Good thing I can afford to buy food, garden is one big experiment.

Nematode

June 17, 2015	#37
crazybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Europe Posts: 10	Why RO? All it takes is to control pH to have it at 5.8. However, you need proper hydroponics fertiliser. I am using coco substrate that is why I have chosen Canna Coco. Other brands may do it just as well. In order not to convert to salt fertiliser comes in two components. You can also try Britta filters. Last edited by crazybean; June 17, 2015 at 05:35 PM.

June 19, 2015	#40
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Dr. Cooper who developed the NFT technique found that maintaining the root zone temperature at 70 deg. F was optimum for tomato growth and production. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

June 19, 2015	#41
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Recovering Plants are recovering. I fertilized the yard with the reservoir, ran tap water through the drippers for 30 minutes, and mixed a new batch of nutrient. I was rushing a little when mixing the previous batch and could have mixed something up, but I am suspicious that some of the nutrients I received are not what I ordered. They are all white powders in ziploc bags with magic marker scrawled on 2 of the 3 items. If they are smoking what the site looks like it is geared to growing, a mixup would be very likely Anyway switched to last years leftovers and things are looking better. It doesnt make a lot of sense last year I absolutely tortured the plants and they never looked near as bad as they did a couple days ago. This year I am trying to take it easier on them. Nematode

June 19, 2015	#42
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Hoverfly vs aphids Was pruning some lower leaves this morning, most were clean, but there were 2 or 3 that were completely infested with aphids. Hundreds, many hundreds. Made up my mind to spray, but was sitting in the garden and saw a couple hoverflies working over the infested areas. Maybe since the infestation is not widespread I'll see if the hoverflies will take care of the aphids. Its good to have minions. Nematode, King of the garden realm, for now.

June 14, 2015	#32
HydroExplorer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 132	Lookin good

June 15, 2015	#33
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Eggs on dill are black swallowtail butterfly eggs.

June 17, 2015	#38
Mike723 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: CT Posts: 290	While RO is a wonderful base, you'll find PH to be much less stable due to the lack of tds.. I personally blend my RO 60-40 with tap (more or less, depending on the stage of growth, additive being used etc).. The tap helps you to maintain stability (all the calcium), and the 60% RO dilutes enough to leave plenty of room for nutes to your target EC.. Hope you overcome the issues Nematode! It's such a bummer to put all our time and effort into nurturing these beauties, and then to see them get knocked down.. Like losing a friend almost.. (am I being overly dramatic? lol)

June 18, 2015	#39
HydroExplorer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 132	RO is the best base. It removes the TDS caused by Ca and Mg carbonates which are not plant useable and block the root zone from uptaking nutrients. Then you add chelated Ca and Mg which is plant useable. This according to Everest Fernandez on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg8URazaZlM I think this guy knows a lot more about hydro than I do. I certainly can't debate his results... He does seem to throw money into his garden in a very willynilly sort of way though lol. Regardless, after watching his videos I realized I have been doing a lot of things wrong and it explains a lot of the problems I have had. I've only been doing hydro about 4 years so I'm still a bit of a newb at it.

June 20, 2015	#44
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Plants are looking baaad again. Think its herbicide damage. Posted pics in the "pest" area.