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Old April 16, 2014   #16
RootLoops
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i forgot about Earth Juice, i've never tried it. what does your lettuce setup look like?

the reason i didn't get the natures nectar was the price, once you get all the different parts of it you're in a hundred bucks for the small sizes, for 30 bucks i got the sensi grow a+b and i still have a lot of it left, most of it actually the bottles are still close to full. plus i don't have to check ph or ppm i just top up with water if it needs it and change the reservoir every seven to ten days . i just changed the solution out in this one yesterday and gave em 1ml/L with a 12 L reservoir.
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Old April 16, 2014   #17
Cole_Robbie
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http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...pscabbc842.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps6dd8127d.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps6c7d564c.jpg

The pics are from last year. I don't have it running right now. I aerate with a water pump that pumps into a pvc manifold attached to the underside of the lid. It's all very simple. The hard part was dealing with the massive temp fluctuations of the high tunnel, especially high temperatures. It's on the ground to keep the reservoir water cool, and I think that is the only way it works in the heat, but at the same time it is a big pain in the back to have to stoop down so low to get to plants.
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Old April 16, 2014   #18
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keeping the reservoir cool is one of my biggest worries here also, though i plan to do some type of outdoor hydroponics in the future, probably a dutch bucket type setup homemade
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Old April 25, 2014   #19
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have you ever heard of the kratky method? it requires no pumps and seems to work very well

http://www.instructables.com/files/o...JRHH2VW4QQ.pdf
http://www.instructables.com/id/Krat...g-hydroponics/

i have decided to let the squash go in here, later i will take the table out and put this on the floor and grow the squash up strings or something. i also started some buttercrunch lettuce in DE in the little cups. i want to use this for a lettuce and herb garden.

all the other plants that were in here are outside now hardening off in the shade. everything i have transplanted from here is doing fine so far, the squash i just put out yesterday. i'll get pics of that stuff this afternoon.









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Old April 25, 2014   #20
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Yes, there is. See any homebrew store and ask for a "march pump" or similar. Amazon also has them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie View Post
But even worse, I use a water pump for aeration, and apparently there is no such thing as a water pump made out of food grade plastic. So to make my lettuce organic, I have to invent, design, and manufacture a product that does not yet exist.
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Old April 26, 2014   #21
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Here is my lettuce in an organic Non-circulating hydroponic setup. This batch is doing better. Picture taken on 4/18/14. I will post current pictures tomorrow after it stops raining.

It about 12 gallons of water. I soaked about 2 cups alfalfa meal 2-1-2 and 2 cup of worm castings in a paint strainer in the water for 3 days. I then took it out. I also added a tablespoon of epsom salt and about 3 tablespoons of liquid seaweed.I also added 3 tablespoons of Fulvic acid to chelate the nutrients. My only worry is the anaerobic bacteria causing disease and killing my plants.

My end goal is to do this with vegetative products using Alfalfa meal as the base.

My last attempt was using Fish hydrolysate, Fulvic acid, liquid seaweed, epsom salt, and soluble humic acid. The stench was unbelievable. I also think I overdose the plants with the humic acid concentrate.

I starts my seeds in 1/2 a inch of coco coir on top of 1 inch of hydroton. Rockwool cubes are pricey. Do not start in 100% coco coir, the water will wash it away.


Last edited by tqn626; April 26, 2014 at 04:34 AM.
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Old April 26, 2014   #22
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Might I suggest you visit this series of videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDYe...MuUslAKkWhGqqb
Lots of really valuable information on hydoponics.
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Old April 26, 2014   #23
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Quote:
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Might I suggest you visit this series of videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDYe...MuUslAKkWhGqqb
Lots of really valuable information on hydoponics.
i love that guy! i watched his homemade dutch bucket video the other day i haven't had time to look at more of em yet.

i hope you get that mix figured out tqn! i saw a youtube video the other day the guy was just using strained rabbit/steer manure(well dried) and aquarium water, the manure in a sock straining in the aquarium water for about fifteen minutes. he was growing a tomato, i haven't seen how it turned out yet
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Old April 26, 2014   #24
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Ya, i seen MPHgardner videos. He uses chemical in his non-circulating hydroponics.

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Old April 29, 2014   #25
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here are a few pics from this morning, i took the tub off the coffee table and put it on the floor so i'd have more room for lighting







it will be a few weeks still until i can get bloom nutrients so not sure how the squash will turn out. there are several female bumps so i'm gonna save pollen from the males for when they open
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Old May 1, 2014   #26
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i changed out the nutrients yesterday and attached the squash to the wall with some velcro plant strips and tacks, this way i'll be able to easily undo them for nutrient changes until i can get a fountain pump



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Old May 1, 2014   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RootLoops View Post
i changed out the nutrients yesterday and attached the squash to the wall with some velcro plant strips and tacks, this way i'll be able to easily undo them for nutrient changes until i can get a fountain pump
Have you considered moving over to the Kratky method, to avoid the costs involved with pumps, hydro etc?
Must admit your results are tremendous.
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Old May 1, 2014   #28
RootLoops
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i just heard about the kratky method a week or two ago lol, i'm gonna try it out before long. sometime around the first part of june i'm going to expand this area further with a new countertop and the garden underneath, then i'll have more room to try different things. thanks for having a look! i'm pretty impressed with the nutrients i can't stress enough how easy it's been without testing

the fountain pump will be for draining the tank for changing so i don't have to move it, i was just siphoning it when it was higher up but now it's floor level

Last edited by RootLoops; May 1, 2014 at 11:04 AM.
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Old May 7, 2014   #29
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i took these yesterday morning. i changed out the nutrients last wednesday. i kind of doubt this squash will produce well without some flowering nutrients which are still a few weeks away so it may end up just being leafy. it has produced some female flowers but they have yet to open.

the squash vine has made it all the way to the glass as of today













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Old May 7, 2014   #30
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Everything looks great! I spotted some Mycelium Jars. What are you growing in them (HK)?
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