Log in

View Full Version : How I grow hydro..



britewire
02-27-2006, 04:42 PM
I got a KETER cabinete for growing in, these things are perfect if you ask me. Getting the equipment is pretty easy for me cause I live in the Netherlands where every town got it´s own grow shop.

For lighting i use 2 600W HPS lights with a cooltube armature. The cooltube armature is a glass pipe you place over the light witch creates a tube to suck your filtered air thru.

For a filter I use a light low torque ventilator connected to a active coal filter. The ventilator sucks the air thru the carbon filter and blows the excess air thru the Cooltube armature and leaves thru a hole in the side of the cabinette.

When I grow hydro I use a bin inside an other bin. The lower bin is filled with water with nutrient for the plants. The upper bin is filled with Mapito. Mapito is a sort of rockwool flakes that are washed till a neutral EC and PH value is created.

For the dripping system I use a simple pump connected to a times with is set to 4 one minute pumping settings. The pump is placed in a 200 liter bucket filled with nutrient-water mixture with a PH of 5.8 and an EC with a value of 0.9 (I´ll raise the EC throughout the growing periode untill I reach a week before havesting) . An PE hose is connected to the pump witch I connect little silicone hoses too with drippers on the end.

I place the plants in staringblocks witch are little rockwool block with a size of 10 x 10cm.

It´s time to start growing.

At first I use a special nutrient for the root developing with a EC of 0.9 and a PH of 5.8. I set the lights on a 18-6 cycle. After 3 days I´ll start with a VEG nutrient from BACstill on the 18-6 cycle. With using Hydro I always use a A and B nutrient, this always ensures you that your nutrients are active from the moment you mix them together.

In the cabinette I use a 4 day VEG fase, after that i´ll start blooming and start with a 12-12 cycle and BLOOM nutrients again 2 components for the activity of the nutrient.

After the first signs of blooming I´ll start giving PK13-14 to the plants untill the EC value reaches 1.9-2.0 and the PH is 5.5-5.6. A week before havesting I´ll stop giving them nutrients and I´ll only give them water for the taste of the cannabis.

When 75% of the hairs on the buds are brownisch red, I´ll harvest. I´ll dry in the same cabinnet with the filters and venting on high. I´ll dry for a good week untill the little stems won´t bend anymore but break.

Then I´ll weigh, bag and tag it.

Next stop, Dutch Coffeeshop and maybe your brain.

latewood
02-27-2006, 05:29 PM
Nice thread Britewire!:) Now that's the way to introduce yourself to the community:thumbsup: I like the idea of running filtered air-out thru the cooltube...That's one of my new projects...gotta make a cooltube for the Hortilux.

I just set up a new room. I am experimenting with perlite filled rockwool trays,
on a drip. Will post later. I am interested in what you think.lw

As I said before, "I am not thru experimenting",...close; But, not yet...
and I might even go ebb and flow soon(some call it "stupid-proof", others; Easy)...found a great deal on a 5-6x8 table.
I'm getting lazy and no longer wish to be fancy; just bountiful. That is why I picked up these R'wool trays for 13 bucks each.:smokin:

britewire
02-27-2006, 06:56 PM
I hope this pic of the cooltube system is clear enough..

latewood
02-27-2006, 07:00 PM
I hope this pic of the cooltube system is clear enough..can you crop out the chamber and zoom in on the cooltube system,
and please brighten up pic, if possible, thanks.lw

britewire
02-27-2006, 07:15 PM
Better ?

Garden Knowm
02-27-2006, 08:45 PM
NICE BRITEwire,...

That set up looks like a pain to clean when you are done..
DO the walls/dividers seperating the plants come out?

Your lights look feaking AWESOME..
I would guess yo can bring those down a couple feet no problem.. and really get some dense NUGs!!!!!!!

i look forward to more pics..

LOVE

latewood
02-27-2006, 09:48 PM
thanks...

britewire
02-28-2006, 10:07 AM
I can use the mapito 4 or 5 times, I just rinse it with enzymes and measure the EC and PH till it's fairly nutral. And yeah, the seperators are dettachable.

I can bring down the light to about 1 feet from the plants.

I'm growing on soil right now, just 6 plants under the lights. I've got 12 right now but after the VEG fase I select the 6 plants that are doing best and bloom them.

I gues I can ship those lights when you're willing to pay for them and shipping expences. I love those things..

regards Britewire.

PS I'll post a thread of my current plants soon.

britewire
03-22-2006, 07:12 PM
I've heard some people say that the glass over the bulb and the reflectors absorb a lot of lumen, but it's fairly neglectible when you think of the fact that you can place them too about 1 foot above the plants.

Zandor
03-23-2006, 04:25 AM
I've heard some people say that the glass over the bulb and the reflectors absorb a lot of lumen, but it's fairly neglectible when you think of the fact that you can place them too about 1 foot above the plants.

It's true but the amount is very small compared to how much closer you can get the light to penetrate deeper into the plants. You win more then you loose it's all in the math.

britewire
03-24-2006, 07:55 PM
I do love those lights. You can regulate the height of you ladies very well. Just by placing the light closer or further away from the plants. I'm never going regular armature again. I paid about 60 Euro's for a pair of those, excluding the bulbs and fan.