DWC Bucket Cleaning Questions

[medicinegivers]

I've read that some people dump their water every week into cleaned nutrient/pH prepped buckets. I've done this through 4 weeks of veg, but it seems like a lot of stress to put on your plants every week. The nutrients will never match perfectly. Even if you match ppm and proportions perfectly, the exact NPK nutrient uptake for that particular plant cannot be known. It seems to stress out my plants for a couple days.
I've also seen some people who never clean their buckets until the flush in the last 2 weeks! How dangerous is this? Are the hydro products that people use which allow you to use one solution the whole grow?

medicinegivers Reviewed by medicinegivers on 02-09-2013. DWC Bucket Cleaning Questions I've read that some people dump their water every week into cleaned nutrient/pH prepped buckets. I've done this through 4 weeks of veg, but it seems like a lot of stress to put on your plants every week. The nutrients will never match perfectly. Even if you match ppm and proportions perfectly, the exact NPK nutrient uptake for that particular plant cannot be known. It seems to stress out my plants for a couple days. I've also seen some people who never clean their buckets until the flush Rating: 5

[CanGroIt]

How dangerous is this? Are the hydro products that people use which allow you to use one solution the whole grow?

It's not dangerous to run a continuous res... You just have to have a solid understanding of nutrients, nutrient uptake and know when your plants are telling you they are lacking an essential... Not sure what you mean by one solution...but...if you are asking if their is one solution that covers all nutrients micro and macro - no their is not...

So in short, if you understand hydroponics you shouldn't have a problem running a continuous res...

CGI::::::

[polishpollack]

If failing to clean for some people isn't a problem, why would you worry about it? You can do what they do. You don't have to change your water every week. There are one part ferts out there for an entire cycle if you want to just one bottle for veg and one for flower.

[medicinegivers]

Thanks for the responses, guys! I misworded my post though(I was about at a [6] when I wrote the post). I'm using Advanced Nutes Jungle Juice. To clarify, I'm in my 4th week of flower doing a 1 part Grow, 2 parts Micro, and 5 Parts Bloom at about 850 ppm 5.6-6 pH.
Its my first DWC, and I've been concerned about mold growing in the reservoir, and salt buildup in the roots. I've heard people say they change their water every week to prevent these things, but seeing it firsthand, the transfer is always stressful to the plant for a day or two. I'm not going to change out the water until I'm 2 weeks out and flushing. I'll keep the water level, nutes and ph stable until then. If I see anything funky I'll report back, but CGI and PP, I think you guys are steering me in the right direction. I appreciate it.

[Saratj1]

I'm doing my first dwc and I change my bucket out every week with fresh ro/di + nutes. If anything I get a spurt of nice new growth after I change the bucket out. I take the root ball, lid and air stones and put them in an empty bucket for a few minutes while I take the bucket I have been using to a sink and clean it out with hot tap water and a stiff brush. The only issues I have had is I burnt my main cola lifting the lid/plant out of the bucket, and it hit my hps bulb, burnt one side completely, but the plant fixed itself, like if I would have fim'd it, the nodes below grew bigger to compensate. Also I added 5ml/gal of molasses, that was a mistake, turned my res and root ball into goop, ruined airstones. I think if I wouldn't have caught it it would have killed the plant. I used way too much molasses. 1ml/gal would have been better I think.