Need advice on automated systems

JDMase

Well-Known Member
Hi guys.

Im off to Amsterdam for New Years for 5 days, can't wait! But my plants need daily feeds and ive got no one to care for them.

Ive seen some cheap irrigation systems, but I seem to have Ph drift with my tap water/nutrient combo. Will I need a (expensive) Ph controller? Or will my Ph stay stable if I switch to RO water?

Im using floranova bloom and top feeding rock wool currently with decent results.

As an example, I had 6.5 ph water - ph down it to 5.8 and by this evening it had crept up to 7! Higher than before. Not sure whether it's a ph meter issue or the mix buffering upwards?

Regardless I don't trust putting a reservoir of water in without knowing the ph will stay stable.

I have until the 28th of December to find a solution! Appreciate your help.
 

Blue brother

Well-Known Member
try mixing a batch in the morning, put an air stone and small water pump in the res, leave it a couple hours before adjusting ph, you could well be adjusting the solution before it's had a chance to mix propperly.

as for irrigation, do you drain to waste or do you recirculate your run off /
 

JDMase

Well-Known Member
try mixing a batch in the morning, put an air stone and small water pump in the res, leave it a couple hours before adjusting ph, you could well be adjusting the solution before it's had a chance to mix propperly.

as for irrigation, do you drain to waste or do you recirculate your run off /
I did think that, but ive tried it both ways, I usually leave my nutes and water for 24hours then ph down it before I water. Ive tried that a couple hours before and longer and shorter. I Was thinkig it may be the brand of ph down?

I use hard water from the tap. Comes out at between 7-8! Could it be that?

With my method now Its drain to waste


Also in regards to the air stone, can I use that in a system where I then put the water in a watering can and top feed?

What type of air stone should I use and What does it do?
 
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JDMase

Well-Known Member
So if I can't stabilise RO water with nutes what Ph controllers/dosers do people recommend? Looking for a cheap option as its only gonna be for a few days. Drip irrigation systems are surprisingly cheap. I wish Id looked into it when I started the grow
 

Blue brother

Well-Known Member
EDIT: THE EC OF MY TAP WATER IS 0.3 NOT 3.0

what is the ec of your water and what nutes are you using? my water is hard at ec3.0 ph7.6.

In a drain to waste system if the ph is fluctuating in the res then it's usually either you aren't giving it enough time to stabilize between adjusting and checking the ph OR there is a contaminant, a pump constantly running i'm the water could be a problem but not likely to make that much of a difference.

I would suggest knocking up a fresh batch wait a couple of hours, check ph, adjust ph, wait a couple of hours check ph and adjust if necessary then wait a couple more hours before checking again. Sometimes the growth technology ph down I use needs a couple hours and a good mix up in the solution before I can guarantee a true reading, at which point I'll add more if needs be then wait a few more hours before checking again.

I use ceramic air stones but any will do better than none. In hydro (dtw or recirculating) you should always be aerating ur solution, this means there's always plenty of dissolved oxygen in the solution which the roots love, an un aerated solution is a breeding ground for anaerobic bacteria, which is something you do not want
 
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JDMase

Well-Known Member
what is the ec of your water and what nutes are you using? my water is hard at ec3.0 ph7.6.

In a drain to waste system if the ph is fluctuating in the res then it's usually either you aren't giving it enough time to stabilize between adjusting and checking the ph OR there is a contaminant, a pump constantly running i'm the water could be a problem but not likely to make that much of a difference.

I would suggest knocking up a fresh batch wait a couple of hours, check ph, adjust ph, wait a couple of hours check ph and adjust if necessary then wait a couple more hours before checking again. Sometimes the growth technology ph down I use needs a couple hours and a good mix up in the solution before I can guarantee a true reading, at which point I'll add more if needs be then wait a few more hours before checking again.

I use ceramic air stones but any will do better than none. In hydro (dtw or recirculating) you should always be aerating ur solution, this means there's always plenty of dissolved oxygen in the solution which the roots love, an un aerated solution is a breeding ground for anaerobic bacteria, which is something you do not want
My water from the tap is 8.4ph at 400ppm I believe.

Damn didn't know that! I just put water in a bucket for 24hours, mixed the nutes. PPM of around 1000 and let it stand for 24 hours, about 6 hours before waterig I check ph and add ph down, but by the time I come to water its crept up again.

I use this bucket of water to dunk my plants into or I put it into a watering can and top feed. Depends on my mood. I do too feed at least once a week to get rid of salts. I refresh the water each time.

Alternatively I have a watering can with no ph down in sitting happy at 6.8 for the last 2 days.
 

Blue brother

Well-Known Member
My water from the tap is 8.4ph at 400ppm I believe.

Damn didn't know that! I just put water in a bucket for 24hours, mixed the nutes. PPM of around 1000 and let it stand for 24 hours, about 6 hours before waterig I check ph and add ph down, but by the time I come to water its crept up again.

I use this bucket of water to dunk my plants into or I put it into a watering can and top feed. Depends on my mood. I do too feed at least once a week to get rid of salts. I refresh the water each time.

Alternatively I have a watering can with no ph down in sitting happy at 6.8 for the last 2 days.
ok, find one method of watering that you like and stick to that.

If you are dunking every pot in the same solution day after day then the ph and ec are gonna need adjusted as they will start to rise as the plant drinks.

A simple method of bottom feeding is to put a plant in one of those plastic sink dishes and half fill it with ur solution, let it sit for a bit then take it out, pour the solution away, put the next plant in and fill it half way again. Repeat this for each plant.

if I was you id stick to feeding from the top. Search for my thread titled rockwool hempys. You'll find it useful.

I'm so baked, what you smoking? What's going around ur way?
 

JDMase

Well-Known Member
ok, find one method of watering that you like and stick to that.

If you are dunking every pot in the same solution day after day then the ph and ec are gonna need adjusted as they will start to rise as the plant drinks.

A simple method of bottom feeding is to put a plant in one of those plastic sink dishes and half fill it with ur solution, let it sit for a bit then take it out, pour the solution away, put the next plant in and fill it half way again. Repeat this for each plant.

if I was you id stick to feeding from the top. Search for my thread titled rockwool hempys. You'll find it useful.

I'm so baked, what you smoking? What's going around ur way?
Ill check it out, thanks for your advice. It's invaluable!

Pretty dry here. Had some "blue cheese" recently and some lemon that was not lemon, just some sprayed shit. People round here either get lemon or cheese and even then you dunno what you're gettin!

That's why I decided to do a GYO!

How about you? Where u at anyway?
 

Blue brother

Well-Known Member
Ill check it out, thanks for your advice. It's invaluable!

Pretty dry here. Had some "blue cheese" recently and some lemon that was not lemon, just some sprayed shit. People round here either get lemon or cheese and even then you dunno what you're gettin!

That's why I decided to do a GYO!

How about you? Where u at anyway?
ur welcome mate, I'm smoking triple cheese, blue cheese and amnesia haze, and some blue cheese finger hash. Yeah growing your own is the way forward, off every crop i make dry sift, qwiso, bubble hash, finger hash, cannabutter and this time I'm gonna make some rum tinctures and make some cannabis honey. Try askin a dealer for that lol!

sorry I can't tell you where exactly but up north, don't tell anyone where ur from on here mate.
 

JDMase

Well-Known Member
ur welcome mate, I'm smoking triple cheese, blue cheese and amnesia haze, and some blue cheese finger hash. Yeah growing your own is the way forward, off every crop i make dry sift, qwiso, bubble hash, finger hash, cannabutter and this time I'm gonna make some rum tinctures and make some cannabis honey. Try askin a dealer for that lol!

sorry I can't tell you where exactly but up north, don't tell anyone where ur from on here mate.
Ahhh you lucky git. Looks like you've got it down!
Im pretty sure what I had was blue cheese but my guy said "not sure, think it's called blue waffle or something".
Yeah well put it this way, the guy I get it from throws away trim lol!
What's qwiso?
Ahh yeah of course of course didn't know if u were in usa !

No worries, VPN's are a wonderful thing lol ;)
 

Blue brother

Well-Known Member
quick wash isopropyl hash. Kinda like bho but easier for the average stoner.

what's vpn?

where u staying in the dam? U been much before?
 

JDMase

Well-Known Member
quick wash isopropyl hash. Kinda like bho but easier for the average stoner.

what's vpn?

where u staying in the dam? U been much before?
Ahh I do intend on makin some rosin if I can get hold of some low temp plates and borrow a mates hydraulic press lol :p

A VPN changes ur IP location so to anyone TRYIN to track U, ur somewhere else lol.

Ive been twice before but this time with the missus for New Years. Bloody expensive. Could've gone to New York for a week in feb for the price we paid. Stayin in an ibis this time round. U recommend anywhere?

Apparently the oldest coffee shop is set to shut down January 1st so im gonna be visitin there. Hopefully get some Grinspoon seeds. Was my first ever Amsterdam Joint haha.
 

Blue brother

Well-Known Member
Ahh I do intend on makin some rosin if I can get hold of some low temp plates and borrow a mates hydraulic press lol :p

A VPN changes ur IP location so to anyone TRYIN to track U, ur somewhere else lol.

Ive been twice before but this time with the missus for New Years. Bloody expensive. Could've gone to New York for a week in feb for the price we paid. Stayin in an ibis this time round. U recommend anywhere?

Apparently the oldest coffee shop is set to shut down January 1st so im gonna be visitin there. Hopefully get some Grinspoon seeds. Was my first ever Amsterdam Joint haha.
I've never made rosin before, smoked a bit but wasn't too impressed with it, probably down to the person who made it not the actual process.

ah ok gotcha, im not technically minded like that.

you wanna try betty boops super silver haze, its the best in the dam, borejongens hash menu is the best in the dam, barneys uptown do the best banana milkshake in the dam, beluccis (the Winston) best burger in the dam. Barneys burgers are good too but beluccis arr top notch. Lost in Amsterdam is one hell of a bar/smoke spot, super friendly table service, super chilled out. Ur gonna love having a full 5 days there its mint. Very expensive tho, if ur on a budget then stick to it! Me and my friend spent a grand in one night on the drink (not including cocaine) lol. Rembrandt square is where its at for nightlife. Dress warm its gonna be freezing lol
 

im4satori

Well-Known Member
if you have the space and you can drip feed... what you need is a reservoir large enough to last the length of your absence
and set your drain to waste

so the feed water is always new... depending on the size of your garden you might need a good size resevior

if I was to guess... id say 100 gallons (possibly less) might last you a week if you water sparingly over a 4x4 canopy with a 1000 watt light

a true drain to waste system

if you choose to go this route... I would consider lowering your ppm down below 800max since dtw systems usually require lower ppms to meet requirements
 
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