Finally moving on! New to hydro & looking for input

So I’ve been growing in soil for the last 6 years and over the last 3 i have had no issues with great success so I figured it’s time to move on I’m stepping up to hydroponic this is my first time so I’m up for any conversations or discussions on it if anyone wants to chat or give input

What type of system are you interested in?

I plan on setting up a drain to waste system using a reservoir and drip rings with a coco perlite mix as the medium and GH nutrients

Right on. I’m not a coco grower so can’t help ya much

JA SHIVA said:

I plan on setting up a drain to waste system using a reservoir and drip rings with a coco perlite mix as the medium and GH nutrients

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Im on my 2nd run in coco auto feeding is the go, I have been hand watering and it can be an inconvenience at times.

I've been hand watering twice a day for three months. I wake up, drink some coffee. Pull my jug from outside. Stick it in the sink. Hot water bath until it's 67°

Two 5 gal fabric pots of prior used coco. Each gets a gallon and a half.

After I water. Then I make the second fert batch. 3 gallons RO. 7.5 Cali-Magic. 12ml micro, 3ml bloom, 18ml bloom and 0 to 4 drops ph up (mid flower column on the GH chart, 4,1,6). ~680ppm.

After that's poured. I make another batch for the morning. Bubbled for 11-13 hours. Each batch.

Rince and repeat.....for 5 months.

Beehive said:

I've been hand watering for three months. I wake up, drink some coffee. Pull my jug from outside. Stick it in the sink. Hot water bath until it's 67°

Two 5 gal fabric pots of prior used coco. Each gets a gallon and a half.

After I water. Then I make a new fert batch. 3 gallons RO. 7.5 Cali-Magic. 12ml micro, 3ml bloom, 18ml bloom and 0 to 4 drops ph up (mid flower column on the GH chart, 4,1,6).

Rince and repeat.....for 5 months.

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Im in 1 gal pots. feed 1 litre in the morning, half litre at lunch and same again around 5 pm, lights off at 7.30pm.

bernie344 said:

Im in 1 gal pots. feed 1 litre in the morning, half litre at lunch and same again around 5 pm, lights off at 7.30pm.

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Fun huh?

My next grow will be in 7 gal pots. The bigger the pot. The less you need to water it. With a 7, there will be more fert solution available to the plant. But will still be watered twice a day.

Beehive said:

Fun huh?

My next grow will be in 7 gal pots. The bigger the pot. The less you need to water it. With a 7, there will be more fert solution available to the plant. But will still be watered twice a day.

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And more roots will mean a stronger plant.
I have one short bushy indica plant that I plant to reveg. I have a 10gal pot i plan to put it in and then veg for around 2 months, just the one plant in the 4x4 looking for a big yield.

bernie344 said:

And more roots will mean a stronger plant.
I have one short bushy indica plant that I plant to reveg. I have a 10gal pot i plan to put it in and then veg for around 2 months, just the one plant in the 4x4 looking for a big yield.

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Lol, my next grow will only be one plant. My plant shelf measures 4.5'x2.5'. I started with 1 gallon fabric. 12 plants of regular seeds. Got 3 females. So I gave that up. Went to 3 gallon and 4 plants. Didnt work as I intended. The went 5 gallon, 4 plants. Hella mess.

Currently at two plants, 5 gal and they are monsters. The stem base is an inch thick. I could only veg for 32days.

Next grow in the 7gal. One single plant vegged for 6 weeks.


The hydroponic growth of coco has spoiled me from using any other method. Coco is too easy. Extremely low drama.

I’m using a 3x3 tent and doing 4 plants in 3 gallon pots with coco I have a digital timer for my pump and a 6 gallon reservoir haven’t ran it yet so I’ll need to get my water consumption down I may need a bigger reservoir I figured a liter per plant a day of water and nutrients then at the end of the week a watering with just water to rinse out buildup I plan on using GH flora trio plus Cali magic and hydroguard I can water each plant using drip rings with ball valves to control the exact amount of water each plant will get the timer I have I should be able to water multiple times a day running the pump for only one minute or more if needed

The way to figure out the amount of fert solution you need. Start at your point of water amount. Measure the run off.

When the run off has a difference of 200ppm, you're golden. Example, So if you pour 600ppm. You need to pour enough water through the pot to have a run off ppm of 800 or less.

I'm pouring 680ppm. The run off difference is 50ppm. So something like 730ppm. I accomplished that with the 1.5 gallons of fert solution per pot.

Once you get the hang of it. It's easy.

Beehive said:

Lol, my next grow will only be one plant. My plant shelf measures 4.5'x2.5'. I started with 1 gallon fabric. 12 plants of regular seeds. Got 3 females. So I gave that up. Went to 3 gallon and 4 plants. Didnt work as I intended. The went 5 gallon, 4 plants. Hella mess.

Currently at two plants, 5 gal and they are monsters. The stem base is an inch thick. I could only veg for 32days.

Next grow in the 7gal. One single plant vegged for 6 weeks.


The hydroponic growth of coco has spoiled me from using any other method. Coco is too easy. Extremely low drama.

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Sounds good, we are on the same path.

bernie344 said:

Sounds good, we are on the same path.

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I've tried using the fabric pots on house plants and they're horrible for it. Cannabis loves it. House plants dry the hell out pretty fast. Now, I have a garden shed full of 1 gallon and 3 gallon pots.

I’ll be using distilled water with this schedule. my ppm throughout the grow should remain in the acceptable range for each stage. I suppose it’s a trial and error thing never done it before hopefully I don’t have to increase or decrease the amounts given. this is a custom schedule that actually uses less fertilizer than the GH feed chart tells you to. seems fairly simple to follow I’ll need to put it into practice to see if it actually works however.

JA SHIVA said:

I’ll be using distilled water with this schedule. my ppm throughout the grow should remain in the acceptable range for each stage. I suppose it’s a trial and error thing never done it before hopefully I don’t have to increase or decrease the amounts given. this is a custom schedule that actually uses less fertilizer than the GH feed chart tells you to. seems fairly simple to follow I’ll need to put it into practice to see if it actually works however.View attachment 4813232

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Use the GH chart as is. If the column says 4ml micro, 4ml grow, and 4ml bloom. That's the proper ratio. (Column 4 transition)

Your dose is expressed in PPM on that column. Drain to waste, 650-900ppm. Mixing the basic three with Cali-Magic. The PPM as mixed will be a hair over 700ppm.

650ppm is the minimum dose. 900 is the max.

Why 900? Because if you mix everything extra on the chart. The ppm will be close to 900. But if you stick with the basic three with Cali-Magic. Again, it'll be around 730ppm. It doesn't mean you mix the basic three until its 900. Simply use it AS mixed. Don't add anything that's not on the chart.

Don't half the ratio. Follow their instructions to the tee.

Suggest a single DWC bucket to start. Get your feet wet eh? Learn to do daily EC and pH checks. Check solution level and temperature. Learn what it’s like without a chiller unless you plan on buying one. Get one done and then move on. Suggest DWC because you can actually leave town for a day and not come home to disaster.

DWC grows the biggest plants. Don’t use one of those tiny ass netbaskets. Buy a 5 gallon bucket and buy a netbasket lid.

Oh...


You'll use more bloom then grow or micro. Grow will last awhile. Micro is steady on amount. Bloom is used the most.

So if you buy GH. Either math the amounts out to the drop. Or buy the gallon jugs. If you buy the three same size bottles. Bloom will run out before the rest. Make sure you have enough for the entire grow. If not, you'll find yourself too low on bloom and will run out before you can order more.

I’ve already purchased tons of equipment I have a chiller, a reservoir, pumps, drip rings, and timers etc. I will be using coco instead of DWC would it be better to use the GH schedule as is or try the custom schedule?