passive plant killer

[ImaginaryFriend]

I was filling 6 PPKs, finding that 1 bag of canna coco (50ltrs?),
rinsed and 'charged', will fill 3, 3.5gal bucket, perfectly, without packing it down, right to the brim of the buckets.

That sounds about right.

It's moist, dark in color, but no "seeing moisture between your fingers".

That's about right too. Early, before the roots mat up, I can usually force some drips out... but as long as it is 'moist', you're probably okay.

It is best if your pulse generates as much of a spreading puddle across the top of media as possible... quick and heavy. But I'd take the convenience of it not puddling on the floor over an extra drip when you squeeze the media.

 

[delta9nxs]

It's moist, dark in color, but no "seeing moisture between your fingers".

I've been raising the gap (now 3 inches), trying to accomplish "seeing moisture between your fingers".

Is packing the coco, desirable? I didn't think I read that.

I was filling 6 PPKs, finding that 1 bag of canna coco (50ltrs?),
rinsed and 'charged', will fill 3, 3.5gal bucket, perfectly, without packing it down, right to the brim of the buckets.

How much can you pack it?

no, you don't want to pack it. i load just as you are describing. i pack the tailpiece slightly, loose fill the container to the top, and then water it in. it settles to the correct point.

i am currently pulsing 12 oz's every two hours in veg and get no water out of the sidewall holes.

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

i am currently pulsing 12 oz's every two hours in veg and get no water out of the sidewall holes.

Of course, it's not a simple this volume per this period, as temp and RH will be a factor in evaporation and transpiration... In some parts of the world, seasons are changing, and keeping an eye on things may be in order... The occasional check of the numbers in the sub-reservoir, etc.

That said, I won't do it. I won't change my timer, and I won't check my reservoirs.

'Cause it seems like toooo much work.

 

[delta9nxs]

hey, IF!

you are doing a transaction with someone who pays you in gerbils.

while counting and handing them over to you one slips from his grasp and falls into a bowl of couscous.

what does the gerbil say?

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

Hard to explain: he says it in braille.

 

[Snook]

It was pulsing 14oz every 1.7 hrs. Must have hit the little dial by mistake. I'll wrap som dental floss around the shaft to tighten it up a little. Now 8oz/3hrs. They are sure starting going thru water but some of it was on the floor, sucked up and shit-caned. cups, not quarts. but the top of the coco is at the very highes tops, crusty, dry brown.

Geribilina?

 

[Snook]

Here are some pictures. I do not have the patience or the attention span to pull off a perpetual grow. So I multi crop. It's for me. A little over flow goes to a few friends. Some butter, strictly give away, cookies.

Lights are 600/400 hps, at the moment. Temps run 75-77F @ 55-57RH. I've had plants that look as good before but I spent alot more time and money getting them there.

A tweek here and there and a class from Delta9 now and again, I B golden.

 

[delta9nxs]

the gerbil says "this taste a lot better than the last batch".

 

[delta9nxs]

It was pulsing 14oz every 1.7 hrs. Must have hit the little dial by mistake. I'll wrap som dental floss around the shaft to tighten it up a little. Now 8oz/3hrs. They are sure starting going thru water but some of it was on the floor, sucked up and shit-caned. cups, not quarts. but the top of the coco is at the very highes tops, crusty, dry brown.

Geribilina?

maybe it was just a little too much volume. when you do a change the results are not immediate. by that i mean it takes some time for the medium to adjust to the altered profile.

nice job building your room. everything is neat and clean. i'm a complete mess. shit laying around everywhere.

your plants look really healthy, too. very nice.

i should have bought the cap controllers but i was in a hurry and went to the grow store. the cap controllers are on amazon for 65 bucks. i paid 180 each for the cyclestats.

 

[zeke99]

The descriptions and photos help a lot D9.

edit: especially post 2028 and 2037

edit2: cool looking curious cat!


So if I'm getting this, the bottom bucket is still passive, but the pulse system is active.

The Combined Passive/Active Non-Plant Killer?

D9, you might want to patent this thing. It won't be me, but I'm thinking someone is going to come along and do this: http://www.hydroponics.net/items/details/multiflow.asp

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

The only thing that takes attention in a perpetual is the start. Then everything is easy.

You crop in manageable chunks.

You dry in manageable chunks.

You clone in manageable chunks.

The only thing that is even moderately stressful is starting a run with an incomplete room...

Then its easy as pie.

 

[Snook]

The only thing that takes attention in a perpetual is the start. Then everything is easy.

You crop in manageable chunks.

You dry in manageable chunks.

You clone in manageable chunks.

The only thing that is even moderately stressful is starting a run with an incomplete room...

Then its easy as pie.

Like you say, perpetual requires, "Management", cutting, trimming, drying and cloning - weekly. I'd have a hard time doing the 'weekly' trimming, drying, trimming, cloning. 1st, my lights are on 6am to 6 pm so no working on them at night (in the PM). I run a business Mon>Sat. Gotta get a ride in on the Harley regularly and living Fla, golf is another time consumer, not to mention the beach and FISHING! Snook! Wifey requires face time too. I'd rather put the extra time in once every 2-3 months. Yes, trimming becomes a very time consuming task all at once but I can plan for the 1-2 days it takes, every three months or so. And I'm not fond of tippy toeing in that little tent. Bull in china shop senario. Who said "pie"? Coconut custard for me.




.

 

[delta9nxs]

The descriptions and photos help a lot D9.

edit: especially post 2028 and 2037

edit2: cool looking curious cat!


So if I'm getting this, the bottom bucket is still passive, but the pulse system is active.

The Combined Passive/Active Non-Plant Killer?

D9, you might want to patent this thing. It won't be me, but I'm thinking someone is going to come along and do this: http://www.hydroponics.net/items/details/multiflow.asp

good, i'm glad it helped.

yes, it's the powered plant killer now but the bottom is still passive.

i've been told by a patent attorney that i can patent it as it is the first device to function on this set of principles, combined in this form.

but i'm really not interested in that. i started this to develop a system that's easy and cheap to build, maintain, and operate by someone who has never grown anything before.

i wanted it to be extremely reliable. there are few things more disheartening than struggling to grow a plant for months and then have it croak on you before you can harvest. especially if it is for medicine and you are broke. most really sick people are short on cash as they can't work.

the attorney also said that this thread, being dated, is enough to stop anyone else from patenting it. i've searched patent applications and no one is currently trying. i'll try to stop them if they attempt to. this device is for the people. not some mega billion dollar pharmaceutical company.

d9

 

[delta9nxs]

a few more shots of the g13 taken yesterday. exactly one week from transplant and 40 days from putting the seed into a paper towel. it grew four inches this week and is much bigger around. the last pic is dd's cut for comparision. it's the same plant.

today i'm taking cuts of the g13 for production.

and cuts of some of the other genetics for sexing.

 

[zeke99]

i should have known you were on top of that already.

i put together two truly passive PKs for a couple of vegetable plants outside. So far so good. I saw Earthboxes at a local garden store this weekend retailing for $54.95. My new seeds arrived surprisingly fast from Vancouver, so I'll be be building a veg system pretty soon. All thanks to you dude.




Since you started the g-13 in a paper towel, why not use the wicking containers with coco instead of turface, since you are going to transplant into coco?

 

[delta9nxs]

i should have known you were on top of that already.

i put together two truly passive PKs for a couple of vegetable plants outside. So far so good. I saw Earthboxes at a local garden store this weekend retailing for $54.95. My new seeds arrived surprisingly fast from Vancouver, so I'll be be building a veg system pretty soon. All thanks to you dude.




Since you started the g-13 in a paper towel, why not use the wicking containers with coco instead of turface, since you are going to transplant into coco?

because there is something magical about the way turface and flora nova bloom grow very small plants, either cuttings or seedlings.

i've thought a lot about it, still don't know why for sure. but it's hard to argue with a 100% clone success rate for about 30 months now.

the turface has a substance ph of 6.2, holds 50% water, and has sufficient bulk density to moderate temperature extremes. clones love 80 f.

flora nova bloom has been known for years as a good cloning agent. the ratios and the humic acid seem better suited for clones. the seedlings just take off

in the clone containers as soon as i see a root reaching the sidewall i dump the bottom container/reservoir and pour jack's through the medium at 600 ppm. like a flush. i also move them under the influence of the big light. a week there and they are ready to transplant into a ppk. they will have well developed root masses by then.

another thing about these clone containers. when you start seeing a lot of roots in the reservoir tear them off. this makes the plant grow a bigger root ball upstairs. it also stops spotting or other solution originated symptoms.

 

[Darth Fader]

D9 - Field report on buddy's ppk as promised:

He's running perpetual now, w/ 8 bucket system in flower. I was incorrect in reporting his ppm @1500 last post. It was actually 1050. Since his 1st (harsh) harvest, he's now lowered ppm level to 750 and runs a 10-day passive flush. Has now pulled down 2 more, and is thrilled with the system now. It's only a 2K setup for the 8 plants in 3.5gal buckets, so they aren't 1lb+ monsters, but they certainly look good. He's stoked on the consistency and predictability of the system that allows you to make small tweaks to dial it in w/o a lot of fluctuating variables. Also, said the finished product is top notch now in frost & odor. He's unplugging the unit 10 days before harvest for "passive flush" , draining the res, and filling with water only for the last 10 days. Said 7 days worked but starting at 10 just to be safe. I've seen some nice harvest pics. Nice long, thick colas. Last pic he took the top half of the plant and the main cola was 18".

 

[jjfoo]

in the clone containers as soon as i see a root reaching the sidewall i dump the bottom container/reservoir and pour jack's through the medium at 600 ppm. like a flush. i also move them under the influence of the big light. a week there and they are ready to transplant into a ppk. they will have well developed root masses by then.

What is the ppm of the container/res before you pump in 600 ppm?

I would recommend using that to calculate the ppm of your flush. It is never a good thing to change the EC on a plant rapidly. The EC inside could be much higher than 600. In which case you'd be better off flushing with something closer to the measured number.

If it was much lower you could water stress the plant, by pulling water out of it.

These two extremes are just part of a continuum of plant stress, so if you are close enough, it shouldn't matter much. Sometimes when I measure things I am shocked at the results. Most of the time I can predict the measurements, but sometimes I'm way way off. This is when I learn the most.

I've had small plants that are in a res with a wick that can get up to an EC of 5 and show no stress. I would never take that plant and flush it to 600 ppm. I don't know if it can harm a plant to remove salts from them, but I'd bet it is at least a little bad for them.


I have noticed that root pruning is like like topping. No tap root or other big roots means a root bush.

 

[Snook]

Two days ago, I noticed two of the crew were boys. They got the axe/clones pulled. I had, on hand, another girl, a couple weeks behind and put her in. but I didnt provide enough coco in my initial dry coco measurement. after rinsing and charging it, it only filled the 3.5 up to the 3" mark, below the rim. 2inches below the others. GAP=3.25". I let it go that way and the coco visable in the air-pruning holes is dark (wet), not like the others whos top is damp but little crusty, just like the airpruning holes. They all look healthy as hell, the AK, only in there a day, has responded very well already. Some how I'm going to have to veg them longer, that is to say taller because stretch seems to be less.

If leaves are feeling a little dry, would that leade me to believe the need more humidity? Current RH=55% Still fighting with that concept.

 

[delta9nxs]

D9 - Field report on buddy's ppk as promised:

He's running perpetual now, w/ 8 bucket system in flower. I was incorrect in reporting his ppm @1500 last post. It was actually 1050. Since his 1st (harsh) harvest, he's now lowered ppm level to 750 and runs a 10-day passive flush. Has now pulled down 2 more, and is thrilled with the system now. It's only a 2K setup for the 8 plants in 3.5gal buckets, so they aren't 1lb+ monsters, but they certainly look good. He's stoked on the consistency and predictability of the system that allows you to make small tweaks to dial it in w/o a lot of fluctuating variables. Also, said the finished product is top notch now in frost & odor. He's unplugging the unit 10 days before harvest for "passive flush" , draining the res, and filling with water only for the last 10 days. Said 7 days worked but starting at 10 just to be safe. I've seen some nice harvest pics. Nice long, thick colas. Last pic he took the top half of the plant and the main cola was 18".

thanks, it's always nice to hear about people successfully using this system. please tell your friend that he is welcome here anytime. i'm sure everyone would like to see his plants.

later