What's new
  • ICMag with help from Landrace Warden and The Vault is running a NEW contest in November! You can check it here. Prizes are seeds & forum premium access. Come join in!

passive plant killer

delta9nxs

No Jive Productions
Veteran
zeke, you have the ppk syndrome bad! so bored you are looking up episodes of the twilight zone from 1963. ole robert duvall sure looks different these days. still a great actor. i think "the earwig" is my favorite episode. you know those writers were doing a little smoking at work. one of those jobs where you have to test positive to get the job. get paid to smoke weed and come up with weird or funny shit.

"jazz musicians who don't use weed". another short list.
 

MedScientist

Hydronaut Ganjaneer
another variation

another variation

In an attempt at increasing my yeilds, decreasing the workload, and simplifying the process (ph, ppm's... etc), I converted my DIY recirc bucket vertical system to a ppk-ish system. I am using 100% Perlite in my DIY bags w/ microfiber wick hanging down into an empty bucket (no res) for a 1 way feed. I am pulsing a top feed directly from a seperate res for about 1 minute every 6 minutes of Jack's Hydro/Calcnit @ 1.3 - 1.4 EC (mixed w/tap @ 7.0ph/115ppm).

I have to admit that my res has never been so stable since I switched to Jack's! At these lower ppm's, my ph runs a little higher than I normally allow, about 5.9 to 6.3, but everything is perfectly green, so I allow it and monitor.

D9 - Depending on my experience with this run, I may just have to clone your system and lights exactly! 19 Ounces with 4 weeks veg is INCREDIBLE!



 

Snook

Still Learning
In an attempt at increasing my yeilds, decreasing the workload, and simplifying the process (ph, ppm's... etc), I converted my DIY recirc bucket vertical system to a ppk-ish system. I am using 100% Perlite in my DIY bags w/ microfiber wick hanging down into an empty bucket (no res) for a 1 way feed. I am pulsing a top feed directly from a seperate res for about 1 minute every 6 minutes of Jack's Hydro/Calcnit @ 1.3 - 1.4 EC (mixed w/tap @ 7.0ph/115ppm).

I have to admit that my res has never been so stable since I switched to Jack's! At these lower ppm's, my ph runs a little higher than I normally allow, about 5.9 to 6.3, but everything is perfectly green, so I allow it and monitor.

D9 - Depending on my experience with this run, I may just have to clone your system and lights exactly! 19 Ounces with 4 weeks veg is INCREDIBLE!

https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=29247&pictureid=712969

I tried to 'modify' his process, some others tried too. I wasted my time, if you have the space, clone it 'exactly', get the black buckets, use the jacks I havent tried the turface and rice hull mix but if he's using it, I'd go with it. I still use coco in the PPK but run already rooted clones in smaller version of the ppk with the nappa #8820 and Nova, then into the PPK for bloom. FkinA, even on the short side, 18Zs/wk will keep you in medicine. Wish I could do perpetual but I lack the logistical area/space and coordinational skill to pull it off. If one reads the 'entire' thread, there is alot of, highly analyized, 'stuff' in there. I'll be out of town for 7-8 days next month and know that I can fill the volume rez with 26gal of jacks+ and they will only be a week older when I get back. No trauma, no drama.
 

Slimm

Member
Any recommendations on containers for 2 liter-ish PPKs for packing them in a sog style grow? I prefer square but round will work too.
 

Snook

Still Learning
Any recommendations on containers for 2 liter-ish PPKs for packing them in a sog style grow? I prefer square but round will work too.

SOG is not my thing but I can say that useing clear "2 liter-ish PPKs" thruout your grow, might/will present an algee problem with feeding tubes cloging. The idea of a wick to feed and remove standing water in the bottom of the container, will work.

Right now, I'm trying to auto-feed the cloneing ppks so that when I get back from a tip next month, they arent all dead when I get back (1 week). water level, as you would need for SOG, in little containers, might be a problem controlling. At least that is my delema. I think the air valves/tubeing will work but keeping water level constant in the ppks isnt going to be easy for me.
 

delta9nxs

No Jive Productions
Veteran
In an attempt at increasing my yeilds, decreasing the workload, and simplifying the process (ph, ppm's... etc), I converted my DIY recirc bucket vertical system to a ppk-ish system. I am using 100% Perlite in my DIY bags w/ microfiber wick hanging down into an empty bucket (no res) for a 1 way feed. I am pulsing a top feed directly from a seperate res for about 1 minute every 6 minutes of Jack's Hydro/Calcnit @ 1.3 - 1.4 EC (mixed w/tap @ 7.0ph/115ppm).

I have to admit that my res has never been so stable since I switched to Jack's! At these lower ppm's, my ph runs a little higher than I normally allow, about 5.9 to 6.3, but everything is perfectly green, so I allow it and monitor.

D9 - Depending on my experience with this run, I may just have to clone your system and lights exactly! 19 Ounces with 4 weeks veg is INCREDIBLE!





very creative, dr bullwinkle! your plants look great! is this drain to waste or are you recirculating somehow?

i think obsession with ph and the subsequent chasing that we all have done is one of the most stressing issues with conventional hydroponics. i use my meter once in a while now just to check the solution after moving a plant. the last plant in flower was 5.7 at 867 ppm after nine weeks of operation with 600 ppm input.

jack's is the shit! i have used a lot of so called "cannabis" specific nutes, some of them quite expensive, and nothing grows weed like this cheap stuff.

perlite is fine if you keep it wet. did you ever check out "perlite culture" links?

you are an ideal candidate to build a full size ppk set up. i would like to see what you can do with one.

d9

editing to add that your information about using the jack's ro formula with 115 ppm tap water is valuable info for everyone. of course this is dependent upon the exact composition of your water but it's good to know that it can be done, thank you.
 

delta9nxs

No Jive Productions
Veteran
Any recommendations on containers for 2 liter-ish PPKs for packing them in a sog style grow? I prefer square but round will work too.


hi, slimm! how big is your area? and do you use clones?

what i'm thinking of is using a bed instead of individual containers.

this would allow for larger root systems per plant and make plumbing more simple.

you could clone right in the bed, give them enough time to root sufficiently and gain a little size, say 8-10", and flip them.

could be as little as 10 weeks start to finish, depending on strain.

another option would be to make a pvc pipe network with risers for the tailpieces to sit in.
 

Slimm

Member
D9, I'm growing in a 2x2 tent. The bed is a good idea but I run this tent perpetually (12/12) adding a new row every two weeks. I need more flexibility to move plants with this operation. I use seed - once i have a good mother plant(s) selected i will go with clones. I like the 2 liter soda bottle hempies I'm using now however I would like to improve performance with some pulse watering and a wick to lower the pwt. Pulling the pwt down and pulsing will also allow me to incorporate organic teas into the feeding regime.

I can fit about 25 plants so your 10 week estimate gives me 5 plants to harvest every two weeks. That's a pretty good source for personal use, provided I can supercharged this with more aggressive watering and the teas / micro herd.
 

delta9nxs

No Jive Productions
Veteran
D9, I'm growing in a 2x2 tent. The bed is a good idea but I run this tent perpetually (12/12) adding a new row every two weeks. I need more flexibility to move plants with this operation. I use seed - once i have a good mother plant(s) selected i will go with clones. I like the 2 liter soda bottle hempies I'm using now however I would like to improve performance with some pulse watering and a wick to lower the pwt. Pulling the pwt down and pulsing will also allow me to incorporate organic teas into the feeding regime.

I can fit about 25 plants so your 10 week estimate gives me 5 plants to harvest every two weeks. That's a pretty good source for personal use, provided I can supercharged this with more aggressive watering and the teas / micro herd.

upon re-reading this i realized that you cannot run perpetual in one chamber because some plants are in veg and some are in flower.

are you going to veg in a separate area?

your 2x2 chamber is 576 sq in and will hold 36 plants in 4" containers.

when you get to clones you could root and flower them simultaneously in groups of nine. i've seen people get 1/2 oz per plant doing this.

what are you going to do about maintaining a mother for clones?

what is the maximum height you want your medium to be? are there further restrictions on plant growth?

this is an interesting design challenge as there are a lot of people using horizontal lighting in small spaces who don't have other options.

2 liter containers are too big for this. if plumbed right you could make much smaller containers perform like larger ones.
 
I personally started building my PPK SOG lol its in a 3x3 for veg and a 4x4 flower but I am going to use stacked small buckets with a small tailpiece (I'm test running the tiny 1gal buckets and a 1/2 gal bucket to see how fast it will drink em and cycle through water etc) with this I also thought of scrapping my HID's for the 105-125w big CFL's to run a mini Vert setup for optimal lighting and less heat and power usage etc, and they can be a bit closer and not catch fire so if I'm gone I wont come back to a burnt plant (half of a top was a loss) when I SOG I'm also going to hit the 8-4-8-4 veg and do it for maybe 3 weeks at most then rotate em to flower... I'm no SOG pro but I think this should be a nice run now that I have 5 patients to provide for and already have a surplus of meds after the last run... who woulda knew...

stability is always there with this system, and pH is a forgotten language with jack's, and I cant beat the price lol
 
Last edited:

dgr

Member
RE: SOG
Why not a bunch of PVC pipes. Granted you are wasting media having such a large wick. But, the large wick also takes up wasted space as putting them all into one reservoir wastes adds about 1/3 more nutrient solution in the reservoir.

So, A piece of flat something with holes drilled in it the same size as the PVC. It is simply there to balance the pipes. Lengths of pipe that equal, the desired pot height plus the air gap, plus the reservoir depth. Cover the bottom with something to contain the media and rest them on the bottom of the reservoir. Although whatever it is can't increase the diameter or you won't be able to remove them. If the wicks can't flow enough resting on the bottom (I doubt that), drill a couple holes in the side of each pipe near the bottom.

Hmmm, I may have to convert a botanicare 2x4 tray with a sheet of something and try this.

4" sch40 PVC 18" long holds a gallon. 6" sch40 PVC 8" long holds a gallon.

What's the latest on the air gap? 4+- inches? How much media (not including the wick) do you think it would take to support a SOG plant?

Cool stuff
 

Slimm

Member
upon re-reading this i realized that you cannot run perpetual in one chamber because some plants are in veg and some are in flower.

are you going to veg in a separate area?

your 2x2 chamber is 576 sq in and will hold 36 plants in 4" containers.

when you get to clones you could root and flower them simultaneously in groups of nine. i've seen people get 1/2 oz per plant doing this.

what are you going to do about maintaining a mother for clones?

what is the maximum height you want your medium to be? are there further restrictions on plant growth?

this is an interesting design challenge as there are a lot of people using horizontal lighting in small spaces who don't have other options.

2 liter containers are too big for this. if plumbed right you could make much smaller containers perform like larger ones.

The seeds start in the tent - the tent is always 12/12. When I switch to clones I plan to root them and then veg them for a couple of days. Once the roots are solid and they begin to grow I'll drop them into the tent and the 12/12 light schedule. They end up around 2 - 3 feet high depending on strain. The plants are defoliated at the end of stretch for light penetration and to maintain the single cola shape.

The plants end up using every bit of the container for roots, so I'm not sure I can go smaller, but if you think so all the better. The 2 liter hempies are 8 inches tall and 4.5 inches in diameter. I probably have room to make them 6 inches taller if need be. I figured a reservoir outside the tent makes good sense. It keeps the res cooler and the plants lower.

I personally started building my PPK SOG lol its in a 3x3 for veg and a 4x4 flower but I am going to use stacked small buckets with a small tailpiece (I'm test running the tiny 1gal buckets and a 1/2 gal bucket to see how fast it will drink em and cycle through water etc) with this I also thought of scrapping my HID's for the 105-125w big CFL's to run a mini Vert setup for optimal lighting and less heat and power usage etc, and they can be a bit closer and not catch fire so if I'm gone I wont come back to a burnt plant (half of a top was a loss) when I SOG I'm also going to hit the 8-4-8-4 veg and do it for maybe 3 weeks at most then rotate em to flower... I'm no SOG pro but I think this should be a nice run now that I have 5 patients to provide for and already have a surplus of meds after the last run... who woulda knew...

stability is always there with this system, and pH is a forgotten language with jack's, and I cant beat the price lol

I'm using LED panels in my little tent - HIDs get much too hot for such a small space.

RE: SOG
Why not a bunch of PVC pipes. Granted you are wasting media having such a large wick. But, the large wick also takes up wasted space as putting them all into one reservoir wastes adds about 1/3 more nutrient solution in the reservoir.

So, A piece of flat something with holes drilled in it the same size as the PVC. It is simply there to balance the pipes. Lengths of pipe that equal, the desired pot height plus the air gap, plus the reservoir depth. Cover the bottom with something to contain the media and rest them on the bottom of the reservoir. Although whatever it is can't increase the diameter or you won't be able to remove them. If the wicks can't flow enough resting on the bottom (I doubt that), drill a couple holes in the side of each pipe near the bottom.

Hmmm, I may have to convert a botanicare 2x4 tray with a sheet of something and try this.

4" sch40 PVC 18" long holds a gallon. 6" sch40 PVC 8" long holds a gallon.
...
Cool stuff

Another pvc man! What I love about PVC is that you can build almost anything with it.
 

delta9nxs

No Jive Productions
Veteran
hey, slimm, forget what i said about containers, i had no idea you were planning on plants that large.

are you going to use femmed seeds to start with?
 

Slimm

Member
Femmed or not, I use either. I start them in solo cup hempies for two - three weeks. As soon as they show flowers and start to accelerate they go into the 2 liter hempies.
 

delta9nxs

No Jive Productions
Veteran
Femmed or not, I use either. I start them in solo cup hempies for two - three weeks. As soon as they show flowers and start to accelerate they go into the 2 liter hempies.


i'm having trouble understanding how you are going to light 4 rows of plants at different heights in an efficient manner with a flat led array. some of your plants could be as much as 3 feet and some will be as little as 8-10 inches unless i have missed something.

if you draw a 2 ft line for a base, a 3 ft line for one side, and 1 ft line on the other side, the resultant angle between the tops of the 3 and 1 foot sides would be at least 35 degrees.

you could hang the light at that angle but the length of the display would have to change from 2 ft to 2.75 ft to light all plants evenly.

it seems to me that, in a 2x2 space, you would be far more efficient doing a scrog with 1 plant.

maybe i'm missing something but it also seems that the larger plants on one side would shade out the smaller plants on the other side.
 
I use cool tubes and they stay cold enough ive had plants stay on them 8 days and only bleach, no fire yet, but I was out of town and lucky.

and I used Led's once but had better results with the cfl's with a cheap aluminum disk above the socket to keep light downward and it gave me a mini-vert setup with as much air as I can push through each tent temps arent a problem even here in July... and I dont have A/C either just cool air

he may be avoiding the 1 plant for fear of stems? ... I plan on maybe dividing the 3.5 with a piece of plexi just because I dont feel like sinking more cash into this and want to do the 14-21 day veg max, trying to go from vert cool tube to SOG with the tube is the confusing part to me.... and with the divided 3.5 I can continue to use the VG style screen I built for a modScrOG-SOG thingy... we will see or maybe even divide them into 4 and have 4 per bucket... hmmmm... noe the juice is flowing in my head... need smoke
 

Latest posts

Latest posts

Top