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passive plant killer

I

ImaginaryFriend

Fuck Entropy.
Veteran
Carl is like a mercenary.

Arrives on call.

All business.

Professional.

Out.

But, I wonder, who pays him?

---

OO, I'm going to go perpetual.



Idyll hands = something something something.
 
D

delta9nxs

No Jive Productions
Veteran
hi, soorcnor! welcome and thanks for the kind words!

i see you've experienced some of the more (ahem!) idiosyncratically challenged participants in our little group of grow maniacs. an eclectic group genuinely interested in our hobby and bravely attempting to overcome their individual tragic circumstances.

in other words, plant nerds. or is it geeks?

IF has done a great job of answering your questions. poor boy! he has come such a long way since that horrible accident in which he was decapitated after the hearse he was driving to the funeral careened off the highway when the hookers head got stuck on the accelerator and he lost control.

more on the rest of the group later.

d9
 
C

Carl Carlson

I prefer nerd, D9. Geeks bite the heads off of chickens as a side-show at the Circus.
 
Tanuvan

Tanuvan

Member
Thanks D9 for this idea! I have been testing it out on garden herbs and such. Welp, time to get rid of all my pumps and timers. This is fantastic!

I am using autopot valves to control the res. So my rez size is very tiny and no need for add back. I picked up some regular float valves in case the autopot valves didn't work...but so far so good.
 
J

jjfoo

Member
My current set has buckets in buckets. They are all connected with a t connector sticking into the buckets that hooks up to a loop of 1/2 tube. I'm thinking instead of a t connector it would be better for circulation if I had a tube going in one side of the bottom bucket and a tube on the opposite side. I'm thinking this would allow the EC to equalize easier. Anyone agree or disagree?
 
Tanuvan

Tanuvan

Member
jjfoo said:
tanuvan,

the ppk system uses pumps and timers

What do you mean by autopot valves?

by any chance are you refering to these: http://futuregarden.com/hydroponics/smartvalve.html
Click to expand...

The original PPK (at the beginning of this thread) does not use pumps and timers. It was something D9 added later.

Instead of using a large reservoir and float valves, I use a small tray and use an autopot valve to control the water/nutrient level. The autopot valve fills the tray to 1 inch, and then once the plants absorb that, it fills the tray to 1 inch again. I have my plants 2 inches above the 1in water level...thereby creating a 2-3 inch "air gap".

Yep, I am using those smartvalves. The original black ones and I have the covers to go with them. Those control my 1 inch water level. I am using a media wick that is inside of 3/4 inch pvc pipe.

I've done nothing other than substituted the large reservoir size, and the type of passive float valve.
 
S

SCROG McDuck

jjfoo said:
I have mine in a loop. My system uses a second bucket for the bottom. all bottom buckets (individual res) have t's. they are part of a loop that includes my control bucket (s). I have a second control bucket in the middle of the loop to easily measure EC. I don't have access ports on my buckets...

I thought about individual lines but would need to make a manifold.

HD/Lowes... drip system manafold> ??? $7 about, I think D9 uses one.

I am currently thinking that I am going to connect all my buckets in a loop with pvc and uniseals. This would help keep the EC consistent.
^
contradicting? Maybe I'm missing yourpoint..
V
With the T's I dont' think the buckets exchange water much, it is more of a drain.
^
contradicting? Maybe I'm missing yourpoint..
V
They do mix in the control res, but I'd like better bottom flow. I just wont be able to move my buckets around. I may not like hard lines, but I am doing only 4 buckets as a test

Please put up pics when you get it going.. I've thought of hard lines.

I do water for run off. I've never really had to adjust pH, I just add to the system with hand watering. I need to connect my float valve. Then I can add water slowly and not need to hand water.
Click to expand...

So in your practice, the individual 'feeder' to individual PPKs
and the individual exchange of each with the control rez, is not
critical....

OTOH, the exchange, 8 ppks @ 12oz = 96oz of water moving toward the control bucket is significant..
in your scenario, I think that the control rez is only affected by 2 of your 4 PPKs. I think..

I just sampled some LSD that is comeing due.. seeds! 11 seeds in 1 small bud.. dono what happened yet..it is very good though...

In another box, a hawiian snow that is in day 117 bloom,
with the smallest buds I've ever seen.. at this rate they might be done in January.. I may cut my losses and give her the axe when the LSD is ready and I can move on with the tent and PPKs.
 
D

delta9nxs

No Jive Productions
Veteran
hey, people! sorry i have not been more responsive but i've been busy. had to whack another plant and i have been preparing to go on a little vacation.

this will be the first time i have ever left plants totally alone for 3 days but i feel confident they will be fine when i get back.

i'll have access to a computer so i'll check in periodically.

i have my feed lines set up on the principle of the "home run". each individual bucket is plumbed independently. this lets me run each one as a mini system. it is very convenient to take one off line for cleaning or loading, flushing, whatever needs to be done to one plant while not disturbing the others.

any bucket or container can be sealed off and serviced or removed by using a line clamp of some kind on the latex tubing.

another reason i use the drip tubing is that it is flexible. each plant is on the end of an umbilical and can be moved around in it's overall position relative to the lights.

i don't think in terms of keeping ec and ph uniform in all containers anymore as i grow perpetual and each plant is in a different stage of life. they take up nutrients at different rates and ratios.

higher speed movement does not accomplish more here. gravity keeps the levels the same. ph and ec are self adjusting if you feed right.

i'm still not using any ph adjusters. this is for months. i check ph and it is always within an acceptable range.

if i had started growing in a ppk, using jack's and calcium nitrate in ro water, i would not have found it necessary to buy a ph meter.

tanuvan, how are you? i wish you and soorcnor would put up some photos of what you're doing. it would make understanding easier.

later on, d9
 
J

jjfoo

Member
Tanuvan said:
The original PPK (at the beginning of this thread) does not use pumps and timers. It was something D9 added later.

Instead of using a large reservoir and float valves, I use a small tray and use an autopot valve to control the water/nutrient level. The autopot valve fills the tray to 1 inch, and then once the plants absorb that, it fills the tray to 1 inch again. I have my plants 2 inches above the 1in water level...thereby creating a 2-3 inch "air gap".

Yep, I am using those smartvalves. The original black ones and I have the covers to go with them. Those control my 1 inch water level. I am using a media wick that is inside of 3/4 inch pvc pipe.

I've done nothing other than substituted the large reservoir size, and the type of passive float valve.
Click to expand...

What size container are you using for the plant to be in? I'm wondering how wet the top of you pot gets at max water level (min airgap).

I think it is a great idea to use one smartvalve to control the res instead of individual valves on each plant. Saves money and maintainance.

this study: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CDBREC/cwt.pdf suggests that your fluctuating water table has benefit in air exchange

I'd like to see your results...
 
J

jjfoo

Member
delta9nxs said:
higher speed movement does not accomplish more here. gravity keeps the levels the same. ph and ec are self adjusting if you feed right.
Click to expand...

if you are giving each plant the same EC and one plant needs more water than another plant it will start to accumulate salts

So even though this may not harm your plant in a way that is obvious, I think it is less than ideal. I'd like my plants to have access to water has a uniform EC and from that they can drink and feed as there needs dictate.

I dont' know if I'm being clear... in other words, if the plant gets a does of nutes/water it can't feed as it pleases, but rather is limited to the EC or nute/water ratio it has recieved... if the bottom buckets can 'communicate' and diffuse the salts then the plant *can* take what it wants.
 
J

jjfoo

Member
scrog,

I was under the impression that to pulse water you needed a good amount of water coming out. I mean more than a drip line would supply. I want to have 16 buckets. It is hard to get a manifold this large, so I am just running drip line. Which seems to have to same flow as a drip manifold anyways...
 
S

SoorcNor

New member
D9 here are a few pictures from when I was just starting out in March - May. I will try to get some more recent photos up this weekend. I am going to be cycling the PPK's into service over the next 8 or 9 weeks. I currently have three 6' (4" plastic fence posts) under a 1000w 6' light mover.

I also have a girl I was attempting to grow like the famous Hawian Cucumbers in a 5 gal black bucket with nothing but nutes and a air hole. After 3 weeks she looked healthy but only streched about 3" to 18" total height (I do not think she could pull the Nutes she needed from the Organic Nutes I use and was also getting the worst spill over light available). She has nice bud sites but is small. After the three weeks I moved her and another girl to a 18 gal tote and started spraying them with nutes 1 min on 5 min off. These two girls and 6 in veg are going to be the first in CoCO and Jacks this weekend. I am going to try a plant with only roots hanging in Jacks in a few weeks as the Passive Cucajuna Killer (PCK).

Any questions just ask.

Thanks for starting this thread and for everyone who has given input.

Soorc
 

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S

SCROG McDuck

jjfoo said:
scrog,

I was under the impression that to pulse water you needed a good amount of water coming out. I mean more than a drip line would supply. I want to have 16 buckets. It is hard to get a manifold this large, so I am just running drip line. Which seems to have to same flow as a drip manifold anyways...
Click to expand...

Maybe I have it wrong, but>.. I'm thinking, and I thought I saw pics of, 1/4" drip liine that is open ended..
no dripper..connected to a 1/4" T, placed at the base of the stalk...... running 12oz/hr.. <D9 current standard.

havent gotten to the part where I start screwin around with a pump and a bunch of cups,
seeig how long 12 oz take x #plants.. so timers can be set..
connected to what sized pump that will pump for x minutes thru x amount of feet of hose = 12oz/hr..
OH yes, and how high is the pulse/control rez going to be?
 
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