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Diary PCBuds mini-grow
- Thread starter PCBuds
- Start date
plantahumana
Member
Hi PCBUDS!
Cool harvested plants, I'll keep following
Friend, could you ask a question?
I have my pot filled with 50% sphagnum peat / 30% perlite / 20% earthworm humus.
I noticed that my vase is taking too long to dry. I'm watering 15% of the pot size in water.
example 3 Liter pot, 300ml water.
My pots are getting 7-10 days wet and very wet, is there any tips to improve this? thank you very much.
Cool harvested plants, I'll keep following
Friend, could you ask a question?
I have my pot filled with 50% sphagnum peat / 30% perlite / 20% earthworm humus.
I noticed that my vase is taking too long to dry. I'm watering 15% of the pot size in water.
example 3 Liter pot, 300ml water.
My pots are getting 7-10 days wet and very wet, is there any tips to improve this? thank you very much.
PCBuds
Well-known member
From what I know, sphagnum peat moss holds a lot of water.
I was using it along with perlite in my cooler and it just got waterlogged and turned to muck. It was way too wet.
I think the earthworm humus tends to get wet and mucky too.
I've since switched to coco coir and it provides much better drainage.
Most people use 50%-75% coco and the rest perlite.
Coco coir is inert too but peat moss breaks down and becomes acidic.
Coco coir is reusable.
If anyone else can add anything or correct me, please do.
I was using it along with perlite in my cooler and it just got waterlogged and turned to muck. It was way too wet.
I think the earthworm humus tends to get wet and mucky too.
I've since switched to coco coir and it provides much better drainage.
Most people use 50%-75% coco and the rest perlite.
Coco coir is inert too but peat moss breaks down and becomes acidic.
Coco coir is reusable.
If anyone else can add anything or correct me, please do.
PCBuds
Well-known member
This outdoor plant was in 50/50 coco/perlite and it did great.
pics upload site
I would water it until it ran out of the bottom but I would have to water it every day or two.
pics upload siteI would water it until it ran out of the bottom but I would have to water it every day or two.
plantahumana
Member
I understand, so I have 2 elements that retain water, and little Perlite to help drain, and from what I read, the Perlite also retains some water ... I will have to finish my run with this substrate, because I bought a bag with 50 liters, I'll use it until it's over, but I'll find some solution to keep it less wet. maybe water with less water and if you need to increase the frequency, thank you friend for taking the time to answer me.
I saw the photo of your plant in the coconut, very nice! I'll just follow.
I saw the photo of your plant in the coconut, very nice! I'll just follow.
PCBuds
Well-known member
Keep in mind that your plants are still quite small and don't need as much water.
A lot of people just lift the pot and don't water until the pot feels light or they stick their finger in the soil to see if it is wet about 2" down.
They just wait for the soil to dry out before they water it, regardless of how long that takes.
When my plant is about 8" or less, I can go over a week before it needs water, but once it's big, it needs 2-3 liters a day.
Overwatering can drown your roots and the plant will suffer.
It's better to be on the dry side than too wet.
A lot of people just lift the pot and don't water until the pot feels light or they stick their finger in the soil to see if it is wet about 2" down.
They just wait for the soil to dry out before they water it, regardless of how long that takes.
When my plant is about 8" or less, I can go over a week before it needs water, but once it's big, it needs 2-3 liters a day.
Overwatering can drown your roots and the plant will suffer.
It's better to be on the dry side than too wet.
PCBuds
Well-known member
If you use a 50/50 mix of coco and perlite, you can water it every day if you want.
You can't overwater it.
Just make sure you dump the runoff so the pots aren't sitting in water.
Make sure that the pot can breathe.
You can lift the bottom of the pot or drill some holes/slits in the sides of the pots.
I use a grinder to cut/melt slits, it takes about 30 seconds. Lol
If your holes are too big, the media will wash out.
You can't overwater it.
Just make sure you dump the runoff so the pots aren't sitting in water.
Make sure that the pot can breathe.
You can lift the bottom of the pot or drill some holes/slits in the sides of the pots.
I use a grinder to cut/melt slits, it takes about 30 seconds. Lol
If your holes are too big, the media will wash out.
PCBuds
Well-known member
PCBuds
Well-known member
Wow I missed a lot. I love the new light fixture! Buds look way better than the last grow, too. Nice job, bud
Thanks. It turned out to be pretty good.
I think I've got the SIP cooler figured out now and I have high hopes for my next plant.
I want to get a four-foot plant and I think that should happen next time.
The only real drawback is that I'm going to end up with 3 separate harvests, but that's not a big deal for me.
PCBuds
Well-known member
Thanks!
But I don't like to personify my plants.
That way, I don't care too much if everything turns to crap and dies. Lol
PCBuds
Well-known member
I checked out your album and your LED strips look Really familiar.
You may have the Gen 3 version though.
I went with Gen 2 and air cooled.
I run them at test current and they don't get too hot.
I've just got to maintain airflow.
PCBuds
Well-known member
I originally had the 2-foot strips on the ceiling but they were 4 ' from the soil, so I made the adjustable fixture to hang from the middle.
The only problem with my new fixture is that I used 18 AWG speaker wire from the dollar store and I'm getting quite the power loss across the wire.
The two meters on the right are running the sidelights, with the doorbell wire and running at about 19.5 volts to deliver a bit less than test current.
The meter on the left is running 21.5 Volts to deliver just over test current to the overhead light.
I'm wasting about 5 Watts of power across the 8 feet or so of speaker wire.
Not a really big deal. I'm just adding 5 Watts of heat to the closet and wasting a bit of power.
I will consider replacing the speaker wire with lamp cord when this plant is done.
My very light and minimal fixture doesn't need heavy wire to support it though, so we'll see.
PCBuds
Well-known member
I decided to measure the voltage of the overhead strips at the copper test points and got 19.12 Volts.
The power supply is putting out 21.5 volts, so I've got a 2.38 voltage drop across the speaker wire, so 2.38 Volts X 2.67 Amps is 6.35 Watts of power waste.
No biggie. I don't care. Lol
I've got 12 strips running that are way above my plant that probably aren't doing too damn much.
I could disconnect them but I would probably fall on my plant and end up killing it, so I'll just do the lazy thing and ignore it.
My curved 2' strips on the ceiling can be easily plugged back in to replace the hanging overhead light if I ever grow a plant tall enough to reach the ceiling. Lol
The power supply is putting out 21.5 volts, so I've got a 2.38 voltage drop across the speaker wire, so 2.38 Volts X 2.67 Amps is 6.35 Watts of power waste.
No biggie. I don't care. Lol
I've got 12 strips running that are way above my plant that probably aren't doing too damn much.
I could disconnect them but I would probably fall on my plant and end up killing it, so I'll just do the lazy thing and ignore it.
My curved 2' strips on the ceiling can be easily plugged back in to replace the hanging overhead light if I ever grow a plant tall enough to reach the ceiling. Lol
SuperBadGrower
Active member
Dont count on that mate every plant is different, I'm sure some different auto genetics will give a much easier time in this regard.
But you know what would make growing a 4 ft plant easy? fem photoperiod seeds
(yeah should have drawn it taller lol)
Jokes aside, with a good start they'll reach your desired height no problem
auto or notI wouldnt be surprised if your plants start to outgrow the box when it's all "dialed in" as they say
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PCBuds
Well-known member
Thanks for taking the time to draw that neat picture.
I will use it as my inspiration.
I have managed to grow a White Widow Autoflower that looks quite similar.
Everything except the scrog net.
I have high hopes of growing a nice tall one next plant.
I think I've got the cooler figured out.
No molasses or sour reservoir next plant
I will use it as my inspiration.
I have managed to grow a White Widow Autoflower that looks quite similar.
Everything except the scrog net.
I have high hopes of growing a nice tall one next plant.
I think I've got the cooler figured out.
No molasses or sour reservoir next plant
