bubbler grow diary

[pipeman]

A few people have asked me to put together a bubbler grow diary, from construction to finished crop, so here it is. Fingers crossed that I actually make it to a finished crop to complete this thread.

 

If its not already obvious I just want to highlight the fact that I am a newbie grower and have kinda just jumped into this, so please don't assume the way I'm doing things is the best way, and I hope experienced growers will chime in with their input where needed.

 

So to start a bubbler is basically a bucket, usually 15 to 20 litres. It has an airpump connected to an airstone in the bottom of the bucket and a net pot with clay balls in the lid. The nute solution is filled up to about the bottom of the net pot and the roots grow through and sit in the bubbling solution. The net pot with clay balls is mainly just to support the plant. This has the reputation as being one of the fastest hydro grow methods around, and is pretty simple.

 

I used an aero cloner to prepare clones for my bubbler and will stick to this method. Its good because once they root in the aero cloner you can leave them there in a weak nute solution and let the roots grow out. usually with bubblers you need to water from the top until the roots grow down into the solution. But with clones with long roots this isn't necessary, as they can reach the solution from Day 1. You can check out my aero cloner in this thread.

Edited August 23, 2003 by pipeman

[pipeman]

For the buckets I used 20L hobby boxes from K-Mart or Target, about $5 each from memory. To make light proof I wrapped them in black PVC duct tape. One roll easily did two boxes & lids.

 

To cut the holes in lids for the netpots I used a knife heated up with a blowtorch lighter. It cut like a hot knife through plastic

[pipeman]

the bubbler in action. I only got one bucket for this grow. I would have had two but pushed too hard with the drill and cracked one of the buckets. For the next grow I'll have 2 or 3.

 

Here is a pic of the bubbler with the lid off.

[pipeman]

I aim for a PH of 5.7, which is no problem, but what I didn't know with bubblers is that you're only meant to use 1/3 strength nutes, in about the third week I mixed a solution of full strength canna veg nutes as per the instructions on the bottle and burned the plant. A couple days flush with plain Ph adjusted water and then 1/3 strength nutes and it recovered OK I think.

[pipeman]

This plant grew pretty fast, this pic gives an idea of 3 weeks growth, including my stuff up with the nutes.

[pipeman]

root mass after about 4 weeks weeks. I'm told being rootbound isn't a problem with bubblers. We'll see I guess.

[pipeman]

the main stem got pretty thick pretty fast

[pipeman]

OK after about 4-5 weeks veg. I was ready to move it into my flowering cupboard. It really only needed 2-3 weeks veg, but I wasn't ready with my other cupboard.

 

It was getting real awkward lifting the plant and lid out to do topups, so I added a control bucket. I bought 19mm pipe from a hardware and got these rubber grommits to suit from a hydro shop. All you do is get a spade bit and drill a 22mm hole in the bottom of your bucket, but the rubber grommit in and push the pipe through and you have a waterproof connection.

 

The level in the plant bucket auto level to the control bucket as long as they are both at the same height and connected at the bottom. You do all your PH adjustments and empty/fill the buckets from the control bucket. I only have one bucket, but its the same principle no matter how many buckets you have. Just run your pipe around your grow room and tee off into plant buckets as necessary.

Edited June 4, 2003 by pipeman

[pipeman]

Its important to keep the control bucket light proof as well. I used just a plain old 8 litre bucket for 95c from bunnings wrapped in black tape. for the lid I taped up a lid from a 20L bucket I bought for making hash.

 

For my next grow I'm gonna have the control bucket outside the cabinet, which will leave more room for plants and will also allow me to do empty/fill/adjustments during the dark cycle.

 

Also I have an airstone in the control bucket which I think is pretty important.

[pipeman]

air pump for the airstones run non stop, otherwise the roots will drown. For info on air pumps check out the pinned thread about DWC pumps in this forum.

 

I've been pretty slack with nute management. Sometimes it has gone without nutes for over a week (filled with water and forgot to add nutes ), and on occasion the bucket has run almost bone dry before I topped it up. The top leaves are light green, small, and a bit droopy probably due to nute deficiency, hopefully it'll pick up now that I will be paying closer attention to nute/water levels.

 

The rule of thumb with bubblers is that you empty the system and remix a fresh batch of nutes every two weeks. Some say you should even run it on plain water for a day at every changeover before adding nutes to ensure you don't get nute lockout. Others say you don't need to flush at all during the whole grow, just keep topping up with 1/4 or 1/3 strength nutes. Who knows, just experience and trial and error I guess. From what I've read the more often you change the solution the better the plants do.

 

anyway, here is a pic of the control bucket in the cupboard. I sit the fan and air pump on top. Its important to get your air pump higher than the water level otherwise if the pump fails or power goes out the water can backflow and wreck the pump.

Edited June 4, 2003 by pipeman