hi all 1st time DWC scrog questions.

[cranky]

Hi guys and gals

I'm about to start a DWC scrog, ( my first hydro grow )

 

I'm using a large (80Lt) container, 400w hps, plenty of air,

planning on 4 plants, if all 4 of the clones I was given survive, mate gave them to me yesterday I put them in a home made humidi crib and they seem to be doing well (at least to me) they are in rockwool cubes and under 2 x 20w cfl globes 24 hrs , a couple of them wilted for an hour or so,

but all are "up" and looking good now after 24 hrs in the box.

 

Q1: at the moment they are in rockwool, my plan was to grow in clay pellets...

whats the strategy for getting them out of the rockwool cubes and getting

them into the expanded clay net pots ?

 

Q2: the nutes I got from the shop for my babies (once the plants go into the bubbler ) are AusHydroPlus, "experts choice" , from my reading in a DWC set up you use 1/3 to 1/2 mix ? the label reads "use half strength for soft crops, house plants and seedlings" SO....I should use half strength or, I'm thinking at least 1/3 to start with... any suggestions?

 

Q3: How important is PPM ??? things have happened a bit too quick for me clones were not meant to be here for another 2 weeks and I wont be able to afford a tds/ec meter for a few weeks. PH is no problem (got a PH test kit )

Until I get a TDS meter I was planing on changing nuts every 10 days

(my research says this is good ) ??? any thoughts ?

 

 

Thanks for reading

[bluntman_77]

1: put the rockwool cube inside the netpot and fill the netpot with expanded clay so the rockwool cube is not exposed to light (to prevent alge)

 

2: dwc use less nuterients . you should definetly start with 1/3 strength or even less just starting .

 

3: ppm is very dificult without a meter as the guide on the pack of nutrient is not very accurate . you might find what is listed as 1/3 stength is actually very strong in your specific system . get a tds meter a make your nute levels up according to that . search the site if you need information on how much nutrient to use . for my current dwc grow I used approx 500-600ppm for early grow and then moved up to 1200ppm for flowering . start slow and move up if the plants show no sign of problems

 

good luck

[quizywig]

definately need to get a tds meter or something similar, dont look at it as a rule though more a guide or frame of reference, also be aware of what reading the fresh water you use is,

clay balls are my favorite medium, they need to be rinsed well to get the dust and crud out of the system too

[fsagertyaef]

what is a tds meter???

[F420]

it measures the salt levels in the nutrients, so that you know how strong the nutes are.

[cranky]

Thanks guys,

 

found this

cheapest TDS meter I've found

should arrive in time for when I transfer into DWC.

 

1: put the rockwool cube inside the netpot and fill the netpot with expanded clay so the rockwool cube is not exposed to light (to prevent alge)

 

The problem I have is that the clones are not in small rockwool cubes but large ones

of the 3 inch cubed variety, which are going to take up most of the room in the net pots. the only ones my mate had on hand at the time.... I figured that after they rooted,,(mate says 7 days is good with this strain,) that I would gently try and pull away the rock wool from the roots as much as I can and transfer them into the expanded clay.

Clones are 2 days old now, perhaps I can cut the rockwool down in size

now ????

[Tom]

DWC and ScroG don't work together all that well, it can be difficult to lift the lid to check the reservoir when all the plants ar woven into the screen, the screen would have to be attached to the lid of the reservoir and not the walls of the GR.

 

[Guest Eikel]

The problem I have is that the clones are not in small rockwool cubes but large ones

of the 3 inch cubed variety, which are going to take up most of the room in the net pots. the only ones my mate had on hand at the time.... I figured that after they rooted,,(mate says 7 days is good with this strain,) that I would gently try and pull away the rock wool from the roots as much as I can and transfer them into  the  expanded clay.

Clones are 2 days old now, perhaps I can cut the rockwool down in size

now ????

 

Mate, it doesn't matter that much if the rockwool takes most/all of the room in the netpots - providing the rockwool isn't sitting in the solution itself it's no problem.

 

I use 2.5" (is it 3" or 2.5"? or are their both varieties?), for my clones, I've had mates use them in DWC setups no problems, just make sure the cube sits on a bed of clayballs and doesn't actually touch the water.

 

Good luck with your grow, I hope to see some nice plant pics in the future

[cranky]

thanks guys for the info,

 

My box is in an old bathroon that we converted to a laundry. I built the box in the old shower cubicle, I shelved the entire shower cubicle when we converted it to the laundry, but basicly left all plumbing in place

 

So , Im planning on draining nut's from a tap in the res straight down the Drain, to top up I have both running hot and cold water...()..

anyways , here are some pics.

 

first one is my babies in my bodgy humidity crib staright after I got them ,

other 2 are todays pics..(5 day old clones)

 

I ended up pulling a bit of the rockwool off from the cubes a few days ago, it was just too big they have handled it so no biggy so far and they will fit in the pots better. They seem to have handled it OK.

 

 

 

[cranky]

Sry had some trouble undersatanding pic uploads hehehe

this pic ..clones in my bodgy humi crib day1