I’m raising two WW plants from your seed bank using RDWC hyropods for each plant. Each week I “flush, feed & fill” using PH appropriate water and a mix of Hydro General liquid nutes under Red/Blue LED. One plant has been in the soup for almost 8 weeks, the other is at around week 5. Usually this goes without any complications. This week, however, something went wrong. Both plants - especially the more mature WW that’s just starting to grow the first hints of buds - went into shock after the flushing. I replaced the water and nutes as quickly as possible and 24 hours later they are beginning to look better but this was definitely a shock to my system as well. Any wisdom on this? I’m freaked about doing more flushes after this, but if they stay healthy I’ll obviously want to go to clear water before harvest.
Welcome! I have no experience with hydro, but someone will be along soon to help.
If you have checked the pH(should be 5.8) and the PPM is under 1200 you should be OK. I’ve never experienced shocking but maybe it took some time to get oxygenated? Was the water sitting for a while? You should be at ~8mlM/16mLB/gal. What does this shocking look like?
I’m unable to gauge PPM, but at a primitive level the PH is running at just barely 6. It was definitely a shock reaction. The whole plant wilted (both of them, but the more mature one was the worst). The leaves drooped and curled.
The branches went limp. It was like watching any person who’s suffered a trauma. What freaked me is that I’ve been doing this routine on a weekly (give or take two days). After this experience, since the plants seem to have mostly recovered after I rushed
them back into water and nutes, I’m thinking I won’t flush again until harvest. Thoughts?
Still no thoughts from you so I’ve gone on without.
I guess I’m just a little confused.
What is your meaning of a flush in RDWC? If you mean you are letting the plant sit in unfertilized nutrient water for 24 hours halfway into flower then don’t do that.
If a flush means just changing the reservoir or with a freshly mixed up batch of RO nutrient then you are ok.
Flushes, at least the type similar to soil is not needed in RDWC. If you wanna clean out lines and stuff in your RDWC then do a simple 1 hour flush by running some fresh water with some florakleen through your system then get the freshly mixed up batch of nutes back into the reservoir quickly after that, especially if the lights are pumped all the way up.
If I can get my ppms close to zero then I only run plain water through the system for a couple of days at the very end. This would be considered the only “flush” I do for the entire grow.
Sounds like a great plan. Do Rez change if needed between now and then but not a flush.
That’s the best I got on the information provided in the thread
How are you successfully running hydro without the proper tools to gauge ppm and pH? I’d think that was step one.
What temperature was the flush water? anything under 60 f. is not good and won’t flush certain salts and nitrates, warm water is recommended for flushing, in fact ammonium nitrate is stubborn until 93 f. and that’s the reason I don’t use it in any amount other than the 1% found in CaNO3. Luke warm should be the lowest temps and 95 f. if you’re using ammonium nitrate, anything above that is too hot. Cold water will definitely shock a plant.
I’m beginning to think there is something seriously off with the water PH levels. I tested through a “resting” tank yesterday and it was running in the high acid range -5. Today’s test results were in the high alkaline level +8.
I dumped off most of the water and replaced with clear tap water that always ranges 6 to 7. I’m going to let the whole business rest overnight and then retest tomorrow morning and report then. I appreciate the weigh-ins from everyone.
@Rarrrr, use more than one container and see if it’s not the container leaching something or reacting somehow, light degrades all kinds of plastic and other materials too, it’s why you should never use vinyl, it breaks down and releases it’s chloride/chlorine in the water.
Thanks Shatter and all others. Steep learning curve.
Sumthin don’t look right, too many thin spindly branches competing with each other for light IMHO.
You may need stronger light.
Can you recommend something in lighting suitable to a small space?
I’m partial to CMH 315W but I’m no expert on LED but have read they’ve come a long way and are the most efficient, however they are more expensive than CMH and with CMH you only have to replace the bulb after its service life has run out and changing from grow to flower is as easy as changing the bulb and nothing else. LED do last longer but I don’t want to steer you wrong then later on regretting the purchase, there’s allot to consider. Seek and search before you spend is my motto.
Thanks. I’m going to give this thread a rest for a few days while I wait for that tank to level off. I’ve made some changes and want to see if they take hold.
