Need Some Bubblebucket Help

[Letterhead954]

Recently a friend talked me into trying one plant in a bubblebucket, and even gave me most of the equipment to get started (thanks Wozer!) The growth on the plant is absolutely amazing. It's time to put it into flower, but I don't know how to switch the nutes over. I use GH nutes, and have been feeding it 3 tsp of Grow per gallon, along with normal amounts of the other two nutes I usually use in soil. With using GH products in soil or soilless, they have you gradually reduce the Grow and then increase certain other nutes when putting a plant into flower. So, two questions... since I'm using three times the amount of Grow that I use in soil, do I use three times (15 ml/gal) the amount of Bloom? When I switch over, and change the solution, do I start with the 15 ml/gal right away, or do I gradually increase it? In soilless, the amount of Liquid Koolbloom is gradually increased as the plants mature. Should I do the same in my bb? Then, do you do a bb version of a flush when it's near time to harvest? Thanks!

[Camnibus]

If you're using GH, just follow Lucus' formula. Easiest way to go first time around, and usually has great results.

[Perkins]

I grow DWC and use the GH Flora line, been growing this way for years. When I switch to a 12 hour flowering photoperiod I don't do anything special other than slightly changing the amount of nutes I'm feeding. I don't drain my system or anything, just follow the feeding chart that GH designed, strength all depends on the plants. Learn to read the plants and let them tell you how strong your nute mix needs to be. Just remember, the 3 part base nutes are most important and your additives like Kool Bloom will be more effective in lower doses.

[phaquetoo]

the recipee on the nutes is made by the nute company, the grow bible says if you are new, just use 30% of what it calls for on all, and add as needed, like mentioned above, If you are getting alot of brown leaves when you shouldnt, I have found im using to much of the nutes, I use gh 3 part system, Im now using it at 50% of the called for amount in the recipee, try that out, rememeber the nute manufacturer is putting the recipee on the bottle, so you know they are looking for alot of repeat biz, im not saying full strength will kill them every time, but ive lost a few at full strength, im hoping to get past this learning curve I have going on this time around! check out the grow bible, it is packed with some of the best info! I personaly couldnt handle the dwc, but im gettting ready to give it another try!

 

Best of luck to you!

 

Peace

Jim

[LongHairBri]

I agree with all of the above suggestions. you don't need to do anything special other than change the timer.

 

 

your biggest hurdle is yet to come. giant budded plants in such a small amount of water will drain a tote dry in 24 hours. it's hard to keep the pH and ppm steady when the water level changes so drastically.

[Highlander]

I agree with all of the above suggestions. you don't need to do anything special other than change the timer.

 

 

your biggest hurdle is yet to come. giant budded plants in such a small amount of water will drain a tote dry in 24 hours. it's hard to keep the pH and ppm steady when the water level changes so drastically.

 

This is very true. I could never dial in my DWC setup until I recirculated everything and ran a chiller.

 

I start with the Lucas formula, adjusted somewhat to account for using city water with some calcium and magnesium in it. I start the mix at about 5mL/gal of the Micro and 10mL/gal of the flora. I also add some Hygrozyme (about 1mL per gallon depending on the season/temperature) and Floralicious Plus at 1mL/gal. I find that this mix still lacks calcium and magnesium. Usually when I mix a new batch of nutes, the pH will be around 6.0 for a few days and then it dives to 5.0ish as the plants take up the calcium and magnesium. At that point I add a little CaliMagic to adjust the pH back up.

 

This nute solution is used from the day the plant leaves the EZ Cloner until the day I start the flush.

 

I almost never clean out the buckets, and I rarely drain and refill the reservoir - maybe once a month, if that. I just keep adding back, and the plants just keep doing their thing.

Edited October 12, 2012 by Highlander

[Letterhead954]

After someone posted a link about the Lucas method I decided to go with Maxi-Bloom, since one of my patients had given me a bag of it. My plant seems to like it. Any yes, Bri, she's drinking like crazy. This all brings me to another question. I mix up two gallons of water with the Maxi-Bloom at a time, and it takes two to three days to use that up. The next day after mixing this up, when I go to water it again, a bubbly foam has formed on the top of the solution (it's in a three gallon pail) and the ph has gone from 5.8 to 6.2 to 6.4. Every time it sits for a day, the ph goes up, and I have to assume it's going up in the bucket the plant is in. Any idea of why the ph goes up? The plant isn't showing any ph problems yet.

[Perkins]

There is no such thing as a perfect ph number, different elements become more available to your plants at different ph levels. Cannabis is a pretty ph tolerant plant, as long as you keep your res in the 5.5-6.5 window you'll be cool.

[LongHairBri]

you should aquire a pH pen.

 

THEY ALL SUCK, they all break. this is why I recommend buying the cheapest one off ebay...like $6....get 2.

 

you can use the second to verify each other, and you'll have a spare.

 

another good tip. when pen is new, check the pH of your tap water a few times over a few days. now, if in doubt, you can use that # to make sure your pen is giving the right reading

[Letterhead954]

Yup, I have a ph pen. It's a big help. Strangely, I checked the ph of the solution in my bb, and it was still at 5.8, while the solution I use to refill the bb goes up the next day after I reduce it to 5.8. I suppose the plant using up the nutes keeps the ph level.

I have a ph testing solution for my ph pen, and calibrated it last month. It was off by a few points.

[phaquetoo]

There is no such thing as a perfect ph number, different elements become more available to your plants at different ph levels. Cannabis is a pretty ph tolerant plant, as long as you keep your res in the 5.5-6.5 window you'll be cool.

 

if there is not perfect number than how do you come up with 5.5 to 6.5, if you read the grow bible they say 7 is optimum!

 

Peace

Jim

[phaquetoo]

Yup, I have a ph pen. It's a big help. Strangely, I checked the ph of the solution in my bb, and it was still at 5.8, while the solution I use to refill the bb goes up the next day after I reduce it to 5.8. I suppose the plant using up the nutes keeps the ph level.

I have a ph testing solution for my ph pen, and calibrated it last month. It was off by a few points.

 

im not doing dwc any longer but i have to make my mix and let it sit for at least 5 days with a bubler of course. before the ph levels out and stays the same, try that, I chck my res every day, I adjust as needed, around the 5th day it stays steady usualy!

 

Peace

Jim

[Bison]

Ph and nutrient absorption explained:

 

http://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/103677-ph-other-plant-problems-solutions.html

[Dlo]

if there is not perfect number than how do you come up with 5.5 to 6.5, if you read the grow bible they say 7 is optimum!

 

Peace

Jim

Ive never heard anyone say 7 is optimum

[Letterhead954]

Yup, Cervantes says 6.5 to 7 is optimal in soil. Page 215. Hmmm. Maybe that's one of the reasons I'm having trouble with my plants in soil (soilless, actually).

[Perkins]

 

 

if there is not perfect number than how do you come up with 5.5 to 6.5, if you read the grow bible they say 7 is optimum!

 

Peace

Jim

 

I thought I was pretty clear.... Different elements are absorbed by the plants best at different ph levels, there is no perfect ph number that all elements are at optimum availability to the plant. Google a ph chart if that doesn't make sense to you.

 

5.5 to 6.5 is a pretty good window for hydro, that's from my own research not a book. 7.0 is not acidic enough for hydro, I don't care what book you read it in...