UC ROOT HELP!

[COCOAKUSHXBLUE]

Hey farmers...currently running a 3k 12 site 13 gal uc with 1/2 hp chiller..using H&G a&B, aquashield, orca (bigbud, top booster, overdrive, rock resionator). Cant seem to fill my buckets with roots as much as i like..and it seems that around week 2 flower my roots turn to shit...i run sterile (dm zone) week 3..
res change every 14 days
been running uc for almost 2 years and frustrating that i cant completly fill my buckets untill they clog..lol "the bigger the roots the bigger the fruits"-_-
my runs have only got 1# a light and i need to up this!!!

Iv used roots excel but that seems to cause more trouble!
i use orcha with the aquashield and still havnt had much explosion in root mass besides a root ball
i can provide pictures of roots but was wondering what everyone was doing with their roots
my water out the tap is 8.1 130ppm.....
was thinking of going the UC ROOT way but alot of farmers say to use the bennies
should i make a tea (any tips)
need help my fellow farmers any is useful!

 

[altitudefarmer]

Start with a pure, constant base for your plants; invest in RO system or at least a good carbon filter.
I have had a hard time trying to run any beneficials in a rdwc system, but had good results with foliar applications.

 

[COCOAKUSHXBLUE]

you think its my water that causing it even letting it bubble for 24hrs?

 

[altitudefarmer]

More than likely.
There may be other things in your tap water, such as pharmaceuticals, triclosan, hormones, and other nasty stuff. Sad but true.
Tap water + high-priced bennies = wasted $ and sometimes a nasty rez.

 

[altitudefarmer]

You can take the guesswork out of the equation by going RO, and follow the H&G nutrient schedule. What's your pH at, by the way? Certainly not running at 8.1 after adding h&g. Water temps under 69?

 

[COCOAKUSHXBLUE]

ph 5.5-6.1 water temp 64/65.......appreciate the feedback its starting to dissapoint me at this point...bought an ro but didnt relize that it was a 3:1...smhh not even worth it.....gotta look into gettin a 1:1...i also run calmag in veg at half strength.... i follow the h&G schedule but at half strength...

 

[altitudefarmer]

UC uses much less nutrients than other systems; you're right on there. I personally like a sterile system with ionic nutrients in the reservoir; ionic is clean and works well with UC. I foliar organic supplement/boosters for better flavor. H&G is a good product, but may not be perfect for UC

 

[altitudefarmer]

I hear ya on that 3:1 tip. Hideously wasteful. I have the 1:1. Still grinds my gears.

 

[altitudefarmer]

In any case, pick a nutrient line you like for the UC and use their whole lineup. Don't reinvent the wheel and complicate things by trying to mix and match, unless you have a mentor with a proven track record. Keep it simple a possible until you get results you want.

 

[COCOAKUSHXBLUE]

my first run was ionic with rootexcel...didnt try running it sterile but maybe i will go bak that way and run it sterile...what are you using for a sterilizer...iv been using the dm zone...it seems to work to an extent....

 

[COCOAKUSHXBLUE]

this is a pic of a run on week 9 flush....saddd

 

[BudGoggles]

First off you cant be running aquashield,orca with the zone. Its counter productive the zone kills the bennies. Seems your throwing a lot of shit in the system. Try going with just base, a little cal-mag, zone and a single booster til ya get the system figured out.

 

[altitudefarmer]

Yes, what he said^^^… to answer your question, I use a combo in low doses of H2O2 and hygrozyme (or prozyme). I have not ever used zone in my rdwc.

 

[NWElite89]

BudGoggles nailed it on the head.I would do exactly as he said. Running a a full line of nutrients can be tempting, but start with the basics. Then slowly add your additives, boosters, etc.....from there you can keep adding to your system until you can isolate the problem. I know i was running a full line, but have started to cut back and just focus on the base products line of H&G

 

[tipper619sd]

I will cosign with all of the farmers who have responded on here. They have given u much wisdom ... And me also K.I.S.S method all the way! then after a few runs u can add boosters of ur choice but u gotta know ur stuff thats all. Much love and peace and happy farming guys.

 

[COCOAKUSHXBLUE]

Thanks for the responses...i only use zone after week 2 wen i cut the bennies off...

 

[altitudefarmer]

In any case, pick a nutrient line you like for the UC and use their whole lineup. Don't reinvent the wheel and complicate things by trying to mix and match, unless you have a mentor with a proven track record. Keep it simple a possible until you get results you want.

OK, I did not actually mean their ENTIRE lineup. My bad for being unclear. I meant do not mix and match products from different lines. I would delete the word "whole" if I could still edit.
Budgoggles nailed it.

 

[woodsmaneh]

I would not worry to much about filling your bucket with roots, I have only done it a few times and my results were not that different than with it 4/3 full of roots. If the plants is growing well don't sweat it. When I first started with the UC I thought the measure of success was a great big square root mass like some I saw but I found all that did was clog it up. Having good roots is important but judging your grow on the size of the roots is like worrying about the size of your Johnson, it's what you do with what you have. lol

Most manufactures say don't mix products and that is self serving to a large extent but not a bad idea when talking about boosters and the new best stuff. I don't really agree as some companies have a few really good products and I like to mix and match. For example I use Canna A&B, CalMag with Big Bud and Overdrive, works great. I also use DM Gold A&B and H&G Shooting powder and Zone. I have tried other combo's and not had any issues.

As Budgoggles was pointing out when you toss in a few different products some times it's hard to tell what may be causing a problem, so keeping it simple will help identify any issues. When I try new products I always make sure they are compatible with base nutrients A&B and a Calmag adder, than I only use it as directed and not with other additives so I can see what it does.

 

[ape it]

Zone is awesome!
I have 4 8 site uc systems and run canna line ( very clean and top of the line) with zone.
The zone seems to clean the root system and bubbles great. If your looking for a root booster try rhizoctonic. It's compatible with zone. Root excel is not.

 

[COCOAKUSHXBLUE]

UPDATE:
Switched over to the uc line: bloom a & b, bud booster, uc roots, rockresin, budcandy, bigbud, overdrive....my roots are minty clean! Uc roots is best iv used...way better then zone...STERILE all the way! Ill be updating with pics! Thanks everyone who responded appreciate the support and advice!

Farm on my fellow farmers