Hey Boom, nice update.
Sucks about the mites, but shit happens.
Definitely a foxtail.
As far as drying, I forget where I read it, but I came across some thread where the dude was a fucking fanatic about drying - had alarms and sensors and shit in a specially constructed drying room - not like some plywood and a fan, like a walk in humidor type thing.
Anyways, if memory serves he kept his temp at 70-75F and RH somewhere around 60% - said it took about three weeks of hang drying before they were ready to jar.
Like you, I'm trying to step my drying game up and am gonna contruct a special hang-dry box soon - no more 4 day drys for me.
Oh, now I remember what I wanted to ask you - with your drain to waste, what size is your reservoir? How many gallons a day do you go through? Is there any kind of sizeable pH/EC swing in between changes? I realize they'd prolly not be anything like recirculating swings, but I've gotta believe nutes just chilling in a rez for a week are gonna have some form or reaction and swing the pH, no?
I'm back off the recirculating NFT with a chiller and back on the DTW kick.
the stats for drying temps sounds about right if i recall. ill look in my books before i make a decision.
for my two flower tables, i have 2x70gal rez underneath. honestly im still testing my watering schedule. it varies so idk exact gallons used per day. if id have to guess itd be sumthing like 10gal? figuring that i usually never fill all the way to 70gallons in the rez and i change the rez out every week. so should break down to 10gal/day right? i hope i can still count geez haha.
the ph swing is usually my doing... i talked with jack and he informed me of a few things i was doing wrong...
1. i add PH down to adjust where i want almost immediately after i add my new nute reg.
2. i pour an "estimated" amount of PH up/down directly into the rez which is acid and oops my bad...
anyways he mentioned to dilute the ph solution in a seperate container/cup before tossin in the rez.
also my RO ph is high, usually about 8.0+ so originally i was also pourin straight PH solution into the RO 200gall rez downstairs, and allowing it to adjust to the PH level i desired (5.6-6.1)
-issue with this is....
once i pump the fresh RO water from the 200gal rez up into the flower room rez, i also still need to add my nutes. When adding nutes theyre acidic and bring the PH down. Now lets say i put fresh RO in my emtpy 70gal rez and the PH is 6.0, then i add my nutes, it could b lik 4.5 or sum shit. then u gotta add UP then DOWN etc. ive overdone the ph up/down in my first round and saw sum bad results with it. this round ive been better about it but what the point of this rambling is that u should leave ur RO ph stasis then add ur nutes, wait a while and see where the PH swings too. this should help stabilize the rez ph. i havent done this enough myself to say its compeltely true, but im sure it is. anyways the other concept is that cannabis uptakes diff macro/micro nutes at diff stages in life and the uptake availability is based on the ph of thesolution. so letting ur rez swing from 5.5-6.3 is almost a good thing to allow the plant to uptake all possible nutes being fed. thats the theory at least and im testing it.
now im lookin bak laughin at how much i jsut wrote. hope it answered ur question if not plz ask again lol.
I completely agree with lead on the residual of 30-60 days. I actually did the same thing boomer did last year, saw mites, freaked out and talked to my shop and got a small amount of forbid. I used it twice and harvested 4 weeks later. I could tate something different than normal, and could only attribute it to forbid.
If you see them late in the game like that in the future, use a soap/water solution or at the very most a product like azamax that is is basically vegetable oil. it is still not reccomended. The key is to stay on a preventative plan. Alternate every few -5 days a system of forbid, avid and azamax all through veg epecially in your mother room.
just my .02
def doin more research and talked to the guys at GC and still is sayin ill be fine after 4weeks but i guess only time will tell. unfortunately its not my first option (as u can see i tried many others first) but like u said PREVENTION CONTROL is the best and really only method. i have now sat down to put together a whole lil lineup and charting it on my calendar for scheduled pest maintence basically lol. anyways thanks for the alternative method to use and positive demeanor.
Hey Boomer.....I asked you before but I think it got skipped over. Did you ever consider ladybugs for the mites?
ya ive used them off and on in both my veg and flower rooms. they usually suicide bomb the hids and die but if they stick around an dlive, that means they have food. which is bad for u... but honestly idk if the predaotr mites even work, not like u can see them in action or flying around like ladybugs, or lacewings. im thinkin the hot ticket mite be using the lacewings. they eat anything and each other if needed. mike mentioned he picked these up and i think hes right that they all over the best predator. predator mites only eat spider mites, not thirps and gnats etc. anyways another long answer... next... :rauch08:
he actually used predator mites, which kick ladybugs ass's lol.
i wish they kicked more ass and stopped the mites before webbing lol. oh well live and learn and changin shit up already for next round.
