kraker
- Posts
- 11
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- Joined
- Jan 7, 2021
- Points
- 3
Setup
- Medium: Rockwool (6” cubes)
- Irrigation: Microdrippers (drain-to-waste)
- Water EC: ~0.5–0.6 (tap water)
- No full climate control (temperatures can reach ~30°C+)
- Nutrient formulation designed with HydroBuddy
- Goal: simple, repeatable, salt-based feeding
Vegetative Phase (Day 0–14)
Per 10L:
- Peters 6-18-36 → 6.5 g
- Calcinit → 5 g
- MgSO4 → 3.5 g
Targets:
- EC: 1.2 → 1.6
- pH: 5.5 → 5.7
HydroBuddy screenshot:
Stretch Phase (Flower Day 1–21)
Per 10L:
- Peters → 7.5 g
- Calcinit → 6 g
- MgSO4 → 3.5 g
- MKP → 0.5 g
Targets:
- EC: 1.5 → 1.7–1.8
- pH: 5.6 → 5.8
Objective: controlled stretch without excessive generative push.
HydroBuddy screenshot:
Bulk Phase (Flower Day 22–48)
Per 10L:
- Peters → 8.25 g
- Calcinit → 3.5 g
- MgSO4 → 3 g
- K2SO4 → 0.9 g
- MKP → 0 g
Targets:
- EC: 1.9 → 2.3–2.4 → 2.0
- pH: 5.7 → 5.9
Strategy: higher potassium, reduced nitrogen for density and yield.
HydroBuddy screenshot:
Finish (Flower Day 49–59)
Per 10L:
- Peters → 4 g
- MgSO4 → 2.5 g
- K2SO4 → 1.25 g
- MKP → 0.5 g
- No Calcinit
Targets:
- EC: 1.5 → 1.1
- pH: 5.8 → 6.0
Low-nitrogen finish
HydroBuddy screenshot:
Environmental Adjustments
- High temperature (>30°C): reduce EC by ~0.2
- Normal: no adjustment
- Low temperature (<22°C): increase EC by ~0.1
Irrigation Notes
- Drain-to-waste with 10–20% runoff
- Using Growlink with substrate sensors to run a VWC-driven irrigation strategy, instead of fixed timer schedules.
- Monitoring drain EC and pH
- Monitoring substrate EC
- Avoiding salt accumulation
- Frequent, smaller irrigation events preferred over large infrequent ones
Design Approach
- Keep inputs simple (no unnecessary additives)
- Use EC as the main control variable
- Allow pH drift within range rather than fixing a single value
- Maintain a clean system using HOCl
Questions
I would appreciate feedback on the following points:
- Phosphorus levels during bulk
Currently around ~60–65 ppm from base nutrients only (no MKP). Is this still slightly high or acceptable? - Potassium level in finish (~200–220 ppm)
Is this optimal for ripening, or would you adjust it? - Sterile system (HOCl)
Any drawbacks in long-term rockwool drip systems? - Calcium removal in finish
I rely on ~60 ppm from tap water. Would you still add a minimal amount of calcium, or leave it as is?
Objective
To build a system that is:
- stable
- reproducible
- low maintenance
- resistant to clogging
- high yielding
Attachments
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