piggySquishy
- 5
- 3
I've been around huge grow rooms before, I've even had a couple of grow rooms inside my house before where I was even able to make roses bloom in pots because I had my set up dialed in so perfectly. So step one I've taken a good bit of time looking at what manufacturers are building and selling for top dollar, and then scouring through YouTube to see everything that every other person out there has dreamed up tried and built. Finally I've turned to the sites and forums to listen to every person out their who knows enough to have something to say on every topic and complied it all together... Which brings me to writing to everyone here today, to discuss what I have learned, or believe I've learned, learn where I might be going right in my design, or if my design ideas are flawed please just tell me.
While to start with I am not looking to run anything more than a closet setup, so the last thing I want is some 64-plant cloner hogging up space I really don't have to start with.
After careful thought I considered every type of size, and ended up deciding that it seems that Cloners really boil down to just a few types:
#1.- The old school design is putting clones in rockwool, peat moss, soil, etc... and to place it inside a growing tray, and placing a cover over the top of it. I've done this before and it works for growing plants in soil, but the system I want to grow in is geared more towards aeroponics, not soil.
#2.- A platform floats on the water with your clone ends sit in the water which has an air stone bubbling oxygen into the water, encouraging root development and growth. So if I am understanding this concept correctly this is the type of cloner you'd want to use for Water Culture, EBB & Flow, etc...
#3.- A dark, water-tight container holds a submergible pump and pumps water out to some misting jets, which all 360-misters. So I am guessing this is the type of cloner I'd want to make and use for Aeroponics.
I know from a lot of research, and personal experience that no matter what you are doing with plants to stay away from anything with PVC and some other types of plastics, as they leech chemicals into the water, soil, mix with other nutrients and chemicals and can have any unknown reaction on your plants. So whenever possible stick to paying for Food Grade plastics and products, to prevent future issues and problems arising down the line.
Knowing this I felt then perhaps my best way would be just using a 5-gallon Food Grade bucket (bought at most hardware stores, and stated "Food-Grade"), but as one grower pointed out in his YouTube video he had problems with his cloner pump running 24/7 as it heated up his water too much, so he put in on a timer to run 15-mins on and 15-mins off. But I was also considering adding an air stone to the bottom of the bucket and just seeing if it would even make a difference; unless someone here can tell me the answer?
The only time a cloner really seems to need a clear lid over the top of it is when you are dealing with issues controlling the temperatures around the plants, or you are concerned with cool drafts. Am I understanding this concept correctly?
Finally when it comes to rooting hormones in the cloner water, rooting gels & powders, and even honey are all great to encouraging rooting, it seems that only some people use them in the water setups, and everyone needs them in the soil setups.
Finally I am brought to the question... What have I overlooked or what am I missing?
While to start with I am not looking to run anything more than a closet setup, so the last thing I want is some 64-plant cloner hogging up space I really don't have to start with.
After careful thought I considered every type of size, and ended up deciding that it seems that Cloners really boil down to just a few types:
#1.- The old school design is putting clones in rockwool, peat moss, soil, etc... and to place it inside a growing tray, and placing a cover over the top of it. I've done this before and it works for growing plants in soil, but the system I want to grow in is geared more towards aeroponics, not soil.
#2.- A platform floats on the water with your clone ends sit in the water which has an air stone bubbling oxygen into the water, encouraging root development and growth. So if I am understanding this concept correctly this is the type of cloner you'd want to use for Water Culture, EBB & Flow, etc...
#3.- A dark, water-tight container holds a submergible pump and pumps water out to some misting jets, which all 360-misters. So I am guessing this is the type of cloner I'd want to make and use for Aeroponics.
I know from a lot of research, and personal experience that no matter what you are doing with plants to stay away from anything with PVC and some other types of plastics, as they leech chemicals into the water, soil, mix with other nutrients and chemicals and can have any unknown reaction on your plants. So whenever possible stick to paying for Food Grade plastics and products, to prevent future issues and problems arising down the line.
Knowing this I felt then perhaps my best way would be just using a 5-gallon Food Grade bucket (bought at most hardware stores, and stated "Food-Grade"), but as one grower pointed out in his YouTube video he had problems with his cloner pump running 24/7 as it heated up his water too much, so he put in on a timer to run 15-mins on and 15-mins off. But I was also considering adding an air stone to the bottom of the bucket and just seeing if it would even make a difference; unless someone here can tell me the answer?
The only time a cloner really seems to need a clear lid over the top of it is when you are dealing with issues controlling the temperatures around the plants, or you are concerned with cool drafts. Am I understanding this concept correctly?
Finally when it comes to rooting hormones in the cloner water, rooting gels & powders, and even honey are all great to encouraging rooting, it seems that only some people use them in the water setups, and everyone needs them in the soil setups.
Finally I am brought to the question... What have I overlooked or what am I missing?