dankworth
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The micro is 5-0-1(npk) and the bloom is 0-5-4. Then Cal-mag(if botanicare) is 2-0-0 (but with 3.2 calcium and 1.2 magnesium)
That means 5% N, 0% P, and 1% K for the micro, for example.
So you multiply the NPK values of the micro x 6
And multiply the NPK values of the bloom x9
And multiply the cal-mag x 5
Because of how many mls of each bottle you add.
So if we add that up, for NPK we get 40-45-36 (N is 5 x 6=30 for micro. N is 2 x 5=10 for cal-mag. Like that.)
All the big kids relate ratios according to P. P is always 1.
So we divide the N value(40) by the P value(45) to get around .89 for N.
P is 1.
K is .8(36 divided by 45)
To give us the ratio of .89-1-.8.
Instead of the 3-1-2 ratio for example. You will have to read the GH bottles to figure out the math on Calcium and Magnesium.
The tricky part of a drip system in some ways is res behavior. Best uptake of nutes, I read, is when nute solution is 7-9 degrees below ambient temps for plants. I would just shoot for 68-70 degrees for res temp if I were you.
But then temps will vary. And ph may drift, it depends on a few things.
It is good to track ph of your res over a few days with a pump laying on its side like that circulating it. Then you would need also another pump to drive the irrigation gig.
Look at Leadsled's DIY coco pot drip thread on this site.
But if your ph drifts and you do not have a machine that tracks ph and pumps in small amounts of ph up or down, you will be screwed. Because feeding coco plants outside of the 5.8-6.0 range will cause problems for them sooner rather than later.
So that is why I am stuck handwatering until I set up a bigass res w/ph management. So my temp, ppms, ph can be very close to perfect dvery time I water.
But this one dude on this site pointed out how a good dripper system with coco gets twice the veg growth of handwatering.
Because coco performs the best at a certain stage of wetness, a certain "saturation rate". You will see this in person when you handwater. The surge in growth, then it tapers off as the coco gets drier and drier. You will have to fine-tune your gig yourself.
But when you scale up, you can get an aquarium ph monitoring system for under $200. That and some certain pumps(not same kind as ecoplus for example) that are cheap to pump diluted ph up or ph down to your res to adjust it.
And a chiller or heater, depending on what you need
And drain to waste.
Then you would have a system that could run for a week without you there and have everything work out awesome.
But only if your food is perfect.
You should read and reread the DIY nutrient threads on this site. It took me a bunch of reading to figure out WTF every one was talking about. I started trying to figure this out in may 2010. I should have buckled down and learned it. I would have saved a lot of money.
Hope this helps.
If I forget to look at this thread (I forget where I've been on this site) shoot me a pm so I know you have a question for me on this thread.
That means 5% N, 0% P, and 1% K for the micro, for example.
So you multiply the NPK values of the micro x 6
And multiply the NPK values of the bloom x9
And multiply the cal-mag x 5
Because of how many mls of each bottle you add.
So if we add that up, for NPK we get 40-45-36 (N is 5 x 6=30 for micro. N is 2 x 5=10 for cal-mag. Like that.)
All the big kids relate ratios according to P. P is always 1.
So we divide the N value(40) by the P value(45) to get around .89 for N.
P is 1.
K is .8(36 divided by 45)
To give us the ratio of .89-1-.8.
Instead of the 3-1-2 ratio for example. You will have to read the GH bottles to figure out the math on Calcium and Magnesium.
The tricky part of a drip system in some ways is res behavior. Best uptake of nutes, I read, is when nute solution is 7-9 degrees below ambient temps for plants. I would just shoot for 68-70 degrees for res temp if I were you.
But then temps will vary. And ph may drift, it depends on a few things.
It is good to track ph of your res over a few days with a pump laying on its side like that circulating it. Then you would need also another pump to drive the irrigation gig.
Look at Leadsled's DIY coco pot drip thread on this site.
But if your ph drifts and you do not have a machine that tracks ph and pumps in small amounts of ph up or down, you will be screwed. Because feeding coco plants outside of the 5.8-6.0 range will cause problems for them sooner rather than later.
So that is why I am stuck handwatering until I set up a bigass res w/ph management. So my temp, ppms, ph can be very close to perfect dvery time I water.
But this one dude on this site pointed out how a good dripper system with coco gets twice the veg growth of handwatering.
Because coco performs the best at a certain stage of wetness, a certain "saturation rate". You will see this in person when you handwater. The surge in growth, then it tapers off as the coco gets drier and drier. You will have to fine-tune your gig yourself.
But when you scale up, you can get an aquarium ph monitoring system for under $200. That and some certain pumps(not same kind as ecoplus for example) that are cheap to pump diluted ph up or ph down to your res to adjust it.
And a chiller or heater, depending on what you need
And drain to waste.
Then you would have a system that could run for a week without you there and have everything work out awesome.
But only if your food is perfect.
You should read and reread the DIY nutrient threads on this site. It took me a bunch of reading to figure out WTF every one was talking about. I started trying to figure this out in may 2010. I should have buckled down and learned it. I would have saved a lot of money.
Hope this helps.
If I forget to look at this thread (I forget where I've been on this site) shoot me a pm so I know you have a question for me on this thread.