Thanks doc
Couple of questions:
What magnification are you finding most useful for looking at trichs with your microscope?
and...
I would eventually like to have a grow method where my plants can go untended for at least a week.
With hempy buckets, the size of the res could be increased easily by placing the bucket(s) in a tray with additional nute solution. This might promote root rot, but maybe not.
I've also been thinking about autopots, which use a valve and are self-watering from a large external reservoir. You can use any soil-less medium.
any thoughts?
take care bro
Microscope: I'm not really practiced with it, but lower magnification is always easier to view things....small movement is amplified with magnification.
You and I are on the same page regarding automation of watering. Here's my current thinking on the topic:
1.)You don't want to increase the size of the pot's reservoir. You don't want root rot.
2.)Autowatering, therefore, must require an additional nute reservoir a la Ebb n Grow, Flood/drain, etc.
The idea I'm leaning towards is using a hydro pump, immersed in nute solution, on a timer. You can't overwater these things, unless you constantly water to the point where you overwhelm the drain hole.
So, if you watered for 5 minutes, once per day with a "safe" PPM and PH'd solution, you could be absent for days.....as long as you don't run out of nute solution.
Drain to waste is a very good thing as it keeps the salts from building up and keeps the PH stable.
I always have about a 10% runoff with each watering, which I test.
The PH of the runoff is within spec, and the PPM of the runoff is lower than what I put in.....which tells me the plants are eating and the salts aren't building up to the point where they are influencing the PH.
The easiest way, however, to be gone a week is to grow in 5 gallon buckets. I've heard of people watering every 5 days in those.....but you'll be able to sell firewood from the trunks of those nasty girls after you chop 'em.
All in all, I think soil is probably the safest for being gone a week, and hydro is the most dangerous. I can't believe how fast things can go south on a hydro grow.....just imagine a pump failure of bad fitting and you're not home for another 3 days. Bye bye plants.
With a hempy, you could revive them easy, i think.