Grow Room for Volksgarden

Ok, I need the help of everyone on this one, especially those with a Volksgarden... I'm going to make an attempt to buy everything I need to run the VG the first or second week of October. In order to do so, I need to acquire everything I'm going to need as cheaply as possible, in addition to having no life and eating bare necessities for the next couple months.

The following is a list I've compiled. Please take a close look to see if I've forgotten anything and accounted for enough money. Thanks again everyone!

Cloning:
- 4 x Propagation Trays -10'' x 20'' (About $8)
- 4 x 50 Cell Tray Insert ($8)
- 3 x Bag of 32 Rockwool Plugs ($30)
* Or instead, 4 x B’cuzz maxi-plug trays, RW cylinders ($60) *
- 4 x Clear Dome - 10'' x 20'' x 6''($28)
- 80 x Rockwool Cubes - 3 x 3 x 2.5” ($100)
- Heating Mat - 20” x 48” ($75)
- Heat Mat Thermostat ($30)
- Liquid rooting hormone ($15?)
- Hygrozyme($20?)
- Clonex rooting gel ($15?)
- Clonex cloning solution ($20?)

Lights:
- Quantum 600w Dimmable Ballast ($250)
- Hortilux HPS 600w Bulb ($110)
- Light Socket ($35)

Volksgarden & Stuff:
- Volksgarden plus shipping ($2165)
- Res Pump ($75)
- Reservoir ($20)
- Air Pump ($35)
- Air Stone ($-5)
- 6” Inline Duct Fan ($40)
- 6” Flexible Duct ($20)
- Digital Temp/Hum. ($30)
- Digital timer ($30)
 
leonardo said:
Ok, I need the help of everyone on this one, especially those with a Volksgarden... I'm going to make an attempt to buy everything I need to run the VG the first or second week of October. In order to do so, I need to acquire everything I'm going to need as cheaply as possible, in addition to having no life and eating bare necessities for the next couple months.

The following is a list I've compiled. Please take a close look to see if I've forgotten anything and accounted for enough money. Thanks again everyone!

Cloning:
- 4 x Propagation Trays -10'' x 20'' (About $8)
- 4 x 50 Cell Tray Insert ($8)
- 3 x Bag of 32 Rockwool Plugs ($30)
* Or instead, 4 x B'cuzz maxi-plug trays, RW cylinders ($60) *
- 4 x Clear Dome - 10'' x 20'' x 6''($28)
- 80 x Rockwool Cubes - 3 x 3 x 2.5" ($100)
- Heating Mat - 20" x 48" ($75)
- Heat Mat Thermostat ($30)
- Liquid rooting hormone ($15?)
- Hygrozyme($20?)
- Clonex rooting gel ($15?)
- Clonex cloning solution ($20?)

Lights:
- Quantum 600w Dimmable Ballast ($250)
- Hortilux HPS 600w Bulb ($110)
- Light Socket ($35)

Volksgarden & Stuff:
- Volksgarden plus shipping ($2165)
- Res Pump ($75)
- Reservoir ($20)
- Air Pump ($35)
- Air Stone ($-5)
- 6" Inline Duct Fan ($40)
- 6" Flexible Duct ($20)
- Digital Temp/Hum. ($30)
- Digital timer ($30)
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Nice list.. Think you may want rockwool conditioner if using rockwool or look into the new SuretoGrow cubes. Suppose to be superior alternative and do not need conditioning as they are pH neutral.

Also the timer mentioned under volks.. stuff I assume is for the light. You'll need a cycle timer for your res pump. Usually run about $80.

Dont forget about 6 inch duct clamps.

Hygrozyme will probably be more. $20 may just be for a pint.. but application rate is 10ml per gal. so figure your needs based on that. 1 liter is about 40 a gal $120. Its expensive but a great addition.

I'd be careful with getting any special rooting plugs as they tend to be to easy to dampen off with. Cannabis seeds do just fine with moist medium.
 
Thanks McBudz, I didn't know anything about a cycle pump for the res. WheelO & Maxx, do you guys use one?

And has anyone used SuretoGrow cubes before? Will they transplant into the 3" rockwool cubes well?
 
Many people calibrate their meters at least weekly. Either yours is way off or the local water vending machine is way past its maintainence/filter-change date and is providing tap water from the bypass lol.

I'm guessing that your meter is off. When I would get water from one of those things I'd see 15-20 ppm on the TDS (Yeah, WoF, mine read out down to 1ppm too (1-1999) although I never saw it, lol) so if you're seeing 19ppm - and if your TDS meter has been recently calibrated - then the water machine is probably working properly. Straight out of the tap here would be close to 300ppm. Yuck!
 
my meter supposedly reads to .001 ec, but the last digit is always zero, so effectively i only read .010 increments. I used to try to calibrate it weekly, but honestly everytime i checked this meter with calibration solution its dead nuts on every time. now i just test it every month or so, and it's still been dead on since i bought it a few months ago.

mcbuds suggested a cycle timer for your pump. not the pump itself. a cycle timer lets you se like 10 minutes on 30 minutes off. you don't really need one with the volks, but you do have to find a timer that can control in at least 15 minute increments. you are only going to want to feed once or twice a day depending on how big they are, and ONLY for 45 minutes at a time. . . was a good improvement for me when i finally started using a timer that could be on for 45 minutes at a time. maybe a digital? shouldn't be more than 20 bucks for the timer. try home depot.

as far as the suretogro cubes go, i looked into that, but the problem is that they dont make a 3" size. 4" is the smallest. I thought about getting 6" and cutting them in quarters. they claim good things with this medium. RW holds water too much IMO. but i'd just go with it (rw) and learn it, and when you do, it works fine.

mcbuds and maxx both said be careful with prop plugs and go with rw cubes, but i think that they just didn't know what you meant. the prop plugs we are talking about are just WR cylinders instead of cubes. just an easier shape to fit into the 3" cubes. plus you will be using them to clone, not go from seed as mcbuds thought.

mcbuds gave good advice about the RW conditioner though, i think., i've seen it but never used it. I might try it myself now. but i was trying not to complicate and add up the bill on things that may be nice but not necessary. same with the hygrozyme. true the more you buy the cheaper it is in the long run, but since you are buying so much stuff, was just suggesting getting enough for your first run, which is maybe a quart bottle.

good list. now get to shopping.

and check your PM, i can save you a bit of money on your volks. cheaper website with free shipping.
 
I tried buying water from a different machine last night and tested it, the PH is at 6.41 and PPM is only 4. So I'll be using this machine from now on, it's closer to me anyway.

WheelO, thanks for the link!!! I'm not sure I know what you mean or how to use the timer for watering the VG, but I'll get an extra timer and figure it out when it arrives.
 
leonardo said:
Thanks McBudz, I didn't know anything about a cycle pump for the res. WheelO & Maxx, do you guys use one?

And has anyone used SuretoGrow cubes before? Will they transplant into the 3" rockwool cubes well?
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STG cubes come in all shapes that RW does and then some.. I have not yet used them but plan too in the near future
 
leonardo said:
I couldn't find them in 3", but I didn't do much research either. Please let me know how they work out if you try them and see them in 3 x 3 x 2.5".
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also be very carful if your gonna be trying the sureto grow blocks in your wheel..i have talked to the guys over there..in the r and d department about there products and how it would work for a rotational garden setup and they were very unsure about it..and that the blocks do not wick so it would be very interesting on the watering end of it.... soo i guess you would soak the bottom of the cube when it passes and as the cube rotates it would distribute the rest of the water to the cube...problem is when it does that its going to stream water all over the light bulb water runs right out of that cube since theirs no wicking action and its basically made of the same shit that your polyester pillow is made of......go to your local hydro shop and ask for a sample and you will see what im talking about...seemed like it would be a good idea but im very weary


leonardo said:
Has anyone ever used Rapid Rooter plugs like these: GENERAL HYDROPONICS.

The girl at the hydro shop is telling me I will like these better and they can transplant to rockwool cubes. While I was in there another customer was raving about them too. Anyone?
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at

also those rappid rootters are good..i first started using those when i first started cloning...theres 2 main thinks when it comes to cloning and using plugs.. 1 .heating pad..2..and make sure the stem of the cutting is firmly in the plug...and its snug..so tis going to have direct contact with the inside of the plug and not just floating in a air pocket or loose..also you want them moist not too wet or too dry....but now i head down over to my local wallyworld and get those 72 rack jiffycubes for 6 bucks a pack... i get 95 % clone rate and i have used those in my rotational garden..the (gigrow 240) ...

i love those cuz i can soak them for ten mins and there fully hydrated and when it comes to cloneing i use the powered root stuff and then stick the stem inside the soft plug then gently squeeze the plug soo the stem it firmly in place and your done..
 
leonardo said:
I couldn't find them in 3", but I didn't do much research either. Please let me know how they work out if you try them and see them in 3 x 3 x 2.5".
Click to expand...

I checked their website and sure enough they dont have 3 inch cubes just 4 and 6 as far as blocks go. So scratch that idea.
 
omenman said:
at

also those rappid rootters are good..i first started using those when i first started cloning...theres 2 main thinks when it comes to cloning and using plugs.. 1 .heating pad..2..and make sure the stem of the cutting is firmly in the plug...and its snug..so tis going to have direct contact with the inside of the plug and not just floating in a air pocket or loose..also you want them moist not too wet or too dry....but now i head down over to my local wallyworld and get those 72 rack jiffycubes for 6 bucks a pack... i get 95 % clone rate and i have used those in my rotational garden..the (gigrow 240) ...

i love those cuz i can soak them for ten mins and there fully hydrated and when it comes to cloneing i use the powered root stuff and then stick the stem inside the soft plug then gently squeeze the plug soo the stem it firmly in place and your done..
Click to expand...

Thanks Omenman, but have you tried Rapid Rooter plugs with rockwool cubes in the GI Grow? I'm wondering if the wicking effect will work after transplanting to a rockwool cube and putting inside a rotating wheel?
 
McBudz said:
I checked their website and sure enough they dont have 3 inch cubes just 4 and 6 as far as blocks go. So scratch that idea.
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i was thinking of chopping up a STG Grow Slab - 36"L x 6" W x 3"D. would make 24 3"x3"x3" cubes. only problem would be that the volks holders are only 2 3/4" tall. could squish them down or cut them.
 
i still have a month before i will be able to take the clones.
 
leonardo said:
Thanks Omenman, but have you tried Rapid Rooter plugs with rockwool cubes in the GI Grow? I'm wondering if the wicking effect will work after transplanting to a rockwool cube and putting inside a rotating wheel?
Click to expand...

yes they work the best.actually i have some pics i can dig up of how they out preformed even the Rockwool starter cubes which i hate... rappid rooters work good jsut remember what i said about how to take clones... and remember rotational wheels were designed for ROCKWOOL soo yes they fit the bill and what i did is usethe cut up rockwool chucks to wedge the plugs in to the cube..then pinch the top in and the plug will hold..a day or 2 and you have roots at he bottom of the cube..
 
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