How often should i give nutrients to hydro

warlord420

New Member
i read in the "grow bible" that a hydro system is supposed to deliver nutrients to the plant 3 times a day. in another chapter titled indoor grow environment control, it states that "cannabis should never have to be fed daily". which is correct for someone that would maybe use the drip irrigation method. feed once a day with nutrients, rest of the time with 6.0 ph level water? or just let the water with nutrients flow 3 times a day? please answer so that if someone did use the drip irrigation, their plants wouldnt die!! thank you very much
 
i use a hydro drip system with rockwool slabs. i feed them 3 times a day for 2 mins at a time. i fill 70 liters each week into my tank and add nuits.. the have around 8 liters a day. depending on what pump u have mine pumps 500 liters an hour. my ph is 5.8. hope this helps
 
i use a hydro drip system with rockwool slabs. i feed them 3 times a day for 2 mins at a time. i fill 70 liters each week into my tank and add nuits.. the have around 8 liters a day. depending on what pump u have mine pumps 500 liters an hour. my ph is 5.8. hope this helps


thanks terry...:rollit: that definitely helps....i'm not sure if you're familiar w/ the waterfarm 8pk kit but do you think watering 3 times a day for 2 mins a time is sufficient for that set up? also, do you water only when the lights are on?
 
yeah only feed when the lights are on..

for example my light come's on at 7.00am so i set the first feed for 8.00 am till 8.02 then the next feed is 13.00 till 13.02 and then 18.00 till 18.02 then my light goes off at 20.00 pm. these times are for the flower period. when vegging i still feed 3 times but just work the times out so theres an even routine.. just think of it as breakfast, lunch and evening meal..

i googled your setup and i think this will be fine.. its trial and error for any set up, its always best to work things out yourself, no your own setup and the results will come.

All the best
 
I had a huge post written for this last night and then the site crashed or something happened but I lost it. it told of how to feed just about every hydro set up out there.
You can feed at night. They don't stop eating when the sun goes down. They just eat less. Some Drip and all NFT set ups run solution over the roots 24/7 so a feed or two in the dark won't hurt.
Now for feeding per set up.

1) NFT- constant feeding recirculation system. Solution is pumped up to a long tray that is at a incline with about a 1/2 to 1 inch drop per foot of tray. Too much and the plants starve. Too little and the plants drown.lol Either a air pump in the reservoir or a drop off that works like a water fall is required with the solution return to add o2 to the solution and roots. Feed according to bottle instructions. Water soluble nutrients only.(WSNO)

2) Ebb and Flo- Recirculation with Interval feeding set up. One floods their table 3 to 4 times a day. Out of all the more popular ways of growing here is the one I'm the least knowledgeable on. I flooded 4 times a day. One floods until the overflow tube becomes active then the pump is turned off and the table is allowed to drain. (WSNO)

3) Drip- Recirc with interval or constant feed. All utilize a method to pump nutrients up through a line and to drip or flow solution over the medium and roots. Some use a separate pump and air pump with diffuser. Some utilize the air pump and special uptake tube to get solution to the plants. (WSNO)

4) DWC or Bubbler- Recirc with constant feed. Out of all the hydros this is the easiest. A container or bucket and a lid for what ever you use is your reservoir. A net pot to hold the medium and plant and a air pump and diffuser(stone) are all you need for this system. The stone goes into the bottom and hooks to the air pump. A hole is cut into the lid for the net pot. Allow enough size to hold the pot securely. A plant has to go into this and it could get big. Add your solution so that it just touches the net pot. Put your medium and seedling into the net pot and turn on the air pump and grow. (WSNO)

5) Run to Waste- This is super easy but you have to make provisions for drainage. Whether that be collecting and disposing or by running to a drain. Run to waste requires several feedings per day with all total run off no more than 15% with 10% being ideal. Since run to waste requires so many feeding soil will not make a good medium. Coco coir is ideal with rockwool being next. The faster the medium drains the more feedings required. just don't go over the 15% drainage. (WSNO)

6) Aeroponics- Not the most popular but gaining. I've never grown aeroponics before but believe from reading that it's recirc with constant feed. It would take me forever to explain it so search it for instructions. (WSNO)

All set ups require daily testing and adjustment of the TDS (PPM/EC) and the PH. All reservoirs should be changed out on a every other week basis to assure a steady supply of nutrients.
When starting new cuttings or seedlings it's best to start with a weak 1/4 strength solution and work up over a week or two to full strength. Burning from over fertilization could occur. A properly running hydro set up should never need ph up added to it. If done and run right your PH should never go up. If it does it could be a sign somethings amiss. Solution temps should never get warmer than 70 degree Fahrenheit or algae could appear.
Let's see..what else. Did I miss anything?
 
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