I’m Switching To DWC Hydroponics! Here’s Why...
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ธ.ค. 2024
- In this video, I talk about why I'm switching to Deep Water Culture (DWC) hydroponics for this grow. I place a clone in the Hydrobucket system. I first add water, mix nutrients, check the pH, and then check the PPM. What tips do you have for growing hydroponically? Let me know down in the comments below :)
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Load the comments up with tips on growing hydroponically!
are you going to be using stash blend for dwc?
Its gonna be easy bro. The water temps gonna fluctuate up and down bro. You'll be good bro as long as u got your water 65 f when u put it in.
Also don't forget hydroguard it will help u alot to prevent root rot. U got this mr grow it all😂
You are supposed to wash the hydrotonian pebbles your PPM is going to be through the roof good luck
I started on hydroponic peppers before moving to organics. so I did it the other way around. Along with the usual recommendations for hydro.. don't underestimate the speed at which plants grow under DWC. Don't outgrow your reservoir or you'll be chasing pH swings. Prepare for what to do when/if you have a power outage.
One of THE BEST sources of info on hydroponics is the channel for PA Hydroponics. Gary really knows his stuff 👍🏻👍🏻
I just got his fall ponics system it's super awesome and he's a good dude 👌
Is he still posting? All the vids from that channel that pop up on my feed are 5 to 8 years old!
I have Gary’s fallponics systems they are fantastic been using them for years
He’s the guy responsible for my RDWC setup working flawlessly. His detailed set up videos are the best. I’m just using the old black buckets and keeping the reservoir outside the tent which makes monitoring etc. easy as can be. I owe him for that alone. With help from all the books I’ve read and all the channels like this and particularly Welcome to the Grow Tent, although he doesn’t do hydroponics,
my very first grow has been a joy and absolute success. Very few bumps in the road and learned from every one. I’ve been told that every grow will improve and offer even more learning. My setup will change next grow to two plant buckets because this time I killed a seedling and grew just the one plant. Well, successfully filled the 2x4 tent (mostly) with the one plant. Super cropping and scrogging was highly educational and fascinating, couldn’t believe how fast the plant recovered from this technique. About four hours to hard knuckle at the super crop site. Used Strive nutrients in the buckets and monosilicic silica as a foliar spray once every couple weeks. The first taste of the dried result has been a eye opener.
Not cured yet but already impressive. Without help from so many experienced growers generously sharing info and experience my results would certainly not be what they have been. Now I just need to get the cure right. Anyway, sorry for the ramble just happy you gave a shout out to Gary.
I've been growing for roughly 15 years.
I've tried all grow methods and some I kinda hybrid myself out of other methods or ideas i've had.
I'd say they all have pros and cons.
which brings me to why I decided to write this post.
If the only reason you haven't tried DWC is water temperature, there are many ways to mitigate that but with the set up you have there it is fairly easy.
as long as you keep the ambient temp around 70F your water temp will be fine, the water temp will not get warmer than the ambient air unless you add an 'R' in front of that 'DWC' then it's a whole different story and you'll have to take other measures.
As far as how long I veg, flower, ect. I let the plant tell me what it wants or if I run out of room or I may veg longer if there's no room in the flower room yet.
Also, another big benefit that I enjoy about (R)DWC is that if there is a deficiency or any problem, the plant will tell you immediately also when you go to correct it, the plant will respond immediately as well.
DWC is my favorite method but instead of rambling on about it that little to know one will read or care I'll just say the secret or biggest thing to keep in mind is to keep your equipment clean, keep an eye on your water level and as your plant gets bigger it drinks way more (if it's) healthy. I currently have a some Gorilla Zkittles that drinks a whole 6 gallon bucket in two days. that 3.5 gallon rez you got there will not last a day in mid to late flower (again, if your plant is healthy)
I'll stop rambling. today is day 2 and I have to go water my plants before the Halloween Festivities tonight.
good luck on your first DWC brotha.
I absolutely love DWC. I have 6 hydro hudrobuckets myself. The side reservoir is a game changer, especially if you’re running a scrog net. The one tip I’d give you is for the hydrolids. There are small slits meant for the hydro pod insert that hold it in place around the opening. I would add some tap either underneath or on top of the lid to prevent light leaks. I had an issue with root rot and completely overlooked them until one of my subs mentioned it. Figured I’d pass that on to you as well. You’re going to smash this grow. Happy growing.
Hell yeah brother 😎🤙 much love from Pennsylvania 🥳🇺🇲
I'd also like to add that this system works best if you wrap the buckets with reflective tape or mylar foam insulation. At least on top of the lid under the canopy. The light will heat up the black bucket quick and change the water temperature.
@@Featherless1 LEDs don't heat up surfaces like HPS. I always wanted to convert a mini-fridge into a reservoir but never did.
@@Featherless1 I fluked into using aluminum foil on the tops of the buckets and over the clay ball media to prevent algae on the media. I guess reflecting light back didn’t hurt either, of course the canopy soon made it unnecessary but I kept it on anyway.
@@tonyfanfarone I can't say I ever tried covering the clay ball media... I'll also add that I've only tried DWC twice. I only know whats worked better for me with my schedule and in my environment.
DWC was not for me... Though I still stick with using synthetic neutrients for all my indoor science projects. Organic outside.
*STAY FROSTY* 🌱✌😎💨💯
DWC is cool but when i tried it, i quickly realised it wasn't my style....eager to see how you do Chris!! Big up homie!
You've got to give it time. It takes a little while to perfect but once you do, the returns you get will just get you greedy for this sh. You just won't want to accept anything less after you see the growth speed and yield increase.
@@ivareskesner2019 u know who you talking to? 😅
@@skankhunt420 A fella who doesn't think DWC is for him. Says he tried it and quickly realised it wasn't for him. I'm saying you can't quickly realise shit with dwc. It takes a while to fully appreciate it and get all the nuance right to the point where it becomes worthwhile.
@ivareskesner2019 That "fella" is icanthc look him up and take a seat bud. 😂
Just wow...
Sounds Fun, but to many variables for me to keep track of I keep loyal to the soil for now, I do appreciate you doing this Chris so we all can see how it goes for you & time spent in the garden. You might need to upgrade some garden tools (Bluelab) pens ect ! DWC can get very expensive in order to be point on! Can't wait to see you succeed! Should generate lots of content! Growers Love 💚
Too many variables??? You make a nutrient solution and you're off to the races.
the first tips that come to mind are to always wash the clay balls before using them, keep the PH between 5.8 and 6, the ideal temperature is 18 celsius, 21 is the limit beyond which I would not go to avoid root rot, and use products such as continuum for bacteria.
Hydrogen peroxide always on hand, is one of the best allies for hydroponic cultures, and good luck!
Hi Chris, You will never look back now mate, enjoy the journey. I am in the same boat as you heat wise ,I live in Australia and my temps in the summer can go up to 42,43C. I started hydro 14 years ago and after trying exactly what you have done here I still found out I was having water temp issues so I switched from dwc over to a 100% perlite hempy setup and I never looked back. The water temp issue is more forgiving in my recirc hempy setup and at a water temp of 25c max in summer I have near on the same growth as water temp 5 degree C cooler. Get ready for that baby to go gangbusters soon as seen as she already has nice long tap root and feeder roots she will take off in no time 😊, goodluck and peace bro.
Hey Chris.. I just set up my DWC system as well, due to the colder season coming up.. Great minds... Have fun, my friend.
Get an industrial grade air pump. They're not expensive and they last forever. They work better for the large air stones. Also, you don't need hydroton just buy larger rockwool blocks that fit snuggly into the basket. It saves you an extra step of not having to wash the hydroton and it's one less thing to buy. I keep the plastic wrap around the sides of the block and let the roots shoot straight down into the water. I used hydroton about 10 years ago for a short while. I ended up getting root aphids and never used hydroton again. Never had root aphids again either.
Also, the pH is going to drift a little bit each day, so it's good to start at 5.5 and let it raise over the next couple days. Keep checking the pH daily, it's the most important thing about DWC. If you get out of range with pH your plant can lock out. But it takes up different nutrients at different pH ranges so it's cool that it drifts. Just monitor it and don't let it be too low but it will usually drift upward. I don't like to let mine get above 6.2.
Frozen Water bottles works wonders for maintaining water temperature.
Hey Mr Grow it I use a water chiller to maintain my reservoir temp at a constant 68F. I’ve had zero problems since adding it.
Yeah. Makes sense. How much energy does something like that use?
@@zkilla4611 i dont even notice it on my power bill.
@@zkilla4611a lot. Don't let these fools lie to you. Hundreds of watts to run a chiller plus heats up the room by a few degrees. Its not nothing. Chiller isn't necessary.
@@zkilla4611 a fair bit.
Which one you got?
Hell yeah you made the jump to dwc! I've been holding out of doing it too. Now that you have i just might try it
Love growing DWC. I hope you enjoy it
welcome to the dwc club mr grow it!
Organic autopots for the win ..
In a pinch frozen bottles of water will lower your temperature.
I also ran my lights at night to help with heat issues.
My ph I would adjust with the growth cycle. Using the nutrient chart for the best uptake. Test your ph meter often for accuracy hydroponics as you know it’s critical. I started in rockwool and I am loving my RDWC system. The plants are never thirsty or hungry and auto flowers love having free roots in the buckets. Biggest I’d grown so far in my 1 year of gardening
Can’t wait to see your progress
After watching Dr Bugbee I have been trying higher ph levels in my dwc set up and having great results with my blue dream and black berry kush together in one tent. My bbk needs a little more magnesium in the mix but I truly only run half the recommended nutes. Except for the root accelerator gold I use it as the bottle says .55 per gallon. Use root accelerator and some co2 and watch them babies grow fast! Much luck on your journey brother. Theres no set way to do anything. Find your niche and dial it in. Some strains do better than others. Dont lose hope. The ph will fluctuate also so I check mine every morning and every night before bed. Sometimes during my lunch break just to see what the water is doing. Keep posting updated videos on the progress and I'll keep watching. We can learn together bro! Much love
I'm going with it .. nice that you can bring more info to the community .. Themes: Ph fluctuations / Evaporation/ EC During plant feed / Homemade PH Down- vinager - Lemon Juice (myth ot true)/ light prrofing the res / reducing pump noise and many more. . can't wait for your content
Aqua tech makes a bubble bar/diffuser. More lil bubbles -more dissolved oxygen
Yay! When Mn went legal I jumped in with DWC. Absolutely impressed with vigor of growth and fast finishes. Almost 5 harvest this past 14 mo. Please do more hydro videos in the future. Good luck!
After germination in paper towel and ziplock I put them into root riot cubes. When seedlings have second set of leaves I transfer over to 2- 5 gallon mars hydro DWC buckets in 4x2 tent running x420 Kind LED. Typical veg 4 weeks with 8-10 week flower.
I run blue labs pH/EC monitor in my buckets swapping the probes to the other bucket every other day, pulse monitor (the orange one) for vpd and environment tracking. Have only used Lotus Nutrient exclusively - for me it’s the best. I like the carboflush the line uses at the end.
Successful grows of 2023: critical mass, legendary OG punch, blackberry kush, gorilla glue, candy kush, wedding cake.
I have been growing DWC for 8 years I’m about to start my series.
Its been that long for me, well 7 years. Always down to see another’s approach. Looks like you haven’t started your videos yet.
I would highly advise having some 28-32 percent hydrogen peroxide around. For that set up I would use 5ml every few days. It will help keep things clean and the roots love it.
Can get fantastic results but it takes a bit more attention to details than soil grow. I found that solution temp and PH are the 2 thing you HAVE to keep right.
OMG I'M SO EXCITED. Mitch with hydro bucket convinced me to start that way but I'm still doing research and gathering supplies. I can't wait to see where this goes!
Take a look at Gary’s detailed set ups for many various hydro systems at PA hydroponics.
I used his 2x4 tent with three bucket set up with reservoir outside tent. He walks you through all the set ups. Saved me grief and cash taking his advice. Listen carefully to everything he says and your setup will be great. I owe him for his help setting up a simple custom hardware set up. The reservoir outside the tent makes monitoring, adjustments, nutrient changeout etc. so convenient and inexpensive. Don’t need magic forty dollar buckets with this system.
Swap out the blue translucent tubing for black to avoid algae growth.
Good advice
Good luck with DWC. Combine nutrients and adjust pH in a separate mixing bucket and then pump or pour it into the DWC bucket. The roots may become stained and not as white as some growers would expect. It is not a sterile system but it is still important to wash your hands to avoid microbial contamination. Pouring nutrients out into graduated cylinders will prevent microbial contamination of the liquids in the nutrient bottles. When the lights are on, air temperature kept just below 78F produces very robust growth. But lower temps are much safer. For only 3.5 gallons of solution, a smaller 3 watt air pump and a 1 x 2 inch air stone is enough aeration. By mid-flower, a medium size plant will drink a 1/2 gallon of solution a day.
I'm still amazed that so much of what I learned in DWC applies to daily scenarios in soil. I never understood PH and dissolved solids until DWC. It really brought me to this next level. Thanks for trying Mr. G
Same here. If you're deep into it you can get you native soil horizons from the online free soil survey data & lay them over a PH-Availability-chart. Mine has 8.1PH compost for 4-6 inches, with a 2-3 inch horizon-layer of 5.6PH, then 4.9PH for all the soil below that. So even with native-acidic-soil I'm adding elemental-sulfur to break down the top horizon of compost, the S makes things extra dark-green.
I have been gardening for about a year and running Dwc the whole time, I love it and have had 3 and almost done with my 4th harvest. I have tried general hydroponics nutrients, emerald harvest (love this one but a little expensive) and now my newest start is starting with Athena! I have my water temp around 68-72 I’ve hit 74. Ambient temp lights off is about 75around and lights on hits about 80/81 with my RH anywhere from 45-55. (I have a veg tent and flower so I have two different light schedule) I try to have the light anywhere from 18-24in away in veg at like 60% power and then in flower I’m about 18in away and increase 10% each week until at full power! When I do nutrients I do half of the recommended doses on this last 2 runs and they’ve been turning out great (saves money on bottle nuits) I keep the p.h. In veg as close to 5.8 as possible and I’ve veg closer to the 6.1/6.2 range, but what I’ve also figured out. Don’t chase that PH. As long as it’s in a good range and they look healthy you’re good.
On the second part where I say veg I meant flower!!!
@mrgrowit I would love to meet up with you sometime and show ya what I’ve done hydroponically, I only live a few hours away from you and visit vegas often if you’re still there. I’ve watched all your videos and so many of your podcasts, I’ve got so many helpful hints from you it would be amazing to meet you and say thanks and show you what you’ve helped create! Also hope any tips I left could be helpful. I think the biggest ones is cut nutrients in half and don’t chase that ph everything else I would say is like soil or coco (I’ve never done anything else so I’m not sure!!!)
Be sure to have a generator just in case of power outages (not that Vegas has many), besides that, with a water chiller you're gucci G!
@@Gh4cv 😂😂😂
Ah yes. For my fish a simple $100 backup-UPS for a computer will run a small air pump for 4-8 hours. He could amazon link a few of those solutions too.
aerated water can hold oxygen for 24hrs atleast. don't worry about backup power unless power is regularly an issue.
You need backup power to run the vent fans, because humidity will go to 100% and if you have buds and its cold you're gonna get mold if you don't either open the tent door or vent it. And if you're in flower you can't open the door if there's light in the room.
Been growing DWC for years. Definitely don't mind the reduced mess and bugs. Over the years I've made some adjustments because water quality is critical. After running into typical issues like leaks and ph issues due to using a multi bucket RDWC system im now using a single 40 gallon rez in a sealed room. Water chiller run through the wall and keep the water at 65. Lid with 4 cut outs that a net pot fits into perfectly. No clay pellets just blocks of rockwool stuffed into the net pots. I did add a ph meter and doser for ph and ppm meter to watch the ppm. With DWC i have found over the years that camg can become an issue but in general i start at half strength on nutrients because nute burn is very common. For my ph I've found 5.8 to 6.0 for veg and 6.0 to 6.2 in flower due to camg becoming an issue and those are best absorbed in that range. The best thing i have grown to love is if there is an issue you will notice it super fast and can be easily fixed with a noticeable difference in less than a day. Just don't over think it and less is always more. My current goal is to see just how little nutrients i can get away with.
I've done dwc and regular dirt. Both work good. Dwc was faster, more inputs for better outputs, but have to be careful inside, pgetts get big. I usually use advanced nutrients and silica and hydroguard.
The thing I like about DWC is there’s no mystery problems. It takes about 10 seconds to get a very accurate test of what’s actually going on with your plants. Grows quicker than anything. If you can keep your heat down, there’s literally no reason to grow in coco or soil.
Awesome decision, you will love it.
I think its way more forgiving than people say and rewards the time you invest to learn. It makes learning super easy because you can do mistakes on purpose to test something out. If it won´t work you can just change the res and you are fine. In soil you can´t do these things.
I grow at PH5,8, but it drifts from 5.2 to 6.2 depending on the phase of the plant. In veg it falls and in flower it raises, so i can set it to the other side and let it drift through.
The EC does not matter that much in my opinion but i start at about 2.0 to 2.2 mS/cm and raise it in flower up to 3,5 mS/cm. The relation of the nutrients is way more important. They won´t burn with high EC but they will burn with low EC or wrong nutrient mix.
I also hit the plants with high amount of light very early, they can handle it.
I also have to say that i grow only autos from seeds, because i want variety and we have a plant count limit of 3 plants in germany.
A full relieable cycle around 90 days from opening the seeds to cut the plants, its cheap, no soil to carry around or throw away the litter, way less insects, no poop smell from chickensh!tpellets or moldy soil surface 20cm away from the plants, just a bit of expanded clay and a can of water, no over- or underwatering possible, single dwc is even save in case of power failure, ...
Watch my channel if you are interested in my setup.
Happy growing and have fun, i hope you´ll like it 💚💚💚
You helped me start my journey. I grew 100% organically for about 3-4 years. The last run I did a 2 bucket dwc and had the best results I have ever had. I am building a 4 site dwc in my big tent and I will do organic in my small tent.
I always assumed it was hard but it’s very easy. As long as your gauges are correct you are fine. I have two good ph readers and two Ppm readers.
I grow in RDWC. I had problems at 71 degree water temps with bad stuff growing on my roots.
Now I use 66-69 degree water with a water chiller. Game changer. Theories say 67 degrees water temps give maximum dissolved oxygen content from air stones. It’s working well.
I run 5.8 in veg. Then raise to 6.0-6.1 in flower for availability of specific nutrients at different ph levels.
Put in H²O² at the correct rates and intervals and you will never see brown roots again...as long as the water doesn't get stupid hot, that is..
@@ivareskesner2019 Thanks for the comment. I run Bennie’s and enzymes. I tried sterile and not a fan.
@@MNIndoorGrow How so?
H202 will also kill the expensive beneficial bacteria and microbes you add to it. Much better to throw in an aquarium cooler and chill the water down to a consistently 68°.
@flfun2no Yes. And yes. It will kill beneficials, and a water cooler is better. But also a lot more expensive. And there is no guarantee that you won't get anaerobic root activity or even pathogens like Pythium. Happens welith well innoculated roots all the time. I used to run a chiller *and* Great White. Still got anaerobic activity. H²O² is the only thing that will guarantee sterility. If y have a sealed system with CO² the beneficials add nothing. You are already stretching the yield potential to the max. I've tried both ways. Inoculants are a waste at that point...not to mention not fully guarding you anyway.
One piece of advice. If you're dealing with anything inside the bucket or touching the roots, wear disposable gloves. Bacteria & algae are generally your biggest worry. I add hydroguard to help lessen those issues. You can also run with 10-15ml per gallon of 3% H2O2 if you have an outbreak. Just be aware that H2O2 will kill the good bacteria in the Hydroguard as well as the bad.
I love DWC. I run a 4 bucket system with top drip rings. To me, the best part of DWC is that if you're on top of it, you can quickly adjust for any nutrient issues quickly. I run the Lotus nutrients line plus Hydroguard & GH Rapidroot.
I’m Switching To DWC Hydroponics! Here’s Why... more content lol
Exactly
Bro !! You're gonna love it. Ive been doing dwc perpetual now for roughly 6 to 7 yrs. Wouldnt even think of running soil anymore. Unless outdoors. Lol. Keep my home clean.....
All I'm going to to it's warn you. Growing hydro is HIGHLY ADDICTIVE lmao. Best thing you can do for yourself is a chiller and a pH doser, those 2 things will make the transition smooth AF.
Wich water chiller you recommend for this setup could work for 1 plant or more ? Does Chris needs to make any modification to the bucket ?
@@zootvmexico I don't use that system so I don't know about mods but any chiller should work. I use a 300$ one from amazon
I’m just finishing my first soil grow but already planning to make an RDWC system. My buddy has it, I like the way he grows and plants grow fast. Good luck with your DWC grow. Will be interesting to watch. You tell all the info very easily and anyone can understand. As a new grower, this info is great. Subscribed!
Yo Chris. Always enjoy watching your videos. When I first started dwc I used to fill up a couple of used Gatorade bottles and fill them up with 2/3rd of ro water and freeze them so you can chill the water in the buckets. Just rotate the frozen bottles every morning if you don't have a water chiller. Grower's Luv! 702!
I also used the frozen gator aid and some half that size to keep temps in the agreeable range. Doesn’t take long to learn which bottles do the job for specific situations. I did RDWC with the reservoir outside the tent. This made adjustments and adding the bottles easy.
I can’t wait to see this.
Excited to see ya run some DWC Chris! We have always wanted to try it as well!
Do it it’s great 👍🏽
DWC with advance nutrient's ph perfect technology is a game changer..a must have
I use it in coco. Best I've used.
I’m a cheapskate I guess. First grow ever, inexpensive Strive nutrients and foliar spray of monosilicic silica every couple weeks in RDWC. Frostiest buds I have ever seen, potent too.
Of course Ethos Geneteics End Game deserves most of the credit. My first grow far exceeded expectations.
Helpful tip with nutes, unlike soil plants, they're constantly up taking water and nutrients in a more concentrated fashion so starting with lower ppms or EC to not burn plants and working your way up as you judge the foliage for deficiencies or toxicities. If your ppms or EC is rising you should lower feed strength and vice versa if pom is lowering. Also with vod if your humidity is low, nute burn can be more of a problem since they uptake more water (with nutes simultaneously) constantly than soil plants
In the time it takes for the res water to build up to 75+-80 degrees, it is time to change out the water and nutes anyways. I use Hydrogaurd which stops/slows bad bacteria and never had a problem since.
Rdwc is awesome! I run current culture. Make sure you run HID, if you have LEDs then that’s cool too. Water chiller make sure it’s always below 68. End of flower drop it down abit. Rdwc if done right is the best smoke. Oh, and make sure flush out and hypochlorous acid on the last day of flush. Change out reservoir. Better taste when you take out Hypochlorous the last day of flush and just run ph’d RO. I also folliar spray with power si, and kelp extract. Spraying microbes really works too, helps manage that organic balance with weekly folliars until week 2 flower .
This makes me very excited. I been growing hydroponics and it's hard to find info on it in videos. I been watching you for very have learned so much from your channels
Welcome to the wet side. We're happy to have you😊😊
Awsome info as always, My perspective on hydroponics is that your treating the plant more like a machine and less like a organism. DWC is good for keeping moms IME
I've been enjoying the benefits of DWC with my Monstera at home. The roots and foliage growth are far and above what I'd expect from semi-hydro or soil. Best of luck to you and your grows with DWC!
Love DWC! Have fun!
i found out no one talked about needing hydrogen peroxide every other day or a hydrochloric acid drip. I hope you have better luck than i did with hydro. lots of dialing in, paying attention to ph, ppm, etc, but if you get everything dialed in right it should do better than organic. good luck!
ph is 5.8-6.0 seedling, 6.0-6.2 veg, 6.2-6.5 flower i believe
I like DWC for vegetative growth and mainlining then taking into flower. It is nice to see a problem or have PH issues and being able to dump the res water and put in fresh nutes and clean water.
heck yea love the new adventure you're taking. Never have done DWC myself but looks like you did a really clean set up and is simple enough to not get overwhelmed. Really liked the format of this video had a different vibe. hope all is well with you and the family.
Chris, I am very excited to watch this journey. I’ve done one run with DWC and was very impressed. Don’t get me wrong. It was very much a learning experience. I am particularly interested in your schedule for water changes.
Let's grow!!!! Excited to watch you try something new to you back in the garden!!!!!
Keep up with your res changes on a system like that, ive moved from dwc to dwrc and much prefer this style for several reasons main being not needing air stones anymore with a venturi system or waterfall effect, built my first system ran for 3 years now moved onto the Hydromax 2 bucket system.
Happy to help as your videos have been helpful 🤘
I live in FL and HAD similar temperature concerns but with adding beneficial microbes through products like Orca I comfortably grow in water mid to high 70's and even in the 80's. However I do also use and recommend supplemental O2 that you can get from a welding supply company for high temp water. Have fun, its addictive and super fun especially building your own RDWC system for less than $100 for 4 buckets and a res. Once you go RDWC and get a chiller you'll never go back.
I just harvested my 1st DWC cannabis plant. It was an experiment...Just 2 small airstones in a wheyprotein pot (3.5L) and a seed that I got as a gift in a purchase. It turned out really good. Im from Rio,Brazil...so it was during the spring here but I didnt even check for the pH or water temp. Im sure you will be just fine
I grow DWC, the plants really love it if u dial in the water temp and enviroment...The biggest/healthiest plants we've grown have been with DWC...Best of luck to with them!
I started with DWC.. there was some heavy learning curves but it was well worth it when I found a good nutrient and was able dial in my water temps. Canna Aqua line goes hard in DWC, running drip lines from your res to the rockwool cube or medium makes them go off at the start of life
Plus all the new content he will get to create in the switch, thats a great bonus for this guy for sure!!!!
Stoked to see the out come ,I had a buddy that ran a big dwc setup and he crushed it ,nyc sour d 💪
Wash ur pellets until the water is clear, before u place them in ur net pot. And I would start my ph low in 5.8 because while the plant is feeding ur ph will fluctuate up and down between 6.2 and 5.8 till ur next water change , that's a good sign the plant is taking the nutrients so don't worry about it till u change the water.
4:00 If you're going to do Hydro, get the AC Pro controller so you can control VPD. It’s C.R.U.C.I.A.L. along with a water chiller. If you change your war once a week, just balance to 5.9-6.0 PH at the beginning of your water cycle then stop looking at PH.
You should let your girls eat what they want at the time they want it and that will change the PH throughout the week so they can make different nutrients available.
You can also drip in the morning and once at night to simulate a coastal existence.
Grow the girls sideways and it end up with no B-class buds (proprietary)
I have lots of dwc grows on my channel Chris. I run close to 5.8ph . And I use southern AG garden friendly fungicide. No chillers no rdwc just a lot of 5 gallon dwc buckets 😂. Glad to see you’re trying hydro. Good luck
I've done 3 hydroponic Gros. So far, you're doing a great job, man. Keep up with water temperature.
And don't PH under 6.5. That's always worked for me. Oh, it's a great show, man. Good luck.✌️
Keep your tubing black in color to avoid algae, also keep a few bags of ice near your dwc so you can simply pour them in, and you'll thank me in the morning... Great job Mr.GrowIT...
“what” ….. Ice…. lol Just playn, why the ice.?. When and why does it climb up more, lights on or off. My water is around 8, is it too high to work with or always keep it in check to +-6! Going to do a grow or two but 30 + yrs In soil but 0 with Hydro lol. All good info helps. Thanks To Faviator
@@BeGrwn it'll grow very fast with ice water, more H20 through your roots/veins of the plant...trust me on that note brother...
Optimal water temp is 68 degrees. And go up to 75 no problems. If you need to physically add ice regularly it is too hot. @@Faviator42024
Finally, someone doing something different.
I've been doing rdwc for 8 plus years now.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Keep us updated. I tried hydro for a couple years with my biggest issue being water temps, and I would put frozen water bottles in the buckets twice a day. Plants would do great all the way up to week 2 of flower and then root rot would set in...
Welcome to Hydro life! I switched from soil or coco a couple years ago when I got gnats, and never looked back.
I did my first grow in 2004 DWC... I never grew again till 2020 and I've been soil ever since. DWC was cool but it's been so long ago and I had no clue what I was doing.
Good luck Chris!
This is way easier than you guys make it sound
General Hydroponics Flora series makes it pretty cheap too 😊
Setup looks great, nutrients are fine. Two suggestions: Pro Silicate (2.5ml/G) and Garden Friendly Fungicide(1drop / full bucket).
Silicate = strong plant stems
GFF = good microbes creating a “no vacancy” sign for bad microbes (no root rot)
I ran ebb and flow tables for 12 years in AZ.
Dwc is really close to the same thing and keeps your plant count in check easier lol
i use bins and keep 10 gals at all times. during budding they can drink a couple gallons of water in a few days, they only thing i see wrong with that set up would be the bucket going dry on me
As long as you can't keep the temperature below 21 degrees Celsius, I guarantee that you will have serious problems, not only with the formation of fungi, bacteria and algae, but also with the growth rate of the plant. While the plant is growing at crazy speeds, it will suddenly stop growing and cause you to stare blankly. Temperature is everything in the DWC grow phenomenon. In this sense, as someone who has had serious problems before, I recommend adding 2 to 3ml of food grade 3% hydrogen peroxide per liter in every reservoir change. Keep doing this at least until the ambient temperatures drop below 20 degrees. This saves the situation to some extent. But if you can't control the temperature, the plant will be stressed and won't grow. You have to be very careful. I hope your first experience will not make you frustrated and you will be successful.
Food grade 3% hydrogen peroxide per liter, just to be sure this is not the one that you buy in your farmacy ?
@@zootvmexico Hydrogen Peroxide is produced at 3% - 5% - 50% for different purposes. For example, those produced at 50% are severely corrosive and are mostly used in the cleaning industry. Those produced at 3% are referred to as “food grade”. What needs to be done here is to find hydrogen peroxide produced at 3% and use 2ml/l or 3ml/l for each liter of total water in your reservoir. Too much can harm your plant. These amounts are ideal and sufficient. I hope I understood your question correctly and answered it correctly.
So in other words, switch back to soil :)
@@Tinfoiledhat It's really about what you expect as a result. I know people who get 350 grams of dry crop from a single autoflower plant. There are actually examples on TH-cam. You always have the chance to get up to three times more than growing in soil. But is it worth it? That's debatable. Because it requires serious attention. You need to be constantly on your toes. You have to keep an eye on the roots for any rot, you have to keep an eye on the ec and pH values. Most importantly, you have to constantly monitor the temperature. For example, for someone who spends most of his life at home, DWC can make a lot of sense. Because he will keep his plant under constant control and get a much higher yield than growing in soil. At this point, I think it would be much wiser to make a decision by reviewing such conditions.
If he doesn’t run organic nutes he won’t run into any rotting, fungus, or algae. I’ve been experimenting with inorganic nutes with plants in coco and they do super well! Wasn’t running an air stone at first but adding it really made the plants uptake more nutes.
I have 7 different DWC buckets growing on my balcony here in northern california, where it's over 100 degrees several months a year. Sometimes 105+, and my orange tree, blueberries, grapes, roses, wisteria, etc. all did fine for years. I've had them for 11 years at this point. Temp is not an issue, I just put some beneficial bacteria in them from time to time.
Love this topic, thanks...reminds me of some of Khang Starr's videos 👍👍
Lo9ks great!! Keep the updates coming!!
Growing with dwc is the way I prefer. A couple keys to success:
1. Replace all the water once a week. When replacing you can add your nutrients. This is huge! Don’t just add nutes to your dwc’s water! For this reason, its not the best to put your container directly on the floor as its harder to drain.
2. Gradually work up to half strength with your nutes. Plants react more quickly to changes and mistakes.
3. Focus on healthy roots. Get some AN voodoo juice in your weekly water . It creates a buffer for overfeeding and the microbes clean your roots maximizing uptake.
4. The 48 hrs of darkness is more noticeably effective than soil in my experience.
5. Gradually taper off nutes in last weeks before flush for Better colors and a cleaner smoke.
I wish you much success!
done it did it and if you have problems you know you do so be prepared to know exactly what that problem is not saying every run you get problems but when you do you have no time not like soil to fix it even a few hours in bad temps of water or in contaminated water. you want bubbler's air stones heater's cooler's its not just a put in and forget its alot of work good luck chris
Was growing in DWC for a couple years but since shut up shop however here’s a few things i learned through trial and error which may help some new growers.
Won’t be everyone’s method and I’m by no means an expert but just what worked for me.
1. Don’t chase PH….set to 5.5 and walk away….let the plants do their thing.
2. A water chiller is essential for peace of mind and will genuinely eliminate the chance of root rot. If a chiller is not an option then grab some hydroguard or silver bullet roots.
3. Follow the Lucas method for feeding if you’re doing your first run.
4. PPM and EC are your friend.
5. Yes it matters if your using RO or tap water as your nutrient strengths will need to be different regardless of what a feeding schedule tells you (see point 4)
6. Keep your buckets etc clean / sterile every couple weeks.
7. Keep a couple inch gap between bottom of net pot and water to give a bit of breathing space for the roots.
8. The plants get BIG so keep that in mind.
9. It’s not actually that low maintenance as your be adding water / nutes daily once plant is fully established.
10. Go for an Autopot system with coco and air domes if time is not on your side and you wanna dabble in hydro….its very very low maintenance.
11. Don’t go into it half hearted. I’d recommend a humidifier / dehumidifier and a heater so you can dial your environment in (goes for any growing medium to be fair)
Happy growing people and god speed 😊
Wish you stress free DWC run man!
DWC wipes soil off the map. My yields were 3-4 times soil easily. GH Maxi-grow/bloom. Weekend top off the buckets will nuts, Wed top off with water and UC-roots. I just top them off from day one, never changing the water until harvest. All you need is black 5g bucket, stone, pump, lid/basket, aquarium temp gauge and hydroton clay to get started. Just keep the water temp below 78, with lights that usually means the air temp has to 72 or below (these are maximums from personal experience).
You ever run Coco? I personally love it. Best of both worlds.
Once you grow long enough you start realizing that yield doesn't matter
Yeah, Yield is always a good indicator, but shelf life and taste and smell is what i go for now after 30years.
And also If you are growing for commercial purposes, the trend has moved away from Hydro. People want clean organic flowers that don't have sprays or PGR.
You may get 3 or 4 times more plant matter, I get 3 to 4 times the price for my flower because it's not pumped and sprayed.
you cant get no cleaner then hydro, you shouldnt be spraying any plant. then you have a flush. Get more better plant with hydro. soil even with the top shelf stuff you have a dirt taste to it... believe it or not you really can taste the difference between soil and hydro. hydro all the way...thanks @@lethal2453
If you ever want to extend from this, get the AirCube 6 bucket system. Would allow you the same pluses of hydro with the access to switch between coco and those hydroton clay balls. Best system I have ever used and won't go back. Plus, it allows the water to stay in a reservoir outside the tent, which stays cooler around that 70 mark. Also my ph from seedling to week 2 flower is 5.8. I keep it between 6-6.2 during the rest of flower, if that helps.
I got a chiller four years old. Ran it for two cycles works great. Make me an offer lol 😂 Good show Chris🙏ps The sound of the pumps and the electric needed for hydroponics is a deterrent 😅Also check your Ph daily and hopefully you have a good generator in case the power goes out 🪴I would like to be more positive so….have fun and good luck 🍀
Dwc is great. I run a 3 site rdwc in my 2x4 tent with a 1/10hp water chiller under a kindx420. 2 week veg. 6-6.5 ph feed powersi and gh floranova bloom from start to finish. Environment controlled with a bunch of ac infinity kit. Easy elbow of frosty nugs which for a 2x4 is pretty good
love this style video ! great work !
First thing you want to do growing DWC in the desert is to upgrade that air pump. I'm an AZ grower too, and more 02 in your solution is key.
Thanks for the suggestion. Which pump do you recommend?
@MrGrowIt I like blue diamond linear pumps. Mine is the 160gpm which is way too big, but blows plenty of cool air. A lot of pumps crank out hot air that make maintaining solution temp a nightmare
Keep the aeration high, and expect to reduce nutrient solution. Also make sure to give the updates if/when the system explodes into crop loss for one reason or another.
I tried it and found it to be a lot of work for my lifestyle. Even using a pump for res changes its a real pain in the butt. I get close growth rates in coco anyways honestly. And watering with a timer and drip line is just so much cheaper and easier. Good luck brother.
Looking forward to this series! A lot of people were trying to get me to do this but I'm just not yet ready. I got a feeling i will be as i watch your videos though!
Small Tip: rinse the pebbles before using them, they can dirty up your system.
Excited to see how you get on with dwc. I have grown a few in dwc, love the method but too bountiful for my need. When it goes right it’s very good and when it doesn’t, well 😊
Get some bacillus in that water brother! Hydroguard or the like.
those buckets look cool, good luck Chris , ive never tried DWC myself , always a little scarred to try it 😎
the largest plant i ever grew was dwc, in wintertime in vegas🔥
Auto pots in coco which is still hydroponics. Air stones in the res and pot. GH nutes 6ml micro 9ml bloom per gallon with 3ml cal mag per gallon veg to full bloom. 6.0-6.2 ph. Simple, cheap and never fails.