Why I don't grow in soil....

[Nimbliez]

It all started out as a soil grow... but to my dismay, where we are, there were too many extenuating circumstances that made a natural grow impossible. The soil is very alkyline. How alkyline you may ask? How does a pH of 10 hit ya? After watching my young'uns stop growing, pale out, and start a slow retched death, I knew I had to do something. I built a couple 20 gal. DWC tubs, placed them in my indoor growing area, a 10x10 bedroom, purchased CFL lights, GH 3part nutes, testing supplies and transplanted my young'uns to the tubs. Removing the little ones from the soil pots they were in was my biggest concern. In a wheel barrow, I tipped their pots on a 45degree angle and with the water hose, carefully rinsed the soil away. Leaving the sick little plants with 98% of their roots intact. Carefully I cleaned all their roots of debris and inserted them in 3.5inch baskets with hydrotron media. They have been in the DWC tubs for 5 days now, and their sickness seems to be abated. I am observing new green leaves coming back. Green leaves, healthy leaves, puts a smile on yer face leaves.
The DWC tubs each have a 200gph water pumps mounted in the bottom. Attached to a straight PVC line with 360degree sprayers. An aquarium air pump rated for a 60 gallon aquarium split to provide air to 2 12in bubble strips. After installing the pump and seeing how they provided, IMHO, not enough air to raise my DO, I acquired an air pump used in hospitals to wash reaction beads in the laboratory. I use to work in a hospital lab testing bodily fluids. It is a high capacity air pump that makes the aquarium pump look like it isn't even running. But all the air pumps are functional. So without further ado here are some pics of the setup. Plants have been alive for a couple weeks now, and getting healthyer. Their previous setbacks put them 3 weeks behind. But that is all changing now.

[Plie]

Why I won't grow hydro.

Soil is much more forgiving of mistakes, cheaper, no need to be 100% exact on measurements. And I can soak all of my pots in a bleach solution.

[Nimbliez]

welp, it appears I cant upload pics, get a security token error. Just use your imagination.... Picture a 20 gallon storage tote, dark gray, with 6 holes cut in the lid. Evenly spaced that is, and picture if you will looking inside to see my water pump placed right in the center attached to a horizontal 3/4 CPVC pipe and 4-360 degree sprayers mounted on top. Located approximately 2 inches lower than the bottom of the 3.5in. baskets. A 12 inch air stone lays in the bottom along the side. What I did for the high capacity air pump (acquired from Abbott Labs while dumpster diving) was attach some electrical wiring insulation to the end of the air supply line. I perforated the insulation with a sewing needle to create massive amounts of air being injected into the water. It rolls the surface real well. Now picture in your mind, light cords hanging down to each opening in the lid, with a Y installed and 2 CFL's at each of the 6 holes holding a 3.5in. basket. This prolly won't use much memory up on the server using yer imagination. But oh well

Nim

[jangel]

Nim Can I help you? There is a tutorial in the Newcomers section on posting pictures. I will get the link and come back and post it for you. I think the max size is 480 by 6** something, so if you have a program to crop them down, then go to the advanced screen,

VVVVVVV down there VVVVVVV

And go down that page till it says "attachements" and find your pics and post them.

[jangel]

Here ya go, sweetie.

Rules of the forum and picture loading

[Nimbliez]

Thank you Jangel, your help is much appreciated.

Stay tuned... more to come as time goes by

Nim