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The North Coast

Has anyone else ever racked their brain on how to construct a hydroponic setup for a carolina cross? If you are a techy, engineering type this could right up your alley...and hopefully take our minds off the other subject.

2/16/2012 1:34:30 PM

Arden, NC

Chris Kent did one last year...was high maintenance from what I remember but grew a melon.

2/16/2012 1:37:07 PM

The North Coast

That would be nice to follow up on. I had a hard time keeping my NFT root chamber under 85...eventually I was smoke. I did learn a bunch on what worked and what didn't. For example, the more organic hydro solutions are difficult to keep balanced. I changed over a all mineral based solution and the daily insanity of pH ballancing was over.

2/16/2012 1:57:13 PM

sevierville, Tn

I did 177 ibs last year in a 50 gallon drip setup. it was all chemical. It did NOT like 95 days & 75 nights !
Very expensive, drank 15 gallons a day of nutes ! Would probally do well somewhere cooler.

2/16/2012 3:48:01 PM

The North Coast

Wow! good job. If I had to do it again I would figure a way to bury the rooting chamber along with the reservoir. Most likely in a drip system like you did. It was hoping that the reservoir being buried would cool the solution enough to chill the rootzone. That was the fatal flaw of my system. I feel that somebody could do even better than 177 with some modifications in the system. Acually, if ever mastered it could do very great things.

I had a float valve in my reservoir that kept it filled and only changed my nutrient solution once a week. I only added water to replace what was consumed.

I realized the wonders of an air lift pump. This is what I used to oxygenate the solution and deliver it to the top of the system.

Oh, another big mistake was putting a CC grafted to an AG in the unit. What was I thinking? The CC would of done much better dealing with the heat. I guess I just wanted to say that I was growing a hydroponic pumpermelon! Sorry, I just had to say it.

2/16/2012 4:20:42 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

I am going to be constructing a 'dugout' greenhouse, that is buried like 4.5' in the ground. You berm the back up another couple of feet, put on a slanted cap, and tray out to the south (dig in about a foot) and have the cap go out far enough to cover that too. It is not supposed to need much if any extra winter heating or summer cooling (cover slant cap at dark in winter and shade the thing in summer). IN one of these you probably could run a hydro rig and keep it the right temp to keep rooties happy without going bankrupt. I will take pictures whenever I get to this...

2/17/2012 2:08:24 AM

Ottawa, Ohio

What's the magic root temperature to shoot for ?

2/17/2012 3:47:14 AM

The North Coast

If the rootzone gets over 80 degrees you can start to pick up root death and disease. More ideal would be around 75. I was getting 90+ and had no chance of keeping it under the ambient temperature outside. The best systems would have this taken into consideration. It is easy to heat (aquarium heater) the nutrient solution but hard to cool it.

2/17/2012 7:54:31 AM

Bethlehem CT

177 pounds! Nice job Chris.

2/17/2012 9:05:34 AM

sevierville, Tn

Yes burying would help with the temps in the root zone. I had my drain get clogged with roots, so thats something to watch for since i then had to make a new one & was using gravity to drain the chamber. Power is another issue. I lost a bunch of leaves when the power went out at 11am one day. If i had not been around the plant would have been dead in 1 hour in the july heat !
The idea has potential especially for someone who has no land to grow on. You could grow in a parking lot ! LOL

2/17/2012 3:57:33 PM