Thank you @TheMadFlascher and @ultrapuff ! I definitely prefer the growth rate of hydro over soil. This run of cement shoes will be my first rerun of a clone with the proper vpd so I’m looking forward to seeing what changes it will have on quality . So far I haven’t noticed any less growth during the first days of flower with the lower watts and proper VPD so I’m looking forward to seeing how she yields now as well. The adjustments needed to the res seem to be alot smaller with better vpd and I can sleep Much better not having to worry about wet spots leading to mold/mildew ect.
13 Likes
Thank you @st0na ! Let me know if you ever have any questions I’ll try to get back to you asap
10 Likes
Awesome thank you would love to know your set up you got there think i gonna be doing this next run in soil at that moment but thinking this us less stress and maintenance and yeild obviously speaks for itself @treetrunks and thanks always looking for more knowledge
11 Likes
Each 5 gal bucket has a valve at the bottom to control the flow rate back into the res and a 3/4 inch fitting near the top of the bucket at the side for another hose that leads back to the reservoir. The idea is to set the drain speed so that the bucket fills with water up to the 3/4 inch fittings during the flood/water cycles. I’ve been using 5 ten min cycles a day for the last few grows. During the first few minutes the pump fills the buckets up to the 3/4 inch fitting and hoses and cycles back into the reservoir holding the waterline untill the pump turns off and remaining water drains back into the res through the bottom taps. Both the bottom and top fittings on the bucket have one of these fittings to block rocks from entering the lines. It also helps to put some sort of screen inside or around the bottom fitting as roots like to grow through those ones.
I have a 140 and a 210 GPH pump, both can fill two 5 gal buckets and hold the water line during the cycle and neither has been able pump water faster through the 1/2 inch water line then it can drain through the 3/4 inch drain hoses at the top sides of the buckets even if the bottom drain valves are completely closed. The 1/2 in water line and 3/4 in top/side drains are shared between the 2 buckets with plastic T’s. Each plant has a loop of 1/2 in waterline tubing with holes drilled in the bottom that sit on top of the leca. Black plastic tubing works much better then yellow tubing for the watering loops. The yellow has fibers wrapped in it that clog the holes drilled in the loops.
Bottom drain valves ( avoid hot water heater drain valves many contain lead) :
Ebb and flow fittings:
8 Likes
The reservoirs are 15-20 Gal, less then 15 will run out pretty quick in late flower. I use one marina 200 air pump per res with 2 air stones like these ones
Using Jack’s 321 for nutrients and hypochlorous acid to keep the res clean. I used to use h202 but I’m really liking the hypochlorous
10 Likes
Awesome set up there definitely gonna give it a go easy to set up aswell appreciate you sharing that and your knowledge can get most of this at the same hardware store
7 Likes
Vegged the cement shoes a little too long I’m a few inch’s from the light and few inch’s from the roof of the tent.
Gave away my 10th planet mother to a friend, the cut I flowered out smokes well but didn’t yield enough for me. Also gave them the extra cement shoes cutting and cleaning out the turboKlone to take a hindsight and a two week into flower cement shoe clone.
12 Likes
Heey super nice work dude! Cool set up! Plants looking beauty.
9 Likes
Thank you!
6 Likes
Got the Hindsight and Day 12 of Flower Cement Shoes into the cloner last night, also got the perma clone collars in this round. I noticed huge PH spikes after cleaning and sanitizing the cloner, my best guess is that there’s some hydrogen peroxide left over even after changing out the water a few times. I PHd the clonex,water and hypochlorous mixture for the clones before adding it to the cloner and it spiked after running the machine for 30 min. PhD it again after that, ran the cloner another 30 and then tested again before adding clones. Going to be watching the pH closely this run. Now if I could just remember to plug it back in after checking lol. 3-4 hours with the pump unplugged so ones hunched over a bit I’ll take an update pic tn when she perks back up.
10 Likes
Also I grabbed a Gal of 35% H2O2 today and it doesn’t appear to have a vented cap? It released a fair bit of pressure when I cracked the lid, I’m used to the bottles having vented caps
4 Likes
@PreyBird1 Does your PH spike upwards after adding new water/nutrients to the turboKlone and running it for a while? I noticed another spike after I did my week 1 water change.
8 Likes
It can thats why i adjust it weekly. But usually i can l ock out a set of clones in 7 days.
9 Likes
@treetrunks do those clones just sit in the green things in turbocloner sorry new to DWC set ups am a soil grower but after seeing your set up am gonna get set up for this have got buckets and air pump am gonna do DWC and while i do that am setting up for flood and drain system just waiting for a few parts for it
8 Likes
Yes they just kinda pinch the clone in between the the slit. Im constantly cloning because a seed takes 45-50 days before its mature enought to flower. But i can root a clone in 5-7 days and have up to 24 clones at a time rooted in under a week. Makes a faster harvest. Also lets me have more plants so i can breed things with many different strains.
9 Likes
Awesome thank you @PreyBird1 wondered if they just pinched clone in them just wasn’t sure I got a few clones gifted to me and a few mothers started they are only young tho so awhile to go for them yet do you clone off a clone have heard cloning from a clone makes the clone weaker in THC i am investing in a turbocloner as soon as shop gets it in so i can get these harvests closer together so i have a quick turn around for smoke once again thanks for your knowledge and helpfulness
8 Likes