help with understanding nutrients

hey guys i just got my hydro kit in, i have a dwc hydrofarm kit for one big plant that came with growing medium and a pump and everything but now that im setting it up, i have a couple quick questions.

1. it came with flora nutrients, floramicro floragrow and florabloom, it has a 4 gallon reservoir and a 2 gallon growing chamber, how much of each is needed and can someone explain it to me in simple terms?

2. i was going to just germinate a couple seeds and put them in rockwool or somthing of that sort but i was mistaken and i thout my kit came with some sort of starting device for the seed but it didnt, do i need to soil grow a small plant then transplant after 2 weeks or so?

3. im ordering a hps 400w light for this setup becuase i dont like cheaping out on important stuff and i might as well do it right the first time but will one buld and 4 way reflecting prism cover thing be enough for this lil setup? ill be pretty much putting this in my closet with the doors open, so ventilation should be efficient and the temp. should be ok,

4. ill go an get a ph tester and a ppm? meter today at lowes if they have one, what exactly does the ppm meter measure? i understand the ph but this new acronym is kinda confusing me, is it just a measure of the nutrient solution in the water? thanks guys for better informing me.

p.s. is there ne thing else i should know? lol sounds like such a uneducated question..

 

I can't really give good advice on hydroponic growing problem issues. My past experience with hydro has been, well, let's just say "less than encouraging". But that was a long time ago (before I, or most others, had the internet). Things are different now and I am going to try it again, but that's another story!

2. I know you can start plants in pots with potting mix and then rinse all the particles off and put them in net pots with proper hydro medium (clay pebbles or something similar), for transfer into hydro system. You should be able to get Rockwool cubes locally, at a hydro shop, they are pretty cheap.

3. 400 watts should be fine for one big plant. Although I prefer the ballasts that can handle MH and/or HPS (just my $.02 worth). Keep the plant surrounded with Mylar to maximize the light. A 400w will get hot, don't underestimate the need for ventilation, both for plant growth and heat control - as well as odor control.

4. Yeah, a PPM (parts per million) meter measures how much "stuff" is in your water, that may be contaminents or nutrients. But it doesn't tell you which specific nutrients are either being taken up or left behind, just an overall level. The newest thing is an EC (electrical conductivity) meter, it serves a similar purpose as the PPM meter but uses electrical resistence to measure and uses a different readout scale.

 

ok, thanks man, shouldi buy a ec or a ppm meter for my first grow? i went by lowes garden shop and they didnt have any ph up or down for anything besides pool care, im guessing thats not what i need? and they didnt have any rockwool either, it was kinda a disapointing trip, good luck on ur next hydro expirement, hopefully my first time will go well...

 

"Should I buy a ec or a ppm meter for my first grow?"
I should probably let someone with more hydroponics experience answer that. My motto is "start out on the cheap side and improve later".

"I went by lowes garden shop and they didnt have any ph up or down for anything besides pool care, im guessing thats not what i need? And they didnt have any rockwool either"
Pool Care Supplies - that kind of sends shivers up my back!! They may work, I don't know, but they are highly concentrated and work with thousands of gallons at a time. Naah, the stuff you want can be found at any tropical fish store or hydroponics shop. Rockwool is at hydro shops too.

"Good luck on ur next hydro expirement, hopefully my first time will go well.."
Thanks - and good luck to you!!!

 

Find your local hydro shop, they'll have what you need. Buy a grow book while you're there. Watch the heat, buy a $2 thermometer and keep the temp in your closet under 80. you can start under a paper towel and then go directy into rockwool.
Ph is very important, get a tester of some sort. A cheapie from an aquarium store works at least as well as a high end unit. An EC meter is a nice luxuryto have but you can get by without it. Most problems are caused by overfertilization... you'll learn about Nute burn real quick. If a little fertilizer is good, a lot is NOT better. Even the recomendations on the label are at the high end of acceptable; remember the guy writing those directions sells nutrients. Buy a grow book. Start off with bag seeds cause you're prbably gonna f'up your first efforts. one more thing, buy a grow book.

 

You can download plenty of grow bibles. Just google Marijuana Grow Bible or hit up the torrent sites.

 

yea ive been researching the stuff like crazy, over the last coupe of weeks, im deff. not goin with exotics my first go around, i just wish it didnt take so long to veg/bloom/cure, i guess patience is a virture

 

A PPM and a EC meter are one in the same. Any ppm reading can be translated to ec.
ask the dealer you buy your meter from for the chart on the conversions for that specific meter.

 

By intensive:

" - - - i guess patience is a virture"
In this game it has to be!