personal-site/content/Hydroponics Log 2.md

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Title: Grow Log, Home: Round 2 Date: 2022-07-29 Category: Notes Summary: Grow log for my home hydroponics setup, round 2. Wide: true Short: hlog2

2022-03-05: Started germinating
2022-03-07: Just barely noticed germination
2022-03-08: Noticed all leaves except spinach again
2022-03-10: Transplanted into tote
2022-03-12: measured pH: 6.0
2022-03-20: thinned out weak plants
2022-03-25: lettuces have no roots below net pot. others have lots of roots in the water. some leaves have a weird film on them, some have white stuff.
2022-03-28: Three lettuces wool dry on top. No roots below net cup. Roots are growing a bit out the sides. Dropped wool to bottom of net cups, topped water up to 1 cm above bottom of net cup. This might harm the other plants? The lettuce roots grew through a lot of the clay balls but not enough to reach the water.

  • I assumed the clay balls would wick up enough water that it wouldn't matter.
    2022-03-30: EC measured 1.1. trimmed oldest leaves, lettuce roots now good in water
    2022-04-01: pH measured 6.7. brown tips on lettuce.
    2022-04-06: Harvested first salad, arugula and cress taste horrible like paint thinner. Lettuce was good.
    2022-04-14: Terminated.

Germination

  • index is top left in tray
  • rinsed all equipment with water
  • 1 L growth solution prepared - 1 L tap water - 1.3 mL plant food - 0.5 mL pH Down for 5.5 pH
  • forgot to shake plant food
  • 12 mineral wool cubes each soaked for 10 seconds
  • three seeds of each, except five for arugula and cress in X pattern
  • hole was opened with a broken toothpick
  • seeds tamped down the hole with the toothpick
  • remaining solution added to the bottom of the tray

Result

(columns left to right)

  • iceberg lettuce LT541
  • arugula MS483
  • romaine lettuce LT470
  • cress MS495
  • butterhead lettuce LT458
  • spinach SP705

Growth

  • used 102 L HDX tough totes - sides bow out quite a bit, try duct taping
  • 100 L growth solution prepared - 100 L tap water (estimated) - 117 mL plant food (needs more?) - 10 mL pH down to 6.0
  • cut six holes into Foamular
  • transplanted sprouts into net cups
  • layer of clay balls under and around sides of starter plug
  • filled tote pretty much to brim
  • tote sides bowed out quite a bit. maybe it's 110-120 L full of water?

Layout:

(reading order)

  • iceberg lettuce LT541
  • romaine lettuce LT470
  • butterhead lettuce LT458
  • arugula MS483
  • cress MS495
  • arugula MS483