I was flooding every 2 hours, the timer I have is in 30 minute intervals so every 2 hours they feed for 30 minutes. The lower leafs turned pale green/yellow. The tops are fine. I changed the schedule to 30 minutes every 4 hours. What do y'all think? Over watering?
Sounds like something different. overwatering presents very similarly to underwatering. I'd still guess you were overwatering though. Not positive. EnF is not my strongest suit.
Sounds like a good rule of thumb, makes sense. I've been using the useless formula for a few years now never having any issues with def's or nute burn. I even pulled up the liners in my tables and sloped the bottoms with sand so there would be no water pooling anywhere. I hope it was just the feeding schedule they were on. I read in a thread about feeding more often I guess is why i switched last time and didn't think about it with this crop. Note that i think about it i did have some discoloration last time just not as bad. Hmm:icon_confused:
I was wondering about the timing thing myself. Since it's starting to get a lot warmer is it wise to water more often. I've set mine on 15 min every 3 hours from the start. I have checked the roots just before they cycle lately and they seemed a little dry and considered going to 2 1/2 hour cycles. I'm new at tables but I'd think that as long as the water is aerated and the roots don't stand in stagnant water it'd be ok. Hell, the DWC hang in water 24 hrs. The tables are so much less work per plant than the DWC buckets I'd love to stick with them. The buckets seem to get bigger but the tables are much easier to manage. Also, I see that many nute companies recommended the level be higher in tables than DWC and soil. And some will say to reduce the nutes some when feeding more often in your tables. Any ideas on that, cause you have more experience with table than I do. Be Cool, CG
I was doing every 4 hours for 15 minutes. This run I am doing every 3 hours for 15 minutes. The only difference I can see is maybe I'm doing it to much but I don't see any difference really in the plants so I'm staying with the 3 hour flood for now. Creative, there is a difference between DWC and the table since in DWC you better have air mixed in your buckets and with the table your water would just be pooled there. Sure it would be moved every 3-4 hours but in the mean time the roots would just be sitting in the pooled water. Not good. GiT, never, I mean NEVER have sand or soil or any kind of dirt mixed up with hydro. If you want to make sure of no pooling of water, slope your table toward the drain with a piece of wood or something under the opposite end of your table.
Sticky the sand is under the liner of my tables no cross contamination of any kind there. CG I've only used the useless formula and I started out with botanicare pro at recommended dosage. I've always used the 4 hr sch. or continous top feed at 1gph
I flood 15 minutes every 3 hours. No issues so far. I would ditch the top feeding. You in rockwool cubes, right?
I was referring to the time the pump ran and the frequency. The table drained every time the pump shut off so no standing water. I just couldn't see how a 2 hour cycle could over water as long as the tray drained each time. And as long as the res was aerated I couldn't picture a 30 minute flow of water being too much. I know aeration is important. I use a large stone and let the drain water free fall several inches in the res to add even more air. I had just seen somewhere they recommended tweaking the feeding level between res changes with the pump. Start light with 4-15 a couple days them bump up to 3-15, kinda makes sense but I was just wondering if anyone here went to the trouble cause it sounds like a pain to me. Be Cool, CG
During my last grow i read somewhere about useless suggesting to someone feeding more frequently for less time. I was well into the flower cycle and i made the switch. The timers that i have for the pumps are not digital and only have 30 Minute Intervals, so i couldn't Reduce the flood duration, apparently for the first couple weeks of flower this is not a good idea, in my situation at least. It's been a day and a half since I switched back and the plants are looking better. As far as pooling water in the tables, that was my first thought, so I put sand under the liner. there was not big puddles. Just a 1/8 inch or so in a couple spots. The sand took care of that but while I was spreading the sand, the timer switch came to mind. So I changed the frequency of flooding. The post was more about the irony of me over watering my plants in flood table. I figured we could laugh and learn from my fuck ups once again. I mean who drowns a flood and drain set up?....... This guy Admin lynching The top feeding deal was only once with the tables, just till the roots were big enough to do their thing, but after thinking about it the water level in the tables soak the clay pellets which is plenty for young plants, Previously with dwc grows I top fed allot for whatever reason. CG the useless formula starts both the veg and flower cycles with a mild formula and increases every week. So I reckon that's the same type of deal your talking about
That was the problem, last night they were all perked up reaching for the lights. I'm gonna stick with 30 minute floods every 4 hours till I get some digital timers to have more control over timing
The good manual 15 min timers aren't easy to find. I had a couple from walmart and they didn't last long at all. I have to buy them now at the hydro-garden shop where I get all the other shit. They're about 15 bucks for a good one, but I figure worth it to insure things work properly. A problem could cost me a hell of lot more than 15 bucks. Be Cool, CG
Yeah CG, I'm about done with the cheap walmart crap, I upped my game with the stains so it is gonna start showing in upgrades pretty quick.
Still having the yellow leafs issue. Apparently I wasn't drowning them. After reading through pest and plant problems I've come to the conclusion that it is nitrogen def. I have never had this issue before using useless' formula. I flushed them for a few days when I first noticed it, that didn't help so i thought it was the water pooling in the tables, fixed that issue and they were looking better. 3 days later more yellow leafs. 6 plants, 2 stains (white rhino and sage) all have the same issue. 3x3 table, 15gl of nutes. I'm on a well so no fluctuation in ph. The only things i have changed is going to tables. This is my 2nd grow in the tables. Maybe a couple of lost leafs and a few spots last time. That was some reggy plants that round. If it is nitrogen, what do i add?
GIT a 15 gallon res on a 3X3 sounds a little small to me. I think 20 gallons for a 2x4 table (8 sq ft) is a bare minimum. In flower the plants drink 10 gallons in 3 days. You have 9 sq ft. I don't know if that's causing your prob but its a thought I had. Also, a lot of strains need extra cal/mag in the first few weeks of flower, even when running the UF. I am running UF, and the killaqueen NEED the cal mag in the first 3 weeks of flower, otherwise I loose 30% of the leaves to yellow.
FF I'm about to go out there in a few to take pics and change nutes. I have a 28gl I'll fill it with 20gl and see.
