3CH Grow Guide

Introduction to Hydroponics

This guide is designed to show how easy it is to grow your own fresh produce at home and to dispel the common misconception surrounding hydroponics that it is expensive and difficult. This certainly need not be the case and this guide aims to show the simplicity and enjoyment that comes from this rewarding hobby.

Starting Out

Having made the decision to start growing at home, one needs to determine a few factors, the first being where to grow and how much space is available to use. Many people fear that they dont have a suitable space or area to grow in and/or that constructing such a space requires advanced DIY skills or the inconvenience of drilling holes into walls etc. This is not true, The facts are that anybody who is motivated to save money and be self sufficient can achieve these aims regardless of where they live or how much space they have. Suitable spaces in which to grow include:

• A shed or greenhouse
• A spare room or loft
• A wardrobe
• A purpose bought grow tent - available in various sizes and designs

3CH recommends the use of a grow tent because they are simple and quick to assemble and disassemble. They are smart and look similar to a canvas wardrobe. They are portable and require no particular DIY skills. No drilling or structural alterations are required and so nobody is disturbed or inconvenienced by their construction. However, if you opt to construct your own grow space, remeber the importance of lining it with reflective sheeting such as mylar to ensure maximum use of available lumens.

The best approach to gardening is to think of and treat your plants as children. You must provide all their requirements to ensure they grow healthy and strong. You must give them somewhere to live, keep warm and provide them with a balanced nutritious diet. You must also take steps to prevent them becoming ill and protect them from external dangers such as pests. Just as children benefit from from sunlight and fresh air, so too will your plants and, having decided upon where your plants will grow e.g Bud Box, similar tent or spare room, your next step is to figure out the lighting, intake and extraction requirements of your chosen grow space. Your plants will need light and fresh air to thrive and reach their full potential.

There are a number of lighting systems available both in terms of size and style. For optimal environmental conditions one must use the right amount of light for the area in which one is growing and generally 50 watts per square foot is considered optimal, although good results can be achieved with a little less. Consider the following as a rough guide when using HID lighting:

• 250 watts for a 2' x2' garden
• 400 watts for a 3' x3' garden
• 600 watts for 3.5' x 3.5' garden
• 1000 watts for 4' x 4' garden

The homegrower may decide to use CFL's throughout the grow, beginning with a blue bulb for vegetative growth and switching to a red bulb for flowering. This scenario is suitable for small, confined spaces for which HPS and MH lighting would produce too much heat whereas those with more space generally opt for HID lighting. Whilst it is possible to use HPS for both veg and bloom phases, most commonly people will use a MH bulb for veg growth and an HPS for flowering. The more experienced grower will flower using a combination of the two at a ratio of 60:40 HPS/MH which more accurately refelcts the sun's natural spectrum.

There is nothing wrong with traditional magnetic ballasts; they will serve you well and were, until relatively recently, the only option. However, compared to the modern generation of digital ballast they are bulky, more noisy and less efficient.. 3CH recommends the new digital Lumatek range. These light weight, silent and more energy efficient ballasts also emit less heat than traditional ballasts. This new technology is more expensive but in our opinion and that of our customers', worth it.

When you have decided upon your ballast, your next choice is that of the reflector for the bulb. There are many types available and their main purpose is to evenly distribute light as evenly as possible across the area in which you are growing. Reflectors are available as standard and air cooled. Most people use traditional open reflectors, but some people will use aircooled systems to enable more watts to be used in a small space, or at times of high temperatures in summer or if they live in hotter climates such as Spain. The reflector is connected to a fan which pulls the hot air out and away from the bulb.

In addition to keeping temperatures low, another benefit of using air cooled systems is that the light can be placed closer to the plants without burning them, resulting in more compact and faster growing plants. It is worth remembering that light intensity doubles for every six inches the light is placed closer to the plants. However, providing extraction is adequate, air cooled reflectors are generally not essential in the UK, but if you do require one, 3CH recommends either the Coolshade or the CoolStar. In terms of non aircooled reflectors 3CH stock a variety of styles in all price ranges e.g the budget Euro to the higher end Diamond.

With your lighting requirements sorted, the next step is to calculate your intake and extraction needs. You will need to supply your plants with fresh, CO2 - rich air and also remove hot, stale CO2 - depleted air from your growroom or tent. To calculate your needs, use the following equation: Multiply the area in square metres by 125 e.g a grow room of 5m x 2m = 10msq and would require an extraction rate of 10 x 125 =1250m/hr meaning you would need a HVK 315A1 fan.

Most growers seek to achieve negative pressure and do so by using a more powerful fan for extraction than intake. This is why 3ch sell the quality HVK fans with the A1 and L1 options. For example, a gardener using a 600 watt light in a square metre would have an HVK 125 A1 supplying fresh air and the more powerful HVK 125 L1 removing the old air. Acoustic fans are also available to minimise the sound coming from the grow area and these coupled with acoustic ducting make for almost silent extraction.

Temperature

In basic terms, an acceptable temperature range is between 23 and 28 degrees centigrade. 24–26 degrees is optimal. Temperatures above 30 degrees are only desirable or tolerable with the use of CO2 enrichment, but we will look at this aspect of growing later. Temperatures above 30 degrees without supplementary CO2 will harm your plants. Temperatures below 15 degrees centigrade will slow growth and below 18 is not recommended. Try to maintain day/night temperatures within 5 degrees of each other, but always ensure day is hotter than night.

Humidity

Humidity is best kept high in vegetative growth and in the region of 70%. This should be reduced to around 40% when in flower to reduce the risk of mould.
3CH supply 2 types of fan speed controllers which will help maintain optimum temperatures and humidity in your environment. Take a look at the Primair and Evolution Digital Controllers and essential items such as our hygrometers for monitoring temperature and humidity ranges.

The Basics of Hydroponics

Growing hydroponically is very easy but requires a little dedication. Fantastic results can be achieved from the first attempt, providing the basics are observed and maintained properly. It is advisable to make sure you start by having good quality and accurately calibrated EC and pH meters. In basic terms, EC which stands for Electrical Conductivity is a measurement of the nutrient strength you are feeding to your plants and pH, standing for 'potential of Hydrogen' is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of that same nutrient solution. If these meausrements are not accurate and if the readings do not fall within acceptable parameters for the specific stage of growth that your plants are at, then you are going to encounter a number of unwanted problems, such as nutrient deficiencies and overdoses which will result in burnt or stunted plants with reduced quality and yields of your produce. Different plants will have different nutritional requirements which will change as the plants develop, but a very basic sample regimen could look like this:

• Cuttings - 1.0 - 1.4
• Veg -1.4 - 1.6
• Flower 1.6 - 2.0
• Last week - Flush

The pH scale runs from 0–14, with 0–7 acidic and 7–14 alkaline and 7 neutral. The pH level at which most plants can happily access most nutrients ranges from 5.5 to 6.3 with 6.0 being quite optimal. Maintain these levels and everything should be fine, deviate too far from them and you will encounter poor growth and damage to your plants.

One thing to remember is that it is far easier to correct a deficiency than it is to undo the damage of an overdose. Whereas soil acts as a natural buffer to the mistakes of the beginner, hydroponically grown plants are more sensitive and so it is best to start feeding at slightly lower levels than the dosage directions on the bottle might tell you and if your plants start to look a little hungry, you can up the feed accordingly. Secondly, it is very important to monitor the EC and pH levels in your reservoir on a regular basis as these can fluctuate e.g due to ambient temperature changes or if the plants take up more of one mineral element than another due to pH fluctuations causing nutrient lock out. Nutrient solutions should be changed at least once per fortnight to ensure optimum levels of all nutrients are always available to your plants.

Nutrient Solution Temperature - It is important to maintain a nutrient solution temperature of around 20 degrees centigrade in order that all nutrients are available and root diseases are less likely. 3CH sell water heaters to suit all tank sizes.

Aerating/oxygenating your Nutrient Solution - Whatever size your tank and reservoir may be, if you are growing NFT style, it is beneficial to add extra oxygen to your solution. Extra oxygen to the roots will result in healthier roots and faster growth. A simple way to oxygenate your solution is to use an air pump and air stone or porous pipe. This will add oxygen to your solution and your plants will love you for it. The airstone method is often preferred to adding Liquid Oxygen as this chemical will kill any beneficial bacteria.

Adjusting the pH of your Solution - pH Up and pH Down used sparingly will help to maintain ideal pH levels. pH down is phosphoric acid and pH Up is potassium hydroxide and both are aggressive chemical to be handled, used and stored carefully. Liquid Silicon can be used to raise the pH of a solution, whilst also providing some benefit to your plants e.g increased stem strength.

Root Health

The importance of a healthy rhizosphere (root zone) cannot be underestimated. A healthy root mass will result in healthy top end growth. As previously mentioned, it is vital to maintain optimal nutrient solution temperatures to keep roots healthy. Adding a root stimulator such as Rhizotonic or Roots Excelurator will increase root growth and regular application of an enzymatic product such as Cannazym will help break down dead and decaying root matter, making it nutritionally available to your plants. It is also a good idea to add a preventative product such as StopWilt Plant Tonic to your solution to help prevent root diseases such as Pythium which has the potential to completely destroy a crop. Mictobial R.T.U is also another excellent rootzone conditioning product which has the added benefit of being useful for killing pests too.

Growroom Pest and Solutions

There are few things more disheartening for the home gardener than to discover their prize plants are being attacked by insects. Mites, flies and gnats can sneak into a grow room undetected until they start to wreak havoc. Prevention is better than cure and one free way to try and prevent pests is to maintain a high level of grow room cleanliness. Most pests prefer to eat organic matter, so remove any dead leaves and debris. Use somthing simple such as a pair of tights placed over intake fans to filter out pests and quarantine any infected plants as soon as possible. Below are a few of the more common pests the indoor grower may encounter:

• Spider Mites are the most common and can be the most damaging pest. They appear as tiny specks on the underneath of leaves and each female can lay up to 100 eggs meaning they can spread prolifically if left unchecked. Little webs like a spider would produce are a sure sign of advanced infestation. They suck the sap from leaves and you will notice tiny little white spots where they have been feeding. Leaves can go yellow due to a a failure to produce chlorophyll. 3CH sell a variety of effective spidermite killing sprays such as SpiderMite Control, Pest Off and Neem Repel which are natural and non - toxic.

• Fungus Gnats thrive in damp environments and hide around the base of plants and can bury into rockwool cubes. They eat fine root hairs and scar larger roots, causing plants to be stunted. To control larvae, Gnatt Off is effective as are sticky yellow traps for the adults.

• Thrips are 1 - 1.5mm long, very fast moving and come in a variety of dark colours, as well as white and grey. They can also have stripes. They hide under leaves and prefer to jump rather than fly. They scrape leaf tissue and suck out the saps and juices causing damage similar in appearance to that created by mites. Sulfume sulphur vapourisers are highly effective and will kill all thrips and are also very efffective at combatting fungi and moulds.

Plant Health and Nutrient Deficiencies

The health and happiness of a plant is generally reflected in its leaves. Nutrient overdoses and deficiencies will be evident from the leaves as will the presence of pests. As the seasons change, so each season has its attendant problems for the indoor hydroponicist. One of these season - related problems can be the dreaded Leaf Spot Fungus which is often most prevalent in the damp conditions of Autumn, though it can strike at any time. LSF is identified by rusty brown patches on leaves that spread both on the plant itself and to surrounding plants. 

Botyritis and Powdery Mildew are other diseases certainly exacerbated by high humidity levels. So as mentioned already maintaining optimum humidity levels at all times is of great importance as is increasing air circulation as well as exchange. Try a neem based product such as Neem Repel to combat these, but the only real effective treatment is the Sulfume. As is the case with most plant related problems, prevention is better than cure and to avoid or ease many common plant disease it is always wise to follow the following precautions:

• Rigidly stick to all pH, EC, atmospheric and nutrient temperature paramaters previously outlined in this guide.
• Maintain optimal humidity levels of 60 -80% in veg and 40-50% in flower.
• Use preventative additives for root health.
• Put a filter, on the intake fans to prevent pests entering the room.
• Scrupulously clean and maintain the cleanliness of the grow room. Products such as RoomClean will help.
• Isolate or even remove and kill plants badly effected by disease or pests.

Other Factors

A reverse osmosis machine will remove all the nasty extras that you dont want in your tap water, leaving you with pure water to begin with. These machines are capable of filtering large amounts of water ina day and are now a lot cheaper than they were a few years ago and are a superb investment for your plants. Gardeners who start using reverse osmosis water never go back to tap water again.

Once all environmental factors are in perfect synchronicity, another method for achieving accelerated growth rates and bumper crops is CO2 enrichment. Carbon dioxide is a gas normally present in the air at around 300 ppm and is absorbed by plants through pore-like openings on their leaves called stomata. By increasing CO2 levels to 1500ppm it will dramatically increase growth and yields.