HELP! First Timer - Advice needed for DWC nutrients dosage

[kjones6160]

Hi everyone! I'm setting up an indoor tent for my very first grow. I'm somewhat confused about what is the best time to start adding nutes to my DWC bucket. I've read some who say use nothing be pH balanced water for the first week or two, and others who say to start out at one fourth of the recommended dosage per manufacturers schedule. I'll be starting my first grow soon and want to get the ladies started off properly. I'll be using white widow auto-flower seeds that I got from ILGM in Amsterdam. I plan on germinating in rockwool cubes before moving them to a 5 gallon DWC kit. Should I just use plain water during the initial germination week and then switch to 1/4 strength nutes after they've popped out of the rockwool and I've put the cube into a 6" net pot with hydroton in the DWC bucket? Or should I just follow the regular dosage schedule on the General Hydroponics Flora Series site? They recommend all 3 (micro, grow, bloom) nutes starting at week 1, but I didn't think you need the Bloom until the flowering stage?

Also, what is considered as "Week 1" of the grow schedule? I assume the time clock starts once you have the seeds germinated and they get added to the DWC bucket? You don't count the week or so that it takes the seeds to pop out and take root in the rockwool, do you?

My setup: 2x4x7' grow tent, Advanced Platinum P600 600W LED light, 4" inline 200CFM fan with carbon filter, Power Grow 5 gal DWC kit, rockwool/hydroton media, GH Flora Series nutes.

[Formernuke]

I germinated 2 seeds and then placed them in the dwc with 1/4 strenght nutrition once they popped. It killed them. The next 2 I germinated placed in dwc with just phd water. Then waited one week and just added 1/4 strenght nutrition. They are growing like weeds (pun intended).

This is my first grow so I have very limited experience but that is mine.

[kjones6160]

Formernuke, Thanks for the feedback!

[abadtrip]

So I did the same thing it's my first grow also dwc I did 1/4th and killed 2 plants the next time I did 1/ 5th and bam I had 2 good solid plants i am useing technaflora so yea good luck.

[kjones6160]

abadtrip, thanks!

[Jason]

I only grow from clones. I give them pH balanced water for a week or so, then switch to one week of half strength GH Flora Trio. The 3rd week I start WEEK ONE on the feeding schedule for recirculating which is online. May largest plant is now 30" at the beginning of Week V. Everybody loves the food and new 315 LED light.
From now thru harvest I will be adding .5 gallons of water or more per day to my little 2 gallon Water Farms. The girls get very thirsty when they are switched to Bloom.

[kjones6160]

Thanks for the advice Jason. That really helps me out.

[POKEDSMOT]

I started my seeds in the system. Start with pHd water. Once the first true set of leaves came in I added 1/4 nutes according to the GWE nutrient chart for GH nutrients.

[DW2]

Howdy Kjones6160, I grow in a DWC recirculating system and use the GH Maxi series (MaxiGro and MaxiBloom dry nutrients). I use the feeding schedule from the GH web site and have had very good results. I also use the GH supplements Liquid KoolBloom, Floralicious Plus, Armor Si, FloraNector, and Florashield. I do not use any CALiMAGic because the water here is very hard and does not require a lot of additional minerals. I count the first week as the week after the seeds sprout (in 5.0 pH'ed water) and are placed in the rockwool cubes.
Good luck with your grow.

[alltatup]

kjones6160

Welcome to the forum! I'm a DWC grower, too. In addition to all the good advice and shared experience above, be aware that for the first week or two after it sprouts, the seedling is feeding of the cotyledons (the first two round, fat leaves). So I watch the cotyledons to see if they get "used up."

Second, I wait to see roots emerging from the germination cube (I use Root Riots). When I put those cubes in the net pots with hydroton, and fire up the reservoir with bubbling water, all I do at first is pH the water, throw in a little Great White to keep the bad bacteria away. I keep the water level high so it's misting the bottom of the net pots, but not soaking them.

When I see roots emerging from the net pots, somewhere in week 2 after germination, I add 1/4th strength nutes and root boosters. As people have said on this forum over and over, you can get away with using less nutes than what the nute companies say (trying to sell more nutes!!)

[kjones6160]

Excellent advice. Thanks alltatup!

[alltatup]

You're welcome!! ;-}