HydroSan

For discussion:

The “Less is More” growing technique, as laid out in the Hydrotops 2004 Growers Guide. Porps to Hydrotops, the scene is not the same without you

Maximising your efforts.

The Less is More technique is about maximisation of all aspects of the growing system in terms of equipment and the environment in which the plant is growing. The result is a maximisation of yield from the single plant. The results obtained using this method to date have been very impressive. The following is an outline of the areas which need to be addressed for this technique to be adopted effectively.

The Optimal Growing Space. :Maximising the photo periodic environment

The optimal growing space is quite simply the area occupied by a single plant at maturity in relation to the optimal illumination level applied. This is calculated from the effective area covered by a single lighting system, for a plant requiring “medium to high lighting conditions” [I.e ]

We are able to deduce the area covered for a single 600w light fitting, it is 60cm x 60cm. This area will be the optimum horizontal growing space for our plant using a 600w light fitting. The optimal vertical space is calculated by the depth of penetration from the lighting unit. A good rule of thumb for establishing this variable is to equate the vertical measurement to the horizontal +/- 15%. This gives us a cubic optimal growing area of 60cm x 60cm x 60cm.
This is the maximum space our single plant should occupy at maturity in order to optimise the output from our chosen lighting system. It is essential to maintain the area occupied by the plant within our optimal space.

The Optimal Growing Space. : Preparing the plant.

To maximise potential the plant must be no taller than our optimal height when vegetative growth ceases during the early stages of flowering and fruiting, There is an optimal relationship between the size and maturity of the root system and final size of the shoot in maximising yield. This aspect must be fully understood to achieve the best results.
A young plant has a poorly developed root system and when fruiting is induced too soon the root system is not capable of supplying the needs of a quickly growing, heavy yielding shoot. If we are to maintain our plant within the optimal growing space, developing an adequate root system can cause problems in terms of shoot size.
Once fruiting is induced a plant may increase it's overall height two to threefold before growth ceases fully. If fruiting is induced when the shoot is 30cm tall the final height may be anything up to 120cm. Obviously this is well beyond our ideal height. In a well maintained system, the root structure will develop in line with the growing shoot. A large well developed shoot system equates to a large well developed root system. In order to sustain a large yield the root system must be fully developed.
To ensure that shoot growth is contained within the optimal area it will be necessary to prune the shoot as the root system develops. As the young plant is placed in the growing system, it will take 3 or 4 days for the root system to become established. Once the young plant is eight internodes tall the growing tip may be pinched out. This will induce lateral rather than upward growth. As the growth develops this process may be continually repeated which will result in a bushy growth pattern. In order to ensure a good root system prior to fruiting induction the young plant should be given 14 to 21 days vegetative growth.
Before fruiting is induced the shoot may be pruned back hard to a height of 15 to 20cm. During the first 21 days of the fruiting period the shoot will develop very strongly and completely fill the optimum growing space. Pea netting can be stretched horizontally between the growing frame uprights as the shoot develops to support the foliage and developing flower clusters. Supporting the growth in this manor results in increased yield.
It may be necessary to use two layers of pea netting before growth finally slows and flowering begins in ernest.

HydroSan

The Optimal Growing Space.: The growing frame.

Once we have established our optimal growing area we can construct a frame on which to hang the necessary growing equipment. The construction of this frame need not be a complicated matter. It can be simply constructed using 50mm x 50mm dressed timber. A framework with internal face measurements of 1.00m x 1.00m x 2.20m is ideal for use with a single 600w light.
Although the area enclosed by such a frame is greater than our optimal growing space, the additional surrounding space allows for good air circulation to the plant during the late flowering and fruiting period. The additional space in conjunction with a dump fan system helps in the prevention of fungal disease and molds such as Botritis, which can cause problems during the latter stages of a crop.
An additional batten of timber can be fixed centrally across two of the upper cross members. This can be used to suspend the reflector of the light fitting. The use of chain or a pully system facilitates the height adjustment of the reflector as the plant grows. Optimal mounting heights for 600w lights are 40 -50cms.
To prevent loss of light the sides of the frame will require a covering to prevent light escaping and to reflect light back on to the plant. This canbe made form B&W polythene [ panda] or mylar sheet. A more effective solution is to use white venetian blinds. The blinds can be adjusted to allow for airflow through the growing area whilst offering an excellent degree of reflection, which in turn maximises the output from the light fitting.

HydroSan

The Optimal Growing Space.: Maximising the shoot environment.

Control of air movement, temperature and humidity levels within the growing frame are essential. These areas have been covered in detail in earler chapters [not here, I'm not typing the whole book out] Good ventilation is paramount to your success. Ensure your ventilation system has been designed to completely change the air in the room containing your growing frame at least 20 times per hour. Please do not take short cuts with your ventilation. Fresh air is a critical issue in all areas of indoor horticulture. The most important ventilation related issue within the growing frame is that of air stratification. The use of a dump fan here is absolutely essential. Again please do not underestimate the power of a dump fan. A minimum volume for your dump fan should be 120 cubic meters per hour. A 100mm in line fan is ideal for this purpose as it allows the grower to attach a small carbon filter to the inlet side of the dump fan system while still maintaining the minimum required air movement. This is especially useful in reducing unwelcome smells from the growing space.
The dump fan should collect the air from the area at the bottom of the growing frame and “dump” it in the area of the light above the growing plant. This will cause a convection of air movement to occur within the growing frame ensuring good availability of CO2 to the plant and prevent air stratification or pockets of high humidity forming.
Temperature stratification between the bulb and the growing tips of the plant can become a problem. The effects of this can be observed by flowers forming “rat tail” clusters of single calyxes on stalks extending from the main flower formation. This is likely to occur where the bulb is mounted too close to the growing tips. The use of a dump fan will reduce the likelihood of this occuring.

HydroSan

The Optimal Growing Space. : Temperature and Humidity related issues.

Optimal temperature have been discussed elsewhere in some detail [no, i'm not typing that out either] A few words outlining some issues are perhaps useful.
Wherever possible steady temperatures are desirable. A good shoot zone temperature set between 23 -25 degrees C is preferred. The temperature differential between the light and dark cycles has a significant effect on plant growth. Aim to keep the temperature in the growing area slightly warmer during the dark period. This will encourage compact growth patterns and low dark period humidity levels.
To maximise yields aim to maintain humidity levels around 70% during vegetative period, and during the first two to three weeks of the fruiting period.

The Optimal Growing Space. : Nutritional related issues

Plant growth when all variables are optimised can be phenomenal. As such it is essential to maintain a well balanced nutrient solution or considered feeding regime at all times. A few points here will assist maximising your efforts.
Hydroponic systems should have at least 25 litres of working strength nutrient solution set to reflect the plants needs and stage of growth. This figure should be taken as a lower limit, it is good practice with solution volumes as low as 25 litres to completely renew the solution every two to three days, especially during periods of strong growth. Massive benefits in terms of plant vigour and yield will be observed from regular renewals of the nutrient solution.
Nutrient solution temperature must be maintained below 19 degrees Celcius and the solution should be well aerated at all times by using an air pump and diffuser.

Hydrotops The 2004 growers Guide.

HydroSan

Some of my twists to it, growing from clone

I use rootstim, B'cuzz or Rhizotonic. Throughout the rooting phase, throughout veg. This means the root system is establishing in front of the shoot, it means we can decrease veg time to under two weeks, usually 1 week to 10 days. And I forgo the recomended topping/pinching out, tho this is a practice you may want to experiment with

I don't use a "dump fan" as described in this article, I use a standard bionair on the floor, pointing up, and a couple more across the top of the canopy, just under the lights, who's reflectors are inline, so the fans blow across the bulbs of all the lights lengthways.

Height of clone going into flowering, and spacing, are crutial. I like mine to be about 10" and growing at over 1" per day when I switch to flowering, any taller and they will grow too large and start crowding each other far too early, meaning shaded out bud by the next door plant/s and loss of yield. Spacing Vs Vegtime, that's the BIG question

Length of veg time for me is really about the quality of the clones, if I can get em to root and start growing just as the main room can take em, they grow like fook no loss of vigor at all, and only need a week of veg to get em up to 10"... but if I take em a bit early and have to slow em down (because there's no room) they take an extra few days to recover from the stall, and IMO they never reach the same potential had they not had to be stalled, yeild can be as much as 10% off. Same happens if I take em way too early and then cut em back, or have far too much root for transplant and do too much damage, if they stall for whatever reason, 10% down even when I think I've made up for it with extra veg time
So, veg time is all about timming for me, which is the most fuggin difficult part when to switch to flowering for a certain plant spacing, that is the question

If I vegged for 4 weeks I would end up with an overgrown nightmare hell, if I veg for two weeks I lose yeild because they all get crowded out, anything below the canopy is airey loose bud suffering low light, the canopy is too thick for max yeild I fuggin hate trimming that shyte too, it can put 1/3, maybe double, on trimming time for less dry crop

Starting flowering with 10" clones already growing at 1" per day, still on veggie nutes until about 2 weeks depending when the pH drops, they end up at about 4ft. If I switch to flowering nutes as I switch lights, I get 2.5 - 3ft plants and loss of potential. Most people tend to trim the bottom 10" or so down to decent branches for airflow, and a 600w HPS can penetrate about 3ft, so it seems pretty efficient (600's being the most efficient lumens per watt). Spacing = 1 plant per 3 sq ft when I work it out, some work with more space per plant, up to about 1 plant per 3.8sq ft in the widest spacing I can think of, we all aim for only 1 week of veg as far as I know.

The 1 plant per 3.8 sq ft is a spacing on the same Nutriculture 604 3 channel NFT table as I use, for 1/3.8 sqft it's 9 plants, 3 per channel. For a 1/3sq ft it's 11 plants, 4-3-4 on the same channels. I hear the 9 plant spacing is more efficient than I'm using, but I'm stuck until I can get new covers and cut new holes

I don't use a "grow frame" as such, I do have more space around the systems now tho, about 1 - 1.5 ft to the walls which are painted white anyway.

Hope this helps

San

tripps

Top notch thread, San.

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HellRaiZeR

tried to reply earlier but was havin issues.. Luvin it Hydro!! Now sitting in my grow-room journal!

Sticky? Somewhere?

HR

komet

I'll give a sticky nod also.

I'm no expert...not even an amateur as far as hyro is concerned. But this seems like solid, fundamental information that could be related to all hydroponic systems.

As someone who is moving to a hydro system in the near future, I'd like to see this up top.

Thanks, San.

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CRAZYTRAIN

Hey Bud, nice piece. Can you elaborate on the part about the ph dropping? Are you stating that the ph will tend to drop a few weeks after you place the plant under 12/12 lighting? Is the ph dropping a sign of when to switch to blooming nutes? I ask because that just happened to me. About 2 weeks into flower my ph has dropped and keeps dropping after daily adjustments.
thanks,
CT

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Duner

The "less is more" part is what I like...I grow in soil, but this thread is very universal

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