FAQ

Q: Does growing indoors use much electricity?

A: It depends on how many lights etc. that you run, but these days the light ballasts use much less electricity then the older versions. Plus run much cooler.

Q: Does growing indoors use much water?

A: Again it depends on how large your system is. I have known people to use between 20 and 200 litres a week. Some farmers claim that they use 90% less water compared to traditional growing techniques. So it is good for the enviroment.

Q: Can I start with a small system and expand it later?

A: Yes you can upgrade equipment reguarly and at any time. Depending on your budget. Keeping eqipment current you will use less electricity and produce less heat. Not to mention the risk of fire with out dated equipment.

Q: Where can I get detailed growing information on a particular species?

A: There are many books on all types of growing tequniques available on the net. Plus you can always ask your friendly hydroponics shop for advice. He will probably keep books as well so just ask.

Q: Can I mix up nutrient parts (A + B) plus other additives without water?

A: No defineately NOT they need water in your tank before you add anything else.

Q: I have webs on my plants what do I do?

A: You have spider mites. You can either use a chemical solution available at your local hydroponics shop. Or if you have not used any chemicals at all during your grow period you can use predator mites a biological solution again available at your hydroponics shop.

Q: I can see flying insects of some sort what do I do?

A: You can get a sticky fly trap to attract insects. Then take to hydroponics shop if you have no book or internet for identification.

Q: I don't have much head height are there any solutions to this problem ?

A: Yes you can talk to your friendly shopkeeper for a solution. There is a new technique that has been trialed very succsessfully for very small situations with little head height.

Here are 20 great tips for greater rewards:

Grow Tips

1. Temperature should be in the high twenty's to early thirties Celsius for grow stage and around 26 degrees Celsius or colder for the bloom cycle.
2. Heat the nutrient and root zone to early twenty's Celsius. Do not heat the room it is not needed.
3. CO2 injection will accelerate growth and enhance overall weight.
4. Less is more with Hydroponics if it says put 20 mls in then only put in 19. Also another example is with the EC if it says run it at 2 EC then drop it down to 1.8 EC. You will see and taste the difference.
5. The bigger the root zone the bigger the plant and the greater the yield.
6. Give each plant a square meter if you can it will grow much bigger and get more yield than if you put four plants in the same amount of room. They will grow to the space that you give them.
7. When using Coco only irrigate once a day instead of several for the other methods of growing making easily affordable to run to waste giving you greater yields as well.
8. Clean truncheon and PH meters regularly and calibrate when doing so. To make sure your measuring is accurate.
9. Always sterilise all growing equipment and try not to use wood in construction as it is porous and can harbour germs and pests.
10. Always sterilise grow area and surrounding areas. This will reduce chance of pests or disease.
11. Plants need between 5 to 10 litres a day. You should be getting between 10% to 20% run off out of the pot etc....
12. Do not allow pets or children into growing area. In fact keep it under lock and key to avoid any injuries or unauthorised access.
13. The room needs clean air from outside and you need to expell the hot air via a roof outlet so as not to mix the good air with the bad.
14. When mixing your feed tank add water first then add the a stir then the b stir then any additives then stir then balance the PH finally. To aid stirring and keep it all fresh and mixed up add another pump to tank and put it on a timer to mix the tank when you are not there.
15. Only make enough feed water that will be used in seven to ten days to keep it fresh.
16. Wash tank before refilling to remove algae and rinse well to remove any impurities before making a new batch.
17. Your tap water EC should be zero if it reads then you may need a Reverse Osmosis water filter. Otherwise you are starting off with too much salt in the water and it is not good salt the plants do not like it. They will not grow to their full potential.
18. A split system Air Conditioner is a great asset to maintain your temperature which also keeps the moisture levels down. This also prevents mould from starting. It will also increase the quality and yield dramatically.
19. When getting advice stay with one source too many different styles may muck what good work you have done and give you a failure.
20. Do not use to many additives you should be using no more than four at any one time. Using to many different ones can lead to a toxic tank and poor quality harvest.