News — Hydroponics

Mars Hydro, a Hydroponic Supplier Spotlight 0

New Product - SuperCloset SuperPonics XL 12 Hydroponic Grow System 0

The all new SuperCloset SuperPonic XL 12 is an all new, easy to use, 12 site hydroponic system that lets you grow big!

It's perfect for growers that want larger plants then the SuperPonic 8 or SuperPonic 16 can hold but aren't quite ready for bigger systems like a Bubble Flow Buckets set up.

Want a quick rundown? Check out this video.

It uses the same proven, super effective, hydroponic grow techniques as the other SuperPonic systems but with more space for your plants to grow.

You may be wondering why the SuperPonic XL 12 is called the "XL" when it has four fewer grow sites than the SuperPonic 16. Well let's take a look!

Size

The SuperPonic XL 12 is 11" wider and 2" taller than the SuperPonic 16. Your plants will have way more space to stretch out instead of bumping into their neighbors.

Reservoir

The SuperPonic XL 12 has a 35 gallon reservoir, 10 gallons more than the SuperPonic 16. That's a lot more yummy plant juice for the girls to drink so they grow up big and strong.

Net Cups

The SuperPonic XL 12 has 3.75" net cups compared to the SuperPonic 16's 3" net cups. Noticing a trend here? Bigger. Bigger. Bigger. These net cups will allow a larger root mass to develop more easily. 

So while the SuperPonic XL 12 has fewer grow sites, it's bigger where it counts. The increased space, reservoir size, and larger net cups will let you grow XL sized plants from seed/clone all the way up to harvest.

Ready to start? You can order your SuperPonic XL 12 here.

Updated 2017! All New SuperCloset Bubble Flow Buckets Hydroponic System **Now with Free Shipping ** 2

SuperCloset's Bubble Flow Bucket system is one of the most popular and effective rDWC (recirculating deep-water culture) hydroponic systems around.

That's why we're so excited to have the new and updated (2017) system now available!

So what's changed with this much loved system?

Here's the highlights:

New Sizes Perfect for Your Grow Room

The new version of the system is available in 6,8,10,12, and 24 site configurations.

The All New 8 Site Bubble Flow Bucket System

Before, only 6, 12, and 24 site systems were available and if you wanted anything different it required a lot of custom work. Now you can easily fill your entire grow room with a bubble flow bucket system. No more wasted space. 

Brand New Reservoir

The all new reservoir now holds 35 gallons, up from 25 gallons in the previous version.

The increased capacity means more time between water changes, more regulated flow, and the black color will help keep out light and prevent algea growth.

The new reservoir is also featured in the updated SuperFlow system.

Updated SuperCloset SuperFlow System with New 35 Gallon Black Reservoir

Top Quality Air Pump

The air pump has been upgraded to a VERY quiet oil-free linear air pump. This new air pump holds air pressure against resistance better than the original Eco Air 5 or 7. It doesn't run hot, so don't worry about it increasing your water temperature.

It will increase the overall health of the plants by keeping them super oxygenated and water temperature manageable.

FREE Shipping

Last but certainly not least - all Bubble Flow Bucket systems now come with FREE shipping!

It used to cost you up to $250 to ship one of these systems, but now we're charging the low low price of zero dollars to ship your brand new Bubble Flow Buckets system anywhere in the continental US.

Conclusion

The Bubble Flow Bucket System by SuperCloset has always been one of our most popular and effective systems. Now with these updates it's even better!

The larger reservoir increases your system's capacity and the upgraded air pump will keep your plants super oxygenated without increasing water temperatures. 

And now you can get it all with FREE shipping!

Do you have questions about the new Bubble Flow Buckets system? Already growing with one? Let us know in the comments!

Bubble Flow Bucket Nutrient Guide 0

Knowing what kind and how much nutrients to use can be confusing for new growers. This guide is to help growers using one of our most popular systems, the SuperCloset Bubble Flow Buckets.

If possible, I always recommend buying all the nutrients you'll need for your grow beforehand. It allows you to buy in bulk and save some money and will keep you from making emergency runs to your hydro shop (or rushing shipping) when you realize you're out. 

Whatever you do, don't let your babies starve!

The amount of nutrients you'll need will depends on a lot of factors so let's make some assumptions to use for our calculations.

1) We're using a 6 Site Bubble Flow Bucket system. 

It comes with a 25 Gallon reservoir and 5 Gallon sites. For the 6-Site system that means we'll have about 55 gallons (25 from the reservoir and 30 from all 6 buckets) for maximum capacity, but let's plan around using 50 gallons.

Here's what each system can hold: 

If you have a 12 Site then multiply everything by 1.5 and if you have a 24 Site then multiply by 2.

If you're using another system, hopefully you can use the same technique to find out how much you'll need. 

2) We're going to use TechnaFlora nutrients.

They're reliable and known to work well for hydroponics. I used their nutrient calculator to get most of these numbers.

3) We'll have a 6 week vegetative phase and 10 week flowering phase.

This is an overestimate but it's always better to have a little extra than not enough.

4) We'll plan to change the water every 2 weeks.

You can change your water weekly but you'll use twice as much nutrients and usually won't get much out of it. 

This means we'll have 3 water changes in our 6 weeks of veg and 5 water changes in our 10 weeks of flowering.

OK, now let's look at how much nutrients we'll need. To keep things short, I'm not going to go into much detail about why we're using each nutrient. 

Single Water Change - Vegetative

Single Water Change - Flowering

So what will you need in the end? We'll multiply what we need for a single water change in veg by 3 and what we need for a single water change in flowering by 5 to get our totals.

Total Nutrients 

What to Buy

Unfortunately, you can't buy these exact amounts of nutrients. They're mostly available in 1 L, 4 L, and 10 L containers. Here's what I think makes the most sense based on what's available and pricing (at time of writing). 

B.C Boost, 10 L

Provides Calcium and Iron that your plants will need for both vegetation and flowering.

Note: It's about the same price as two 4 liter bottles, might as well get the extra

B.C Grow, 4L

Contains a full compliment of nutrients for vegetative growth. 

Note: It's about the same price as two 1 liters, you'll have a lot extra.

B.C Bloom, 4L

Contains a full compliment of nutrients for healthy bloom / flowering. 

Awesome Blossom, 1L

This ultra-fertilizer will increase your harvest size by providing a boost of sugar phosphates. 

Thrive Alive B-1 Red, 1 L

A plant tonic that encourages healthy root development. 

MagiCal, 1 L

A blend of magnesium, iron and calcium that promotes vigorous and healthy plant growth

1x Sugar Daddy, 4 L and 1x Sugar Daddy, 1L

Supplies essential carbohydrates and all twenty amino acids necessary in all phases of plant growth.

Notes: You could also go with the 10 L option if you want to have enough for your next grow too.

There you have it. That should be everything you need for vegetation and flowering. Hope that helps! 

Monitoring Carbon Dioxide CO2 Levels in Your Grow Room 0

If you're using CO2 enrichment in your grow room then you're going to want to make sure you've got an accurate measurements of your CO2 levels.

Typical ambient carbon dioxide levels are around 400 PPMs, but if you really want to supercharge your plant growth and increase your yields by up to 20-40% then you're going to want to target around 1500 PPMs. 

We can talk more about CO2 enrichment techniques for your indoor garden in another post, but for now I just wanted to share some good CO2 monitoring tools that I've found. These will give you accurate readings of your carbon dioxide levels so you can tell if your enrichment technique is working properly. 

1) AutoPilot Desktop CO2 Monitor - $119.99 

This is a solid option for your grow room.

Pros

• Measures CO2 Levels as well as temperature and humidity. 
• Has special calibrations for high altitude growers (I'm looking at you, Coloradons). 
• Can log CO2 levels throughout the day (easy to transfer to your computer for later analysis)

Cons

• Has to be plugged in at all times, no battery mode. 

2)  CO2Meter Mini CO2 Monitor - $89.00 (at time of writing)

This one is designed for air quality measurements but will work just fine for indoor gardening. 

Pros

• Good budget option
• Comes with software for logging CO2 levels over time

Cons

• Has to be plugged in at all times, no battery mode. 
• Only measures CO2 levels, not temperature or humidity

3) Titan Controls Atlas 5 Portable Handheld Carbon Dioxide Temperature and Humidity Monitor  - $215.89 (at time of writing)

Now we're getting serious. This portable CO2 monitor is the top of the line option.

Pros

• Measures CO2 Levels as well as temperature and humidity. 
• Battery powered and portable, no need to plug it in. (4 AAs)

Cons

• A bit pricier

Five Fruits and Vegetables for Your Hydroponic Garden 0

You’ve got your hydroponic system, now what? It’s time to get growing! 

Let’s look at 5 fruits and vegetables that are ideal for growing in your indoor garden. 

1. Spinach

The health benefits of this leafy green vegetable makes it a great addition to any healthy diet; spinach can be juiced, sautéed or eaten raw. This unassuming plant is right on top of the list of plants that a beginner can grow in a hydroponic garden. Spinach grown using this method can be harvested all at once, or snipped off bit by bit, leaving the rest of the plant to keep growing.

2. Lettuce

Like all leafy green vegetables, lettuce is a great base for sandwiches and salads. The heads grow rapidly, and are easy to take care of. Good choices are Boston, bib, or butter crunch leaf lettuce. Lettuce is perfect for indoor hydroponic gardens because it gets protected from the sun, keeping it from burning. In many cases, the shade can buy a few more weeks of harvest time than you’ll have from lettuce grown in the sun. Lettuce requires cool ambient temperatures of around 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

3. Strawberries

Imagine having fresh, homegrown strawberries at your disposal all year round! To get started, you will need to purchase a few strawberry starter runners from a garden supply store, and throw them in your refrigerator. This cold stimulation is designed to help jumpstart the growing process, which means that the strawberry plants will be able to flower soon after  planting.

4. Tomatoes

Useful in so many dishes, tomatoes are both nutritious and flavorful. The fact that tomatoes are vine plants makes growing these fruits in a DWC (Deep Water Culture) hydroponic system piece of cake. We recommend disease resistant varieties such as Daniela as this reduces the level of care required.

If you’re growing tomatoes you’ll need a trellis or some other kind of support system so the vines can grow out. They prefer a warm growing temperatures so the daytime temperature should be ideally set at 70-79 degrees Fahrenheit and 61-65 degrees Fahrenheit at night. 

5. Peppers

Peppers are relatively easy to grow. They prefer warm growing temperatures, similar to tomatoes. However, fruit production can be raised by increasing the nighttime temperatures and slightly decreasing the daytime temperatures while ensuring that they are irrigated with feeding solution up to 6 times a day. Avoid bell peppers unless you have plenty of space in your system. The best pepper varieties to grow hydroponically include green peppers or hot peppers such as cayenne, habanero, and jalapeños.

What have you had success growing in your indoor garden? Good luck with your growing!