New Product Alert: the CCH2O Add Back Kit is Now Available!
The Add Back Kit (ABK) provides a simple approach to adding concentrated fertilizers or pH adjustors directly into your Under Current® system.
The Add Back Kit utilizes a patented Mazzei injector to pull concentrates directly into the system’s solution. The Add Back Kit uses the Under Current® system’s existing water pump and flow to naturally draw nutrient into the system via venturi action. Safe and simple.
Avoid Shocking Plants During pH and Nutrient Adjusting
Simple process, Just Turn a Valve to Initiate Add Back
We’re pleased to announce our new CCH2O Air Flow Regulator.
The CCH2O Air Flow Regulator (AFR) is an effective tool for easily calibrating air flow into and through the aeration distribution system. This allows growers to target specific aeration rates to ensure proper aeration levels are maintained throughout the growing cycle.
The Air Flow Regulator is especially useful in situations where multiple Under Current® systems are supplied from one central air pump or bank of air pumps working in unison.
Specialized pressure gauge measures air volume in Inches of Water Column
Relief Valve Extends life of air pumps and air pump components
Reduces the potential for excessive aeration
For All Under Current® Systems and Aeration Applications
The CCH2O Air Flow Regulator is available in two sizes:
Our Under Current® RDWC systems are specifically designed to deliver high levels of aeration and circulation. These supercharged conditions allow your plants to uptake water and nutrients easier and more efficiently. With this increased efficiency it is very important to provide the correct amount of nutrients to your plants to ensure consistent growth rates and a successful grow cycle. High nutrient levels are one major factor that can slow down your plants growth rates and hurt your overall yields.
High and Low Nutrient Levels
Most growers use some form of TDS or EC meter to measure nutrient levels. Nutrient concentration in solution is commonly expressed in PPM (parts per million) or EC (electrical conductivity).
High: In a typical grow media based cultivation system it is common to start young plants at around 700ppm or 1.0 EC and allow nutrient levels to spike well over 1750ppm or 2.5 EC.
Low: For the Under Current® RDWC system we typically recommend growers to start plants at around 150ppm or 0.2 EC and peak out at around 900ppm or 1.3 EC.
Nutrient Uptake in Grow Media vs. The Under Current®
Higher nutrient levels are generally acceptable in grow media for two reasons:
Aeration and dissolved oxygen levels are typically much lower.
Roots are not directly exposed to the nutrient solution (submerged in).
The grow media acts as a buffer between the minerals and the roots. Plants absorb what they can through ionic exchange and any bound mineral salts remaining in the media can be periodically flushed away by the grower.
The Under Current® water-culture system is a unique cultivation technique where plants roots are fully submerged in highly aerated solution. High levels of aeration and circulation help keep minerals soluble and accelerate the uptake process. Plus, there is no buffer to protect the roots from concentrated mineral salts.
If the same nutrient strength that is normally considered average for other hydroponic applications were applied to the Under Current water-culture system, plants would stall, struggle and possibly show severe signs of stress.
High Nutrient Levels = Lockout
The old adage, “Less is More” definitely applies to growing in a Under Current® RDWC system.
Brown roots from too much nutrients.
Most hydroponic specific fertilizers including our Cultured Solutions® premium hydroponic plant nutrients are mineral salt based. These mineral salts are solubilized in water and absorbed through plants roots. Though our Cultured Solutions® have low sodium content, too much nutrient can impede the plant’s ability to thrive by slowing down uptake of water and nutrients through the roots. If this happens it can cause a lockout of water and nutrients, slowing the growth rate and hindering plant performance.
The main goal is to accelerate growth rates by preventing lock out entirely. Even a slight increase in nutrient dosage can affect your crop. Your plant may look happy and healthy with white roots but ultimately this excess will decrease your overall yield.
It’s a fine balance between maintaining the proper nutrient dose and maintaining the accelerated growth rates typical in the Under Current® RDWC system.
Deficiencies vs. Excesses
When transitioning from grow media to water culture (DWC / RDWC) based hydroponic cultivation, it is important to keep in mind that with the elimination of grow media you must decrease the nutrient strength significantly. Symptoms of nutrient excess in water culture hydroponics tend to mimic the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies in grow media cultivation.
For example: calcium/magnesium deficiencies in grow media will look just like magnesium excess in water culture.
This is consistent for most macro and micro-nutrients because they can be more easily absorbed in water culture than in grow media.
Easy Solutions
One more time… Less is More!
Root slime from excess nutrients
If your plants exhibit yellowing tips, dark green leaves or downward curling, reduce overall nutrient strength (EC or PPM) by 25%. This can be achieved by simply adding water to your Under Current® RDWC system or nutrient reservoir.
For top-off reservoirs, the nutrient strength should be maintained around 15-25% higher than the nutrient strength in your system. If your top-off reservoir is maintained lower than your system, your plant will take from the system instead of the top-off.
To prevent high nutrient strength damage, pay close attention to how your plants are consuming nutrient solution and the health of your plants. Always stay within our recommended PPM/EC ranges for each stage of growth (Check out our feeding chart).
If you are faced with these issues and need additional assistance, please call our technical support.
Maintaining proper water levels in RDWC or your Under Current system is an essential part of successful plant production. Though often over looked, improper or sudden changes to water levels can cause undue stress which could negatively affect yield and quality. We’ve designed our Under Current RDWC system to allow the grower total control of all system functions, such as water levels at all times.
Importance of Maintaining Proper Water Levels
Unlike other forms of cultivation, RDWC is unique in that highly aerated water replaces soil as the grow medium. Because water takes the place of soil, any water level changes can induce stress. Fluctuations in the medium can result in stalled growth or cause a plant to not reach its full potential.
Low water levels can prevent roots from reaching the water, which will result in severe plant dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include wilting, dull leaf texture and signs of nutrient deficiencies.
Water levels that are too high can have equally negative impacts on plant growth. High water levels will cause over saturation of the root crown which can stunt growth or cause damping off. Signs of high water levels are root disease, leaf yellowing and vegetative die off.
Water Levels In the RDWC Under Current System
Any water level adjustments must be done slowly to prevent any undue stress. Usually this is done incrementally early in the plants life cycle as roots stretch from the root crown through the net pot chasing their medium.
Early Growth Stage Water Level
Water levels should be maintained at 1/4“under the top of the 2” inch planting deck when using Rockwool, or under the root crown with a bare root cutting.
This water level should be maintained until there is sufficient lateral root growth through the net pot.
Be advised when using rock wool or similar media, to set water levels just below the bottom of the Rockwool cube to prevent over saturation.
Late Growth Stage Water Level
Once there is sufficient lateral root growth through the net pot, set water levels 1/4” under the bottom of the 8″ net pot. Approximately week 2 of veg.
This is where water levels should be maintained the remainder of the plants life cycle.
Maintaining correct water levels during the vegetative phase will encourage dense lateral root growth. This root growth establishes a foundation for increased yields during the bloom phase of growth.
Water Level Adjustment
In your Under Current system adjustments to the water level can be made by adjusting the Epicenter Float Valve upward or downward. Start by loosening the Float Valve thumb screw, then adjusting the Float Value up or down until the desired water level is achieved, and finally re-tighten the float valve thumb screw. It’s as simple as that. It is strongly advised that a gravity fed top-off reservoir is used with your system. By using a top-off reservoir you can easily maintain accurate water levels throughout the growth cycle in your Under Current system.
Note: Level surfaces are needed in order to maintain even water levels. Uneven flooring can cause inconsistent water levels which can cause problems.
Tips and Tricks
Water level adjustments late in the bloom cycle will induce a stress response that mimics drought conditions. This induced stress will cause the plant to increase its essential oil production late in bloom. Note this technique should only be done on a healthy plant. Starting incrementally in week 5 of bloom reduce water levels approximately ½” per week in an 8-gallon, or 1” per week in a 13-gallon module until the end of the growth cycle.
The importance of root maintenance to a healthy root system cannot be overstated. All successful growth begins with a well-developed and flourishing root mass. Roots play a crucial role in a plant’s physiology performing key functions such as absorption of water, minerals and other soluble and gaseous compounds. Roots also act to stabilize and anchor the plants and assist in keeping them upright while bearing any weight of fruits and flowers; this is especially important when growing high yielding, fruiting and flowering crops. Regardless of the growing method, it’s important to have a well thought out plan for root maintenance, and upkeep of the plant’s root mass.
Healthy roots are the hallmark of any well maintained and dialed in hydroponics system. Positive signs to look for when reviewing your plant’s root zone include healthy root tips, generally white in color, turgid (firm, hydrated) roots, free of debris and discoloration. Healthy roots are generally populated with both fine and course roots throughout the structure. This diverse array of roots serves varying functions that are essential to a plant’s life.
If plants begin to show signs of stress it may be helpful to take a closer look at the plant’s root zone to assess general health. If having issue, roots will appear flaccid, brownish in color and can exhibit signs of a slimy substance if roots have begun to break down and become colonized with bacteria. Plants will often display signs of stress through yellowing leaves, purpling petioles and poorly developed new growth. These issues can arise at any point during the growing cycle if the water chemistry or environmental conditions are out of balance.
Remember, the best solution to a problem is avoiding it in the first place. Avoiding issue can be accomplished by having good general practices and carrying out preventative root maintenance. If not properly maintained, issues can arise such as addressed in the following paragraphs.
Root Diseases and Pests
Root diseases and pests can be found in all growing applications. From hydroponics to soil, it is important that the growing environment is kept clean to prevent any setbacks to healthy plant growth.
Root Rot:
Pythium is a name given to several species of fungal organisms that are the main culprits of root rot. Spreading easily from outside factors, Pythium can exist in all grow media and develop at any time during the lifecycle of a plant. Under the right conditions such as poor aeration, insufficient drainage and extreme root zone temperatures, Pythium can thrive and overtake the growing environment.
Symptoms:
Vegetative: Some of the first signs of root rot are stunted growth and wilted leaves that may be brown or yellow in color. Infected plants will take on a droopy appearance and lack the overall vigor associated with thriving plants. Often the plant will seem to recover during its night cycle only to die off soon after. Unless treated root rot will persist and continue to spread.
Root: Below the surface look for root tissue that is brown, dead and easily pulled off. Infected roots will be lacking the vascular structure seen in healthy growth. Roots become soft, stubby and will lack feeder roots.
Treatment:
Once established Pythium can be difficult to control, but if caught early and combined with a fast, effective treatment it can be maintained. Cleaning and sanitizing all equipment between growth cycles should be a regular practice. This can be done with chemical agents such as a diluted bleach solution or other effective treatments.
Like stated above the best method to control Pythium is regular root maintenance, such as regular flushing of the root zone. This can be done with chemical or biological treatments. Products such as Cultured Solutions UC Roots are an effective, safe preventative treatment that can be used throughout the lifecycle of the plant. Flushing’s can be done weekly, but the key here is consistency. Maintain records of any treatment and root maintenance for future reference. If Pythium is already present, the following treatment should be followed. Add 5-10 mils of UC Roots per gallon of water. Let this run through the system for 1-3 days until symptoms cease. Repeat as needed.
Root Aphids:
Root aphids are small, flat, oval pests that make a living at or slightly above the soil line. They’re from family Phemphigus, which include many of the common winged aphids known to gardeners. About the size of a pin head, they can be found with or without wings, either type will not fly. They come in several colors, such as green, white and brown. Their size, color and appearance make them difficult to spot, often times it’s the damage they’ve caused that makes their presence known.
Symptoms:
Much like their winged cousins that feed on sap from stems and leaves, root aphids feed on the sap from plant roots. Instead of the ‘honeydew’ produced by their winged counterparts, root aphids will produce a white, waxy substance that is the hallmark of an infestation. In small numbers, root aphid damage is hard to spot; but as their numbers increase, plants will begin to show signs of infestation.
Look for wilted, loose leaves, stunted growth, and off-colored foliage. These symptoms mimic other plant diseases and nutrient deficiencies, which again makes their presence difficult to diagnose. In addition, root aphid feeding spots will leave that area, and ultimately the plant susceptible to root rot and other diseases. If left untreated root aphids will continue to produce and eventually sap the health and vigor of a plant which could result in reduced yields or death.
Treatment:
Just like other forms of treatment mentioned above, the best way to avoid root aphids is preventative care. The most common way of root aphid transmission is introducing equipment, contaminated soil or newly acquired plants into your grow area. Pretreatment of these sources is key to prevent any transmission. Be sure to only purchase from reliable, clean sources.
If infestation has already set in, treatment depends on method of growing. Consult your local grow shop for pest control options.
Root Maintenance and Treatment
Water Conditioners:
Regular root maintenance and treatment with a product such as Cultured Solutions UC Roots will ensure optimum root health throughout a plants life cycle from seed to harvest. UC Roots is a water-treatment solution that works by sterilizing, oxidizing and descaling the root zone and surrounding grow equipment. Its sanitizing and oxidizing properties help keep the root zone clean from mineral scale buildup which results in optimum nutrient uptake. A clean root zone free from organic matter is key in preventing unwanted pathogens from taking hold. It is recommended to use UC Roots in the following measurement and applications.
Root Maintenance: add 1-5ml of UC Roots per gallon every 5-7 days with water temperature under 70 degrees. If over 70 degrees, replenish every 3-5 days.
Flushing: add 10ml per gallon for no more than 24 hours.
Cleaning Equipment: add 30ml of UC Roots per gallon and let this solution. circulate for 24 hours. Drain and refill.
Cloner: use 5ml per gallon and repeat this step every 3-5 days. For use as a clone dip, use 30-60ml per gallon.
Beneficial Bacteria:
The use of beneficial bacteria to curtail the spread of dangerous pathogens is another way to promote healthy roots. Plants have developed complex relationships with beneficial microbes over time and the introduction of these microbes can be of great benefit to the promotion of a healthy root system. This must be done with care; it is not recommended to use non-approved beneficial bacteria in DWC/RDWC systems. One product that DWC/RDWC growers can turn to is Mycostop. Mycostop contains the naturally occurring bacteria Streptomyces griseoviridis, and can be used as a biological defense against root infecting fungi that cause wilt and root rot. This active bacterium stimulates root hormones that will in turn increase the plants natural resistance too harmful bacterial and fungi.
Just like with any treatment the best way to use Mycostop is preventively. Apply monthly at regular intervals. Streptomyces survives in the root zone for several weeks protecting the surrounding root zone from harmful pathogens. In addition, Mycostop has been shown to improve overall plant vigor and increase yields.
Root Pruning:
In addition to other forms of promoting root health, one important element to keeping a functional and maintained root system is root pruning. In systems such as DWC/RDWC roots can proliferate to an extent that they may impede the flow of circulation. Root pruning is the process of severing outer roots to promote new growth and maintaining proper root structure. Root pruning also promotes lateral root growth which will contribute to a healthy root structure. A single root when pruned will split into multiple feeder roots, resulting in increased root surface area. This dense root mass will allow for optimum nutrient and oxygen uptake.
Technique:
Examine the root structure and look for uneven growth. Any tool used in this process must be sterilized to avoid infecting the plant with pathogens. Use the sterilized pair of scissors to prune any “runner” roots to maintain a compact and uniform root mass. This pruning will promote lateral root growth and contribute to the plants ability to uptake available nutrients. With this technique less is more and should only be done as needed with no more than 15-20% of the root mass pruned at any one time. It is also important to only prune the outermost root mass to ensure optimum root health. Root pruning should cease once in bloom cycle. Any disturbance such as root pruning can shock a plant and leave little time to recover.
These root maintenance procedures and techniques can help any grower curtail many root issues they may encounter. It is imperative for fruiting and flowering plants to get off to a healthy start if they are to perform to their full potential. Paying close attention to root structure and health is the best way to achieve this. Root health is a complex subject, one with many differentiating opinions. It can be difficult to sift through the vast amounts of information to find those techniques that work for your garden. But combined with routine root maintenance, the mentioned techniques can help any garden reach its maximum potential.
We’re pleased to announce the release of our updated 2017 Cultured Solutions Feeding Schedule. Our newly revised schedule has been tailored to be better suited for use with dosing and fertigation systems. These adjustments increase the ease of use while reducing the number of inputs used at any given stage in the growth and bloom cycle.
We’ve also included a new feeding schedule for crops with shorter veg times for use in our standard Under Current system configurations. As well, more specifics have been featured for factors such as targets for source water and recommendations for longer flowering varieties.
Please reach out to tech@cch2o.com with any questions, comments or concerns.
New Product Alert: the CCH2O Add Back Kit is Now Available!
The Add Back Kit (ABK) provides a simple approach to adding concentrated fertilizers or pH adjustors directly into your Under Current® system.
The Add Back Kit utilizes a patented Mazzei injector to pull concentrates directly into the system’s solution. The Add Back Kit uses the Under Current® system’s existing water pump and flow to naturally draw nutrient into the system via venturi action. Safe and simple.
Avoid Shocking Plants During pH and Nutrient Adjusting
Simple process, Just Turn a Valve to Initiate Add Back
We’re pleased to announce our new CCH2O Air Flow Regulator.
The CCH2O Air Flow Regulator (AFR) is an effective tool for easily calibrating air flow into and through the aeration distribution system. This allows growers to target specific aeration rates to ensure proper aeration levels are maintained throughout the growing cycle.
The Air Flow Regulator is especially useful in situations where multiple Under Current® systems are supplied from one central air pump or bank of air pumps working in unison.
Specialized pressure gauge measures air volume in Inches of Water Column
Relief Valve Extends life of air pumps and air pump components
Reduces the potential for excessive aeration
For All Under Current® Systems and Aeration Applications
The CCH2O Air Flow Regulator is available in two sizes:
An irrigation system biofilm is a cost to indoor hydroponics and soilless farmers, often unseen or hidden. Ever wonder what that scum is that accumulates on irrigation surfaces, emitters, filters, reservoirs, growing media or even roots? Chances are what you are observing is, yes, you guessed it, a biofilm.
An irrigation system biofilm can form and occur as complex collectives of microorganisms, competing with roots for resources like minerals and oxygen and may promote vectors for crop infection. They are nearly impossible to avoid. Studies demonstrate that as soon as water comes into contact with surfaces, especially irrigation pipes in warm well-illuminated places, these films begin to form–naturally, they can develop at faster rates and with a higher level of persistence when there is a constant source of moisture. Organic debris, nutrients, oxygen and microbes, among others, are key contributors to the existence and formation of an irrigation system biofilm.
“Build it, and they will come”–Field of Dreams
Biofilm in Hydroponic Irrigation System
New irrigation systems are a significant investment in planning, sourcing, equipment and labor. Aside from some of the more obvious costs associated with a new irrigation system, having crop performance decline due to lack of maintenance and prevention to combat biofilms in irrigation systems can put a serious dent in your bottom line as a grower. Besides being unsightly and a potential source of crop infections, biofilms can accumulate and block emitters or create disproportionate flow rates in irrigation systems. Potentially starving or dehydrating what could otherwise be a healthy crop of plants. The bottom line, start fighting biofilms from your very first irrigation. Like most things in life, prevention is the best remedy.
If you have an existing irrigation system, it is most likely you have biofilms present. In severe cases, an irrigation system biofilm can develop so aggressively that they may be observed restricting water and nutrient flow, even in larger diameter pipes. If your growing operation experiences persistent issues or setbacks with root pathogens, it’s a pretty good bet that the sources of your woes have much to do with the presence of biofilms in your hydroponic systems or irrigation equipment–which are downstream from major sources like water holding tanks and water delivery mains that also require careful attention.
An irrigation system biofilm is persistent and maybe a fact of life for growers that must be addressed. Scrubbing and washing irrigation equipment, pots, trays, systems etc between crops helps but will not control levels during cropping when plants are present. Here are the two recommended approaches to controlling and eliminating the presence of biofilms in your growing operation.
Prevention & Control
Hypochlorous Acid is an effective and economical go-to solution for the modern grower looking to protect their cropping investment while maintaining a safe environment for both people and plants. Hypochlorous Acid (herein referred to as HCA) is safe to handle and does not harm plants (it helps them, more about that later). HCA can be diluted into your water reservoirs, nutrient tanks or be dosed into fertigation systems via injectors used DURING active cropping. HCA is Effective & SAFE and is available in economical and easy to handle liquid concentrates (Clear Line, Current Culture H2O).
HCA will be effective in protecting your plants, irrigation equipment and investment during cropping–start using it with every irrigation to help prevent and reduce the accumulation of biofilms during your crop growing cycle.
Elimination & Eradication of biofilms should be performed between crops, ie no crops are present, which affords the opportunity for using stronger measures. These include Strong Acids, Ozone and Oxidizers. Be cautioned that these chemicals and methods require a much stronger degree of caution with applications as they can be harmful to people and equipment if not used as recommended. Further, these types of chemicals and equipment tend to be more expensive to purchase and apply–again leading us back to the adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Other Benefits of Hypochlorous Acid:
Better yields-studies demonstrate that plant development rates in hydroponics and soilless growing are highest when the root zone is sterile as roots have no competition for nutrients or oxygen while not expending precious energy fighting off pathogens.
Helps maintain a hygienic environment for plants and people working in grow rooms-recent studies suggest that E.Coli can occur in hydroponic systems and is potentially transferred from roots to the aerial (upper green portions) of plants through handling and cultural practices.
To learn more about the benefits Hypochlorous Acid (Clear Line) can offer for your growing profits, contact Current Culture H2O for further details HERE.
Grow room sanitization accomplished between each crop in a grow room or indoor agriculture growing facility is the first line of defense in avoiding the need to treat plants during cropping for issues like crop pests or pathogens that can damage your bottom line as well as crop quality at harvest later on. Besides negating the use of potentially harmful and often costly crop sprays or treatments, a sterile growing system and growing environment increase growth rates and yields. Thorough and adequate grow room sanitization helps ensure that plants do not need to expend energy during the cropping cycle fighting off problems–crops perform best when they can channel their available energy into developing healthy root, leaf and reproductive growth.
Problems of the Past
Traditionally, chemical grow room sterilization has been the only effective option available to greenhouse or indoor farmers. Chemicals used can vary in their effectiveness, ease of application and safety. Almost all are expensive to use and apply. More recently, the adoption of organic-based sterilizers for grow systems and surfaces like walls and floors has been regarded as an improvement versus the very dangerous and expensive to apply fumigants used in the past.
Safer Chemicals
Peroxyacetic Acids like ZeroTol, SaniDate, etc are organic-based effective cleansers for grow room sanitization including systems and grow room surfaces. However, they can be dangerous to work with and require significant trained labor to dilute and apply. Moreover, they tend to be expensive, especially when factoring freight, handling and the fact that they create a reoccurring expense with each crop changeover. In today’s volatile marketplace, shipping and product availability can be subject to change–and there is never a guarantee with the price either.
The next link in the evolutionary chain for grow room sanitization is naturally occurring and available on-demand, with the simple push of a button. It leaves no harmful residues. As a matter of fact, the only byproduct left following effective sanitization and cleansing of growing equipment and grow room surfaces is oxygen.
Say what, sounds too good to be true?
Innovative Growing Solutions, Naturally
We’re happy to say that it IS true, and that’s why CCH2O is pleased to offer an industrial build quality mobile ozone disinfection cart as part of our range of innovative growing solutions. Ozone (O3) occurs naturally in the earth’s atmosphere–ever notice that “fresh” smell in the air after a good rainstorm? Chances are, what you are detecting is the effect of Ozone. When electrical currents are generated in the atmosphere, O3 is created. Ozone is basically an Oxygen molecule (O2) with an additional oxygen molecule in the bond. It is highly unstable–it really just wants to become O2, ie the stuff we need to breathe to live. When O3 comes into contact with other particles like dirt and impurities in the atmosphere, the third oxygen molecule leaps off from the O3 bond, attaching itself to other particles and effectively oxidizing them or “zapping” them into oblivion, if you prefer.
Ozone is a highly effective oxidizer. Pathogens, biofilms, microbes, etc are not able to build resistance, unlike many chemical treatments. The oxidation reaction occurs instantaneously when O3 comes into contact with unwanted grunge in your grow room sanitization process–the results are clean and sterile surfaces with nothing but pure oxygen left to dissipate. Imagine that: a sparkling clean and fresh smelling grow room ready to plant up with no reliance on dangerous chemicals that are tedious to apply and costly to replace.
Applying O3 for Grow Room Sanitization
Until more recently, ozone was difficult to apply in a controlled rate while assuring good contact with surfaces. This made it difficult to use effectively for applications like grow room sanitization. When generated by electrical arcing (Corona Discharge), Ozone occurs as a gas. It does not last long because it is highly unstable (which in part makes it such an effective oxidizer). This makes ozone very difficult to measure and apply with any consistency in disinfecting or sanitizing surfaces.
SURFACE SANITIZATION
CWT’s Ozone Systems have solved this problem and made applying ozone as a disinfectant easy, effective and consistent by dissolving high levels of O3 into water which then can be applied to surfaces or run through systems, irrigation pipes, fogger lines, etc. The Mobile Ozone Cart is robust and portable, making it easy to use in all areas of your indoor farming operations. Besides effective grow room sanitization and sterilization of hydroponic systems and irrigation equipment, there are many other places ozone can be applied to improve your cropping endeavors and bottom line. Additionally, sterilization using the ozone cart does not require high temperatures for prolonged periods, cold water ozone sterilization is efficient and saves power.
Drying racks, if not properly sterilized, can become a breeding ground for pathogens to contaminate your buds or impart musty or other undesirable qualities to your harvest.
Propagation trays and domes should be completely sterilized before reuse–spraying with ozone makes it easy and effective to prevent propagation pathogens while leaving no residues to harm tender young plants.
Weekly sanitization of water holding tanks, cisterns and main supply lines helps keep biofilms at bay, reducing pressures on the crop.
Ductwork can harbor spores, dust and other contaminants; the perfect job for ozone.
What, spray water into my ducting?!
No, the ozone cart is super versatile and flexible–it also allows you to produce and distribute ozone as a gas. Just connect the ozone gas discharge tube to your ductwork or grow room, set the ozone level and duration and clear the area. Once complete, rest assured any unfriendlies camping out in your air distribution system have met their end.
Mobile Disinfection Cart Features
Ozone gas discharge or ozonated water, allows the operator to select an appropriate delivery system for different jobs and tasks, ie atmospheric sanitization versus systems or surfaces.
Oxygen output or ozone output selection, when you just want the cleaning power of oxygen or for when you need to apply ozone for a higher level of cleaning and sanitization.
Variable ozone level output and duration, the operator can customize and streamline cleansing power and duration for different jobs, saving time and labor while enhancing safety protocols.
Industrial robust stainless steel construction and heavy-duty wheels provide a long service life, even under tough conditions with frequent use.
Compact package, big output and flexibility–the cart is truly mobile and is easy to move around from one area to another in your growing facility.
Designed, assembled and backed in the USA–help is available from a highly knowledgeable and well-trusted name in the industry.
Includes corrosion resistant heavy duty generous length of hose and stainless steel tri-clamps so you can put your mobile sanitization cart to work right away–you’ll just need a source of freshwater.
For more information or a quotation, please contact sales@cch2o.com
One of the most common mistakes made by experienced sealed room indoor farmers that cost yields is a lack of accurate and replicable humidity management during cropping, ie VPD Humidity Control. The amount of water vapor in the air surrounding the plant’s leaves plays a strong role in regulating the plant’s potential rate of photosynthetic activity–this is what VPD (vapor pressure deficit) is all about. When out of the sweet spot, crops suffer, and can easily be overworked to the point of stress or damage if humidity levels fall too low. Conversely, an overabundance of humidity will stifle growth rates, causing stretchy and weak growth that is prone to problems.
Traditionally, the indoor growers’ focus has been on delivering strong light, adequate mineral nutrition, good air movement, etc. VPD humidity control may be a secondary concern at best, sometimes with growers not realizing that their lack of attention to targeted humidity levels may be the source of problems that are preventing them from reaching their target or forecasted yields.
The majority of the time in a modern sealed grow room, the point of contention that occurs is when there is too great a deficit of water vapor surrounding the leaf in an intensive growing environment designed to push growth rates. When this occurs, the plant is being overworked by light intensity, warm temperatures and excessively dry air–plants struggle to take up and transfer enough water to stay adequately hydrated and avoid cellular damage.
In a modern professionally built and installed sealed grow room, lighting, ventilation, and crop nutrition have typically been very well addressed with today’s sophisticated and specialized cultivation equipment.
On the subject of humidity in sealed grow rooms, Dehumidification is easily accomplished, whether by large dehumidification units or as moisture is removed from the air as condensate by Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment.
This leaves humidification.
Adding Humidity to the Grow Environment
Yes, adding humidity is very important–counterintuitive when considering historically speaking removing humidity was the focus in traditional mechanically vented grow rooms. However, this has changed–one of the key points of difference in operating a sealed grow room versus mechanically vented grow rooms; the equipment necessary to run a sealed grow room tends to keep the air very dry versus traditional grow rooms.
Here’s a real-world example, and it may sound familiar to growers:
Plants look healthy with lush leaves and aggressive root systems after receiving several weeks of care (whether started as cuttings or seedlings) when coming out of the plant nursery area.
Next, these healthy plants are then transplanted into larger vegetative or flowering areas that provide more space and intensive conditions, ie stronger lighting, air movement, carbon dioxide enrichment, etc.
This is where cropping problems may start– slowed or stalled growth, transplant shock, etc. When VPD (vapor pressure deficit) is managed, healthy plants coming out of the nursery shouldn’t need days to “recover” after transplant–rather, they should come out charging, eager to fill out more allotted space under more intensive conditions after transplant.
If crops appear to stress, curl leaves, slow growth or show other symptoms not present in the nursery growth phase it’s likely an indicator that the correlation between light intensity, temperature and humidity is out of whack.
Importance of VPD Humidity Control
The majority of the time in a modern sealed grow room, the point of contention that occurs is when there is too great a deficit of water vapor surrounding the leaf in an intensive growing environment designed to push growth rates. When this occurs, the plant is being overworked by light intensity, warm temperatures and excessively dry air–plants struggle to take up and transfer enough water to stay adequately hydrated and avoid cellular damage. If pushed past its limits, plants attempt to shut down, ie no more photosynthesis in an attempt to protect and stay alive; the plant’s natural reaction to extreme conditions.
Accurate VPD humidity control and monitoring with effective humidification can fill the gap until the plants develop enough canopy relative to the growing environment to create the right balance of water vapor in the air (plants can humidify their own environment in a sealed room, given the opportunity to gain enough healthy stature).
Equipment for Humidity Control
If you have ever tried to humidify a grow room, ie add water vapor, when plants are smaller and light intensity is bright with air conditioners cycling, you’ll know it can be near impossible to keep up with traditional humidifiers (that are designed for spaces with low to minimal air exchange). Besides often being ineffective in meeting the demand to humidify dry grow room air, traditional humidifiers can become a source of pathogens for crops, as biofilms, bacteria and fungi may develop in humidification pads, reservoirs, or in stagnant water that occurs when the system isn’t cycling, for example during grow room dark hours.
Steam-based humidification systems are energy-intensive and add heat load, requiring additional cooling power.
For the serious-minded grower, typically operating multiple grow rooms within a dedicated operation, the Aguatronics Commercial Humidification System (CHS) is available from Current Culture H2O, your trusted name as a cultivation solutions provider.
CCH2O looked high and low for a crop humidification system that met our growing standards, delivering scalable, reliable, and repeatable results for all of our valued clients’ cultivation facilities.
Part of our criteria was a system that is capable of delivering an ultra-fine fog (less than ten-micron droplet size) in high volumes with a wide and even rate of dispersal from a single fog head. We also demanded that the system be easily scalable, both from an installation and economics standpoint. We also knew the system would have to be compact and not take up space or interfere with existing grow room layouts.
Humidification Nozzle
Humidity Room Controller
Water Booster Pump
Air Compressor
The Aguatronics Facility Commercial Humidification System has met and even exceeded our criteria, allowing for up to six fog nozzles to operate from a single room control–providing coverage for individual rooms up to 30,000 Cubic Feet in volume.
The system operates by drawing fresh RO filtered water and using a screw-type compressor to pressurize the system (using supplied booster pump, filters, and controls) to 30-40 PSI while delivering flow rates of 1 US GPH per compact and directable fog nozzle.
Because only fresh RO water is used on-demand, there is little risk of contamination and there are no bio or mineral residues or deposits that will occur on crops or equipment from dry fog dispersion. The ultra-fine RO water droplets are well distributed by the fog nozzles, which become part of the grow room air movement patterns for even humidity levels throughout the entire cropping area. The system is especially effective when used in conjunction with HAF or Vosterman V-FLO vertical air distribution fans.
Taking control of VPD in the growing area with a professional level grow room humidification system will ensure plants are never stressed from water vapor pressure deficit and ensure a flawless transition with no downtime in growth and development after transplant from the crop nursery.
Choosing the right humidification system will allow you to achieve your target VPD humidity control levels based on your particular growing environmental trends (VPD) and prevent unwanted problems from systems that simply weren’t designed for growing crops under modern indoor agricultural conditions.
Above: Typical Aguatronics Facility Commercial Humidification Systems installation, multiple rooms, central humidification equipment area.
Did You Know: Plants suffering prolonged periods of Vapor Pressure Deficit are significantly more at risk to both root and aerial pathogens & pests. Plants don’t have bones–they use water pressure to maintain their physical structure, when weakened, they are prone to a wide array of common crop problems that can hurt your bottom line.
Grow room air purification promotes healthier crops and a healthier working environment. Ideal grow room air smells clean and is free of dust, spores, odors and other particulates. Airborne impurities should be eliminated when growing valuable crops indoors or in modern greenhouse environments. Pathogen outbreaks like powdery mildew can have serious consequences for crops and growers.
Advantages of Grow Room Air Purification
Spores that cause crop diseases like powdery mildew (white mold) and botrytis (grey mold) are often present in outside air. Seasonal changes outdoors often mean an increase in disease pressures for crops, even when grown indoors or in a controlled environment. These spores have a way of finding their way indoors, whether in the air or on people–sometimes they are already present in young crop transplants. Good grow room air purification helps to reduce populations of spores in the air within the growing environment and prevents the spread of crop infections.
Plants grow healthier in clean air. Just like you, plants like clean air to breathe. While yes, they do prefer theirs higher in CO2, they do not like particulates that clog up their tiny openings in the leaves for gas exchange called “stomata” or stomates, if you prefer. Grow room air purification keeps these openings clean and exchanging more gases freely–think of a performance air filter in a combustion engine: the more freely it breathes, the more it can do.
Tiny insects, like spider mites, while very small in size can do a tremendous amount of damage to crops in both economic value and overall yields and growth rates. These tiny insects like to float around in breezes and find their way to new hosts (plants) to infest via air movement. Crop death from above; grow room air purification helps to trap and eliminate tiny problems before they become big ones.
The majority of indoor growers are familiar with grow room air purification in the context of eliminating or managing unwanted odors. Heavy and bulky activated carbon filters have long been the go-to, while they are not without some significant drawbacks for use in grow room air purification.
Limitations of Activated Carbon Grow Room Air Purification
As humidity levels in the growing environment increase, the effectiveness of activated carbon filtration decreases. Moisture fills the pore spaces in activated carbon quickly; the very same pore spaces you are counting on to trap and bind unwanted particulates like odors and spores from grow room air.
Activated carbon filters have a recommended CFM (cubic feet per minute) of fan rating to be effective. In larger installations, this means multiple fans and filters which are cumbersome to mount up high (where they are effective) and consume power while generating a lot of noise in a closed environment.
Activated carbon filters and prefilters require maintenance and replacement. They are easily forgotten about until it’s too late, ie problems with odors or foliar diseases have begun to occur.
High-quality buds are grown in healthy and clean environments
Professional Grow Room Air Sanitation
Indoor farming at scale means doing some things differently versus conventional sized practices. What you may have been able to get away with at a residential-sized scale isn’t necessarily going to cut it for multiple grow rooms many times that size–especially with a large investment of time and money at stake.
Hospitals, food handlers, and professional laboratories have long understood the importance of air sanitization, as well as recognizing the challenge of providing effective coverage on larger industrial-sized scales.
Current Culture H2O, your leading growing solutions provider, identified the gap between what professional level growers need for grow room air purification and what has traditionally been available in the past, ie “what size carbon filter and how many do you need–want fans for those?”
After much searching and exhaustive trialing, we are pleased to offer the ClensAir 6 Stage Air Sanitization Systems. These super-efficient air sanitization systems treat up 10,000 cubic feet per hour from a single, lightweight, reliable, and compact unit.
ClensAir is a Next Generation Air Purification technology that utilizes the latest UV based photocatalytic disinfecting process combined with advanced media filtration to produce 99.98% pure air. It uses a 6-layer purification process to ensure all microorganisms, VOCs, airborne mold, and pathogens are eliminated.
ClensAir systems are easy to install, operate quietly and take up a minimum of space in growing areas, locker rooms, supply areas, trimming rooms and other places in a growing facility where air quality counts.
For more information on ClensAir grow room air purification systems or for a custom solutions plan for your indoor farming facility, please contact Sales@cch2o.com
Grow room air purification promotes healthier crops and a healthier working environment. Ideal grow room air smells clean and is free of dust, spores, odors and other particulates. Airborne impurities should be eliminated when growing valuable crops indoors or in modern greenhouse environments. Pathogen outbreaks like powdery mildew can have serious consequences for crops and growers.
Advantages of Grow Room Air Purification
Spores that cause crop diseases like powdery mildew (white mold) and botrytis (grey mold) are often present in outside air. Seasonal changes outdoors often mean an increase in disease pressures for crops, even when grown indoors or in a controlled environment. These spores have a way of finding their way indoors, whether in the air or on people–sometimes they are already present in young crop transplants. Good grow room air purification helps to reduce populations of spores in the air within the growing environment and prevents the spread of crop infections.
Plants grow healthier in clean air. Just like you, plants like clean air to breathe. While yes, they do prefer theirs higher in CO2, they do not like particulates that clog up their tiny openings in the leaves for gas exchange called “stomata” or stomates, if you prefer. Grow room air purification keeps these openings clean and exchanging more gases freely–think of a performance air filter in a combustion engine: the more freely it breathes, the more it can do.
Tiny insects, like spider mites, while very small in size can do a tremendous amount of damage to crops in both economic value and overall yields and growth rates. These tiny insects like to float around in breezes and find their way to new hosts (plants) to infest via air movement. Crop death from above; grow room air purification helps to trap and eliminate tiny problems before they become big ones.
The majority of indoor growers are familiar with grow room air purification in the context of eliminating or managing unwanted odors. Heavy and bulky activated carbon filters have long been the go-to, while they are not without some significant drawbacks for use in grow room air purification.
Limitations of Activated Carbon Grow Room Air Purification
As humidity levels in the growing environment increase, the effectiveness of activated carbon filtration decreases. Moisture fills the pore spaces in activated carbon quickly; the very same pore spaces you are counting on to trap and bind unwanted particulates like odors and spores from grow room air.
Activated carbon filters have a recommended CFM (cubic feet per minute) of fan rating to be effective. In larger installations, this means multiple fans and filters which are cumbersome to mount up high (where they are effective) and consume power while generating a lot of noise in a closed environment.
Activated carbon filters and prefilters require maintenance and replacement. They are easily forgotten about until it’s too late, ie problems with odors or foliar diseases have begun to occur.
High-quality buds are grown in healthy and clean environments
Professional Grow Room Air Sanitation
Indoor farming at scale means doing some things differently versus conventional sized practices. What you may have been able to get away with at a residential-sized scale isn’t necessarily going to cut it for multiple grow rooms many times that size–especially with a large investment of time and money at stake.
Hospitals, food handlers, and professional laboratories have long understood the importance of air sanitization, as well as recognizing the challenge of providing effective coverage on larger industrial-sized scales.
Current Culture H2O, your leading growing solutions provider, identified the gap between what professional level growers need for grow room air purification and what has traditionally been available in the past, ie “what size carbon filter and how many do you need–want fans for those?”
After much searching and exhaustive trialing, we are pleased to offer the ClensAir 6 Stage Air Sanitization Systems. These super-efficient air sanitization systems treat up 10,000 cubic feet per hour from a single, lightweight, reliable, and compact unit.
ClensAir is a Next Generation Air Purification technology that utilizes the latest UV based photocatalytic disinfecting process combined with advanced media filtration to produce 99.98% pure air. It uses a 6-layer purification process to ensure all microorganisms, VOCs, airborne mold, and pathogens are eliminated.
ClensAir systems are easy to install, operate quietly and take up a minimum of space in growing areas, locker rooms, supply areas, trimming rooms and other places in a growing facility where air quality counts.
For more information on ClensAir grow room air purification systems or for a custom solutions plan for your indoor farming facility, please contact Sales@cch2o.com
Grow room sanitization accomplished between each crop in a grow room or indoor agriculture growing facility is the first line of defense in avoiding the need to treat plants during cropping for issues like crop pests or pathogens that can damage your bottom line as well as crop quality at harvest later on. Besides negating the use of potentially harmful and often costly crop sprays or treatments, a sterile growing system and growing environment increase growth rates and yields. Thorough and adequate grow room sanitization helps ensure that plants do not need to expend energy during the cropping cycle fighting off problems–crops perform best when they can channel their available energy into developing healthy root, leaf and reproductive growth.
Problems of the Past
Traditionally, chemical grow room sterilization has been the only effective option available to greenhouse or indoor farmers. Chemicals used can vary in their effectiveness, ease of application and safety. Almost all are expensive to use and apply. More recently, the adoption of organic-based sterilizers for grow systems and surfaces like walls and floors has been regarded as an improvement versus the very dangerous and expensive to apply fumigants used in the past.
Safer Chemicals
Peroxyacetic Acids like ZeroTol, SaniDate, etc are organic-based effective cleansers for grow room sanitization including systems and grow room surfaces. However, they can be dangerous to work with and require significant trained labor to dilute and apply. Moreover, they tend to be expensive, especially when factoring freight, handling and the fact that they create a reoccurring expense with each crop changeover. In today’s volatile marketplace, shipping and product availability can be subject to change–and there is never a guarantee with the price either.
The next link in the evolutionary chain for grow room sanitization is naturally occurring and available on-demand, with the simple push of a button. It leaves no harmful residues. As a matter of fact, the only byproduct left following effective sanitization and cleansing of growing equipment and grow room surfaces is oxygen.
Say what, sounds too good to be true?
Innovative Growing Solutions, Naturally
We’re happy to say that it IS true, and that’s why CCH2O is pleased to offer an industrial build quality mobile ozone disinfection cart as part of our range of innovative growing solutions. Ozone (O3) occurs naturally in the earth’s atmosphere–ever notice that “fresh” smell in the air after a good rainstorm? Chances are, what you are detecting is the effect of Ozone. When electrical currents are generated in the atmosphere, O3 is created. Ozone is basically an Oxygen molecule (O2) with an additional oxygen molecule in the bond. It is highly unstable–it really just wants to become O2, ie the stuff we need to breathe to live. When O3 comes into contact with other particles like dirt and impurities in the atmosphere, the third oxygen molecule leaps off from the O3 bond, attaching itself to other particles and effectively oxidizing them or “zapping” them into oblivion, if you prefer.
Ozone is a highly effective oxidizer. Pathogens, biofilms, microbes, etc are not able to build resistance, unlike many chemical treatments. The oxidation reaction occurs instantaneously when O3 comes into contact with unwanted grunge in your grow room sanitization process–the results are clean and sterile surfaces with nothing but pure oxygen left to dissipate. Imagine that: a sparkling clean and fresh smelling grow room ready to plant up with no reliance on dangerous chemicals that are tedious to apply and costly to replace.
Applying O3 for Grow Room Sanitization
Until more recently, ozone was difficult to apply in a controlled rate while assuring good contact with surfaces. This made it difficult to use effectively for applications like grow room sanitization. When generated by electrical arcing (Corona Discharge), Ozone occurs as a gas. It does not last long because it is highly unstable (which in part makes it such an effective oxidizer). This makes ozone very difficult to measure and apply with any consistency in disinfecting or sanitizing surfaces.
SURFACE SANITIZATION
CWT’s Ozone Systems have solved this problem and made applying ozone as a disinfectant easy, effective and consistent by dissolving high levels of O3 into water which then can be applied to surfaces or run through systems, irrigation pipes, fogger lines, etc. The Mobile Ozone Cart is robust and portable, making it easy to use in all areas of your indoor farming operations. Besides effective grow room sanitization and sterilization of hydroponic systems and irrigation equipment, there are many other places ozone can be applied to improve your cropping endeavors and bottom line. Additionally, sterilization using the ozone cart does not require high temperatures for prolonged periods, cold water ozone sterilization is efficient and saves power.
Drying racks, if not properly sterilized, can become a breeding ground for pathogens to contaminate your buds or impart musty or other undesirable qualities to your harvest.
Propagation trays and domes should be completely sterilized before reuse–spraying with ozone makes it easy and effective to prevent propagation pathogens while leaving no residues to harm tender young plants.
Weekly sanitization of water holding tanks, cisterns and main supply lines helps keep biofilms at bay, reducing pressures on the crop.
Ductwork can harbor spores, dust and other contaminants; the perfect job for ozone.
What, spray water into my ducting?!
No, the ozone cart is super versatile and flexible–it also allows you to produce and distribute ozone as a gas. Just connect the ozone gas discharge tube to your ductwork or grow room, set the ozone level and duration and clear the area. Once complete, rest assured any unfriendlies camping out in your air distribution system have met their end.
Mobile Disinfection Cart Features
Ozone gas discharge or ozonated water, allows the operator to select an appropriate delivery system for different jobs and tasks, ie atmospheric sanitization versus systems or surfaces.
Oxygen output or ozone output selection, when you just want the cleaning power of oxygen or for when you need to apply ozone for a higher level of cleaning and sanitization.
Variable ozone level output and duration, the operator can customize and streamline cleansing power and duration for different jobs, saving time and labor while enhancing safety protocols.
Industrial robust stainless steel construction and heavy-duty wheels provide a long service life, even under tough conditions with frequent use.
Compact package, big output and flexibility–the cart is truly mobile and is easy to move around from one area to another in your growing facility.
Designed, assembled and backed in the USA–help is available from a highly knowledgeable and well-trusted name in the industry.
Includes corrosion resistant heavy duty generous length of hose and stainless steel tri-clamps so you can put your mobile sanitization cart to work right away–you’ll just need a source of freshwater.
For more information or a quotation, please contact sales@cch2o.com
An irrigation system biofilm is a cost to indoor hydroponics and soilless farmers, often unseen or hidden. Ever wonder what that scum is that accumulates on irrigation surfaces, emitters, filters, reservoirs, growing media or even roots? Chances are what you are observing is, yes, you guessed it, a biofilm.
An irrigation system biofilm can form and occur as complex collectives of microorganisms, competing with roots for resources like minerals and oxygen and may promote vectors for crop infection. They are nearly impossible to avoid. Studies demonstrate that as soon as water comes into contact with surfaces, especially irrigation pipes in warm well-illuminated places, these films begin to form–naturally, they can develop at faster rates and with a higher level of persistence when there is a constant source of moisture. Organic debris, nutrients, oxygen and microbes, among others, are key contributors to the existence and formation of an irrigation system biofilm.
“Build it, and they will come”–Field of Dreams
Biofilm in Hydroponic Irrigation System
New irrigation systems are a significant investment in planning, sourcing, equipment and labor. Aside from some of the more obvious costs associated with a new irrigation system, having crop performance decline due to lack of maintenance and prevention to combat biofilms in irrigation systems can put a serious dent in your bottom line as a grower. Besides being unsightly and a potential source of crop infections, biofilms can accumulate and block emitters or create disproportionate flow rates in irrigation systems. Potentially starving or dehydrating what could otherwise be a healthy crop of plants. The bottom line, start fighting biofilms from your very first irrigation. Like most things in life, prevention is the best remedy.
If you have an existing irrigation system, it is most likely you have biofilms present. In severe cases, an irrigation system biofilm can develop so aggressively that they may be observed restricting water and nutrient flow, even in larger diameter pipes. If your growing operation experiences persistent issues or setbacks with root pathogens, it’s a pretty good bet that the sources of your woes have much to do with the presence of biofilms in your hydroponic systems or irrigation equipment–which are downstream from major sources like water holding tanks and water delivery mains that also require careful attention.
An irrigation system biofilm is persistent and maybe a fact of life for growers that must be addressed. Scrubbing and washing irrigation equipment, pots, trays, systems etc between crops helps but will not control levels during cropping when plants are present. Here are the two recommended approaches to controlling and eliminating the presence of biofilms in your growing operation.
Prevention & Control
Hypochlorous Acid is an effective and economical go-to solution for the modern grower looking to protect their cropping investment while maintaining a safe environment for both people and plants. Hypochlorous Acid (herein referred to as HCA) is safe to handle and does not harm plants (it helps them, more about that later). HCA can be diluted into your water reservoirs, nutrient tanks or be dosed into fertigation systems via injectors used DURING active cropping. HCA is Effective & SAFE and is available in economical and easy to handle liquid concentrates (Clear Line, Current Culture H2O).
HCA will be effective in protecting your plants, irrigation equipment and investment during cropping–start using it with every irrigation to help prevent and reduce the accumulation of biofilms during your crop growing cycle.
Elimination & Eradication of biofilms should be performed between crops, ie no crops are present, which affords the opportunity for using stronger measures. These include Strong Acids, Ozone and Oxidizers. Be cautioned that these chemicals and methods require a much stronger degree of caution with applications as they can be harmful to people and equipment if not used as recommended. Further, these types of chemicals and equipment tend to be more expensive to purchase and apply–again leading us back to the adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Other Benefits of Hypochlorous Acid:
Better yields-studies demonstrate that plant development rates in hydroponics and soilless growing are highest when the root zone is sterile as roots have no competition for nutrients or oxygen while not expending precious energy fighting off pathogens.
Helps maintain a hygienic environment for plants and people working in grow rooms-recent studies suggest that E.Coli can occur in hydroponic systems and is potentially transferred from roots to the aerial (upper green portions) of plants through handling and cultural practices.
To learn more about the benefits Hypochlorous Acid (Clear Line) can offer for your growing profits, contact Current Culture H2O for further details HERE.
These RDWC grow tips will help maximize cropping results and provide all the benefits that RDWC (recirculating deep water culture) hydroponics growing systems offer.
Getting the Most from Your RDWC Set Up
Running an advanced RDWC hydroponics system such as the Under Current requires additional accessories to maximize the potential of a garden. Ensuring your garden has the ideal conditions it needs to produce can be made easier when following these well-developed and proven RDWC grow tips. In our latest Growers Blog, you will find out how best to utilize these accessories to work for your garden.
Utilizing a water chiller when running the Under Current system is crucial to the success of your garden. The RDWC technology the Under Current system employs submerges much of the plants roots structure within the nutrient solution. The nutrient solution becomes the plants media. This fact requires ideal root zone conditions to be provided to ensure plants stay healthy and produce to their maximum potential. Ideal root zone conditions begin with optimal temperatures (65°-70°). Employing a water chiller in your garden is the most effective way of providing the correct root zone temperatures your plants require.
The highest levels of dissolved oxygen are only accessible when utilizing cool solution temperatures. As solution temperatures rise, its ability to hold dissolved oxygen decreases. This warm, low oxygen environment also provides the ideal conditions for dangerous pathogens, such as root rot (Pythium), to take hold of your garden.
Water chillers can be directly integrated into the Under Current systems circulation process. As nutrient solution circulates throughout the system, it passes through the water chiller, where it is cooled by coils to preset temperatures. The cooled solution then flows into the epicenter and back into the recirculation process.
Chiller Sizing
When sizing a water chiller for your Under Current system, start by determining your total system volume – for 8-gallon systems assume 6.6 gallons per module and for 13-gallon systems assume 11 gallons per module. As a rule, it is recommended to choose a water chiller that can handle an additional 20% capacity of your total system volume to make up for any performance loss. Much like all grow room equipment, water chillers create heat. For this reason, it is also recommended to place water chillers outside the grow room, or to exhaust the heat created outside of the grow room.
Meter: ppm/EC, temperature, & pH
Growing in an advanced system such as the Under Current requires very specific inputs. The high levels of dissolved oxygen the Under Current system provides supercharges plant nutrient uptake. As a result, fewer nutrient inputs are required. For this reason, solution ppm/EC, temperature, and pH must be precisely controlled.
Meters offer this precise measurement control. They are an invaluable piece of equipment that can assist growers in monitoring their plant’s environment. Utilizing a meter will also assist in documenting grow room conditions and making any necessary adjustments to improve plant performance. The Under Current system was designed to be used in conjunction with meters and automation equipment, taking much of the manual labor associated with media gardens out of the equation. Metering systems are the first step to less labor and higher yields.
Top-off Reservoir
Top-off reservoirs are essential in ensuring the Under Current system performs correctly for your garden. Much like the above-mentioned equipment, the top-off reservoir performs the very important function of ensuring the correct conditions are being provided to the plant’s roots zone.
The top-off reservoir is a separate container that stores nutrient solution and freshwater for your Under Current system. It is directly connected to the epicenter and its flow rates are controlled by the epicenter float valve. As plants uptake nutrient solution, the top-off reservoir works with the float valve to replace this lost solution, maintaining set solution levels.
Top-off reservoirs maintain accurate and essential solution levels throughout the course of the growing cycle, ensuring plants are never left without the solution levels they require. Solution level fluctuations will cause undue stress, poor plant performance, and/or even complete crop loss. Another benefit of top-off reservoirs is that they also allow for easy nutrient solution change-outs, reducing the labor required in maintaining the Under Current system.
Top-off Reservoir Sizing
When sizing for a top-off reservoir, ensure the reservoir size is equal to the total system volume, plus 10% extra.
If the total system volume is 100 gallons, the top-off reservoir should be 110 gallons minimum.
Choose a top-off reservoir that works for your growing space. The Aquifer brand of premium reservoirs work great with the Under Current systems and come in multiple sizes to fit your growing space.
Connect the top-off reservoir to the epicenter through the float valve and set it to desired solution level. This set level will automatically be maintained. Ensure the top-off reservoir is placed on a flat, stable surface to prevent any potential for tipping or spilling. For best results, place the top-off reservoir in an elevated position above the system solution level, to aid in draining and gravity-fed top-off.
Filling, mixing and pH balancing your nutrient solution can all be done in the top-off reservoir. We recommend the top-off reservoir solution strength be set one week ahead of the Cultured Solutions Feeding Schedule. As the nutrient solution is used up, the next week’s solution is slowly added to the Under Current system. This gives your plants the smoothest transition possible to changes in nutrient strength and/or additives.
In addition, the top-off reservoir can be used as freshwater storage when used with metering and dosing equipment for full automation of the Under Current system.
Suggested Accessories
Although not required like the above-mentioned equipment, there are several accessories that could be of use to those running the Under Current system to maximize their garden’s potential.
Module Cage
Whether growing trees or using sea-of-green techniques, the CCH2O Module Cage offers sturdy support and excellent anchor points for training plants as they enter their flowering stages. The modular design of the CCH2O Module Cages allows it to be used with established plants then easily broken down when harvest time comes around. The CCH2O Module Cage fits both the 8 and 13-gallon MultiMod Growth Modules. A well-supported plant will yield heavier, have more consistency in harvest quality, and be prone to fewer problems. Heavy crop loads without sufficient support can snap limbs and create situations where airflow through the canopy is restricted or impeded.
Parkas
The CCH2O UC Parkas are a great way of enhancing the chilling efficiency of water chillers. Made of 96% reflective material the UC Parkas are capable of reflecting heat, while also retaining cool nutrient solution temperatures. Simply insert onto the Under Current system growth modules and leave for the entirety of the growing cycle. The CCH2O UC Parkas are available in sizes to fit the MultiMod 8 and 13-gallon growth modules.
Consistent Aeration
Aeration levels have a direct relationship with growth rates and how efficiently roots take up water and nutrients. When RDWC systems operate with optimal aeration levels, nutrients can be applied at ¼ strength versus conventional growing methods for outstanding results. Until recently, growers have had to guess how much aeration is being delivered to hydroponic reservoirs and root systems, making replicable results more challenging to achieve.
The Air Flow Regulator from CCH2O comes standard with all complete UC Systems and is also available as an accessory for growers who want to manage aeration levels in their water tanks, systems, and hydroponic reservoirs. An Air Flow Regulator gives growers the means to consistently dial-in aeration levels to known, measurable, and repeatable values and works in conjunction with a wide variety of air pumps and regenerative blowers.
Avoiding Plant Shock & Stalls
Changing or adjusting nutrient solutions is necessary for RDWC systems. If not performed by an automatic dosing system or top-off reservoir, adding to the nutrient solution that the plants are actively growing in is necessary.
An abrupt change to the composition of the nutrient solution surrounding bare plant roots can shock plants, stalling growth and development. In severe instances, it potentially damages sensitive healthy roots.
Nutrients, additives, and pH adjusters should be added back to the system very gradually and slowly, especially when supplied in highly concentrated forms. It’s not practical for growers to hand-pour concentrates into the system very slowly, one component at a time. That’s why CCH2O offers the Add-Back Kit. The Add-Back Kit requires no electricity and uses the flow of nutrient solution at the EpiCenter to gradually siphon up nutrient concentrates and slowly dilute them into the flow of nutrient solution crops are growing in. The rate of additions is fully adjustable, and when not in use remains attached to the system while operating.
Utilizing the above required accessories and following our RDWC grow tips in your garden will ensure the smooth operation of the Under Current system. These important accessories support the operational functions of the Under Current system, while also aiding growers. When correctly utilized these accessories will work with the Under Current system to have you on your best harvest yet!
Hypochlorous acid hydroponic drip applications keep modern coco and rockwool set-ups productive and operating smoothly. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl-) is available as stable concentrates specifically offered for growers that can be injected into drip fertigation systems or added and dosed into reservoirs.
Keeping drips systems, drip tables and growing media free of biofilms and nutrient residues with hypochlorous acid
Hypochlorous acid is widely used in the food handling industry to keep things hygienic and kill harmful bacteria, pathogens, etc without risking contamination to food. It is also very well suited to keeping salts and biofilms from accumulating on growing surfaces and inside irrigation systems and tanks. Plant roots often look visibly healthier and more vibrant with HOCl- applications. Typically growers maintain 350-400 mV (millivolts) of ORP (oxidation reduction potential) in their water supplies, reservoirs and lines for optimal benefits with no risk to plant health. Levels above 450mV may create stresses on sensitive crop varieties
HOCl- concentrates like ClearLine or UC Roots can also be added to water storage systems, for example RO product water tanks to help keep water supplies hygienic.
Protecting Crops & Investments
Experienced drip table growers know that attention to details stack yields and harvest qualities; important factors in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Keeping root systems healthy and free of biological contamination and nutrient salt build ups improves crop production and protects irrigation systems. Biofilms and residues, left unchecked, can lead to crop failures and sometimes require irrigation system replacement. Both are expensive prospects and important considerations for the serious or large scale drip table grower. Hypochlorous acid is highly effective in this regard and is safe, easy and economical to apply.
What Are BioFilms
Biofilms often form and occur as complex collectives of microorganisms, competing with roots for resources like minerals and oxygen and may promote vectors for crop infection. They are nearly impossible to avoid. Studies demonstrate that as soon as water comes into contact with surfaces, especially irrigation pipes in warm well illuminated places, these films begin to form–naturally, they can develop at faster rates and with a higher level of persistence when there is a constant source of moisture. Organic debris, nutrients, oxygen and microbes, among others, are key contributors to the existence and formation of biofilms.
Hypochlorous Acid Works
Hypochlorous acid products intended as growing solutions are highly effective on surfaces and in lines without harming people, plants or the environment when used as directed. Just how safe is HOCl-? People can gargle with it at concentrations hundreds of times higher than used in hydroponics applications effectively. Additionally, HOCl- is really good at keeping salt residues from accumulating on drip emitters, drip table surfaces, roots or in drip irrigation growing substrates such as rockwool or coco.
Clear Line VS UC Roots: What’s the Difference?
Clear Line is a very highly concentrated form of HOCl- that will require dilution for use as a stock solution for injection systems. As such it is highly economical to use. When added directly to reservoirs or cisterns, typically 0.25 to 0.5 ml per US Gallon is sufficient to reach optimal ORP values.
UC Roots is diluted and easier to apply in recirculating water culture systems such as the Under Current or HPAC (high pressure aeroponic cloner) systems. Typical dosage rates range from 3 to 5 ml per US Gallon of nutrient solution.
It is worth noting that not all HOCl- solutions are created equal, and here’s why:
If not intended as a growing solution, HOCl- may contain unacceptable levels of Sodium (Na) that can be toxic to plants.
Clear Line or UC Roots will not affect the PPM or pH of nutrient solutions in any significant way, when used as directed. It may even create a more stable solution in the root zone or growing media.
Clear Line and UC Roots have a guaranteed stable shelf life of one year; far surpassing many HOCl- solutions which need to be used very quickly after manufacture to be effective.
Grower Application Tips for Drip Table Irrigation Systems
Using an accurate ORP monitor and dosing system can simplify ORP management and means spending less timing manually adding to tanks or reservoirs.
In fertigation systems where water is stored, it is recommended to add Clear Line or UC Roots to water storage tanks periodically (every 2-5 days depending on temperature) if not using an ORP monitoring and dosing system.
Adding HOCl- directly to irrigation mains via a proportioner system like a Dosatron is an easy, reliable, consistent, effective and affordable way to ensure that all your pipes, manifolds, bubbler heads, emitters and spaghetti lines stay scale, biofilm and clog free.
For a simple 1:100 Dosatron Setting, Clear Line stock solution may be prepared by adding 8.5 fluid ounces of Clear Line to 2.5 US Gallons of filtered water. This should yield 0.2 PPM of HOCl- in the solution. If lines are dirty, the ORP elevated by the additions of Clear Line will be diminished more quickly (based on the microbial load).
HOCl helps keep root systems healthy through to harvest
CCH2O Hydroponic System Bulletin: Hydroponic System Selection
Choosing the Right Hydro System
What you need to know for hydroponic system selection. CurrentCultureH2O is a preferred growing solutions provider for indoor and greenhouse hydroponic farming, offering a range of systems–what you need to know for the best CCH2O hydroponic system selection in your particular situation. Plus a great general hydroponics systems overview to help you plan and potentiate maximum production and assist in managing your input resources carefully for maximum cropping efficiency.
Firstly, Why Water Culture?
Maximum production with minimum effort doesn’t make you lazy, it makes you smart. In terms of hydroponic system selection, water culture systems minimize or eliminate the amount of growing medium needed to grow a successful crop.
The Major Advantages of Eliminating or Reducing Growing Media in Your Operation:
Growing medias get between plant roots actively seeking oxygen, water and minerals. If you deliver clean, well balanced nutrient solutions supercharged with oxygen directly to roots, plants will grow, develop and yield at accelerated rates. Growing medias can literally stand in the way of plants achieving their very best potential while adding an “X” factor to the chemistry and composition of the nutrient solution available for absorption by roots .
Hydroponic growing media like coco, rockwool and grow rocks can offer better production possibilities versus soils, however, they are bulky, typically require pretreatment and remain an ongoing expense–they typically need to be replaced every time you grow.
Growing medium can introduce or harbor pests and pathogens; don’t bring them in and give them nowhere to hide.
In terms of reducing labor costs and hassles, growing with water culture is huge. In simple terms, imagine if you could just turn the tap to fill up the pots in your conventional garden–or pull the drain plug when they are all done to empty (and even reuse) the media. Now takes weeks off your cropping calendar, reduce cultural labor needed and amp up your crop quality and yield while making automation easy. This is your advantage, and more, when you opt to cultivate crops in water culture systems.
In hydroponic system selection for growing with water culture methods, here’s a list of what’s good and what you should know about the different hydroponic set ups CurrentCultureH2O has to offer.
DWC (deep water culture)
In terms of hydroponic system selection, this is a great entry point for cultivating crops with water culture. In fact, this is arguably the first hydroponic system widely used and documented. DWC was originally pioneered in laboratories, where plants were supported in the neck of beakers or flasks and the roots grew below into a depth of aerated nutrient solution. Much of what we know about fertilizer basics were gained from this type of system used to research what happens if you omit or add different elements to the solution and at varying levels.
Today’s DWC systems are considerably more refined and made for real world use, although they still operate on the same proven and effective principles developed in early plant labs.
CCH2O’s UC Solo systems (Solo & Solo Pro) can accommodate lots of smaller plants or even just a few really large specimens; they are super flexible–the grower can select how many planting sites on the lid they want to use. There is no issue leaving some of the net pots supported with the sturdy lid filled with a small quantity of growing media, no need to plant them all if you choose.
UC Solo and UC Solo PRO DWC Hydroponic Systems
UC Solo and UC Solo PRO DWC Hydroponic Systems
After planting, roots quickly descend from the net pots in the lid to the highly aerated depth of nutrient and oxygen rich solution below. The majority of the crop’s bare roots will grow into and feed from the nutrient solution. The growing media acts as little more than mechanical support for the plants in the lids once planted into the DWC Solo System. A lot of newbie water culture growers get their start with the UC Solo DWC system for it’s cost effectiveness and ease of set up before graduating to RDWC (recirculating deep water culture).
The UC Solo can also be used to raise smaller plants in 5 inch net baskets, with maximum lid planting before transplanting with wider spacing and root zone volume into Under Current RDWC systems. This helps to conserve space and other resources until the plants begin to really need it.
RDWC (recirculating deep water culture)
This is “active” water culture and an excellent choice regardless of your skill level in hydroponic system selection. Active hydroponic systems have a moving element, namely the nutrient solution. In RDWC systems, the volume of nutrient solution is recirculated through each module back to an epicenter continuously , hence “recirculating” deep water culture (rdwc).
CCH2O Undercurrent modules are available in 8 gallon, 13 gallon (13XL) and 35 gallon (Pro Series) sizes to allow for a high degree of flexibility in making the ideal hydroponic system selection. The smaller mods (modules) are typically favored for vegging plants to larger statures or for growers looking for higher planting densities to minimize cropping time and maximize crop turns per annum. The Pro series can produce incredibly large single plants or support higher densities of smaller plants, depending on the site configuration selected on the lid support.
Under Current RDWC Hydroponic System
Advantages of RDWC vs DWC
The Under Current® utilizes negative water pressure to recirculate oxygenated nutrient solution through the plant’s root zone ensuring pH and EC levels are uniform throughout the entire system.
The epicenter acts as a “heart” for the rest of the connected modules in the RDWC set up. Monitoring, dosing, chilling, filling, draining and other important management practices can all be performed for each module in the system from a single point, simplifying growing on scale. Of additional benefit is that the epicenter can be positioned outside of the grow room so making changes or monitoring can be performed anytime without interrupting critical dark cycles or as a matter of convenient placement in larger growing facilities.
Because plants can get to very large statures quickly in individual RDWC modules connected through the system, plant spacing can be relatively wide reducing equipment costs and keeping plant counts low while still realizing heavy yields per light in fast cropping cycle. Large plants produce large crowd pleasing flowers and fruits!
High Density Hydroponics
For growers seeking high density cropping in their hydroponic system selection, CurrentCultureH2O offers professional grade heavy duty galvanized steel rolling bench systems. These rolling benches use standard widths and customizable lengths to create space saving configurations; more crop less empty space means bigger yields in the same sized room.
Growers can achieve up to 90% space use efficiency by making use of a single floating aisleway. These rolling benches were sourced for their strength and durability–they are strong enough to support the weight of a full UnderCurrent RDWC system configuration while still allowing growers to safely and effortlessly slide bench tops to create access aisles. Of further benefit to growers and crops is the open bench mesh top design–air moves and circulates more freely through the plant canopy and between plants versus solid horticultural trays.
High Pressure Aeroponic Cloning Systems (HPAC)
When seeking very high planting numbers or developing fast and consistent propagation programs, CCH2O’s HPAC (high pressure aeroponic cloner) meets this criteria in hydroponic system selection. The HPAC Series is designed for commercial growers for scale, durability, reliability, excellent production capabilities and ease of management.
Why High Pressure Aeroponics (link pending)
The HPAC series produces very high volumes of plants in a short time frame using very little space, from 420 plant sites to 1690+ in a double tier set up. The aero modules are sturdy and light weight making them easy to stack and move, for example onto carts for transplanting into Under Current systems in production areas of the growing facility. A central 8 gallon reservoir with 120V high pressure pump station makes monitoring and adjustments to all connected mods easy and economical–a single dosing system, chiller, monitor, etc and take care of thousands of clones.
CCH2O High-pressure aeroponic cloning system 420-site
The difference between ORP VS DO is important to understand for assessing and managing the “health” of hydroponic nutrient solutions and water quality for use in cultivating high value crops.
DO (dissolved oxygen) in simplest terms is a value indicative of the ability of a water supply to support healthy life; or the ability to support “aerobic” conditions.
ORP (oxidation reduction potential) is a value associated with how “hygenic” a water source or nutrient solution is.
While DO and ORP may initially sound like they are the same or similar, there are some important differences and distinctions worth understanding. Additionally, ORP and DO play a close relationship to one another, affecting the value of each–and the overall health and performance of a hydroponic nutrient solution.
Monitoring DO & ORP
For practical purposes and accuracy, DO and ORP may be monitored using electronic devices or tested for periodically via weekly laboratory testing. The ability to monitor and control these important cropping values can improve yields, crop quality and is key at avoiding costly issues, ie water borne plant pathogens.
Measuring DO, Hydroponics
Dissolved Oxygen levels for hydroponics and aquaponics applications are typically provided as PPM (parts per million) or as a % percentage oxygen. This value naturally occurs in healthy water supplies from 4 to 6 PPM. It is possible to increase these levels, especially in hydroponic systems like RDWC (recirculating deep water culture) and HPAC (high pressure aeroponic cloners). Values upwards of 12 ppm are achievable in such systems. Higher levels may be obtained with specialized technology that is typically reserved for larger scale growers due to cost and scalability. Using specialized O2 diffusion systems can allow DO to remain at elevated levels for some time after treatment. Using conventional methods, ie aeration and nutrient circulation, levels may drop quickly once aeration and circulation are halted, even temporarily.
Hydroponic crops grown with elevated DO levels produce bigger yields and grow faster. Additionally, they are able to use water and nutrients more efficiently and thrive at lower nutrient concentrations (provided they are replenished or topped up). The result is reduced fertilizer use, better cropping and a reduced environmental footprint.
Additionally, the nutrient solution temperature plays a major role in how much DO may occur for crops. There is a very direct relationship between temperature and DO levels, with higher temperatures decreasing DO potential. *Henry’s Law* Chillers for cooling hydroponics systems help to keep DO levels optimal and may also decrease grow room air cooling costs as roots are kept at optimal temperatures more efficiently with liquid thermodynamic principles.
Measuring ORP, Hydroponics
For both hydroponics and drinking water applications, Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) is typically denoted as mV (millivolts). However, the optimal value for each differs. For sanitary purposes where drinking water is concerned, 650 mV (millivolts). Alternatively, for cropping purposes and optimal value is 300-400 mV. Most hydroponics growers filter water from municipal or well water sources prior to storage or applying to crops–this process reduces ORP values as chlorine is removed from the tap water supply (dechlorination). Chloride (Cl-) strongly increases ORP levels; largely why it is added to water supplies.
Unfortunately for both crops and growers the chlorine that occurs in water supplies is not good for plants; that’s why it’s removed. However Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl – used in food handling) is a form of chlorine that will not harm plants when used as directed and does a great job of boosting and maintaining ORP levels. Additionally it keeps systems, growing media and surfaces free of biofilms and nutrient salt build up.
How DO & ORP Work Together for Hydroponics
To recap: DO is the ability of the water or nutrient solution for healthy plant life and ORP is representative of the hygienic quality of the water or nutrient solution. Here’s a real life example of how they may interact.
It is the hottest part of the year and the grow room air handling system cannot keep air temperatures at optimal–additionally, the chiller for the hydroponic system was sized to the bare minimum to help save on capital outlay. The nutrient solution temperature rises to over 80 Degree Fahrenheit during the lighting cycle.
DO levels decrease at the roots while the entire plant is stressed from high temperatures. Bacteria occurring in the system once kept in check begin to flourish, creating disease pressures on the crop. This is all unseen to the grower who does not measure or manage DO–what is seen is the ORP levels decrease steadily. Hypochlorous Acid is applied at higher frequencies and concentrations to maintain a base value of ~400 mV
The unknown grower has narrowly escaped crop infection, ie pathogen levels didn’t proliferate to disease causing levels because an optimal ORP was maintained even while DO fell below normal healthy levels.
In conclusion, understanding the differences and interactions with DO VS ORP is an important and sometimes less explored area relating to crop management, especially for hydroponics applications. Learning more and actively monitoring and controlling these essential cropping values can help protect your growing investment and yield healthier rewards.
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