Most hydroponic nutrients are going to be acidic so they'll be bringing the pH down by themselves.

To get your solution into the ideal pH range for hydroponics (5.5 - 6.5 pH although preferably somewhere between 5.8 - 6.2 pH) you will normally only need to use pH down.

Mixing up pH up might save you a few $ but it could also be unsafe and as well as that you'll have way more pH up than you'll ever need. Imo it's unsafe to mix these chemicals yourself and you won't be using much pH up anyway so just buy a small bottle of it.

pH down is either going to be phosphoric acid or sulfuric acid suspended in water. The pH down I use is 85% phosphoric acid in water which is the same percentage you'll get if you buy phosphoric acid by itself.

The 85% phosphoric acid is VERY strong and you'll need to be very careful with it, it will burn skin or even wood if you spill it.

85% phosphoric acid is also very potent. I usually need 5-10 drops (Somewhere around 0.1 ml - 0.2ml ) to get from 6.9 pH to 6.0 pH.

 

I'd highly recommend buying some hydroponic nutrients instead of miracle grow. A bag of General Hydroponics MaxiBloom will last you a long time. 7 grams mixed into 1 gallon of water will give a gallon of full strength nutrients which has a high enough EC/ppm even for a fully grown plant. I suggest taking a look at this article, taking note of the MaxiBloom reccomendations.

Your plant would at this stage only need 1/4 to 1/2 strength nutes (1/2 at most).

When I was using 7 grams of MaxiBloom to 1 gallon of water and leaving it over night the gallon would go to 5.8 pH overnight by itself, the MaxiBloom has a buffer into it.

The best way to mix it up is to get a small bottle, add the 7 grams of powder then add some very hot (but not boiling water) and then shake it until the powder is dissolved. After that, pour the small bottle of nutrients/water into a gallon jug and then add 1 gallon (3.785 litres) of water.


Sorry for the long post, lol, I'm quite passionate about this topic.

So last year I got a couple T5 lamps and brought in my hab plant (along with a few others) to overwinter. I later acquired more lights so I could start seed, which I love, but there are lots of options. You might also want a heat mat or a space heater and a fan to circulate the air, maybe some liquid nutrients to amend the soil with, but the light is the big issue. Pepper plants are not photoperiodic, but do need some darkness to rest and grow, I found 16 hours on/8 hours off was a good amount for them to flourish. If you down-pot, make sure they don't get too rootbound as this might result in dropping leaves.

That said, I don't recommend overwintering in general and won't be doing it again. Production on non-ornamental/dwarf pepper plants indoors can be tough and I ended up bringing in fungus gnats as well as aphids which needed isolation and treatment and it turned into a whole ordeal. I finally got the plants clean and doing well and then it mysteriously dropped all the leaves and died (probably too rootbound, or root rot). Instead I'd recommend you save some seed and start new plants indoors, in sterile soil, or even better, hydroponically. The seedlings I started indoors got so big by spring that they are now outperfoming the few plants that did successfully survive the overwintering.

Check out this person's LED hydro reaper. Just an idea; taking seed from your most mature habanero pod and starting it in rockwool to grow a new plant, indoors, free from bugs and such, might make for a more pleasant experience! Look into kratky hydroponics for a simple way to get started.

Sorry for the unsolicited advice, but I had a bad experience overwintering and hopefully this helps.

I picked up a copy of The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener's Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1604695803?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf)

It’s a nice little resource, but that’s coming from someone who is just starting to get into growing peppers as a hobby.

For free resources I really like Gary Pilarchik’s Rustic Garden YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/pilarchik

Also Khang Starr is another great free resource: https://www.youtube.com/user/KhangStarr010

Hope these help!

The best pepper book out there right now is Peppers of the Americas. It's seriously amazing. Recipes, extensive history, gallery of different peppers, some growing stuff. It's incredible and the photos are stunning.

I also read Amal Naj's book "Peppers," which was really good, and "Along the Pepper Trails" or something like that. Just starting that one now and it's pretty good so far.

The other book you can get is the Pepper Encyclopedia by Dave DeWitt

how many plants? full mature plants or babies for transplanting? Budget?

HLG quantum boards great. https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Board-Grow-Bloom-4000K/dp/B076QDKVDZ is good for like 1 full size plant or a few smaller ones, or a few trays of seedlings.

But if you want to get a big boy you can get a 1000W Double ended HPS. https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Ultrahigh-Reflectivity-3-Mode-Adjust-Reflector/dp/B07MYQFMHW that will light up your whole shed and heat it lol. good for like 4+ big plants or lots of smaller ones or lots of trays of seedlings.

Nope, I'm in California, they're in Pennsylvania. From what I can tell, Amazon has them for $16 per case with Prime. Filmore Container has them for $4 per case plus shipping.

From PA to CA, 1 case ships for $14.60, making Amazon a better deal. 2 cases ship for $19.54, making Filmore Container a way better deal. The larger the volume, the more you save.

Free shipping isn't always a good deal, because it doesn't allow you to save by buying in bulk.

TL;DR If you're buying 1 case, use Amazon Prime. If you are buying 2 or more cases, use Filmore Container.

I have done a lot of indoor growing both of chilis and of cannabis (and some tropical plants). I’d be interested in seeing pictures of the plants and links to your tent and light to give more specific advice.

Generally, if the plants for in the tent then I wouldn’t advise pruning before moving. You’ll already lose flowers from moving, if you prune them move you’ll probably lose all the flowers and that’s going to make you very sad.

Depending on the light, it might put out enough heat to keep your temps up. Some of the light’s electrical inefficiency is radiated as heat, although with LEDs that amount is relatively low. A heat mat can help warm the soil slightly but isn’t very useful at warming the air.

However, your light will probably be underpowered for this sized tent. Looking at the Mars 300 stats it lists 0.94A at 120v, which means a total 112.8 watts power draw including cooling fan and driver inefficiency. Mars Hydro also doesn’t use the highest quality LEDs, so they won’t even be putting out optimal amounts of photosynthetic light for the limited power being used. That’s not a lot of light for more than one chili, especially if they’re going to be fruiting.

I know you’re using this as a stopgap until they can get back outside, but it wouldn’t take much to really get the most out of this small investment.

I would recommend adding another grow light, preferably one with more than 2 wavelengths of color. When I started out I was using the Viparspectra 300 (basically the same as a mars hydro but with more wavelengths of light). They are cheap and come in a variety of sizes. Here’s their 450 which has an actual draw of around 200w VIPARSPECTRA UL Certified Reflector-Series 450W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum for Indoor Plants Veg and Flower, Has Daisy Chain Function https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015FLSOCE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xe-BDb1GRVNQA

Then get yourself a couple of fans to keep air moving so you don’t get mold, and maybe look at a small heater for those colder days and nights.

If you have some pictures of your plants please post a link

I'm using this light https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015FLSOCE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've only been using the VEG option on the light. I went on vacation for 6 days. But I switched the lights to Bloom only before I left. Everything pretty much exploded!! Even my lemon tree popped up and looks good. I just finished topping pretty much everything a few minutes ago. I'm pretty stoked to see the growth.

I see your point. I like the option but here is a question..

Say I buy this: https://www.amazon.com/Horticulture-Lighting-Group-USA-Quantum/dp/B07C57J7XX

Like you are saying its $150. and its supposed to be as effective as a 300w cfl.

It consumes the same amount of energy as say this: https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-Reflector-Spectrum-Indoor-Plants/dp/B01B4GQ6MO/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Viparspectra&qid=1555016528&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-3

Which is also supposed to be as effective as a 300w lamp...

Whats the reason behind spending double if I am not gaining anything on performance or efficiency? The one advantage I see is no pink light.

None of these are super hots so please don't beat me. I came here for pretty much all my pepper growing advice so I figure I'll "give back" by posting my "crop" so far. I'll post everything including today's update in this post and reply to this for future updates unless you'd rather me go ahead and space it out.

These were started from seeds on April 1st. A mixture of normal "hots"(pablano, jalapeno, cayenne, etc) and sweet peppers. here they are on 4/19/2016 right before I thinned them out to 1 seedling per pod.

On 5/2/2016 I transplanted them to solo cups. I kept them indoors for a bit longer before hardening off but I did it rather quickly due to not being able to get them adequate light indoors.

This was taken on 6/6/2016, which was about 1-2 days before I transplanted them to their forever homes.

Here they are today (7/5/2016) which is just a few days shy of 1 month since transplant. I know the spacing/pot size isn't the best but this is my first year attempting growing more than 1 pepper and I am honestly not looking to grow a huge amount of peppers. The ones in the container are planted in a "square foot gardening" approach with each having a 1ft space. The other ones (I have 5 in total) are in 3 gallon pots. Soil mixture in an approximate "mel's mix" and I currently just switched over to maxibloom as my fertilizer. Currently still cutting off buds as I'd like them to get a bit bigger before allowing them to produce(October is first frost so hopefully still have time).

Again, I'm really new to this so I'm all ears to any suggestions, comments, and advice (outside of the spacing, I know they need more than that lol).

Thanks!

Inside this grow-tent, I'm using 2x VIPARSPECTRA 300w LEDs for the lighting. I have a 4 LPM air pump with tubes running into each container (plugged to air stones). This setup is running on a timer from 6AM to 10PM.

The containers are ~10L (a bit more than 2gal) plastic trash bins from Walmart. I found it was the most efficient containers as they are more high than wide (unlike most standard storage containers), which allows me to fit more in the tent. This also enables the roots of the plants to reach deeper which I think is good (but don't quote me on this).

As for the nutrients I use standard General Hydroponics Flora series. I started with small concentration first, then followed the general indications on the bottles (aggressive vegetative growth until they start to flower, then transition to bloom, and then bloom and ripening).

I topped them all at the beginning when they had about 4 or 5 sets of leaves. I also pruned them a few times, cutting big leaves preventing light from reaching the middle of the plant.

Temperature was kept at between 22°C and 28°C most of the time (71F - 82F). Humidity varied between 35% and 55%.

I also have a Raspberry Pi in there to which I connected (and soldered) a humidity and temperature sensor. I then wrote a little app to send the data to a database and wrote another app to display real-time temperature stats and charts. I did this mostly for fun but it was useful.

I am just getting into the hobby so I don't have any real results, but I posted the same question here a few weeks ago and was recommended this: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Board-Grow-Bloom-4000K/dp/B076QDKVDZ?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_18674157011

​

I ordered it and like it so far. Very bright, lightweight (I am holding it in place with only a few zip ties), and doesn't get too hot. They also make a bigger one if you're going to have a lot of plants: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Board-Grow-Bloom-3000K/dp/B07C59J8L2?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_18674157011

You can try bone meal, but the only way to tell if there is a nutrient deficiency is to test the soil. I used this kit and it was pretty simple.
As for pests, there are plenty of sprays available. Regardless of which one you choose, the important part is to be consistent and don't stop when you first see an improvement. There are still eggs that will hatch and start the whole process over again.

I'm doing it now, look at my posts to see my setup. You could get a small setup going for <$200 for everything to grow 4 decent sized plants, or you could spend a lot more on things like more efficient lights that aren't pink/purple, a tent to enclose it, or just a bigger setup for more plants.

Cheapest and easiest way to start with 4 plants is to use a LED like this from Amazon and put it like 2 feet over the plants. Get some 3 gallon pots, I like fabric pots because they drain well and dry fast like peppers like. Get some decent potting soil and some trays to sit the pots on. Humidity will probably be an issue though, and dehumidifiers aren't cheap.

You can use CFL or LED light bulbs, I started like that, but once I did the math on how many bulbs I needed and how much they and the sockets and everything for them were, I decided to go the LED grow light route. But then I didn't like the purple light color and wanted to make shelves, so I DIY'd some LED strips.

No idea if it's the best, but I just purchased this last weekend after seeing a few recommendations for it in my internet travels.

Peppers of the Americas: The Remarkable Capsicums That Forever Changed Flavor: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399578927

Are there any you own that you would recommend?

I bought this one recently. No timer, but works great. Good reviews and price.

Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P7U259C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The reviews are meh, but it looks like customer service does a good job replacing faulty heat mats free of charge to people.

You're going to be hard pressed to find something you won't need to hang. Don't over think it though, hanging a light is super simple.

I use these tied to a shelving unit. http://www.amazon.com/Grow-Light-Hangers-Adjustable-Hydroponics/dp/B00GJKHY6S

I use a couple lights similar to this one. http://www.amazon.com/Agrobrite-4-Tube-Fixture-Included-Fluorescent/dp/B002JQBQZQ/ref=sr_1_24?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1457030668&sr=1-24&keywords=grow+light

The only reason I went with "grow lights" was mainly due to their size, I have a pretty narrow tent. Otherwise I'd just go piece together something from the hardware store.

I have mine currently on my laundry room shelf with an LED light. Ha. Nice setup. I don't have any reflective insulation right now since I will be moving mine outside soon. But next year I plan on it. Would you say it's cheaper to do that or just get a tent?

Anyone curious, this the LED and hooks I have:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F53LP46

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0098R0600

These were our set up last year and it worked great.

Going to order the same ones and have double the grow set up this year:

​



One of these: $79.99

Roleadro LED Grow Light, Galaxyhydro Series 300W Indoor Plant Grow Lights Full Spectrum with UV&IR for Veg and Flower

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PH1MQV8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Two of these: $69.99

Roleadro Upgrade and Newly Developed LED Grow Light Full Spectrum 2nd Generation Series 300w Plants Light

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HI3AFYM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought this one a few years ago and it's still going strong. You could fit 16 cups on it

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P7U259C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_OWEJAbTXMH5TE

Thank you!

I just bought this. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Growth-Technology-Ltd-05-210-110-Concentrated/dp/B003VO8I9W/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=Chilli+feed&qid=1562516377&s=gateway&sr=8-1
Hopefully it helps?

I'd recommend a T5 setup, but others may have better suggestions.

If you dont already have one, grab a dehydrator for ~$40 to make some great red pepper flakes!

I don't know if this is the exact one, but it's pretty similar. It really is only big enough for one pepper plant, though. https://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics-light-Hydropoics-Greenhouse-Organic/dp/B00GNWK2XO/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1479332792&sr=8-6&keywords=led+grow+light

Amazon

Bottles: Clear Glass Woozy Bottles with Shrink Capsules, 5 Oz - Case of 12 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MMT8XH4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3K8OybEV4YHWY

Stopper thingies: Dripper Insert for Hot Sauce Bottles 20ct https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064OPXOY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_xkvV9J5sQF8vh

I went with this light. It is made my the horticulture lighting group. That being said peppers won't grow a lot of peppers indoors so if you have a balcony or something it could be useful to put them outside in the months it won't freeze. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076QDKVDZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can get some here 1500 Live Ladybugs - Good Bugs - Ladybugs - Guaranteed Live Delivery! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00533KOIC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CBb7CbFFBA1FJ

It looks to be only affecting my jalapeno, cayenne and crosses of the two.

The light was probably 1-2 feet away, maybe they got burned?

I have noticed that the soil is taking forever to dry. I'm suspecting my light source is an issue?

I have the light on from 6am to 10pm, fan running, 2 of 3 flaps open. Room temp is 68F, no idea of the inside temp of the tent.

Using this LED light and this fan

A week ago I shaved the top of the soil, it was dark, hard and just not drying out. That's when I added a fan to the equation.

Am I right in thinking it's the light? I am thinking of grabbing this one

I ended up buying.... this LED bulb

I'll let you know how it goes if you're interested.

Looks like the ‘300W’ Galaxy Hydro

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PH1MQV8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KhY2Bb1PGKYJ7

It's a high phosphorus fertilizer that promotes more buds/pods on plants.

https://www.amazon.com/Fox-Farm-Liquid-Concentrate-Fertilizer/dp/B00BYG6OB8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498770175&sr=8-2&keywords=TIGER+BLOOM

My grow tent

My light

The light is on a 12/12 cycle, veg only. I have two fans: one that circulates air constantly, and another that periodically replaces the air in the tent with fresh air.

I this one? How do you use it? There are 3 of them, my plant is still growing

It depends on where you live. I live in the south and the humidity levels here makes air drying peppers impossible -- I've tried it and they spoil long before they dry out. If you live in the southwest, though, you can probably get away with doing this.

I use an inexpensive Presto dehydrator. It works well.

This one I believe VIVOSUN Durable Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat Warm Hydroponic Heating Pad 10" x 20.75" MET Standard https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P7U259C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_G2iGAbNX4088J

Lady Bugs

edit: In the meantime hold your plants under running water if possible. A utility sink is great or a hose if outside. Just cradle the leaves and stem as you spray so as not to cause any damage.

I have only ever used “chilli focus” bought from
Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003VO8I9W?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

I use LED grow lights personally. I have a bout 3 of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748D2SMB/ and 2 of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F53LP46 in a different spot.

Hydrofarm FLT24 2-ft/ 4-Tube T5 Commercial System with Bulbs
http://amzn.com/B002JQBQZQ

T5 EnviroGro 4Ft 4 Tube Fixture w/Bulbs-FLT44
http://amzn.com/B005H1C7NA

Aphids.

Order some of these...They will eat the aphids and other plant eating bugs.

http://smile.amazon.com/1500-Live-Ladybugs-Guaranteed-Delivery/dp/B00533KOIC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412302691&sr=8-1&keywords=lady+bugs

I use this...
https://www.amazon.com/Presto-06300-Dehydro-Electric-Dehydrator/dp/B008H2OELY/ref=sr_1_4?crid=YXDXDY2ZH3A4&keywords=dehydrator&qid=1556020750&s=gateway&sprefix=dehy%2Caps%2C224&sr=8-4

You need these... Adjustable Lighting

50 seedlings shouldn't be overwhelming. You can use a typical T5 or T8 fixture with the right bulbs.

[This should do the trick.] (http://www.amazon.com/DL822-Fluorescent-Hydroponic-Fixture-System/dp/B009GU4QPU)
Comes with the right bulbs.
Just invest in some cord to adjust the height, those lights must stay as close as possible to your plants.

If that won't ship to Oz, any hardware/garage type store will have them.

Differs per bottle. Here's the combo I'm using: https://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-Flora-Bloom-Fertilizer/dp/B017H73708/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1491276631&sr=8-2&keywords=floragro

I'm using some Dyna-Gro DYFOL008 Foliage Pro to start, then I'm going to switch to Fox Farm Tiger Bloom.

Could try some MaxiBloom

A lot of LED grow lights are purple. I don't know why offhand but I assume it's because plants reflect green and yellow, so they focus on the wavelengths that actually get absorbed.

Chilli Focus is This bottle and here. I'm still not sure about the calcium levels.

Depends what spectrum you buy ( seedlings, veg, flower etc. )
I use full spectrum for seedlings and my adult plants and they all grow like mad. I have 3 of these - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PH1MQV8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Every time I see a post about lights and wattage, I say this Check if the value is true or equivalent wattage!. This vendor in particular is something else:

> Question:
> What does it mean that it as 15 / 45 w?
> Answer:
> LED power is 45 Watts. Consumption is 15 Watts.
> By Osunby SELLER on March 1, 2018

WTF? LED power is not 45 Watts, LED power is 15 Watts, which is equivalent to 45W of incandescent bulb.

That's 24$/15W = 1.6$/W. Checking for example this one (I'm by no means recommending it), which although has the same presenting equivalent instead of true, you get 0.44$/W with the current deal, or 0.56$/W with the old price. This is a factor of 3!! Granted, you might not need such power for a small setup, but there are others out there with lower power rating.

BTW, I'm not trying to "own" you or anything. I just want to spread the message so that people don't buy something on false information/assumptions, especially when someone says "Oh, you need X watts for that area or that amount of plants"

Ladybugs will fix your problem. Seriously. You can buy some on Amazon