Hey everyone! This is my first crop grown hydroponically and I was hoping to get some advice from those with some experience.
I'm growing habeñeros and I think they look pretty healthy, however it has taken them about 5 months to get to that size and they're just starting to flower. So it seems to me that their grow rate is a fair bit worse than if they were out in a garden.
I'm using a drip system with clay aggregate and a 5 gallon reservoir which runs for 15 minutes every hour. They have a 16 hour photoperiod (which was recently reduced to 12 to induce flowering) under a CFL advertised as having a daylight spectrum along with indirect sun light from a nearby window. My pH is kept just below 6. Air and water temperatures are appropriate. I'm using the correct botanicare nutrient solution depending on the phase they are in and changing the water every 4 weeks.
So, does anyone see anything that I'm doing wrong or could change so that my plants grow at a better rate?
There are a few things I'm concerned about, but not really sure if they matter. The roots extend down into the reservoir and form clumps. I'm using city water and not very sure of the chemical content. My plants are very close together. The grow bed is rather small. And the botanicare solution has a tendency to form sediment which then clogs my pump. Thanks in advance for all your help!