General Hydroponics RainForest 236 - Manual (Page 4)

THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION
The Model 318 RainForest reservoir holds approximately 16 gallons when filled
to the upper mark on the drain/level tube, the lower mark indicates approximate-
ly 10 gallons, do not allow the level to fall below the lower mark. You can mix
the nutrient solution in the reservoir or another container.
Mild Solution (for seeds, cuttings or delicate seedlings)
Use the following very mild nutrient solution until the cuttings have rooted or the
seedlings have grown several sets of leaves.
1. Add distilled, purified, or reverse-osmosis filtered water to the reservoir up to
the top mark on the drain/level tube (18 gallons).
2. Add the following nutrients and stir well:
1/4 tsp FloraMicro / gallon of water (4.5 tsps /18 gallons).
1/ 4 tsp FloraGro / gallon of water (4.5 tsps /18 gallons).
1/4 tsp FloraBloom / gallon of water (4.5 tsps / 18 gallons).
3. Adjust the nutrient solution pH to between 5.8 and 6.2 (see instructions with
the General Hydroponics Ph Control kit).
Regular Solution (for mature or very fast growing plants)
Mature or very fast growing plants usually prefer a stronger nutrient solution for
optimal growth and maximum yield.
1. Mix the nutrient solution as described above, but use:
1.5 tsp FloraMicro / gallon of water (9 Tablespoons / 18 gallons)
1.5 tsp FloraGro / gallon of water (9 Tablespoons / 18 gallons)
1 tsp FloraBloom / gallon of water (6 Tablespoons / 18 gallons)
2. Adjust the nutrient solution pH to between 5.5 and 6.5 (see instructions with
the General Hydroponics Ph Control Kit).
You may want to adjust the nutrient solution to meet your specific needs.
• To enhance vegetative growth, use more FloraGro and less FloraBloom.
• To enhance flower and fruit production, use less FloraGro and more
FloraBloom.
• To provide more calcium or iron (for green, leafy vegetables), use slightly
more FloraMicro.
• See nutrient bottle labels for additional information.
PLANTING YOUR RAINFOREST
You can start 1 to 5 (Model 318) cuttings in each RainForest growing cup. If you
start several cuttings in one cup, plan to separate them soon after roots have
formed and before their roots become tangled. For large plants and plants that
you will raise to maturity in the RainForest, use the center hole in the CocoTek
cap and start only 1 cutting per cup.
To start cuttings in the RainForest:
Always use fresh, clean cuttings that are free of disease and/or soil contamina-
tion, soft green stems work best; woody stems are slower.
1. Put a cap on each growing cup. Poke a pencil through the holes in each cap
to loosen any tight hole flaps.
2. Trim each cutting to the correct length. Each cutting should have a leaf node
very near the bottom end of the cutting. Trim so that 3-1/2" of the cutting can
extend below the cap (through the bottom of the cup and into the air gap)
and a few inches (containing several leaves) can extend above the cover.
Remove all leaves from the portion of the cutting that will be below the cap.
3. Insert the cuttings into the cups. Be sure the cuttings are well separated
where they pass through the cup bottom. Be sure all cuttings extend at least
1/2" below the bottom of the cup. The first roots will form at the lowest node
on the cutting, which MUST BE ALWAYS SUBMERGED
in the nutrient solution.
4. Insert the cups firmly in the holes in the reservoir cover. Cover any unused
reservoir cover holes to retard water loss by spray.
5. Place the RainForest in a warm, well-lit location. The optimum temperature
for starting cuttings is 20-25 C (70-75 F). Keep the plants in bright, indirect
sunlight or use color-corrected, or sunlight-simulating, lamps placed close to
the cuttings (fluorescent lamps are best, if you are using "Metal-halide or
High pressure sodium place them well above the cuttings so that
they do not burn).
6. If using artificial lights, set the light timer to simulate a normal day/night
cycle. If using a motor timer, connect and set the timer. Plug in the sprayer
motor. When starting cuttings, the RainForest motor should be ON 24
hours/day. Once roots extend into the nutrient solution, you can use a timer
to run the motor intermittently. Set the timer to run the motor through the day
and off at night (it should be turned ON for about 1 hour midway
through the night).