Grow Mediums Seeking outdoor strawberry NFT nute advice

[Ozone69]

I'm looking to try my hand at growing some strawberries and raspberries in an outdoor NFT setup (the usual 6" PVC with 5" netpot basic design). From what I've read so far, it sounds like I should be OK using the same Advance Nutrients Jungle Juice line of grow/micro/bloom, though it would not be specifically tuned for berries. I found like one "mom and pop" type outfit with an eBay store front selling powdered nutes specifically for strawberries that I'm tempted to try, but if I can get by OK with only having to by the one set for my outdoor berries and indoor cannabis it would be nicely convenient.

Also considering using Lucas formula so I don't have to try and guess when berries are going from veg to bloom, but go back and forth on wanting to do the three part using the feeding chart.

Any thoughts or suggestions on which way to go with nutes for this would be much appreciated.

 

[Ozone69]

P.S...yes, I'd love to toss in a couple auto beans along with the berries to see how they worked out. But unfortunately my setup doesn't fall under the "enclosed, lockable space" guidelines to be able to legally do so in Colorado. Plus...way to visible from the neighbors homes and alley way, so would be too easy for someone to notice and try and do a snatch and grab in the middle of the night when harvest was approaching (or report to the authorities depending on their stance regarding the plant).

 

[Ozone69]

Decided on going with the made for strawberries powdered nutes. I ended up needing around 27 gallons in the reservoir to fill the system and keep enough spare for the pump to function, and being a first try and this decided that the $$ for the powdered is just the better deal. Came out to about $20 a bag with each bag claiming to make around 200 gallons. Also, states on the nutes that it already has needed amounts of cal/mag so less worries on that front as well.

Anyhow...know this is more of a cannabis forum, but since it's the only hydro place I'm currently hanging out just wanted to share...here's the setup finally done. UPS delivered the bare root plants yesterday and I got them planted in the system today, so now just into the monitoring and waiting for signs of growth phase.

 

[ballzbeard]

Can't help ya with this one but am interested to learn more about the project.

Bump. Think I'll play some Sonic 3.

 

[Ozone69]

So far it's going pretty well. Most of the strawberry plants are showing good new roots peeking out the net pots, and starting to see the first small signs of life on a couple of the raspberry "twigs" as well. Think there may be PH buffers in the nute mix as well, as things seem to be holding pretty well between 6.5-6.8 without much adjustment by me. Reservoir temp might be a problem. Getting up to around low 80's F on the water temp coming into the tubes during our warmest day to date this year, and still hotter weather to come. Not much I can do, though, other than maybe toss in some ice in the AM before heading out for the day.

 

[Ozone69]

And Ozone said..."Let there be strawberries". (the raspberries...not so much yet...may transplant them into the yard somewhere to see if they do better)