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Purple Beauty Bell Pepper in a Five-Gallon DWC Bucket

Grow log by ERR0R1755 · Original thread

19 visual updates23 photos32 replies
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CropPepper
VarietyPurple Beauty bell pepper
Methoddeep-water culture hydroponics
Equipmentfive-gallon bucket, air stone, air pump, foil light barriers, Mars Hydro grow tent and LED light
Plants1
AudienceAdvanced

What you can learnA useful DWC pepper diary showing algae-control problems, water top-ups, canopy correction, ripening, and a final paprika harvest.

Actions:2 Finished1 Nutrients1 Transplant1 Equipment1 Watering1 Pruning1 Harvest
Useful practices
  • blocking light around the bucket lid and rockwool
  • treating algae with hydrogen peroxide
  • topping up with plain water
  • heavy pruning to expose developing peppers
  • drying harvested peppers for paprika
Problems encountered
  • severe algae growth in the bucket
  • excessive vegetative growth or excess nitrogen
  • crowded canopy requiring heavy pruning

*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.

Day 115
UPDATE#19
Grower update

Update #19

Actions taken

HarvestEnded the grow and removed the peppers for drying.
FinishedBegan drying the harvested peppers for paprika.

E By ERR0R1755

Ended this today! The bucket was full of algae, so for my next DWC project, I'm going to try painting over the outside of the bucket and lid to block light.I'm drying the peppers out and will use them to make paprika.
Day 108
UPDATE#18
Grower update

Update #18

E By ERR0R1755

If I can remember, I'll end this project later this week.
Conversation
M
mike

What tent are you using? Do you need to circulate the air in there?

E
ERR0R1755

I'm using the 60cm x 60cm x 140cm tent and 600W light combo from Mars Hydro, and I haven't had any issues with temperature build up or a need for air circulation.I have a second tent with the same setup, and I added a small USB fan to that. I don't think it's needed but I want to see how much of a difference it makes with plant stems/sturdiness, since I don't have fans or airflow for any of my plants in any system.

Day 101
UPDATE#17
Grower update

Update #17

E By ERR0R1755

I think I will harvest these peppers soon and end this project, the bucket is full of algae. It is starting to put out more flowers though.
Conversation
S
Shawn

Yes I see all the new flowers.

Day 94
UPDATE#16
Grower update

Update #16

E By ERR0R1755

Some of these are starting to ripen!
Conversation
S
Shawn

And I see red

Day 87
UPDATE#15
Grower update

Update #15

E By ERR0R1755

Conversation
S
Sher

Looks much better!

S
Shawn

Lots of new growth

Day 81
UPDATE#14
Grower update

Update #14

E By ERR0R1755

Leaves!
Conversation
S
Sher

Those leaves look great!

Day 73
UPDATE#13
Grower update

Update #13

E By ERR0R1755

Conversation
S
Sher

I hope they ripen for you.

Day 66
UPDATE#12
Grower update

Update #12

Actions taken

PruningRemoved most of the vegetative growth to improve pepper development.

E By ERR0R1755

I think this had too much nitrogen, or I should have pruned it more. I cut off most of it today to try and let the peppers develop. I didn't even see the big one in the middle.
Day 59
UPDATE#11
Grower update

Update #11

Actions taken

WateringAdded two gallons of water without additional nutrients.

E By ERR0R1755

Added another two gallons of water, no additional nutrients.
Conversation
S
Shawn

At first glance and with no coffee I thought that was algae but now I see a PEPPER

S
Sher

I missed the pepper the first time I saw it, too. Woohoo, ERR0R1755!

Day 52
UPDATE#10
Grower update

Update #10

E By ERR0R1755

Conversation
S
Sher

It looks great, Error!

Day 47
UPDATE#9
Grower update

Update #9

E By ERR0R1755

I definitely need to clean this up - I was looking through the leaves to see if any flowers had opened yet, and I found this.
Day 45
UPDATE#8
Grower update

Update #8

E By ERR0R1755

Conversation
S
Sher

Looks beautiful and healthy.

Day 38
UPDATE#7
Grower update

Update #7

Actions taken

FinishedAdded hydrogen peroxide to the algae-filled bucket.

E By ERR0R1755

The bucket is full of algae so I added some hydrogen peroxide. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to deal with covering the sides, but lesson learned for the future.
Day 31
UPDATE#6
Grower update

Update #6

E By ERR0R1755

I'm not so sure this is a pepper? I will wait and find out, but the seed definitely looked like a pepper seed.
Conversation
S
Sher

It looks like a pepper to me.

E
ERR0R1755

Does it look different because it is a bell pepper? All of my previous pepper plants had different/brighter leaves and they put out flowers on branches rather than in the middle.

Day 24
UPDATE#5
Grower update

Update #5

E By ERR0R1755

Day 17
UPDATE#4
Grower update

Update #4

E By ERR0R1755

I'm curious as to how big this will be by the time it is done growing.
Day 11
UPDATE#3
Grower update

Update #3

E By ERR0R1755

Day 3
UPDATE#2
Grower update

Update #2

E By ERR0R1755

Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update

Update #1

Actions taken

NutrientsMixed five gallons of Masterblend nutrient solution for the DWC bucket.
TransplantPlaced a pepper seedling into the prepared five-gallon DWC bucket.
EquipmentCovered the lid and rockwool area with foil to reduce light exposure and algae.

E By ERR0R1755

Mixed up 5 gallons of the Masterblend solution in a 5 gallon bucket and placed a pepper seedling into it. I've covered the lid with foil to (hopefully) deter algae growth, and I've also placed four small squares of foil around the seedling that I can move (or it will push) as the seedling grows to prevent early algae on the rockwool.The bucket contains the same air stone (connected to the same air pump) as I've used in this tent before.
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