Rainbow Melon – My First Manifold

420B3ardman 🌱 Week 1 – A Small Start Before the Real DWC After germination, I decided not to place the Rainbow Melon directly into the main DWC system. At this stage, the seedling was still tiny, and using 5–10 litres of RO water for such a small plant felt unnecessary. So for the first few days, I kept it in a very simple temporary setup with only a small amount of water. The solution was kept strictly at pH 5.8, with just a few drops of T.A. Root Booster added to support early root development. Unfortunately, I did not record the exact EC or PPFD at this stage, so rather than inventing numbers, I will simply leave them undocumented. Nothing complicated yet — just giving the young seedling a gentle start without wasting a reservoir full of RO water. Next week, the real project begins: the Rainbow Melon moves into my own custom-designed DWC system. 🌱💧

420B3ardman 🌱 Week 2 – First Steps in a Custom 1L DWC The Rainbow Melon seedling is now entering its second week, and everything is progressing exactly as I hoped. Healthy color, compact growth and no signs of stress so far. This grow is also the first real test of a small 1-liter Deep Water Culture system that I designed and built myself. The goal wasn't only to grow a healthy seedling but also to create a compact platform for experimenting with hydroponic ideas before moving plants into larger systems. The bucket is fully insulated to keep the nutrient solution as stable as possible, while all tubing was routed through custom 3D-printed holders for a cleaner layout and easier maintenance. I really enjoy building my own equipment almost as much as growing the plants themselves. Nutrient Solution 10 L Reverse Osmosis Water Water temperature: 19–20°C Advanced Nutrients Sensi Cal Mag Xtra – 5 ml Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect Sensi Grow A – 2.5 ml Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect Sensi Grow B – 2.5 ml Advanced Nutrients Voodoo Juice – 5 ml Final parameters: EC: 0.46 mS/cm pH: 5.8 The nutrient solution remained perfectly stable throughout the week. The seedling seems very happy with the environment, so now the real fun begins. During the coming weeks I'll continue documenting not only the plant itself but also the evolution of the DIY hydroponic system. This little bucket is just the beginning of a much bigger project that's already taking shape in my workshop. Happy growing! 🌱

420B3ardman – A New Beginning Every grow starts with a single small plant full of potential. This week the Rainbow Melon seedling was still sharing a small DWC nursery with my two AK-47 girls. At this stage I preferred keeping them together while the root systems became established before moving each plant into its own dedicated system. The Rainbow Melon immediately caught my attention with its vigorous growth and compact structure. Healthy green leaves, short internodes and a strong central stem made me optimistic about what was coming. For now the goal was simple: Build a strong root system before asking the plant to do anything else. Next week she will receive her own bucket and, for the first time, I'll be running a different nutrient program alongside the AK-47 grow. While the AKs will continue with the T.A. TriPart line, the Rainbow Melon will become my test plant for the Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect Sensi Master Recipe. I'm genuinely curious to see how both nutrient lines compare under almost identical growing conditions. Nutrient Solution 10 L Reverse Osmosis Water Sensi Cal Mag Xtra – 5 ml pH Perfect Sensi Grow A – 2.5 ml pH Perfect Sensi Grow B – 2.5 ml T.A. Root Booster – 5 ml At this stage everything looked healthy, and my only job was to provide a stable environment while preparing for the first major transplant in the following week.