ebb and flow questions

Planning a 3000 watt Sour Diesel grow, switching from SunShine#4 (hand watering) to a EBB and flow type system. Have a few questions from people who have done ebb and flow.

I am going to use Hydro Rocks (expanding clay) but I am a bit unsure of what size pots to use right now. I currently use 3 gallon pots for my project, but I am guessing that is over-kill with ebb and flow. The weight of the hydro rocks alone would be pretty heavy for a table wouldn't it? Would two gallon pots be enough or does one gallon even work? I have friends who do NFT in tiny little containers with hydro rocks, but that's kind of comparing apples to oranges isn't it? I plan to veg for about 1.5 weeks, but keep in mind the diesel grows pretty darn tall...I know with most mediums you need a gallon per foot of growth, but this doesn't apply to hydro right?

Second question, I don't like trays because it makes it very difficult to move plants around, kind of like playing one of those games where you need to slide the little pieces out by finding the perfect combination of pieces to move in order to get it out. What can be used as an alternative? I am not super familiar with ebb and flow, but I know that the plants have to be suspended in air off the table so that the roots aren't jammed into the table. I was thinking just cut a few holes in the table and place metal rods in it to suspecd the plants...does that work or am I not thinking of an easier method?

the table have a expansion kit that you put on top with holes on them so you can suspend the plant.

answering your first q. the table is very sturdy clay pellets are light. You just have to make sure you flood enough water in it so that theres enough water getting into the medium.

sorry i didn't answer everything i got lost because you put like 5 question into one sentence. but hope that helps lol

Oh cool, didn't know they came with expansion kits to hold the plants. Pretty cool idea.

No, ebb & flow systems don't need the plants to be suspended. It's better described as flood and drain. And large particle aggregate (grow rocks, hydroton, clay balls) is the best thing to use for it. You want the medium to be flooded to about 3/4 its height.

For 1.5 weeks veg time, a six-inch pot will work well. Putting each plant in its own pot will allow you to move them around during growth. If you have extra room in the bed, you can fill it with spacers so less solution is needed to flood.

HTH

So the pots just sit on the table and that's it with a flood and drain? Don't the work gets fucked up being pressed against the table? Please explain

P.S So does that mean I should put as many six inch pots as I can fit into my 4X4 table or space em out? Sorry, super new to flood and drain.

A flood and drain system is a container that has plants in it, and the container is filled with nute solution to feed the plants. Is that what you want me to explain?

It's easiest to buy the flood container, a ready-made hydro bed. They are black molded plastic, and have drainage channels so the pots don't sit in still water.

HTH

Yep I got it now. I was just confused weather or not the plants sat in a tray on top of the flood table that's all. Thanks for da info.

b

I have an ebb and flow 4x4 table and love it.
the cool thing is you can use 4x4x4 rockwool blocks and you dont even need a pot at all. I am trying to use both.
You can use a smaller set of trays inside the table so you can keep track of your harvest dates.
You just harvest one basket a week.

i turned my 2x3 table into a aero setup by buying the expansion kit that fits on top.

Decided to go with a drip system for this cycle. thanks for the info tho gang +K

Maybe you need some pictures of both to see what you are getting into with a drip system. I started with drip and am converting all of my tables to flood and drain. If you think moving plants around in a flood and drain is a pain wait til you start moving them around with a drip system.VV

You've just inspired me to make an ebb and flow. I never thought to use wood. What is that black stuff, I have some waterproof black plastic left over from some water gardens I built. Do you have any problems with waterproofing?

Agreed. That's a tidy setup, Victor. One question: how did you connect the drainage to the plastic sheeting? Just silicone it up?

drip the way to go, i use a 3.5x3.5 table and a 20 gal res. and 12 to 30 i gal. pots.
so easy.

the flood you wil need a 40 gal res and a lot more nuts and to ph is so much harder to keep.

that black stuff IS pond liner, bought at home depot. Its all one piece folded at the corners to fit the table. Regular flood and drian set available at most hydro shops, around $20.00. The drain has a washer that seals it at the top. On the second table I used a fostner bit to set it down a little. This makes it flat across the table and creates a good seal. Here are some pics of that and the plumbing I use. VV

rda you are right it does take a bigger resevoir. you are wrong about the rest of it. I started with drip systems. By the time you take the dripper out of one plant and remove the plant, them remove the dripper from the second plant and remove it, switch them and put it all back I could switch four plants. No clogeed drippers, etc. And the yeild with flood and drain is better.Here is a pic of a one meter square drip system that I started with. If you like I'll sell it to you for $50.00, you pick it up here. VV

no thanks vic, looks like you were doings it the hard way on the drip.

i can move my pots around, sorry about the mess, just had a little havest.

i can drip these pots or flood them by turning a valve.

grow from 1 to 30 one gal pots and still move them all over that table

and using the smaller 20 gal. res. cuts way back on the up keep than using that 40 gal. one

drip is easy and does not cost as much in nuts, ph, water, time, changing the water. and so on.

how many times do you drip ? till the rockwool is light? i drip my seedlings 3 times a day/30 min intervals and after 2 days my rockwool got light so i diped them in the rez today...i figured it was like givin its 1st ebb and flow.ph is 5.5 tds 347.figured nice "tallest one is 2" littlest 1 is 1-1/2inches

i try to get the rockwool to where its dry 2 in down, that way it keeps the
agle down. and u will be able to know if they need water by the wight of the
pot.

bout ready to go again here

good luck