Help me choose a different growing method...

Motorbuds

Motorbuds

Well-Known Member
Ok here's the story....

I'm an experienced grower, so I don't need help with the basics . What I need help with is that I've been stuck growing DWC for years and I'm ready to get out.

In the past I didn't mind the extra work of continuously mixing up large batches of nutrients, lifting lid after lid, holding up large plants while trying to pour in nutes, etc. I felt like the large yields I was getting was worth it.

Well, now I'm over it :) The headache of having to do everything separately one by one has gotten to me.

I'm looking for something else more automated and just easier to deal with in general that I can still get decent yields from. I don't want to do large plants anymore, maybe 3-4 footers max.

I know there's a ton of methods and a lot of devoted followers to different methods so I guess I'm looking for someone to sell me on something better m, or just something that requires less effort. I've been reading about flood tables, drip systems, ebb and flow and these seem like one of them might be the way to go for me.

I'm not looking for an rdwc or under current been there done that. Don't want anything that could fail and cause a catastrophic leak or something like that.

Any responses that you guys could give me that would help me figure out the pros/cons of some of these systems through your real life experiences would be much appreciated. Any bit of info helps. Thanks.

MB
 
Motorbuds

Motorbuds

Well-Known Member
mr sunshine said:
Try soil or coco.
Click to expand...
I've tried those before, I really meant like an actual system where I can have one location to add nutes, etc. I don't like to hand water a ton of plants and dirt growing requires just about double the veg time.

I'm looking to stay in a hydro type system.
 
MeJuana

MeJuana

Well-Known Member
Coco drain to waste. I am doing organic soil right now and growth rate is definitel down. I have grown using almost every method and I am with you man.. I want a fail free method, no gallons of water leaks anymore.
 
Motorbuds

Motorbuds

Well-Known Member
MeJuana said:
Coco drain to waste. I am doing organic soil right now and growth rate is definitel down. I have grown using almost every method and I am with you man.. I want a fail free method, no gallons of water leaks anymore.
Click to expand...
Are you talking drain to waste like on a table? Drip heads or anything?

I grew in coco Hempys before and I had some massive yield. If I were to ever hand water again that would be the way I'd go.
 
Motorbuds

Motorbuds

Well-Known Member
mr sunshine said:
The flood drain tables seem like they run themselves. I was looking at those too.
Click to expand...
Right, that's exactly what I'm looking for. I'm just not sure of all the pros/cons.

I only have a 24 plant count now which is smaller than I've ever had. Im downsizing just based on the fact that my needs are getting lower.

If like to be able to flower 12 at a time with 6 vegging and 6 clones.
 
MeJuana

MeJuana

Well-Known Member
I like flood table setups too. I meant coco full automation watering system amd drain outside into a collection area since it's bad to run it to your sewer
 
Motorbuds

Motorbuds

Well-Known Member
MeJuana said:
I like flood table setups too. I meant coco full automation watering system amd drain outside into a collection area since it's bad to run it to your sewer
Click to expand...
I like the idea of a drain to waste also because I was planning on tossing the drained nutes into my flower bed this year :lol:

I think I see what you're talking about, I'm familiar with the concept just not how the system would set up. Got any pics or anything? I'm gonna go do some research real quick and see what I can find.

Do you feed like so many a day on a timer or something?
 
Motorbuds

Motorbuds

Well-Known Member
Ok, I've had pretty good success with coco Hempys, I think that's the way I'm going to wind up going. Just dealing with the run off all the time was pissing me off lol. I had a few 12 oz plants in 2.5 gallon pots though. The strain was Pineapple Princess by Tricloud.

I think I'm gonna run them again but this time with drippers with a sump float to shoot the run off into the drain. The sump float works great, I already use one to remove the condensation from my A/C.

Thanks for the suggestions everybody.
 
I.G.Rowdit

I.G.Rowdit

Well-Known Member
If you are the do-it-yourself type you might consider a home brew ebb and flow system.

I'm currently working on this and I think it will result in an easy to manage and easy to scale system. The real attraction for me is the project. I like the engineering challenge but simplifying things would also be a big payoff.

Some resources you might be interested in.

Controllers, float switches, pumps and assorted hardware for hydro systems: https://www.filltronics.com/products

Solenoid valves:
http://www.electricsolenoidvalves.com

Mapito growth medium.
http://www.majestikmediums.com/
 
Budley Doright

Budley Doright

Well-Known Member
After dealing with root rot this winter I was thinking of switching as well and drain to waste using a condensate pump, temps more than anything and not worrying about them was the reason. Also just a timed watering schedule with sub pump in Res. Stayed with my setup but switched to just straight flood and removed the sprayer's, added a chiller as well. I left my setup for 8 days and all that was needed was for the girlfriend to plug in a pump and refill the Res after 6 days just for safety sake. I ran drippers for the first bit and got clogs. The flood and drain net pots seem to work great for my situation but sure the others once dialled in work as well, still thinking DTW coco would be nice though lol.
 
SamsonsRiddle

SamsonsRiddle

Well-Known Member
Why not do a DTW with blumats? One reservoir and some tubing and you're set. Maybe a little drip clean to keep everything clean in the lines and you should be set. Can use soil, coco, promix, or whatever else floats your boat.
 
Dr. Who

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
Motorbuds said:
Ok here's the story....

I'm an experienced grower, so I don't need help with the basics . What I need help with is that I've been stuck growing DWC for years and I'm ready to get out.

In the past I didn't mind the extra work of continuously mixing up large batches of nutrients, lifting lid after lid, holding up large plants while trying to pour in nutes, etc. I felt like the large yields I was getting was worth it.

Well, now I'm over it :) The headache of having to do everything separately one by one has gotten to me.

I'm looking for something else more automated and just easier to deal with in general that I can still get decent yields from. I don't want to do large plants anymore, maybe 3-4 footers max.

I know there's a ton of methods and a lot of devoted followers to different methods so I guess I'm looking for someone to sell me on something better m, or just something that requires less effort. I've been reading about flood tables, drip systems, ebb and flow and these seem like one of them might be the way to go for me.

I'm not looking for an rdwc or under current been there done that. Don't want anything that could fail and cause a catastrophic leak or something like that.

Any responses that you guys could give me that would help me figure out the pros/cons of some of these systems through your real life experiences would be much appreciated. Any bit of info helps. Thanks.

MB
Click to expand...

Undercurrent continuous flow ......You'll use less nutrients too.

You can build your own or buy not cheap systems.

http://cch2o.com/

These are fast and can make for huge plants!
 
Motorbuds

Motorbuds

Well-Known Member
saiyaneye said:
Soil :)
Click to expand...
Never going back to that dirty dirt :lol:

Dr. Who said:
Undercurrent continuous flow ......You'll use less nutrients too.

You can build your own or buy not cheap systems.

http://cch2o.com/

These are fast and can make for huge plants!
Click to expand...
Actually I've got a massive undercurrent system I built a couple years ago. You still have to dump res and clean every once in while. I'm trying to stay away from that if at all possible. DTW sounds a lot better for me these days.

The undercurrents are great though for those who want to put in the effort. I had 7-8 foot plants in them worth about 20oz each when I first built it. I honestly am not even looking for a yield like that anymore lol. I never want to trim that much again, especially since my needs are down.

3 footers with a few oz each are more up my alley these days. Basically I used to work hard in my grow room and now I'm lazy, that's what it all boils down to I guess :lol:
 
since1991

since1991

Well-Known Member
mr sunshine said:
Try soil or coco.... Drain to waste..
Click to expand...
This^^^^. In 2 or 3 gallon pots of your choosing. Straight coco or a 70-30 perlite or rice hull blend. Simple drip manifold. 20% runoff every feed. Easiest most forgiving way to grow cannabis indoors in my opinion. Its tried and true and its very effective. Once set up and running....all you have to do is refill and reset you nutrient water tanks once a week or so depending on the size and manage the canopy. Net trellis solves this. Ive grown every which way you can think of. From nft....aeroponics...rdwc....flood and drain....you name it. Expensive store bought systems....do it yourself dealys. Top feed non recovery in coco coir is by far the easiest and most forgiving. You wont get the light speed veg times like dwc or any of the more water based hydroponic methods but its close and the tradeoff is more consistency...less worry...crop insurance. So much can go wrong so fast in water based systems if one little thing breaks down. I was always running downstairs back in the day with my aeroponic and dwc systems. Hardly ever left the house cuz i was afraid a chiller or a.c. or a timer would fuk up. It works out on so many levels for me. You can run rockwool slabs like dtw coco coir too. About the same results. Easy. But disposing of spent rockwool is a pain in the ass. Coco coir can be reused. Several times.
 
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C

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
Motorbuds said:
Ok here's the story....

I'm an experienced grower, so I don't need help with the basics . What I need help with is that I've been stuck growing DWC for years and I'm ready to get out.

In the past I didn't mind the extra work of continuously mixing up large batches of nutrients, lifting lid after lid, holding up large plants while trying to pour in nutes, etc. I felt like the large yields I was getting was worth it.

Well, now I'm over it :) The headache of having to do everything separately one by one has gotten to me.

I'm looking for something else more automated and just easier to deal with in general that I can still get decent yields from. I don't want to do large plants anymore, maybe 3-4 footers max.

I know there's a ton of methods and a lot of devoted followers to different methods so I guess I'm looking for someone to sell me on something better m, or just something that requires less effort. I've been reading about flood tables, drip systems, ebb and flow and these seem like one of them might be the way to go for me.

I'm not looking for an rdwc or under current been there done that. Don't want anything that could fail and cause a catastrophic leak or something like that.

Any responses that you guys could give me that would help me figure out the pros/cons of some of these systems through your real life experiences would be much appreciated. Any bit of info helps. Thanks.

MB
Click to expand...
Save yourself the hassle and stick with DWC. Figure out how to streamline the parts that annoy you.
 
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