Setting up a 5x5 tent with a 6 site ebb n flo setup. In using coco/pearlite and jacks tap. Putting 3 gal fabric bags in the buckets elevated off the bottom of thee bucket to ensure a full drain. Should i top dress my coco once the plants are established with sand or something to help prevent pests?
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Ebb n flo coco
- Thread starter Doc Crow
- Start date
Seems a shame to ebb&flow, then use coco. Perlite doesn't drain much differently to coco peat. Then like expanded clay, it's pores fill. So further use is curbed. To really get the most from flood/drain you use lots of foods and a free draining substrate. It's all about the air you can get in there, and the comprehansive nutrient exchange. You can get close to aeroponics. That's it's big advantage, but coco takes it away.
You can cover it, but again, that means you probably won't get to use the media again. I wouldn't though, unless you need to. It's further compaction. Which will be bad enough already.
You can cover it, but again, that means you probably won't get to use the media again. I wouldn't though, unless you need to. It's further compaction. Which will be bad enough already.
Yes i agree. I am not really pushing yeilds or anything. Its just a personal garden. I like coco and the ebb n flo is mainly to auto water. I will probably run a cycle every 45 min or hour. Im not planning on reusing the media either. Its inexpensive enough. I will wait and see probably. Im most concerned about gnats
i was thinking maybe 1/2" of sand on top
TheDarkStorm
Well-known member
If you keep it sterile you shouldn't have problems....you want the top inch or so to get kind of dryish anyway before flooding again...which should stop any pests settling.....I do agree with fe tho...for me flood and drain worked best with clay pebbles....I was able to get away with feeding 4 times a day in the veg stage...an then once in flower with 12 hours of day 4 equal feedings through that....I would get huge rapid growth with roots going crazy....in my opinion when done right with you being able to drain everything rapid its a awesome method not easy to beat.
Oh I made a typo. You use lots of floods not lots of foods. You guys knew what I was saying, but for accuracy..
Half inch of sand is a compaction issue. There are quite a few chemical options to consider. I use Neem. Which is again gaining certification as an organic fix.
I'm not one for predators.
For percy I would avoid pure clay. It's a bit harsh for anyone that can tell what substrate was used. A pebble coco mix is common, and ready mixed in many shops. Giving that organic element.
I'm 100% going back to flood drain when I can. I fancy the orange silicone granules. Only.. I have not seen them in years.
Half inch of sand is a compaction issue. There are quite a few chemical options to consider. I use Neem. Which is again gaining certification as an organic fix.
I'm not one for predators.
For percy I would avoid pure clay. It's a bit harsh for anyone that can tell what substrate was used. A pebble coco mix is common, and ready mixed in many shops. Giving that organic element.
I'm 100% going back to flood drain when I can. I fancy the orange silicone granules. Only.. I have not seen them in years.
I ran coco in a ppk style grow a buncha yrs ago with sucess till my tailpipes started clogging, flooding every 45 min. Great healthy plants running jacks hydro nutes. I am running jacks tap now. If drainage is an issue i will likely use a hydroton/coco mix next cycle, but i like the buffer coco gives me. If a pump fails i have a little time
Depends on my float setting i guess
It's best to surface dress with excess pebbles. Enough that the top is dry. If you have exposed wet pebbles, they will dry off leaving the salt behind. Soon enough, them pebbles become toxic.
The limit you flood to will always get a salty zone above it, due to wicking. It's important to either shift it once a week, or not disturb it at all. If a random event causes a higher flood, perhaps to distribute h2o2, then some effort to stop that salt being drawn down and left in the root zone should be made.
Pebbles actually float, so you need a few on top to weigh them down. The SG is only slightly below waters, so in inch or 2 is ample. Which cures the evaporation issue and floating issue in one move.
The limit you flood to will always get a salty zone above it, due to wicking. It's important to either shift it once a week, or not disturb it at all. If a random event causes a higher flood, perhaps to distribute h2o2, then some effort to stop that salt being drawn down and left in the root zone should be made.
Pebbles actually float, so you need a few on top to weigh them down. The SG is only slightly below waters, so in inch or 2 is ample. Which cures the evaporation issue and floating issue in one move.
If you look in my buckets, you will see the drain T extended to the center. This stops roots circling the bottom, then blocking the T. Often roots would enter the T and block the line. The first sign was drown plants yellowing out. I keep net curtain wire on hand until I fixed the problem with these little extensions. The natural curve to the black pipe keep them off the very bottom. The end wasn't cut square, but slash cut to stop a root dropping straight in. It's really quite necessary.
