coco Ebb & Flow in smart pots

[joeking]

Hey, picked up these smart pots the other day on a whim, turns out, they were just what I am looking for. Question, I'm new to coco, Im feeding using the modified Lucas formula, how often should I flush, and for how long...once every 7 to 10 days would be my guess. I flood my table once a day for now, so should I flood multiple times during a flush? Please feel free to share your personal experiences. Peace

 

[2Lazy]

I don't think you'll need to flush that often. I can't offer too much experience with the nutrient system, but every 7 to 10 days sounds a little excessive for coco, but it would definitely prevent salt build up. I'd say more like every 16 to 18 days would be along the lines of removing any salts that had built up before they had a chance to cause damage. So long as you're still feeding soon after flushing and you have access to plenty of clean water then go for it.

 

[Work2much]

I don't flush if I don't have to. If my plants are rolling and everythings Daisy then I leave them be.That's when in veg/flower I'm not talking about pre-harvest flush of course. I run FNB or Maxibloom with Floroliciouis + and H&G roots excel. Drip to waste.

For a parting thought your coco ebb & flow does a flush everytime it floods. Or at least a medium/nute solution exchange everytime it floods. I'd like to think a bit more on this smart pot flooding system. Not too many people run it.

 

[LittleWhiteGod]

in flower, i run an ebb n flow with coco and do not do periodic flushes either. don't really have a need too. i don't change the reservoir. i do full strength add backs. i don't have problems with this method. i flood 3 times a day in flower - lights on, half way through, and at lights out. maybe overkill but they like it and i found that if your nutrients / pH are right, the biggest cause of problem in coco occur by letting it dry out.

i hand water in veg right now and don't flush. if i do, i will do it towards the end of the veg before the transition, but never with plain water - usually about 1/4 strength. i don't find it necessary though.

moms are a different story because they are in the same pot for so long. i'll flush those occasionally and do root prunings every now and then to get them in some fresh coco.

 

[Lazyman]

I did an 8 light E&F in coco with smartpots, it works well but I had best results watering 3-4 times a week. They were overwatered with anything more, droopy leaves. Link in sig...

 

[joeking]

Using the smart pots has allowed me to essentially do a passive hydroponic setup. Plants eat with the upper 2/3 or so of their root system, and drink water with the lower. My initial attempt with this style of growing showed some promising results, however, proved to be a little to much trying to keep everything seperated, plus I didn't have a ph meter, that was the main problem.
I filled the lower couple of inches with hydroton, and the rest with a mix of coco, perlite, some worm castings, and recycled peat mix from last round. I am focusing more on the feed/water method than the actual mix, it is very fluffy and I can tell, lots of air is getttin in there. So far, the plants look great, I have a couple of bleachers (stadium style) rows next to my 2 x 4 flood table, since I raised my light up, the room is bright as shit. No hood, so light is goin everywhere. I'll post a pic, these babies won't be going in to flower for another couple of weeks, so they will be massive.

I plan on filling my flowering room, which the growing space is about 4 x 7 feet, with a couple of feet to manuver around the tables. I'm gonna try and fill em up so that the crops are done perpetually, every 3 weeks, after dry, once a month

Lazyman, Im half way through your 8K ebb and grow, feelin right at home, and can really relate to your style and approach to things. I peeked at the Headbanger and it looks like you went back to st8 soil? Didn't make it real far, like I said, just a peek.

not real sure if I am gonna run the experiment with this or not. Probably should, half Lucas plus Kool Bloom / Half FF Big Bloom, organics plus Bloombastic...just want 2 see if there is any real difference in taste, yield, and kindness

Cool Cool...anymore and I better head to the tokers den LOL Pics coming soon
peace

 

[Lazyman]

Yep went back to straight soil, unamended coco doesn't work very well for rooted cuttings, and on a large scale mixing coco and nutes (or soil with anything) is just a bigger PITA than I have time for.

Straight bagged FFOF soil for me, works great, cheap, reliable, easy, forgiving and easy to find. No need to complicate something simple. I top feed with automatic drippers now, hydro nutes, one res per 4-light chain so I can run at least 4 strains at once in flower.

 

[synchro.surfer]

This is a great thread )

I've been thinking of trying coco in my smarts in some type of flooding or dripping fashion.

Handwatering is a PITA ... I'd much rather be able to mix up a Reservoir 1 time a week and be done with it.

 

[Flying High]

I am getting away from ebb/flow with coco and Smart Pots. I love the Smart Pots, but I just don't have time and energy to maintain the level of cleanliness that ebb/flow requires, in my opinion. It was not difficult, but hard to maintain a stable reservoir unless I was constantly cleaning. I think if I were to treat coco more like an inert medium with no beneficials and a sanitizer like Dutchmaster Zone, it would be easier to maintain??

I really like the simplicity of an ebb/flow set-up, but in the end, I decided to go Drain to Waste(with Tropf-Blumats). The recirculating of the nutrients in my opinion creates a very unstable situation which requires constant attention to maintain equilibrium. Another down side is the amount of wasted water. When I changeout a reservoir, I am throwing away x amount of nutrients and water the plants did not use. With the Blumats or even a standard drip system, it is easier to only use as much water as the plants need, nothing extra.
I used to think all of this was a joke, but when you have a dozen trays to keep clean, plus 400 gallons of water in six reservoirs, their is no time for laughing; just bleach

I am loving the Smart Pots even more top watering. Instead of having a dense mat of white roots up the the top of the flood line, the entire pot has the dense mat top to bottom.

just my experiences, not gospel....
H

 

[Flying High]

I wanted to add, I think #2 Smart pots were to big/tall to use in the Botanicare 4x4 trays. I could only flood about halfway up the pot safely. If I were to ebb/flow again in coco, it would be with nothing larger than #1 Smart Pots; I really like the look of roots top to bottom in a pot

later
h

 

[joeking]

things have gotten extremely out of hand, I'm at capacity, All of my original plants that were n coco and smart pots are in flowering in a stadium style set up with 1400 watts open verticle...I never expected such an insane canopy, it is outta control. I do have one or two that are in regular pots, so I will be able to see if they are worth keeping around. I have also gotten around to using some other coco, it seems that mixing some chunky stuff with some of the more finer stuff may be the way to go, not all coco is same.

 

[synchro.surfer]

@ Joe King - Is it a 2 tier'd stadium? Circular or just one row on each side with the lights in the middle? Mixing the chunky with the finer - what does this accomplish, better air for the roots ??

@ Flying High - Big thanks for those posts. + K

Could you elaborate about your current setup with the top feeders?? Still using coco and smarts ?? Still on the trays ??

I love ICmag

 

[jmyers]

this thread has been super useful. Setting up a advanced nutrient drip system over the next 4-6 weeks. Any advice and\or useful knowledge would help and be appreciated!