going to build a drip system, whats the best medium

[mdk ktm]

title basically says it all, i am going to downsize and set up a 4x8 tent with 2000w for the summer, it will have 2 4x4 trays with small/medium sized plants, will probably flip the lights when they are around 1 foot.

or maybe i will just do flood and drain and spend the money on the crazy expensive reservoirs

lets hear your opinions

thanks.

 

[krunchbubble]

title basically says it all, i am going to downsize and set up a 4x8 tent with 2000w for the summer, it will have 2 4x4 trays with small/medium sized plants, will probably flip the lights when they are around 1 foot.

or maybe i will just do flood and drain and spend the money on the crazy expensive reservoirs

lets hear your opinions

thanks.

coco for the win, check out the bottom 2 grows in my signature.....

 

[mr. bojangles]

I second that coco and a recycle timer. easy money

 

[buddin_904]

coco

 

[mdk ktm]

coco in like 2 gallon pots would out yield hydroton?

i did a test of coco this grow, i handwatered and for some reason they ended up smaller than all the other plants. Maybe not enough nutrients? im not sure.

what do you guys use for a feeding schedule?

and how often do you feed and for how long?

drain to waste with coco correct?

thanks i have no experience with hydro yet

 

[mdk ktm]

bump, i want to hear some more opinions, drip fed coco will probably end up better than when i hand watered.

im chopping down in 5 days and need to start getting my shit together before the next plants go in.

 

[Herborizer]

Rockwool.

 

[teemu shalanie]

I use rockwell cubes& hydroton, run n.f.t. in home made table with good results

 

[dtfsux]

Most people that have tried coco, love it. I plan on using it in my next grow for sure.

I think traditionally coco was a TW (to waste medium) But I see more and more more people recirculating it. I know several have run it E&F, and I THINK Krunchbubble runs it in a drip setup but recirculates. Check his sig for the two vert grows he has/had. I just read a few pages of each one and I am sure he uses a coco mix and recirculates

reses arent expensive, just dont buy the ones from the hydrostore, rubbermaids with a 2x4 frame work well, stock tanks from tractor supply work well, etc

 

[mdk ktm]

hmmmm, i might just try ebb and flow with hydroton i have a million things going on right now, and i want the easiest thing possible. I just dont think i should try recirculating with coco yet because it could have problems. and i dont really see the point of coco in ebb and flow.

 

[mr. bojangles]

yea, you don't want to recirculate with coco. Thats why I suggested a recycle timer, so that you can dial it in to have minimal runoff. I'm finishing up a run 2 tables with 16 chemdog99 on each table. 7" square pots 30/70 perlite/coco. Chopped the first table today. rough guess i'd say close to 2# maybe a little less. Started out with 11 second watering 3 times daily, then bumped it up to 15 sec 4 times daily after a couple weeks.

My over all thoughts are, that with out a timer that gets done to the second, your wasting way to much nutes. Other than that it works great, especially if your already familiar with the strain. good luck in what ever you decide and happy gardening.

edit: I forgot to mention I used open ended 1/4" tubing, I suppose if you had drippers you could use a cheap timer, seems like a real pain in the ass to me though.

 

[dmt]

honestly, for no headache drip, hydroton is the way to go. low flow @ 24/7 on yer good to go. i usually preveg in 3 inch rockwool then dump them in hydroton buckets. the 3 inch is still good @24/7 for smaller plants. i like hydroton becuase you buy it, rinse it and can use it or store it and or both indefinitely, d

 

[dmt]

ps, its wierd, when i used coco i just used it like soil. fed every 3-7 days depending on size and stage of growth. craziest root masses id ever seen, like hydro roots in a soil bed type set up, d