Coco drip irrigtion advice

[theherbalizor]

Hey fellow uk bredrin,

Well its come to that point in my life where I think I will have to bite the bullet and go for automated dripping feed.

What with the new sentencing guidelines I must go back to big plants and low numbers. I always used to grow soil in this way, did a few coco runs but treated it likes soil and this I know is wrong.

I am also finding that due to my muscular dystrophy I can no longer carry buckets of water around. Something I have been trying not to admit to myself for the last few months. But the constant spillages of water are taking toll on my house.

So I need some pro advice on drippers. I was planning on using the
top spin system. 11l coco pots and prob two droppers per pot. All run
to waste.

How do you guys do the waterings. Let them slowly drip all day or just for a few hours every day. I guess there will be a fair bit of trial
and error, but I read the top spins deliver 2l an hour.

Also what is a good pump for this. Are the mj series ok or do i need something a little more meaty.

Many thanks folks.

 

[r1rider]

Sorry to hear that things aint going so well herbalizor, but it makes sence to change the plan, what with sentence guidelines and the fact that your not doing so well anymore.

Ya know Dawgsbollox has got a dripper thread going, call in there and check it out, ask him a few Q`s i know he`ll answer if he dont spot this thread.

r1

 

[darkhorse]

the top spin drippers are rubbish,you hardly get any pressure from the good sized pump
you get with it plus each outlet runs at differnt flow rates, some drip some flow and some
just barley trickle.

if you cant make a drip system you can buy ready made 10 spot drip lines from wilma systems seperate.

 

[Bush Dr]

Open ended pipe is the best IMHO, 3 x 1 minute feeds a cycle in early flower going up to 5 at the end, put hydrotons on the top to slow evaporation and help disperse the feed slowly, slowly is very important or the coco will compact and reduce the air available

I use run to waste as well, a litre per pot/cycle of run off will wash all the salts out as well, this may seem a waste in itself but the results equal the extra feed

I've been using the MJ series of pumps for years, expect them to get noisy after 4 years sat in a mild acid bath, the plating on the spindle dissolves and the iron core swells as it rusts ..... otherwise very reliable and cheap

 

[theherbalizor]

Lots of great info, thanks guys.

So it's either the Wilma lines or open. Hmmm, the choices. Got a month till I need to decide for sure so lots of thinking to do.

 

[curiousmycoguy]

Blumat's are always an option too

 

[Trillion]

I'm considering using either the wilma big 9 or a dripper system using the aqua shuttle manifold which has adjustable flow rates.

I'm running a dr120 with 2 600's at the moment with 6-9 plants hand fed in 11l pots. If I was to use the wilma I'd be switching to aqua flakes instead of my normal canna coco due to the recirculating factor. The only problem is i think the pots provided are quite large, 15-18l I think, when normally i can get 4-6oz a plant from 11l with my setup, it seems that there will be unnecessary time building roots or the roots may never fill the pots creating waterlogging. Maybe perlite or clay at the bottom would be best solution?

 

[dawgsbolloxs]

herbs... ive grown using drippers with all my system for many years...recirc, RTW/DTW, 13mm,16mm 1inch setups 1-2ltr per hours etc etc u name it hehe with table with trays etc

I have come to a point that i will only use 2 types of systems or set ups and this depends on your numbers and if you on a raised table or not

1, open end 4mm drippers & stakes with a prefilter and not return valve from 13mm tubing.

hxxp://www.cityirrigation.co.uk/

2, standard hose line 16mm with autopot fittings (16mm to 6mm X connector) 6mm open drippers with stakes with prefilter and non return valve.

pump>>> prefilter>>>nonretunvalve>>hose>>>Xfittings>>6mmdripper & stakes>>>>tap>>>>drain (when flushing the drippers and hoses out)

the tap is there so you can flush your hosing threw any further details gis a shout

hxxp://www.autopot.co.uk/shop/browse?page=shop.browse&category_id=9

hxxp://www.autopot.co.uk/shop/browse?page=shop.browse&category_id=13

I would use a digi timer and feed 2 hours after the lights turn on then 4 hours later and another 2 hours later ...the amount is depandt on what stage of flower/veg your in ..I would hand water in veg until you gauge the amount the plants are using before firing up the drippers then devide that over the above times.

pumps i would use (again dependant on numbers height of table) but 1-12 sites, i would go for 2000 ltr per hour

also if your tables are lower than your res? you will have to fit a little return tap or air hole/pipe back to the res so when the pumps do turn off you dont sypthon your res water all over your floors...also aim for 3/4 of your pot size to run to waste once your in full swing of flower, not forgeting to have them raised out of water at all times.. IM sure you know half of this stuff bro

lastly make sure all your feed lines are same size in length...Im thinking option 2 would be best as the hose can go around your area with the X connectors going to your pots, u then wont have to build your self a manifold and have elbows and T's etc etc...



again more info hit me up

 

[dawgsbolloxs]

Open ended pipe is the best IMHO, 3 x 1 minute feeds a cycle in early flower going up to 5 at the end, put hydrotons on the top to slow evaporation and help disperse the feed slowly, slowly is very important or the coco will compact and reduce the air available

I use run to waste as well, a litre per pot/cycle of run off will wash all the salts out as well, this may seem a waste in itself but the results equal the extra feed

I've been using the MJ series of pumps for years, expect them to get noisy after 4 years sat in a mild acid bath, the plating on the spindle dissolves and the iron core swells as it rusts ..... otherwise very reliable and cheap

good advice..im goner give the hydroton a go ona few of them i like that ..thanks

what medium are u using just pure coco? thats a factor on how many time you water aswell im sure

 

[vaped]

Im not automated with my drippers because well Im out in the grow room everyday anyhow. I just turn the drippers on when the lights come on till i get runn off out of all the pots. the plants love it. I use just regular carrot style drippers in 1 gallon smart pots. Some times during flower i come back in 6 hours into the light cycles and let em drip again.

 

[GanjaPharma]

I also vote for Tropf-Blumats. by far the easiest and most consistent "auto-water" option. make sure to use a salt mitigator like dripclean.

 

[VerdantGreen]

good idea for a thread.

i was looking at blumats for my soil grow, not that easy to get over here but possible.

 

[vaped]

drip clean will help no matter what system you use I always use it.

 

[theherbalizor]

Yeah those blumats look great.

For a 12 pot tank system they are £48

http://www.twowests.co.uk/TwoWestsSite/product/TBTK.htm

If I am running drain to waste are filters and drip cleans so nesessary?

So looks like a couple of those blumats and a 2000lph pump and I'll be sorted.

Cheers guys.

 

[dawgsbolloxs]

id run the filter just incase of an type of build up in tank...calcium, algea sedimant etc he blumat use one and the autopot which are all run to waste for a ching bruv might as grab it ...ive never used drip clean as i use a low ec regime of 1.2 -1.4 and only need to run a weaker solution threw the system to remove any salt build up IF any....

u dont need a pump for blumats or is that to drain your waste from the trays??

 

[Aardwolf]

Herb,, 2 west and Elliot s horticultural suppliers

I'm intrigued to what design yo will use Herb your Proficient to say the least.

Keep it green herb good luck.

 

[BigPhil]

you dont need a pump with the blumats they work by gravity and use a sensor to water when its needed.. Theres a thread on it in here check it out
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=111046

 

[mellofello]

I like the topspin 12s, don't have problems with them not being even infact thats the whole point of having it set up like that! Their main selling point is the equal pressure and I think it is alot better than standard dripper fitting which cheap nasty and break easy with crazy uneven pressure.

Topspins need enough pressure to create equal pressure though. If you get a pump which is not powerful enough then yeah it won't work great. Simple to avoid really. I just upgraded to the high pressure 25mm version and it works an absolute treat.

Topspins also have an additional central filter and then filters on the connectors for each line. Stops the actual drippers clogging so you just open the central hub and clean that instead of each dripper.

peace

mello

 

[theherbalizor]

Yeah thanks for all the info guys. I will have a good read of that 80 page blumat thread. I am not sure how suited to coco growing they will be. Would also be a pain if you have to keep refilling the probes.

But I will have a good look at them as when I was leaving my local hydro store today I noticed them on the side.

Although dispite some of the neg feedback the top spins get I am still tempted by them. Cheesy uses them I believe and his runs are always impressive.

Definitely using the blumats in my home chilli farm this year, with my new 12 ft x 8 ft greenhouse.

 

[hazefest]

Bro why dont you get a water butt with a hose and wand so you can fill it without carrying any water and then feed without doing any lifting (other than a the wand at the end of the hose).
That way you can run different strains with different finishing times and feeding requirements rather that treat everything the same.
Just a suggestion bro, i know it made my life easier and the whole feeding process much more efficient......i understand you wanting to make things easier but surely quality is the most important factor?
Peace