Vegging for ebb/flo buckets?

[Puscifer]

Hi everyone.
Because of space limitations I can't veg my plants in the (ebb/flo) buckets they will be flowered in. My plan is to veg in 4" RW cubes via hand watering then transplant to the ebb/flo buckets full of hydroton in the flower room when I'm ready. (They'll have plenty of roots poking out the bottom of the cubes come transfer time).
Does anybody see any problems doing it this way? Or do I need to give them some veg time in the hydroton before flowering them?

 

[Treetroit City]

Curious why you're switching from the nice automated coco set up you were using? I really liked the idea of that with the controller bucket and all.

 

[Puscifer]

Im tired of the coco's nuances really.
I've had some stellar results, and some not so stellar. A friend close by runs flood/drain tables and never has the issues coco tends to have.

 

[Godless]

I have a small E&F tray setup where I veg in netpots with hydroton for flower, those go right into the final pot. The reason I don't like rockwool is that it holds a ton more water than hydroton and I worry about root rot, etc.

I pop seeds in a similar way now - after the tails show, they go right into a tiny netpot on a 2x2 flood tray. When enough roots stick out, I drop the small netpot into a larger one (4-5") for veg. Super easy and I find that cannabis just loves E&F in hydroton - probably due to all the oxygen it brings to the root zone.

 

[medicalmj]

I did that with 4x4 RW cubes in my veg room, I did automate the watering but basically same concept. I transferred to both RDWC and into the CAP 2 gallon Ebb & Grow systems at different times with mixed results. In the RDWC I did get a little rot at the en and would not recommend large RW cubes in DWC. The CAP E&G did better but I got hit with FGs at same time and w the RW staying wet like that it allowed the FGs to do real damage and had really awful harvest.

But I do think w/o the FGs it would have been fine. I would suggest maybe keeping the bottom of the cube up a little bit so you can do more cycles w/o it getting super saturtated. You do though need the RW to be buried deep enough to provide support tho...My 2 cents is its a great way to have em ready for flower but if you see just one FG, take quick action cause that RW will breed em fast. Took IMID for me to finish em off.

 

[Puscifer]

Godless, unfortunately I don't have the room for a small e/f setup in my veg room...
medicalmj, yeah I hear you on keeping the RW just above the flood line. So it seems my setup will work then. Cool.
Fg's are a mofo for sure. I battled them in coco a few times and they are no joke. They take to coco like a duck to water, just another nuance I'm trying to get away from...

 

[medicalmj]

For sure it'll work. There's a numerous ways you can get em to a good size quickly in a tight spot. What's the dimensions of your veg area? I've built E&F, top feed, and a stuff w/o a proper name or style.

For example, a sturdy little tuperware type container can act as a res. Set the cubed on top put a $10 pump with drip lines to each Drill a small hole in the lid to drain and cut an opening for checking and topping off. Just set the cubes right on top. You can put on timer if ya want.

My first DIY Hydro was this but I used a 17 gal rubbermade container and didn't use a timer. I got 12 oz off it w a 400 watt HPS my first grow with it. Then I got a bigger flower set up and used that as my veg system. They then went to RW slaps top feed.

 

[highonmt]

Rock wool works just fine but can be over watered. It will work but you will see a slowdown in growth from the change in media. If it was me I would use a net pot of hydroton and set up a little drip sytem with a little mag drive pump and reservoir . You can use small containers and when you transfer the plants to the f/d bury the roots in presoaked hydroton GENTLY.

 

[Puscifer]

It will work but you will see a slowdown in growth from the change in media.

Boom! Exactly what I was wondering about.
I may have to take yours and medicalmj advise and build a small system for veg...

 

[Desert Hydro]

here's what im doin. im the same exact boat! cant veg in my buckets cuz they are in my flower room. they were started in 2x2 cubes and transplanted to solo cups full of growstones. the cups have holes in the bottom and all the cups are in a rubbermade with a few inches of water and a receirculating pump and airstones. gonna get em to a foot supercropped and then flower them.