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Idiot-proof ebb & flow?

gtgio

gtgio

Member
Hey everyone,

I'm finally in a position where I can grow again after a few years of absence from this forum. Thanks for holding down the fort!

My grows in the past were passive hydroponics (e.g. handwatering) with a variety of different mediums.

This time around, I'm looking to try an ebb & flow method.

I'm trying to figure out what the most 'idiot proof' medium to use is, and having difficulty deciding. There are so many options.

- Rockwool cubes in a tray
- Pots stuffed with mini rockwool cubes (I forget the name for this)
- Coco (Perhaps not the best idea due to salt buildup?)
- Hydroton (Probably not great due to needing to flood more times a day?)

Maybe there's something else people are doing now that I am not familiar with?

I appreciate everyone's thoughts, sorry for the stupid question.
 
Last edited:
Just_Grow

Just_Grow

Member
I just recently been using flood and drain.. I just finished my second run with it.. I just used buckets with hydroton. Its was fairly easy. I flood 4 times a day.. One rez for both my tables. Just check ec and ph.. Top off rez like once a week. Was really easy.. My buddy just switched over to using straight coco. Say it works really good.. I was thinking using the loose rockwool that are like a 1/4 inch in my buckets this round.. i read that with mediums like coco and rockwool you get better and bigger root base then with hydroton.. Thats all i got i think.. If any questions and if i can help im here.. Hope all goes well
 
gardener60

gardener60

Active member
There are no stupid questions. Glad to have you back. There are a few growers who are doing Ebb and Flow you should get a very good response.
 
BubbaBear

BubbaBear

Member
I did the rockwool croutons in pots for a long time it's pretty idiot proof. You can't really over water it so it's easy to grow big plants and little plants together without over watering the little guys. It won't dry out nearly as quick as clay pebbles and it's a bit easier to work with. One key thing with all ebb and flow set ups regardless of the media you choose is a weekly top feed to clear up the salt build up from the top of your medium.
 
B

bearminimum

Member
Get a big resovoir number one. I like tables. Ebb and flow definitely easiest though. Use any clay aggregate for no worries. Hydrocorn, hydroton, plantit, etc. I'm checking once a week. 20 minutes work and done.

Set it and forget it. Works just like soil but no fucking dirt. At first it was every 2 days checking pH and nutes. Fairly dialed in now and they go up 5.7ph to 6pH over 7 days now. As I get more dialed in I'll probably have to adjust every 2 weeks.

And before Grodan marketing guys come in, Rockwool in flood and drain is also good but for me it's the evidence and disposal and the planet. Easier to clean hydroton on site than remove garbage rockwool off site then buy and bring in more. The only thing on my shopping list forever will be nutrients. Never will be additional cost. Rockwool is super expensive, and will never disentegrate. It will be in the garbage for all eternity. Same as hydroton but I'm using my hydroton forever, will get hundreds of uses from it.

Was gonna go aero, too much electrical needs and system maintaining.
Rockwool too expensive and disposal nightmare.
Drip is too messy, uneven, too many factors for large plant numbers.
 
Andyo

Andyo

Active member
Veteran
ph 5.8 to 6.2 over 7 days

ph 5.8 to 6.2 over 7 days

bearminimum said:
Get a big resovoir number one. I like tables. Ebb and flow definitely easiest though. Use any clay aggregate for no worries. Hydrocorn, hydroton, plantit, etc. I'm checking once a week. 20 minutes work and done.

Set it and forget it. Works just like soil but no fucking dirt. At first it was every 2 days checking pH and nutes. Fairly dialed in now and they go up 5.7ph to 6pH over 7 days now. As I get more dialed in I'll probably have to adjust every 2 weeks.

And before Grodan marketing guys come in, Rockwool in flood and drain is also good but for me it's the evidence and disposal and the planet. Easier to clean hydroton on site than remove garbage rockwool off site then buy and bring in more. The only thing on my shopping list forever will be nutrients. Never will be additional cost. Rockwool is super expensive, and will never disentegrate. It will be in the garbage for all eternity. Same as hydroton but I'm using my hydroton forever, will get hundreds of uses from it.

Was gonna go aero, too much electrical needs and system maintaining.
Rockwool too expensive and disposal nightmare.
Drip is too messy, uneven, too many factors for large plant numbers.
Click to expand...

My ph drift is 5.8 to 6.2 over 7 days
thats measuring the last drips from hydroton pots at 1 hr and 2 hrs after drained
As you say dialed in .
What nutes are you using ?
 
Farm Hero

Farm Hero

Member
Hydroton is great to begin with in ebb and flow. I love things that are reusable almost indefinitely!

We use a bucket system called the Multi Flow for flower, but for veg we built our own mini ebb and flow pods from 30 gallon Sterlite tubs... that a black plastic masonry tray fits into the top of like a lid. Then all we needed was a 300 gph pump, a recycle timer and then drilled the drain holes and max fill-level holes.

Each "hydro pod" holds 24 of the 4 inch square pots or 12 of the 6 inch square pots.
 
R

RockinRobot

Active member
For idiot proof definitely hydroton. Less issue with media staying too wet than rockwool croutons or coco. RW and coco better with top feed than flood and drain IMHO.
 
Goats

Goats

Active member
i also recently decided to give flood and drain a go. i am using coco, and so far everything is going well.

straight coco in smart pots flooding once/day in veg and twice in flower.

i have gotten a lot of advice from resinryder as he has a lot of experience with flood and drain in coco.

it's pretty fool proof.
 
M

mcnasty

Member
hydroton, grow stones, geolite, any of the rocks. Flood 4 times a day with jacks hydroponic nutes. It doesnt get any easier IMO
 
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