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Simple hydro setup?

Couple questions for ya. How much vertical height do you have floor to ceiling? Also cmh lighting tends to run a little cooler than hps/mh. Cob led is worth looking into if you can swallow the up front cost. Douglas is onto something with the door mounted a/c. Sealed hoods could be beneficial as well.
 

Lethal

Active member
Hi, if you are still deciding consider me as supporter of hempy bucket style. There is probably no other way you could do hydro more simple. No moving parts no need for peculiar setup. The classic way is perlite/vermiculite mix however you can do also pure perlite or coco/perlite if thats what you want. The choice is yours!
 

Mudraya

Active member
Ebb and flow is the simplest, drip second but is best. Why go to all the trouble with Hempys when you can just set up a drip system like the rest of the commercial growers of the world? There's a reason they don't all have Hempys or ebb and flow for that matter instead. Drip is also the most economical, least costly, most likely to survive in the event of power/pump failure.
 

Desert Hydro

Active member
Veteran
roots with blumats in coco after a few days of being set up. gravity fed so no pumps or timers to set. the plants only drink when they need to, not when a timer thinks they should.
 

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Mudraya

Active member
roots with blumats in coco after a few days of being set up. gravity fed so no pumps or timers to set. the plants only drink when they need to, not when a timer thinks they should.

We all have our opinions it's all good. I just don't see how keeping them constantly wet in soilless has any benefit. I would think a wet/dry cycle keeps them happier in a soilless media. Many of the Hempys I've seen on here have tip burn. A timer doesn't think btw, but humans do, and they try to approximate the plants needs through observation. Best method in terms of giving them exactly what they want while accelerating growth via multiple wet/dry cycles per day is a Grosens. I think we can both agree on that?
 

Desert Hydro

Active member
Veteran
We all have our opinions it's all good. I just don't see how keeping them constantly wet in soilless has any benefit. I would think a wet/dry cycle keeps them happier in a soilless media. Many of the Hempys I've seen on here have tip burn. A timer doesn't think btw, but humans do, and they try to approximate the plants needs through observation. Best method in terms of giving them exactly what they want while accelerating growth via multiple wet/dry cycles per day is a Grosens. I think we can both agree on that?

i hear ya. wet dry cycles are extremely important until the roots are well established. from there on out the dry cycle is not favorable in coco. maybe in other stuff, though.

these are more of a slow drip that is constantly going at all times so there is always an influx of food at the drip point.

the goal is to not be wet but like a damp sponge. somewhere in between freshly watered and the next watering cycle. im assuming there is a peak point where oxygen and nutrients are at their best balance and that is where you would ideally want to tune in to.
dont get me wrong, i love active hydro. ive got a big PPK room and that works on the premise of lots of small multi feeds every hour and a half or so. works great. but is it simple to build and set up? meh, its not too bad if you like to build. its dead simple once running though.

i think what turns me away from drip systems the most is that shitty 1/4" plastic line that holds its shape and is hard to work with. the floraflex line is great and would suggest that instead.
 

Desert Hydro

Active member
Veteran
i just think there is something to be said about root happiness when these are formed on a regular basis with blumats.....
these arent my pics but ive had root balls like this in the past. mine will get there in a month or so
 

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Mudraya

Active member
That's some insane rootage. Yeah I'm definitely not a fan of the more rigid 1/4" line. One time I accidentally bought a 100' roll and when I realized I promptly threw it away. Love the Floraflex line, just got some for this run as well as the caps. Good stuff.
 

G.O. Joe

Active member
Veteran
i think what turns me away from drip systems the most is that shitty 1/4 plastic line that holds its shape and is hard to work with.

Rain Bird is good in that size, because it's a different kind of material than their bad inflexible awful really difficult 1/2 inch tube. I thought hand watering would be easier but it soon became clear that my plants can't count on me. I last used Hydrofarm drip stakes with 4x4 on 6x6 rockwool cubes on half a brick in 9x9 Hydrofarm pots on a 4x4 flood tray under a 600. Like this but with stakes in both cubes. Looking for better more reliable cheap pumps and timers.

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