[betterboy]

I built this contraption in hopes of using vertical space and 360 degrees of light
This is 4" pvc Flood and drain, I have 3" netpots and floods 3/4" up the netpots, netpots are 1" above the bottom of pipe. the net pots are filled with sugar cube sized rw along with the 1 1/2" rw & clone.flooding 15 min. 3 times a day over watered , same with 2 times a day, 1 time a day and after a week they still look over watered. I was told that my root zone is not getting enough air.
I have ran several F&D tables covered with panda plastic and they dont seem to have a problem with air to the root zone. just thought i'd see if i might be able to get a little input here to get this thing putting out goodies!

dunno what to tell ya man looks like a cool contraption tho , maybe just try something other than rockwool ? hydroton or something perhaps?



THC

[betterboy]

yea, tried hydroton rock but still had the clone in 1 1/2" rw cubes, dont know if that was a problem or not, even tried 3" rw cubes, same problem, over water looking plants
If lack of air to the roots is the problem, then maybe a drip system is the answer, as another person suggested

This is just a shot in the dark, I know NOTHING abount flood and drain, but...

It looks to me like you've got a lot of horizontal surfaces in your contraption. Could your problem be stale nutrient solution that stays behind after flood cycle is over?

I wish you luck, but keep in mind I have never done nor never known anyone that used F&D, just a thought.

[betterboy]

dont really think so, like i said, the plants show over watering signs

[Harry Gypsna]

HOG aka Hooked -on - Grown, is the man to ask

[Hooked-On-Grown]

I don't know how I missed this the first time around.....
Strange you are over watering. I water freshly rooted clones 3 times a day and increase to 5 by the third week of veg. It has to have something to do with the tube enclosure and the RW cubes. RW holds alot of water and maybe with the PVC pipe being thicker then a cover on a table.....its harder to penetrate heat to dry it?? Maybe try clay pebbles....which do not hold as much moisture as RW.
Does water sit in the tubes after it feeds?

[betterboy]

hooked on grown
That was my 3 atempt , used hydroton rock but still had the clones in rooted 1 1/2" rw cubes
At my fill i put a 4" tee and a end cap, this is where i put my fill so at the end of the fill all water drains to the 4" tee and then back to res. this is soil and drain pipe which is like a sch 20 pvc, not even as thick as my regular F&D table. It just dont make any sense, this should work just fine.
krypto thought maybe its not getting enough air around the root zone but when i put my reg F&D table 4" rw blocks are put on table then panda plastic secured all around table then a small X just enough to get a 1 1/2" cube in 4" block. but maybe like ya said, it might be not getting enough heat to dry out the rw, this unit is 6' diam. maybe build one 45" diam. this is the 4th round trying different mediums and the first thats going all the way, it will be done 1/8/05 but i know its going to be a disappointment. Sure appreciate any and all input though

[hazeyfarmer]

Couldnt you drill holes and put 359 degree aero sprayers and just drain all the water back to the res.. I find rockwool to hold water realy well try a rapid rooter plug into hydroton and they will need to be watered more often. They system looks nice bet you will get some nice yeilds once you figure how to run the system.

It seems to me if you use a different meduim for the clone; i.e. starter plugs and lava rock; you would have a fine system. I think the RW keeps the mositure in too long. The 4" pipe does not allow moisture to escape. RW is poor in enclosed spaces. I w ould try some starte plugs from Home Depot for my clones; myself I use Xtreme Starter plugs for my clones.

The lavarock and starter plug will not hold the moisture so close to the roots allowing the roots to gain more oxygen and grow easier. The system is really nice and should maximize your light. Good luck. I use a 30/30 minutes on/off water cycle, allowing my roots to trail into the nutrient stream, in my case a F&D style table always flooded 4" deep. Your system should perform quite nicely once you allow for more air to circulate through your root mass.

I also use aerocloner spinners to provide an oxygen rich nutrient supply to my roots system. How are you getting oxygen onto your nutrient res in the first place? Again Good Luck!

Avid