Growing in coco watering question

[Buddler]

My Catch trays set on the floor & I use a buckethead shop vac to suck up the runoff every night , yes EVERY night .


Dan you should build some stands under those trays cut some holes and a couple of totes under neath to catch runoff
Way easier, drain every few days ..

 

[Pragma]

I built a makeshift oversized tray because I couldn't do a drain (and not enough headroom for raised). Most of the times the runoff isn't enough to reach the pot holes and when it is I use a vaccum to suck up water from the tray, while cleaning it at the same time.

 

[ThePizzaMan]

Great suggestion with the smaller saucer thing.

This!

TpM

 

[Coconutz]

hopefully he would be able to find a bulk deal on saucers. 100 x $2 x2 for the ones he already has would piss me off if I had to pay for it

 

[dansbuds]

Dan you should build some stands under those trays cut some holes and a couple of totes under neath to catch runoff
Way easier, drain every few days ..

I can't Buddler ..... low headroom , i have only 50" from the floor to the lenses on my lights , or otherwise they'd be off the floor with a catch pan undernieth .
you know how hard it is to keep a good sized bush under 3' .... lol

 

[SRGB]

Hi.

Some illustrations from previous experiments employing a drain-to-no-waste approach. The media was large 3/4 inch pumice (unfortunately, we didn`t find any illustrations of the 3/4 inch pumice employed below, though there might be some depictions of 1/4 inch pumice at a thread we began some time ago entitled `Soiless Gardening`). The specimen were provided a top-fed `water-water-nutrient solution-water-water-water` regime.The volume of liquid (water or nutrient solution) delivered approximately every 48hrs was approximately 12 ounces, or until only a slight (1/16 - 1/8 inch) run-off accrued in the external basin. The run-off was never pitched, or dumped.

Due to the minimal amount of top-feed and correpsonding run-off, the nutrient solution remained `fresh`, and was either entirely drawn up and utilized by the specimen over the course of 24-48hrs, or parttially evaporated, leaving only a damp basin surface. Roots continued to grow into `thin air`, or only onto, or directly above, the damp basin surface.

The depicted dampness was approximately the moisture level following an approximately 24-36hr period without being watered. Also depicted is the resultant root growth. The vessel was a 1 gallon (4 liters) SRBGB.

The key item of interest perhaps being that, in general, roots grow both into air and into water. It might also occur to the soilless gardener that overwatering can easily occur - especially in a media such as coco coir, which holds a fair amount of water within its structure. Note that 3/4 inch pumice does not hold much water compared to coco coir. We will leave it to gardeners to perform their own independenmt experiments relevant to the water requirements of their specimen; and further, perhaps, generally accepted practices relevant to container garden watering.

Relevant to the `wicking` concern of a drain-to-no-waste method, again, once a gardener accurately determines how much water their cultivar require - over a 24-72hr period -in their gardens, it might be within the gardeners` ability to provide only that much water, and no more. The nutrient solution, more specifically, the pH of either the applied water or nutrient solution, should remain relatively stable within the span of a 24-72hr period where the specimen might be simultaneously utilizing that solution. At the conclusion of the given period, another `fresh` solution might be applied.

Note that the solution run-off level did not exceed 1/8 inch, and was generally utilized by the specimen within 24-36hrs, withi some moisture evaporating (also providing moisture or water vapor to the microclimate).

We have experimented with both raised SRBGB`s and SRBGB`s which sat directly on the basin floor. At the above experiment the SRBGB`s sat directly only the basin floor. Roots still grew both into the surrounding air and the thin film of damp moistness on the basin floor.


We have done similar experiments with coco coir, though 100% perlite, pumice, pea gravel or washed stone tended to provide greater pockets for air to flow into and out of the SRBGB (gas exchange) and permitted greater larger diameter root formation and continued growth from within to outside of the SRBGB.

Again, the cultivar were provided water or nutrient solution only until minimal run-off (1/16 to 1/8 inch with 1 liter to 3 gallon SRBGB`s, up to 2 inches with 10 and 20 gallon SRBGB`s - no water or nutrient solution (dry salts, calcium fed separately from npk-mg-s) was ever removed from the external basin.

If, during a given period, for example, 2 consecutive 48hr periods, the accumulated run-off did not deplete to the damp level depicted, the subsequent water/feed would be reduced, until an equilibrium was found where no matter the amount of liquid applied during different segments of the season, the resultant level after 24-72hrs would be only a damp moistness. More water than that would only potentially create an `overwatered` state and alter the avergae pH of the applied solutions` run-off. Ideal input run-off being 5.0-5.5 pH, with run-off being slightly more alkaline; though it would not remain in the basin long enoguh to become so alkaline that it would affect the solubility of iron or other nutrient components whose solubility decreases as the pH becomes more alkaline.

We hope that this post might be helpful. Experiment, yet, most of all, have fun with your experiments. Have a definitive and measurable goal for experiments, yet be open to noting unanticipated observations or findings.

Best,
/SRGB/

 

[AloeRuss]

I got a vac from home depot and were able to suck all the runoff from the saucers in 15 minutes.
Just another thing to do after I water.
Thanks all

 

[Buddler]

I can't Buddler ..... low headroom , i have only 50" from the floor to the lenses on my lights , or otherwise they'd be off the floor with a catch pan undernieth .
you know how hard it is to keep a good sized bush under 3' .... lol

Head room, ya that sucks unless you got tilt steering lol .Must be a better way for you guys to deal with runoff that s a lot of work. Bud..

 

[dansbuds]

Nahhhh ...... its not that bad . 5 minutes a day to suck & dump the runoff on 4 trays . no biggie