new to flood tables, how often to flood??

[superultramega]

ditto everything dtfsux wrote. I've never used rapid rooters so I have no advice on those.

If you have more res capacity, use it. The bigger the res, the less maintenance. There's a little extra time to drain and fill during changeovers, but that is more than made up for in the stability you get from a large res; especially with a res as small as that. Currently my res is too small due to a relatively cramped space. All I think about is how to fabricate a larger res to fit in my space. I'll probably be switching to a CAP or one of the other E&F controller bucket systems soon so I can remote my res to fit a larger one.

 

[dtfsux]

warm water is not good for roots, causes root rot. may also have something to do with the amount of dissolved oxygen.

yes, the bigger res will help keep thingsmore stable. FYI with a small rez, be very careful with PH down/up. dilute it with water before adding

 

[Rednick]

If all else fails, don't give up on soil or other non-hydroponic media.

 

[BudZad7]

3 X 3 tables are Nice!

3 X 3 tables are Nice!

Hi All! Cool Info from you all!!! How bout something different...

Put rooted cuttings into 6x6 rockwool cubes and put in 8" drip trays
and put them in your 3'x3' table, then flood the table just above the drip trays for how ever long it takes for your strain to feed... that way
you do not use as much food flooding the table to the top.....and you
can check each plant individually,and no big root mess in the Hydroton
so you can move a plant if need be...I like Hydroton in buckets,with the plant in a 6" rockwool cube, and this will produce as much,if not
more than that table with Hydroton, and all those single bud cola little plants....that table square footage is on the floor, a bucket could grow one big plant,put the bucket in the middle of that 3' x 3" area,and spread it out, and BAMM! Poundage baby!!!!! Use GH Triple 5 formula
or Botanicare PBPGrow/Bloom etc etc...Here's some pics of both...
Sorry, pics will not upload????

 

[Flying High]

My experiences with ebb/flow using hydroton and/or Rockwool seem to agree with the science behind the ebb/flow principal. Flooding and draining the medium acts to purge old used air and pull in new air as the solution drains. With a hydroponic medium, I haven't been able to convince myself that over watering is possible. In a dwc system the roots are submerged all of the time. I see only benefit to flooding the table more often. I imagine their will be a point of diminishing returns, but my plants liked flooding once an hour.

In the beginning I found benefit in keeping a drier medium to encourage root development. But, during my first crop in hydroton(with 3 in 6"rockwool cubes) I switched from flooding once every four to once an hour and saw a quick improvement in growth rate and hardiness. At the same time I gave cuttings from the same batch to a friend who flooded once a day in Rockwool. While our quality was the same, mine had fuller more exploded looking tops and more weight; very non-scientific, but just another data point.

H

 

[Flying High]

I have to add, I did not get good results when I tried to flood coco in Smart Pots every hour; although it was probably my poor technique. I've been flooding once every four hours once I see roots poking out the bottom of the pots with great success...finally

I've been on the fast-tracked learning curve since adding to my area and switching to coco at the same time. I really liked using hydroton, but I wanted to grow older bigger plants and I wasn't smart enough to stick to what I knew. Another lesson learned

H

 

[TicalionStalion]

hey guys. so today was the big day!! got the rooted clones into the table and started the flooding cycle. instead of right from the rapid rooters into the hydroton, I had put them in a 3.5 inch green square pot with some botanicare ready gro, its a sample, soil-less medium from my shop. looks like soil, but anyway, GREAT RESULTS. within a week or 2 the little pots were FILLED with roots, almost like it was grown in water, the whole container, middle too, filled with roots. so today those went in the table. my schedule is:


flood 1- lights on at 6AM
flood 2-10AM
flood 3-2PM
flood 4-6PM
flood 5-10PM
lights off at midnight.
flood 6-2AM

-flood time is 7 mins long, about 3 mins to flood.

do you think this is a good starting flood schedule?? is it too many or too little floodings?? the little plants are about 4-6 inches tall, very well rooted.

I put in alittle bit of root66, superthrive, GH floragrow, and a TINY bit of floraliscious plus, real light, in a 35 gal res. I believe, but Im runnin about 20-25 gal in there right now. its an American Hydroponics 3x3 econo table w stand. I got 9 little plants in there (strain is kind of unknown...its either Jacks cleaner, Cali-O I think. SUPER dank.) vegging for a week or 2, 18/6 with my 600 HPS, air conditioner keeps it nice and cool in there, 68-72.

hows everything sound guys?? did I miss anything? lol. ill post the pics real soon.

thanks for readin. take care.

 

[superultramega]

Sounds great. Although on the next crop I'd run the lights at night.

The flood schedule sounds perfect.

 

[TicalionStalion]

heres what the nugs comin off the table look like, this was soil, hopefully I can get her danker with hydro. pics of the table soon to come!

http://www.icmag.com/ic/gallery/sho...allery/showphoto.php?photo=264255&ppuser=6668

 

[joeking]

really flood every 3-4 hours? when they first go into the table as rooted clones??

my fellow employee at the hydro shop says 4 times a day, 15 min floods, devide the day into 4 and time it that way.

then my boss at the shop told me 4 times a day at first is too much, try 2 times.

and you guys are tellin me every 3-4 hours, thats like 6 floods.

and I just need to clear something up. it only takes me 3 mins or less for the table to flood. do I only wanna let it flood up and then stop? or do I want it to keep pumping and keep it flooded for like 10 mins??

just alittle confused on those things, thanks!

Well, this is no comittee, many opinions, and they all vary. It's frustrating when new growers want an answer that they are looking for...aask your plants what they want, and go from there. Each grow room is different, as is each grower and strain...if you keep a close eye on them for a few days, you will see how often to water, if they start to droop, water more frequently. Hope this helps. Peace

 

[TicalionStalion]

AHH IM NOT A NEW GROWER! been growin AAA+ quality clone onlys for the last 6-7 years. I have just always done soil, Im a new HYDRO grower tho. things are a bit different. all is goin well in the table.

only problem I seem to be having is the little plants are shifting spots alittle since I planted them. u know? when the table floods, it kinda moves them alittle bit. either way, that flood schedule I posted is workin great for me. they are growing very nice.

I know with soil, if you dont water often, you will gain a huge root mass. but with hydro, it seems that you get a nice root mass even with lots of waterings? the roots dont need time to search for water and build up? or it just builds up anyway from all the feedings/waterings.

 

[smoke headies]

I flood once every 3 hours for 12 minutes, then let them drain. Plus one time for eight minutes halfway through the night cycle. I use Hydroton with coco mats.

 

[TicalionStalion]

need some help

need some help

hey guys, today is the day I am changing the light and flood schedule to 12/12, and also to run over night. so I need alittle help timing the floods now for the flowering cycle, mainly the first stretch of flowering, what Im gonna need right now, you know? the lights will come on at midnight, off at noon.

do you think, right off the bat, the ladies are gonna need more floodings during the first few weeks, with the stretch and everything?? for veg, as of yesterday during 18/6, my floods were:

flood 1- lights on at 6AM
flood 2-10AM
flood 3-2PM
flood 4-6PM
flood 5-10PM
(lights out at 12)
flood 6-2AM

so I need to convert that over to the AM floods now on my digi timer, but Im thinking I'll also need to maybe add more floods? Id like to hear how you guys time ur floods for the first few weeks of flowering. I got a TON of great advise from you guys on this thread before, so I figured Id ask here again.

thanks fellas! really appreciate it.

 

[dtfsux]

OMG!!!!

Same thing bro, every 3-4 hours during lights on, once during lights off. You seem to be happy with every 4 hours, stay with that. IMO they dont need extra floods when switching to 12/12, you may want to stay with veg nutes the first week or two, then go to flower nutes.

I saw you say the plants shifted when you flooded. Add more hydroton or flood to a lower level. No biggie as long as the pots dont start floating and tipping over. yes I have done that before.

 

[lokes]

edit

 

[lokes]

OMG Smoke Headies, please change your Avatar. That totally took my mind off pot.

 

[High Country]

OMG Smoke Headies, please change your Avatar. That totally took my mind off pot.

Denise Milani?

 

[_Dude]

Damn, I put my newly rooted clones into my tubs in cups in trays right along with my other vegging girls. Maybe this is why they take so long to get going, I'm overwatering? Damn.

Flying High, that's interesting stuff. I might have to try flooding (mature) gals more often now.