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Want to get back into flood and drain!!!

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
I am trying to decide on what size pots to use for flood and drain with hydroton in plastic flower pots. I used to use 1 gallons for autoflowers. Am trying 2 gallon now for GG4.

In the coir thread "Coco Tree's", they suggested using small pots that require multiple feeds a day. Was wondering if the same would be true for hydroton flood and drain.

So trying to find out if the size of the root system is more important than how often they are fed.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 

TnTLabs

Active member
F&D is how i do... i use 2 Gallon pots.. biotabs and just add ph´ed water, or if in a rush.. straight water.. the tabs take care of it all.. its dead easy
like mentioned before.. you would need to gradually increase waterings.. i do 3 times lights on in full flower.. 1 time in late flower to avoid PM & other problems
all the best
 

one Q

Quality
Veteran
5 gallon buckets made into "earth boxes," feeds from below.

Add pure coco. Feed should go Strong at first and gradually down. You can monocrop in them too. 1 gallon of nutrient water can last between a 4 days and a week. Since it feeds from below, the top layer of coir never gets wet. No gnat problem. Humidity is not a problem either since the water us trapped inside the bucket.

You gotta make a gallon of water for each 5 gallon bucket... and pour each gallon into the downspout. This could be annoying but it's worth it imo.
 

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
5 gallon buckets made into "earth boxes," feeds from below.

Add pure coco. Feed should go Strong at first and gradually down. You can monocrop in them too. 1 gallon of nutrient water can last between a 4 days and a week. Since it feeds from below, the top layer of coir never gets wet. No gnat problem. Humidity is not a problem either since the water us trapped inside the bucket.

You gotta make a gallon of water for each 5 gallon bucket... and pour each gallon into the downspout. This could be annoying but it's worth it imo.

I have tried coco for 2 years with limited good results. Lost last 2 crops to mold from the amount of moisture it puts into the air from evaporation. I am hobbyist, and can't afford to add AC or will be frying more circuits. There are about a dozen reasons I hate coco, and loved flood and drain hydro. One problem I am having with the current and hopefully last coco grow (except for mother plants) is feeding 6.2 PH and runoff as low as 4.8 PH and causing nutrient lockout.
 

one Q

Quality
Veteran
... Lost last 2 crops to mold from the amount of moisture it puts into the air from evaporation. I am hobbyist, and can't afford to add AC or will be frying more circuits.

i get that. But the earthbox style container doesnt let the moisture out.. The roots stay wet but the surface of the buckets stay dry as a bone. Even sticking a finger down into the medium, it's dry a few inches down. I think that problem could be solved with the right method.

Not trying to convince you to stay with coco... Im saying that there is a method to eliminate your issues. Same method grants you the same freedom as an automated EnF system, but requires no electricity. That's all.

Either way, i still want to see what direction you go in as far as the tables go... I love some DIY custom builds.
 

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
Here is initial setup. Always test drainage system before using, for leaks and clogs. 2 trays must have a piece of hydroton lodged in the drains. Will put some screen over drains when I move them and space them out. Will also cut square pieces of panda film to put over hydroton when tuned perfectly.



The large plant in background is an accidental GG4 S1, in coco. The rest are all GG4.
 

pashio

Member
Good choice, its hard to overwater with hydroton... On the other side if you are operating it open (without lid) it will probably dry quickly once the plants grow are bigger.
 

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
The first attempt at flood and drain again, (did with auto flowers 3 years ago, but was told coco was better, which I believe to be false) and fastest growth, and widest stems, ever with GG4!!!! I have leaks in system. I have to try and get flood and drain as low as possible, because of low ceilings.
 

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