Where does your coco run off go? Drain? Floor?

[Snow Crash]

I don't like moving my plants around, but I use saucers also.

Basically I just use a plastic tube and let gravity do all the work. I have all the plants on a set of 5x2.5 picnic tables I got at K-Mart for like $20 each. Then I cut the legs down on the tables to start the plants at about 2 feet tall. This allows me to water the plants, let the runoff drain down into the saucer, where I have a 1/4" plastic tubing. I give the tube a little suck and the runoff drains away into a container I have beneath the table.

Hooray for physics.

I had been looking for one of those tube style squirt guns, still am, but I guess they aren't in big demand during the winter time.

It is definitely a bit more work than I'd like, but for the moment it does the job. 5x5 flood tables aren't cheap... or easy to ship...

In the future I would like to build a simple one out of 2-3mil plastic sheeting and 2x4's and place a drain in the center (tables are cut to drain to the center).

I usually work with 30% runoff (minimum) and I keep a close eye on my runoff uS/cm. I try to keep what is washing out within 20% of what I am adding. If I were using a 1000 uS/cm (1.0ec) then I will use as much runoff as required (one liter at a time) until the measured uS/cm is beneath 1200 (1.2ec).

Failing to get the proper amount of runoff, especially during early flowering as the nutrient levels are increased, has resulted in a lot of heartache for me personally. I'm at the point now where even though I am literally washing about 1/3 of my nutrients right down the drain I am fine with that because my harvest has increased exponentially. This is how I can justify it.

In the future I'd love to use a method, like Krunch, where I'm running as little runoff as possible, but for the time being copious amounts of runoff are working fine.

My ideal system will be a large flood tray that drains directly outdoors (leach style) and an automated drip system. All I'd need to do is keep the reservoir full. Right now I'm managing two 15 gallon rez's, and about 4 gallons of runoff with each watering. It takes me nearly an hour to water and drain, measure and record, my 9 plants with my current system.

 

[medical marvel]

I started using saucers and a shop vac clean and simple!

yes..that mini Shop Vac is great...


Been testing this easy way to drain to waste, on a few plants :
Kind of like Aero tubes but small and along the wall near the floor, on a slight incline

I have cheap round dishpans under the 3 gallon pots. I have
through hull fittings ( had them lying around ) and some vinyl hose
drain tube comes out the bottom of the pot. ( through a hole in the milk crate. ) 4 of these connect to 1 1/2 inch abs pipe.( attached to wall , near floor ) and the waste gravity feeds to a low profile collection tray. Seems to work well..fairly low profile and it was free. also don't need to put something in the dishpan, to raise the pots up now.

 

[medical marvel]

I don't like moving my plants around, but I use saucers also.

Basically I just use a plastic tube and let gravity do all the work. I have all the plants on a set of 5x2.5 picnic tables I got at K-Mart for like $20 each. Then I cut the legs down on the tables to start the plants at about 2 feet tall. This allows me to water the plants, let the runoff drain down into the saucer, where I have a 1/4" plastic tubing. I give the tube a little suck and the runoff drains away into a container I have beneath the table.

Hooray for physics.

I had been looking for one of those tube style squirt guns, still am, but I guess they aren't in big demand during the winter time.

It is definitely a bit more work than I'd like, but for the moment it does the job. 5x5 flood tables aren't cheap... or easy to ship...

In the future I would like to build a simple one out of 2-3mil plastic sheeting and 2x4's and place a drain in the center (tables are cut to drain to the center).

I usually work with 30% runoff (minimum) and I keep a close eye on my runoff uS/cm. I try to keep what is washing out within 20% of what I am adding. If I were using a 1000 uS/cm (1.0ec) then I will use as much runoff as required (one liter at a time) until the measured uS/cm is beneath 1200 (1.2ec).

Failing to get the proper amount of runoff, especially during early flowering as the nutrient levels are increased, has resulted in a lot of heartache for me personally. I'm at the point now where even though I am literally washing about 1/3 of my nutrients right down the drain I am fine with that because my harvest has increased exponentially. This is how I can justify it.

In the future I'd love to use a method, like Krunch, where I'm running as little runoff as possible, but for the time being copious amounts of runoff are working fine.

My ideal system will be a large flood tray that drains directly outdoors (leach style) and an automated drip system. All I'd need to do is keep the reservoir full. Right now I'm managing two 15 gallon rez's, and about 4 gallons of runoff with each watering. It takes me nearly an hour to water and drain, measure and record, my 9 plants with my current system.

just read this after i posted..these simple systems are great..but
i may pass on sucking to start the syphon...a shot of Maxibloom would be worse than drinking my usual CalMag spritzer

 

[BPJR]

I also use large saucers to collect it then use a shop vac to vacuum it up. Works well for me.

 

[Snow Crash]

LOL... eeeyah... That's the only thing about it I don't like. I learned a way of doing it in HS where you submerge the tube in the solution. Place you finger over one end to keep the water in there (like a straw filled with soda) and when you place that end beneath the other end the gravity will do the rest of the work.

So there is a way of doing the siphon without sucking on the tube, but I've gotten pretty good at not getting it in my mouth. All you need to do is get it to the point where it is flowing down and I use a longer tube than required to help with that.

But I feel you. Last thing I need is a 800ppm shot of nutrients... But then I hear about people with tap water at like 400ppm and I wonder just wtf is in their water to begin with.

 

[guyyug]

Why do most people not drain into one container or drain? Seems like multiple catch pans or saucers would be more work? Setting up a drain system is no easy task either though, but it would save more work in the long run I think....?

 

[pinecone]

what runoff? (no holes)

 

[JAY LENWEED]

what runoff? (no holes)

Looks Great dude ! How dont u get root rot?

 

[pinecone]

Looks Great dude ! How dont u get root rot?

Thanks. There is 3" of course perlite at the bottom. I water enough that the medium (amended coco) stays moist (and fluffy), but not so much that there would be runoff. I think the perlite zone is humid, but does not contain standing water. There are also 3" pvc pipes running down to the perlite in the four corners of the container to aid in evaporation? I wish I knew more about physics to say if they actually do something. I don't think they can hurt.

Pine

 

[AfroSheep]

ive just started a plant in coco, and atm just have runoff going to the floor(drip mat) in my tent. i might try giving it less water per watering, but water more frequently so i dont have any runoff,
What are these shop vacs you speak of, can i suck it up with a normal vacuum cleaner lol.
i really cant be bothered takin my mat out to empty runoff, allthough i need a proper drip tray, havn't had the time to grab one yet.

 

[ivanic]

ive just started a plant in coco, and atm just have runoff going to the floor(drip mat) in my tent. i might try giving it less water per watering, but water more frequently so i dont have any runoff,
What are these shop vacs you speak of, can i suck it up with a normal vacuum cleaner lol.
i really cant be bothered takin my mat out to empty runoff, allthough i need a proper drip tray, havn't had the time to grab one yet.

just a vacuum that sucks water, i tried with my henry hoover, did suck up a little but not much, the wet vacs are designed for water etc. There a good investment for leaks aswell

 

[OneTokeOver]

I use Blumats in airpots. I have clear saucers underneath for the initial adjustment period and the occasional oops where I accidentally turn the adjustment knob while dickin around with the plants.

I also use drip clean.

 

[gardenbug]

Don't use a normal vacuum.
It must be a wet/dry shop vac, they are available at hardware stores or any big box store.

 

[clooney]

ive just started a plant in coco, and atm just have runoff going to the floor(drip mat) in my tent. i might try giving it less water per watering, but water more frequently so i dont have any runoff,
What are these shop vacs you speak of, can i suck it up with a normal vacuum cleaner lol.
i really cant be bothered takin my mat out to empty runoff, allthough i need a proper drip tray, havn't had the time to grab one yet.

just a vacuum that sucks water, i tried with my henry hoover, did suck up a little but not much, the wet vacs are designed for water etc. There a good investment for leaks aswell

I really wouldn't advise anyone to try to vacuum liquids with a normal household vac!! That could be VERY dangerous!!!

Wet Vac's (known as shop vacs in the US I think) are Industrial Vacuum Cleaners purposefully designed & built to safely use the electric motor to deal with liquids aswell. They come in different sizes, mine for example was the smallest - abit bigger than a henry and has 20litres capacity (although I think you can even get little handheld ones nowadays?!?). They are generally about as noisy, if not just a little louder, than a standard household vac, but powerful with it - average 1-2kw power consumption & could vac up an entire 12 litre bucket full of water within a minute. They usually have different interchangeable filters for wet or dry (normal) vacuuming. (so its fine with dirty water - coco particles etc.) And they dont necessarily come with an industrial price tag.

I'd hate to be without mine in the growroom now. Once got a case of powdery mildew I suspect from being lazy & leaving the run off laying around, & then I soon got sick of mopping it all out everyday as a solution (back problems didnt help too!). Wet Vac is a lifesaver for me, and other than some sort of gravity drainage setup I couldn't imagine anything better....

 

[gonzo`]

wet vac here all the way...

 

[AfroSheep]

right thanks for clearing that up guys, i think ive gotta invest in a wet vac .

 

[Granger2]

Here's the one I bought. I like it as a corded. Cordless option would be sweet, but pricey. Note dimensions and ESPECIALLY NOTE that it uses 12 AMPS. -Granger
http://www.lowes.com/pd_221830-70-DC500_4294857472_4294937087_?productId=1061483&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Shop%2BVacuums_4294857472_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1

 

[Snow Crash]

$100 for a 12amp 1hp wet/dry?

No thanks...

I was at Petco yesterday. They have these tubes with squeeze pumps that can move a lot of water really quick for no energy and about $18... They are designed for fish tanks.

 

[Granger2]

I'm fidin to start my next run [organic, canna coco 80/20 perlite, 3 gal Aero Bags, 3 600W 3X3's, CO2], and I'm shopping for just the right saucers. I have pond liner on the floor, and I plan to set the saucers on the floor upside down to avoid catching the runoff. The plants will not sit in the runoff that way.

Because the floor is very slightly off level, a little wavy, some plants wick up more than their share, so it complicates [hand] watering. The runoff is usually not excessive, so I can let it evaporate, or mop/vacuum it up if needed. Humidity levels will be a consideration from mid bloom on, of course.

Occasionally, I'll pour water on the floor or flush plants, scrub a little, and mop/vacuum.

Anyone have experience doing this? Guesses? Thanks...

P.S. - Any ideas about spraying the floor daily or often with insecticide soap as a Spider mofo Mite barrier?

 

[TheCatsMeow]

I'm fidin to start my next run [organic, canna coco 80/20 perlite, 3 gal Aero Bags, 3 600W 3X3's, CO2], and I'm shopping for just the right saucers. I have pond liner on the floor, and I plan to set the saucers on the floor upside down to avoid catching the runoff. The plants will not sit in the runoff that way.

Because the floor is very slightly off level, a little wavy, some plants wick up more than their share, so it complicates [hand] watering. The runoff is usually not excessive, so I can let it evaporate, or mop/vacuum it up if needed. Humidity levels will be a consideration from mid bloom on, of course.

Occasionally, I'll pour water on the floor or flush plants, scrub a little, and mop/vacuum.

P.S. - Any ideas about spraying the floor daily or often with insecticide soap as a Spider mofo Mite barrier?

sounds like a big mess and with coco needing to be watered as often as it is, this seems like even more work...