Watering and root mass dilemma

[Meridith]

Hello

I am new to growing.
My setup is an 8x4 flood table, and for now I am growing mother plants in 6" rockwool blocks which I am about to transplant into net baskets filled with Hydroton.

The issue that I wanted to discuss is the watering schedule and how it affects the root growth.
Basically, my understanding is that in hydro the advantage is that the feeding solution is readily available to plants therefore they do not have to grow big roots to feed. Therefore, people report growing large plants in 4" RW cubes and getting supposedly large yields.

If, say, in E&F with RW cubes I do not flood every day but only once every 2-3 days, then my plants will have to grow larger roots to be able to sustain themselves. Add a coco mat and that is the way to grow big root mass.

But the question is if my plants need a large root mass if I feed them often in hydro?
From one hand we read all the time that bigger roots equal bigger yields (true for soil and soil mixes).
What about hydro? Does it hold true as well? Isn't it true that if the feeding solution at more frequent feeds is readily available then the plants with smaller root mass still get their fair share of feeding solution then the yield supposed to be large as well?

What is your experience?

Thanks!

 

[chemphlegm]

if you flood every 2/3 days ....its likely your plants will die in your flower room

 

[Meridith]

if you flood every 2/3 days ....its likely your plants will die in your flower room

Didn't get to the flower room yet.
The plants were small. I had over-watering issues with 1 time/day watering.

I am trying to find out about the frequent watering schedule (whatever it may be and I still believe it depends on the setup and if you cover the cubes on top with panda film, for example, it is going to keep them wet, so it is pretty much individual setup that dictates what is frequent and what is not) vs. not so frequent and subsequently a smaller root mass vs. larger root mass in hydro.

Any experience anyone can share?

 

[chemphlegm]

I used six flood/drain tables at once in flower to achieve a perpetual harvest(different reservoirs, ppm's)
I settled on hydroton/one gallon bags after trying a couple different sized rockwool cubes. I liked cubes, but disposal was troublesome.
Watering frequency will depend on plant maturity/growth stage, relative humidity, heat/cool controls, substrate... Vegging plants here needed only an every other day drink while flowering though..... I chose 4x daily. Overwatering is very difficult using flood to drain but as long as the cubes/bags/rocks arent dried out , an dyour res is spot on, before you flood again... you'll be fine

 

[Budley Doright]

Flood sparingly to start has been my observation. Once roots are established then more frequently. My setup is suspended net pots and I flood every 15 in 30 off after roots are doing well. As for bigger roots, yes it's true but also comes more time re veg. Most tables are setup to be quick with more plants .

 

[Meridith]

Thank you for your input.