First time hydro, going to try Ebb/Flow - is this a reasonable plan?

ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
So I noticed I left the pump unplugged on Sunday when I went to change the nutrient solution today.
Other than looking a bit hungry, the plants still looked fine and the roots are getting massive.
 
Jefferson1977

Jefferson1977

Well-Known Member
I run ebb and flow too. I used to use Rockwool but now just use baskets with Hydroton. @ANC what is that white mat you have on the bottom of the table? I have my table covered in plastic like yours but I just let the roots run down the channels in the table, no mat.

Here is a pic of my roots right before I flipped to 12/12.
20180719_192908.jpg
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
It is just polyester batting that is used to stuff upholstery and cushions. It looks like rough cotton wool but is made from polyester so it doesn't break down.

I normally grow in coco but I saw someone use this system on youtube, and the results were great. Also no fuss no mess cleanup. When you are done you just roll the whole root system up and put it in a trash bag or burn it.
 
Jefferson1977

Jefferson1977

Well-Known Member
ANC said:
It is just polyester batting that is used to stuff upholstery and cushions. It looks like rough cotton wool but is made from polyester so it doesn't break down.
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Is there some benefit to it? I could see it holding water for a bit longer than if you did not have it.
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
Yes, It creates a damp zone for the roots. And it helps the water spread evenly over the table as it runs down from the high to the low side.
Also, it will act as an anchor once the roots grow into each other., which they probably have... they are extending well past the end of the batting now.
 
L

Larry3215

Well-Known Member
Without pics - it didnt happen..... WE NEED PICS!!!!!!!!!!! :)

I might also want a link to the exac t batting you bought. My roots didnt like the batting I chose.
 
Jefferson1977

Jefferson1977

Well-Known Member
I could see batting being a necessity with 4 inch cubes but with the baskets I use I don't think it would have too much value add as I don't need anchors and the roots seem to be doing awesome as you can see in my pic above. I'm flooding 12 times a day 15 minutes each time right now.
 
Jefferson1977

Jefferson1977

Well-Known Member
Yeah, you would probably have to water less with the mat at least when they are small. Mine are this big, I could probably water them less cycles but they seem to prefer more. Last night they grew 4-6 inches in 8 hours (flowering stretch), it was wild to see with my own eyes.20180723_191407.jpg
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
Lucky you, I had my early flower stretch cut short by cold temp and a broken dehumidifier...
Going to be a small harvest.
 
Jefferson1977

Jefferson1977

Well-Known Member
led1k said:
How far into your flowering cycle did this happen? That would be an amazing time lapse.
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It happened yesterday at day 7. That pic is Day 6. The plants are through the top scrog net now. If I had known I would have time lapsed it, but I checked it in the morning and then the afternoon and it blew my mind. All 4-6'' of growth occurred in the dark too which was wild.
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
Plants do most of their growing in the dark yes.
I love to check my plants out just as the lights come on, you can see the lighter new growth.
 
Jefferson1977

Jefferson1977

Well-Known Member
ANC said:
Lucky you, I had my early flower stretch cut short by cold temp and a broken dehumidifier...
Going to be a small harvest.
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That sucks, but on the other end of the spectrum I am going to run out of room to raise the lights with these 10 week sativas and it's only week 1 of bud lol.
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
I'd bend the outside branches to the sides, and then work my way to the centre, just cropping everything out to the sides, so you go wider rather than up.
Keep some tape ready, the branches may be pretty hard already.

Hydro grows like a motherfucker, flip earlier next time.
 
Jefferson1977

Jefferson1977

Well-Known Member
ANC said:
I'd bend the outside branches to the sides, and then work my way to the centre, just cropping everything out to the sides, so you go wider rather than up.
Keep some tape ready, the branches may be pretty hard already.

Hydro grows like a motherfucker, flip earlier next time.
Click to expand...
Yeah, in part it was my poor planning, but also never grown these two strains before and have no idea what to expect in stretch (Amherst Sour Diesel and Raspberry Cough), and had really rough clones so some grew better than others and I had to try and equalize growth with the first level scrog net before I flipped or I would have had really uneven growth on the table (even after topping). That's half the fun though, seeing how it turns out.
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
That is part of why I just keep running one strain over and over from clones off the previous batch.
It is amazing how humidity and temperature indoors, can affect the expression of the plant.

If you go unsealed without CO2, the best thing your room can have is an open window or door to outside for fresh CO2.
 
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