Waterfarm Mods & Tips

[caddyluck]

Damn, I wish I had that much space! I will eventually get a bigger place and try to harvest every month.

I want to go with 4 res/controllers with 3 buckets each. The 3 buckets would be at each 'station' for 1 month. 2 stations in veg and 2 in flowering. Having the same strain in all 3 buckets would work best, you could maximize the strains PPM accordingly.
I'm medical and am allowed 12 plant, 6 of which can be flowering.
Having plants that veg for 2 months will produce a hell of alot more as well. You could even throw a single Waterfarm with a sativa under the lights


check out Subtle Hustlehttps://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/124830-got-my-8-pack-waterfarm.html

Well, I just changed the res and drained the buckets for the first time using the platform I threw together. Let me tell ya it was worth it, it saved me time and my knees. so simple and easy.....

 

[caddyluck]

Well, I had to scap plans for a Scrog grow, I was going to install this recirculating kit for it. It's exactly what I need.

here's the linkhttp://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/instructions/WF_Upgrade_instructions.pdf

 

[d4twamp]

Drainage is fine, if I drill holes on the sides then the roots will grow out of those holes and that would be a bitch.

Isn't that what the idea is, to have the roots grow out of the top bucket and into the oxygen rich nutrient solution in the lower bucket...if not I've got myself thinking completely ass backwards....everyone I know that uses those W/F buckets, feel that something isn't right with the way they are designed, and after making modifications they work the way the company advertises... Not tryin to stir up shit just tryin to help...I know peeps who have grown in these for years, that felt they had to make some changes to make it work right... the only thing left from a lot of their original W/F packs are the drip rings and columns....IMHO I wouldn't pay the money for those W/F's when you could build a system that will outperform it for less money. but that's just my $.02....

D

 

[caddyluck]

Isn't that what the idea is, to have the roots grow out of the top bucket and into the oxygen rich nutrient solution in the lower bucket...if not I,ve got myself thinking completely ass backwards....

D

lol well, the idea is to have the roots grow out the bottom of the grow chamber and into nute solution. The holes that come with it are too small and not enough of them. Drilling bigger and more holes allows for better drainage and root growth. Roots growing out the top is not good. I have to pull the growing chamber out the bucket once in a while and if there were roots coming out the sides of the grow chamber it would just damage the roots, so only having holes on the bottom is best. Ya dig?

 

[d4twamp]

Well, I had to scap plans for a Scrog grow, I was going to install this recirculating kit for it. It's exactly what I need.

here's the linkhttp://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/instructions/WF_Upgrade_instructions.pdf

See what I mean, after buying the W/F's you gotta spend more $ just to get it to do what General Hydro say's it does...Even the guy's at the Hydro store now it's a ripoff but they aren't gonna tell their customers that...

 

[d4twamp]

lol well, the idea is to have the roots grow out the bottom of the grow chamber and into nute solution. The holes that come with it are too small and not enough of them. Drilling bigger and more holes allows for better drainage and root growth. Roots growing out the top is not good. I have to pull the growing chamber out the bucket once in a while and if there were roots coming out the sides of the grow chamber it would just damage the roots, so only having holes on the bottom is best. Ya dig?

Sorry I would have to agree to disagree...And when I say the roots should grow out of the top bucket and into the bottom one I wasn't saying out of the top of the bucket it self... that's absurd..

 

[Eharmony420]

why not isntall the kit? you never mentioned that.

 

[caddyluck]

See what I mean, after buying the W/F's you gotta spend more $ just to get it to do what General Hydro say's it does...Even the guy's at the Hydro store now it's a ripoff but they aren't gonna tell their customers that...

ha ha man D you make me laugh! You don't NEED the kit to make the waterfarms work!


"I know peeps who have grown in these for years, that felt they had to make some changes to make it work right'"


Well, must not be that bad then huh? And that's kinda the point of this thread, making changes to make it work.

"And when I say the roots should grow out of the top bucket and into the bottom one I wasn't saying out of the top of the bucket it self... that's absurd.. "

????????????????????????????????

 

[caddyluck]

why not isntall the kit? you never mentioned that.

Sup Eh420, I had a change in plans and am going to grow at this location 2 more months. I had to start flowering my clones right away. I'm not hurting for it, obviously, my grows are great without it. But I'll just wait for now

 

[Knally]

I veg in a dwc, but use the W/F for flowering. My root ball floats in the bottom bucket of the W/F of nutrient, oxygen rich water. I cut a 3 inch hole in the center of the top bucket to feed the root ball down through and transplant the entire 3 inch net pot from the dwc to the W/F.

I also run an airhose through the hole for the airstones. My girls love it. I have a 5 and a half foot White Widow that's 2 and a half weeks into flowering and a bush of a Blueberry same age. I use the W/F as a stand-alone with no controller or reservoir since I can only flower 2 to 3 at a time.

With their rootballs in the nutrient water my girls drink a gallon+ of water every 2 to 3 days. So that means I have to top-off in between and change them out entirely in less than a week.

 

[oldgrayhair]

GReat pics and system set-ups guy, looks fantastic! What the hell is that green SCROG device shown on a pic on the first page? I need it!

Anyhow, here's my contributions to this great thread.

Here are my 3 White Widow clones in my DIY 5gal Waterfarm, Day 31 of flower:

Here is another set of 4 - WW clones getting their start in flower, these are in my original GH Power Grower Eco system:

And here was last harvest of 4 Biggie Small clones in the same Power Grower Eco:

I simply love these set-ups. Started with 1, running 4 now, and getting another 4 built over the holidays.

I feed simple Lucas formula with RO water, I don't have any real tips other than if you have never tried one of these WF's you owe it to yourself to buy or build one and give it a go.

Enjoy and keep the pics and tips coming.

Peace - OGH

 

[caddyluck]

It's a "grow through" screen I got from Lowes for like $3. Here's a better look..

 

[caddyluck]

I veg in a dwc, but use the W/F for flowering. My root ball floats in the bottom bucket of the W/F of nutrient, oxygen rich water. I cut a 3 inch hole in the center of the top bucket to feed the root ball down through and transplant the entire 3 inch net pot from the dwc to the W/F.

I also run an airhose through the hole for the airstones. My girls love it. I have a 5 and a half foot White Widow that's 2 and a half weeks into flowering and a bush of a Blueberry same age. I use the W/F as a stand-alone with no controller or reservoir since I can only flower 2 to 3 at a time.

With their rootballs in the nutrient water my girls drink a gallon+ of water every 2 to 3 days. So that means I have to top-off in between and change them out entirely in less than a week.

I gotta say, I love it! Great idea, I've transferred from DWC to Waterfarms before too. They did'nt miss a beat. It's good to know it can be done. GREAT ROOT PORN!!!!!!!!!! Thanx for sharing man!

 

[caddyluck]

GReat pics and system set-ups guy, looks fantastic! What the hell is that green SCROG device shown on a pic on the first page? I need it!

Anyhow, here's my contributions to this great thread.

Here are my 3 White Widow clones in my DIY 5gal Waterfarm, Day 31 of flower:

Here is another set of 4 - WW clones getting their start in flower, these are in my original GH Power Grower Eco system:

And here was last harvest of 4 Biggie Small clones in the same Power Grower Eco:

I simply love these set-ups. Started with 1, running 4 now, and getting another 4 built over the holidays.

I feed simple Lucas formula with RO water, I don't have any real tips other than if you have never tried one of these WF's you owe it to yourself to buy or build one and give it a go.

Enjoy and keep the pics and tips coming.

Peace - OGH

Man, you got some great looking plants! nice set-up too

 

[oldgrayhair]

Thanks man! Forgot to mention one trick I like to do for prepping the clones for the WF. I make small "hempy" cups from 16oz. beer cups...same design as the larger hempy buckets. So, they get rooted in rockwool cubees, then into the pure perlite hempy cups for a couple weeks while the roots explode. Then into the WF and works like a chamr everytime!

Peace - OGH

 

[oldgrayhair]

Thanks again Caddyluck for turning me onto those Lowes Grow Through thingys....they are SEXY!

So much better than tomato cages!

Peace - OGH

 

[shea]

would it be possible to grow two plants in one wf bucket?

also, i didnt hear about drillin more larger holes until recently and my plant is ready to flower... do you think that it will be ok with the holes given or should i try to alter it now. (the roots are just starting to poke through... i see 3)

 

[oldgrayhair]

Hey Shea, I've never grown just 1 plant in a waterfarm. My larger budding plants above are 3 White Widows, and the clones are 3 per bucket as well. I may drop down to 2 per bucket next year as these training screens will make up the diff.

I would mess with trying to drill holes in flowering, just let this one ride out as best it can, then improve the bucket for the next round. Will be cool as you'll be able to see the difference first hand.

Peace - OGH

 

[shea]

thanks for the wisdom oldgrayhair

 

[Eharmony420]

my freaking god, you just save me like 100 dollars. Well maybe a 100. Lol, but a lot. hehe.
I can now put all my mother plants in the one waterfarm I have. I use a 3x3 botanicare to veg and flower. This makes my day. I only want 2 mothers. A northern lights and a Cheese.