Deep Water Culture

[skunkushybrid]

I've bought a pump, an air tube, and something called a bubble disk. The only thing I've neglected is the fucking container (I really should write a list, being perma' stoned is not good for short term memory). I've had a look around the house and all containers are either being used or have been stolen for other grows. Gutted. Unfortunately, I'm a banned driver, and I no longer have a car (too much of a temptation, and I'm not doing 6 months for fuck-all), and it seems too much of a mission to have to go out again.

Anyway, this is a new venture for me. So it's going to be just the one plant. I'm just interested to know if anybody has grown this way before and can give me any tips. I'll post pic's as soon as it's up and running.

 

[skunkushybrid]

Well I've got it up and running, and apart from a trip to the back garden, I haven't had to leave the house.

The materials consist of, one unused fridge shelf. Nice and wide spaces to allow for thick, unrestricted root growth. Smooth metal too, so it will not cut into the root. A small slab of rockwool. Air pump, air hose, and that thing called a bubble disk.

Everything went smoothly at first, that is until I turned the disk on. It just kept flipping over onto it's top. This fucked me up last night.

 

[skunkushybrid]

The fuck up was temporary. I got the idea of using gravel. The weight of the gravel should be enough to hold down the disk, and it is a growing medium in itself. I tried it, and it worked. I got the gravel from a patch at the bottom of my garden, washed it ever-so thouroughly and put it into the bucket.

My grow's a bit mad at the moment. I've got plants all in different sized pots. And using different mediums. The reason for this is that I want to find the perfect method, for me.

 

[skunkushybrid]

btw, here's a pic' of the clone sitting on top of the slab. I actually layed the silver cover on first, but I took this pic' to give you an idea what it looks like underneath.

 

[ViRedd]

Hi, Skunk ...

Have a friend drive you over to Home Depot. Buy a brand new five gallon paint bucket and a lid to fit. Go to the hydo store and buy either a 3" or 5" net pot and some Lava Rocks. Cut a hole in the lid to fit the net pot. Everything else you have is excellent. The way you're set up now will be nothing but problems with algae, exposed roots, etc. That is, unless I've missed something in your posts. Good luck ...

Vi

 

[skunkushybrid]

Everything is covered. No light can get to the water. This is how it looks now.

 

[skunkushybrid]

Things are going good. Vi', you were right about the light. The silver covering (actually underlay from laminate flooring) is not good enough on it's own to block out the light. Even 3 layers. I noticed that the tip of the roots were starting to brown as they are not at the level of the water yet. So now I've placed a sheet of cardboard in between the 3 layers and this has done the trick. The plant has perked up and the roots have developed ten-fold overnight.

I'm enjoying this experiment, it's finally given me the opportunity to study the root-plant growth ratio.

 

[ViRedd]

Excellent job Skunk. If you fill the buckets with solution to where the water is about 1/4" below the bottoms of the netpots, you'll have it just about right. The rapid growth from DWC compared to soil is amazing. Aero is even better.

Vi

 

[th3bigbad]

heya skunk, just wondering how you plant on changeing out the nutes when youve got 2'+ of roots hanging out the bottom? and hoe stable the plant will be if you have to remove it from the container? like for changeing nutes or what not. and how will you control the temp of the water in a bucket that small thats in a 80ish room?

 

[skunkushybrid]

haven't got a clue about temp's of the water. As for changing nutes, I'm really looking forward to that one. I have a system down in my head.

I did read something about the temp's of the water which is why I made the mix up in luke-warm water.

At my other grow, we've got two plants just sitting in still water. The roots are amazing, and the growth rate seems equal that of the hydro's.

I mention this to underline the resillience of this plant... does temp' of the water matter too much?

 

[VictorVIcious]

Cervantes says it shouldn't get above 75 Farehiet better between 60 and 65, holds more oxygen. whether that is a problem or not would be some what dependant on the ambient air temperature. I have my resevoirs sitting on a concrete floor so I got some aquarium heaters that have temperature controls on them to keep it in that temperature range.
Just don't want to shock the p[lants with too cold of a shower. I'm not gonna try to tell you about high temp. I read your book. lol

 

[blackout]

haven't got a clue about temp's of the water. As for changing nutes, I'm really looking forward to that one. I have a system down in my head.

I did read something about the temp's of the water which is why I made the mix up in luke-warm water.

At my other grow, we've got two plants just sitting in still water. The roots are amazing, and the growth rate seems equal that of the hydro's.

I mention this to underline the resillience of this plant... does temp' of the water matter too much?

i grow d.w.c here in oz skunk and temps of the water are a big deal as far as summer is concerned,but i think you are in the u.k so may not have the high temps we get,i have air con for my grow room,but if heat is a problem i also add a drip from a power head,and the circulation keeps my temps nice and the nute are nice and mixed,also i guess a bit more oxy from the waterfall effect,but you may not have that problem higher temps can mean pythium and other nasties can get a hold,that is why i am a big fan of oxy plus as it kills fucking every nastie,no good if you use organic nutes as i think it kills good and bad ,if you spill it on your skin it burns like fuck and stains your hand for a while,but i have never had any brown or slimy roots all nice and white,but i mix it and let it sit for a while so it turns to an extra oxy add to my water and not to strong or burn roots,i am no hydro expert though man only know from what three crops i have done so far in d.w.c,sorry it is a long rant just smoked a hole joint of god bud on my own so i am totally fucked up.
i dont even know if what i wrote makes any fucking sense i am that bad fuck i love good bud.

 

[skunkushybrid]

I'm really impressed with it so far. This system is a little rough but I just want to get a feel for it before i start the big one with my partner in cultivation. Most of my money is going into the materials we need for the big grow, I'm just using what little bits I have left on my personal enterprise.

For my personal grow i don't think I have the room to do a complete dwc crop, for one thing I'd need to be able to move the veggers up into the flowering area in my loft. The loft is quite tight to get into. I may always find a way to work around this of course if the dwc were to impress me that much. Although with the amount of room I'm working with here I think I'd be much further suited to a reservoir grow.

 

[-=4:20=-Guy]

So what strain did you use for the experiment?

 

[skunkushybrid]

Grapefruit......

 

[skunkushybrid]

Here's a pic' of her nearly 3 weeks in....

 

[green_nobody]

interesting sys you build yourself there, hope you don't mind me coping it in soon future i will post picks if it works out for me

by the way, isn't that the same plant you try to bonsai? would actually make really sense in this case, sot the plant don't becomes a leaver to itself and tips over...

 

[trentcannon]

what kind of lights you running for that single plant?

 

[skunkushybrid]

it's out of the way... I've got a 400w mh vegging 6 hydro's. This is just in the background. It's outperforming them by far. They're all getting the same nutes (some cheap soluble shit that I picked up for 0.89p), but the stem on the dwc is easily 5 times thicker, the leaves are looking really healthy. This plant loves this environment, and I think my set-up shows just how easy it is.

 

[skunkushybrid]

interesting sys you build yourself there, hope you don't mind me coping it in soon future i will post picks if it works out for me

by the way, isn't that the same plant you try to bonsai? would actually make really sense in this case, sot the plant don't becomes a leaver to itself and tips over...

I'm bending it because it is out of the way, to get it closer to the light.