check out my thread in grow journals for my custom drip system it sounds very similar to both of yours i water my plants 4 times a day evenly spaced for about 15 minutes. every system is differnt so you need to play it by ear. run your system for a set number of minutes and see if the cube is heavy if it is see how long it takes for it to become dry that is your next watering time note that you do not want to drench the cube. i started watering my young plants for about 8 mins 4 times a day and once they grow you up the time. good luckI have the same question. I'm on my first grow and using a drip system. I've been on this site before and had my head ripped off for asking a question that was already posted or in the FAQ. I've been cruising the site for 4 days and gotten some really good info. Everyone seems to be able to tell me what to do, but no one goes into any real detail as to the actual process'. Also to add to the question, when do I intoduce my seedlings to the drip system?