Ebb + Flow - in the tray or in pots?

Hey all.
Love reading the forums and thanks for all the info.
I received 1 clone as a gift and I had a 250 Watt MH. I realize now how inefficient it is to grow just the 1 plant so I plan to clone it and grow 4 offsprings in a self made ebb and flow system.
The grow space will be approx 3 feet wide by 4 feet long by 7 or 8 feet tall. It's a little warm in there with the 250 watt MH but i plan to install an exhaust fan which will hopefully eliminate this problem.
Questions.
I'm broke. Is the 250 watt light enough for veg and flower? I read it's good for approximately 3 by 3 which my space will end up close to being.
And.
How deep should the grow tray be for 4 plants in an ebb and flow system? I figure about 8 to 10 gallons and hopefully as close to 2 feet by 3 feet as I can get. Probably about 6 or 7 inches deep. Does that sound right?
Also.
I'm a bit confused. Do I grow the 4 plants all together in my medium with no pots or do I grow them in individual net pots? filled with medium with no other medium in the tray? If it's the net pots? (is that right?) what happens to the roots that grow through the sides? Do they just sit by themselves in the empty tub?
Thanks for any input.

Z

Well, if you fill the bed with rocks, you won't need nearly as much nutrient solution to flood the area. But then you won't be able to move the plants, they will stay in place.
So if you want to move the plants, grow them in pots, and you'll have to have a much bigger res to flood the bed, but that's about it.
So I opt to grow in pots in the bed. With only 4 plants in a large bed, you can use 6 inch pots. And don't use net pots, use solid-sided black pots, and the medium will stay wet longer. And you can fill the empty spaces with something, a brick, big rocks, or plastic jugs filled with water. It's extra nice to be able to move the plants around as they grow.
If I were you, I would just buy a 2x4 hydro bed. Heavy black plastic, all the added extras, and only about $50. Or you can scrounge something else, like a cement mixing tray, or other plastic container. A cement mixing tray at casa de pot is 3x2 and 8 inches high, and holds 14 gallons of water, and costs $15. You'll want to flood 5-6 inches.
Your MH will work fine for a start. You could even use it all the way through flowering.

HTH

potroast said:

Well, if you fill the bed with rocks, you won't need nearly as much nutrient solution to flood the area. But then you won't be able to move the plants, they will stay in place.
So if you want to move the plants, grow them in pots, and you'll have to have a much bigger res to flood the bed, but that's about it.
So I opt to grow in pots in the bed. With only 4 plants in a large bed, you can use 6 inch pots. And don't use net pots, use solid-sided black pots, and the medium will stay wet longer. And you can fill the empty spaces with something, a brick, big rocks, or plastic jugs filled with water. It's extra nice to be able to move the plants around as they grow.
If I were you, I would just buy a 2x4 hydro bed. Heavy black plastic, all the added extras, and only about $50. Or you can scrounge something else, like a cement mixing tray, or other plastic container. A cement mixing tray at casa de pot is 3x2 and 8 inches high, and holds 14 gallons of water, and costs $15. You'll want to flood 5-6 inches.
Your MH will work fine for a start. You could even use it all the way through flowering.

HTH

Click to expand...

smells like a setup..whay are you still a stranger??potential 5/0

potroast said:

And you can fill the empty spaces with something, a brick, big rocks, or plastic jugs filled with water.
HTH

Click to expand...

Great suggestion, I run tables and when running bigger plants I still have alot of empty space when I flood. I ran with 250w hps when I started and it can produce ok but once I upgraded to a 600w for a 3x3 table I kicked myself for not doing it sooner.

Run your 250 but if you can upgrade latter your girls will love all the more for it, and put on weight to show their appreciation.

i have 6x6 square pots in my ebb and flow just changed to them because its so easy to move them was using 5" round pots with hydroton in the bottom of the tray to keep the roots from drying an what a pain in the ass cleaning and all that the bricks rocks etc is a great idea i might try that as well.

i started flooding in pots to be able to move em, i switched to filling up the tray because i want the roots to grow horizontaly and use up the space freely and this will cut down the vertical space needed a few inches

I've only grown with the net pots in the tray. Its nice to be able to move around. the air around the pots prunes the roots and keeps them in check. I thought this was great until I had some roots grow into the drainage. Wow, did they ever take off. This got me thinking i was missing out. Now i'm working on a flood and drain setup using small buckets instead of netpots. Only the buckets are flooded instead of the entire tray. this i hope will give the roots more room and decrease the size of the rez needed. I'm also using a 250w and plan to go vert with 4 plants, i think this will be the most economical.

Hey guys I'm a little confused on what is the best way to go about so I can move my plants? This is my first grow

I want to be able to move these to a DWC for flower, but I don't want to break any roots trying to remove them. I was thinking net pots, but now you have me thinking that the roots will come out of it and get all tangled in the hydroton that is in the tray. Should Should I use solid containers? Do I make small holes in them or do they come with holes? Won't the roots head for the holes and clog them?

Thanks

I actually went from planters to just the bed with hydroton.

Although it's true you can move the plants while they are in planters...the problem is that you have to be very careful...because you'll have a shit-load of roots bursting out of the bottom of the planters. As you know; a grower NEVER wants to crush/damage the root system under any circumstances.

I was using 2gal planters...and trust me they get heavy as heck. You don't want to slide it...you don't want to pick it up, because how are you going to put it down in a manner where the roots aren't going to get crushed? You'll eventually say: "I simply won't move it"(or at least this is how it went with me)

So although I miss the option of movement....there was no way it was worth the risk (in my eyes) to move them at all.

if you have to move them from veg chamber to flower, you will have to grow in DWC both ways, and not fill the tray with hydroton. i always moved them, just be extra gentle making sure the roots are going into the hole i want them in

I just fill the tub. The table the tub is on has wheels so I can move it from veg to flower room like a wheel barrel without needing to move my plants...which is especially important with SCROG.

I was wondering.. and this may help you as well.. if planning on moving from ebbNFlow- 5 gallon bucket DWC , would it be possible to use 2.5-3.2 gallon buckets (same width as 5 gallon, same lids) with the bottoms cut off, Jagged to allow water flow, supporting the net pot lids also usable on the 5 gallon buckets. Tray flooded to reach the bottom of the net pots.. eventually moving the lids from these 2.5's to your flowering rooms 5 gallons.

I recommend using smart pots with your ebb and flow. you can check out one of my grows to see how well they work. if you by a flood tray i would also suggest getting one with at least 6" sides rather than the 4" smaller ones, you get way more roots. also, home depot sells roughneck rubbermaid bins that make awesome rez's, in fact i think they work better than some rez's on the market.

DRGREENTM..

what are you using for medium.. i see clay pellets. anything else? rockwool? i know rockwool is a wicking medium and i know it raises ph too, should i use suretogrow cubes.. they're non-wicking (doesnt absorb and bring water to the top of cube) and they are ph neutral. any suggestions?

put some smart pots filled with coco on a 2x2 tray you can move them and grow them big for a good yield

thefr13nd said:

DRGREENTM..

what are you using for medium.. i see clay pellets. anything else? rockwool? i know rockwool is a wicking medium and i know it raises ph too, should i use suretogrow cubes.. they're non-wicking (doesnt absorb and bring water to the top of cube) and they are ph neutral. any suggestions?

Click to expand...

i was cloning in rapid rooters then transplanting to 3x3x3 RW blocks on a flood tray for veg (like 1-2 weeks) then it would go in the 6x6x7 pot filled with hydroton, i set my flood lever to be just bearly touching the bottom of the rw in the pot as to not over water the cube. i just did this by putting my fingers on top of the block if the top was soaked the rw was to deep=lower flood level a tad.

POTS! you want to be able to move the plants around!