GH Water Farm

I have a GS Water Farm and was wondering what schedule I should run or my veg cycle? I'm thinking about running the system for 30 minutes every 4 hours during daylight and off during night hours? Any thoughts?

Hi Faded,

You should leave your pump on 24/7 for the duration of your grow with a waterfarm. The idea is that you are constantly feeding airated water and nutes, and if your roots dry out your plant will be stunted and possibly die.

Here's a thread that all waterfarm users should read and I highly recommend following it.


Good luck with your grow.

GoLdD
https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/344359-pineapple-express-g13-labs-seed.html

if its aero... i found that more often isnt always the best... with my clone/veg aero bucket i was doing 1-5 mins just to saturate the roots then off for 20-30 mins... so ur timing looks about right...

Yeah.....I drowned a couple clones with 24/7 and began reducing the time until I started seeing growth from the remaining ones. Just wanted to see if there was reason to my madness.

Hi faded,

A waterfarm is not aero, its a combination of DWC and airated drip, if you don't run 24/7 they will not do well or die. They are made to run 24/7.

We lost power for 8 hours today and even though I did a full resevior change out on Friday, I'm so worried about algea or root rot I'll be doing another full resevior change tomorrow.

If you look at that link I gave you, you will understand better, if you want 10+ ounces from 1 plant follow scottyballs thread above. I have, and I crank out ounces in the teens with 1 plant every 100 or so days. Although I changed his routine a lil, I've add an air stone to my rez and use a different nute program.

GoLdD

I turned off my drip rings on 4 of 8 plants and saw no difference in growth rates(both root and foliage) or overall health. I ran an airstone in each bucket and raised the water level 1-2" from the pre-set level. I'd still recommend at least use the drip ring until roots can be fully established in the system, maybe 2-3 weeks from a pre-rooted clone, 3-4 from seed.

And the amount of time to run will vary IMO. 24hrs on younger plants that transpire less and need less water may be too much, while an older plant or a heavier drinker may benefit from it. I stopped running mine at night before turning them completely off, and again saw no difference then just having it run as plain ol RDWC. Just my experience with it.

Thanks GoldD.....it seems like you know your stuff. I looked at the link but it doesn't specify timing. I'm planning on running 24/7 when blooming to take advantage of the drip (also, by then my roots should be in the resv). I'm using Advanced Nutrients system and am also planning on adding an air stone. Any more thoughts on the timing thing during veg?

Another bit of info, I rooted my clones in rockwool cubes and planted the cubes right into the medium (2 inch cubes). This will absorb water and retain for a while.....any ideas?

Hi Faded,

The reason it says nothing about timing is because the air pumps run 24/7, so whats there to say about that. Since you will always have roots that are in the medium, and growing down to the solution if they dry out your screwed. I recomend getting a better air pump, as the one that comes with the wf is cheap and terrible, here's the one I use; http://www.altgarden.com/hydroponics-testing/air-pumps/dual-diaphragm-air-pump.html

As for rock wool, I can't help you as all of my grows are from seed and once germinated go straight in to the hydroton with no other medium.

I have a 1 plant stealth cab, I leave the fans and pumps on 24/7, veg for 4 weeks (or until the plant hits the screen), weave for 3 weeks, trim lower growth for 2 weeks (trimming anything below the screen, starting with the second week of flower).

I add solution every day and check pH and PPM, and change out the solution for fresh once a week. Right now I have an Reserva Privada OG #18, 17 days into flower, and it drinks about a 1/2 - 3/4 gallon a day with steady nute uptake (water goes down PPMs stay the same, to me thats the key).

Adding an airstone will likely cause your pH to rise daily, so it's very important that you stay on top of that or you might get nute lock out. But, I attribute adding an airstone to getting bigger buds and faster growth.

Do yourself a favor and read that scottyballs thread from start to finish, you will be amazed.

GoLdD

did as you said and upped the times that the plants were being watered. Now my leaves are starting to curl sideways and some are beginning to get dark points on the new growth. too much water, right? what about the leaves curling so strangely?

Check out mine and scottyballs post. Lots of useful info, including some modded versions of the GH waterfarm.
https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/521479-what-waterfarm.html

The only way to over water with a waterfarm is fill the resevior up past the hydroton (and that's just a guess as I've never tried it), you only add water to the white water line on the blue drain tube.

If you don't run the pumps 24/7 then that's your problem. You seem dead set on using the waterfarm incorrectly, and if so it probably won't work properly.

I've had 3 grows (with a wf), and I'm on my 4th now and have never had the air pumps off, and the only problems i've ever had were created by me (nute burn, deficencies, pH etc.).

This isnt even remotely like growing in soil, you cannot over water if you use the wf properly. Besides the fact that once your roots hit the water in the resevior, those roots are now in DWC (Deep Water Culture) and if you don't aerate that water, by running the air pumps, you may be drowning them, I don't know the answer to that. Before the roots hit the resevior its an aerated drip, so some of your roots will always get aerated drip, while others get dwc.

So if there is a problem, then it's with you and how your running your set up, nutes, turning off the pumps or whatever your doing diffently.

I've never had dark spots at the leaf tips, nute burn at tips but that is lighter (a pic would help diagnose your issue) but depending on which way the leaves are curling it could be heat stress, nute deficiency or something else.

I would suggest you use the wf as it's intended.

GoLdD

P.S edited to add, I hope you bought a better air pump because the one that comes with the waterfarm is a POS, as well as drilling dozens more holes in the pot portion of the wf.

This will be my last attempt to explain it, hopefully you understand,

You obviously come from a soil growing backround, since your so concerned about over watering. The medium in a soil grow is soil, the medium in hydro is water.

You would'nt pull your plants roots out of the soil (it's medium) during a grow, would you? Well you don't in a waterfarm either.

Keep your air pump going 24/7 for the duration of your grow.

Get a better air pump.

Run an airstone in the rez 24/7.

Drill more holes in your waterfarm pot, to allow for more and better dispersed root growth.

Check your pH and nutes everyday.

Read as much as you can on here and other informative websites, like national cannagraphic, grasscity and 420.com, and learn about what your doing, which will make you a better grower.

If you do these things you will be rewarded with a faster grow, more weight and basically a better end product.

The choice is yours bud.

GL GoLdD

Thank man.....appreciate the insight.....I'm a soil grower converting so my mind set has to change.....I did get an airstone in there 24/7 and am checking my ph daily......got new air pumps, etc.....will drill more holes in the holder next plant....

the only thing I guess that is different in mine than yours is that my clones are rooted in 2" rockwool cubes and they retain water. yours are seedlings straight in the medium and has nothing to hold water.....I'm simply trying to 'adjust' for that variable.....I don't do seeds, I clone cuttings....

Thanks again for your help.....peace

Here, I just typed into the search bar at top waterfarm rockwool, and found 13 pages of threads that contain info on both. Here's a few to get you started.

https://www.rollitup.org/blogs/blog23289-super-lemon-haze-waterfarm-scrog.html

https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/545813-question-about-size-rockwool-waterfarm.html

https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-plant-problems/500872-rockwool-waterfarms-ph-fluctuations.html

just search and read, it's all here.

GoLdD

thanks again......peace....