half soil grow half dwc

Hey guys I've been currently making a new system I have not heard of yet or seen anywhere else. My idea consists of a normal dwc setup in a 35 litre storage container with air stones in the bottom as usual but it has a twist, I have bought 2 net pots and 2 normal garden pots and combined them to make half hydro half soil. By cutting a hole in the bottom of the normal pot and placing the net pot inside of it having the majority of the net pot poking out the bottom. The net pot and half the garden pot will be filled with clay balls and soil on top. Basicly I'm doing this because I have to go away. For 1 week sometimes and have know one to check on my plants. I have also got a 50 litre container which the 35 litre setup sits in and acts as a storage tank . I have a pump in the 50litre tank that will turn on for 5 minutes every 2 days and soak the soil and run down into the 35 litre. And so water does not over flow out the top when its self watering I have a high water hole where the water will simply recycle back into the bottom tank to be sucked up again next watering. Also the grow will be behind a secret door in my wardrobe that leads under my house. no one knows about and not noticeable, 250 watt hps and mh. Thanks for reading, any tips or ideas are welcome. Cheers, sniffmybuds

Careful, the soil will absorb the nutes and rot your roots since they will not be getting any airflow.

3squared said:

Careful, the soil will absorb the nutes and rot your roots since they will not be getting any airflow.

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Yeah that's a bit of a worry may sound dumb but what about a air stone in the soil as well?

Why not just go soil with a top feeder set on a timer ? A few days of timing the feed drip to the right soil moisture levels and the time between needed feedings should give you what you need to set a timer for a week. Just keep stones running in your res.

3squared said:

Why not just go soil with a top feeder set on a timer ? A few days of timing the feed drip to the right soil moisture levels and the time between needed feedings should give you what you need to set a timer for a week. Just keep stones running in your res.

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I'll have a think and see what happens thanks for the help

may have been better to to have the plant have half the roots in soil and the other half in dwc. i mean like have another bucket for soil sitting right next to the dwc bucket.

sounds like 2x the idea, but 3x the work.

MXW3LL said:

may have been better to to have the plant have half the roots in soil and the other half in dwc. i mean like have another bucket for soil sitting right next to the dwc bucket.

sounds like 2x the idea, but 3x the work.

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Lol

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kmog33 said:

Lol

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just saying. sounds like he's going to have the plant go through the soil pot and into the dwc bucket. it's a grand idea but the roots over-soak the soil on the way up.

anyways, sub'd to see results.

I often wondered that too. BOG used to put on dirt container ontop of one another with good results. Maybe with minimal dirt like a solo cup you might be ok.

Well if you aren't already growing in that contraption here would be my suggestions:
-Earthbox
-DIY Earth box
-Use your time and make a recirculating system that you only have to fill up with water once a week.
Ummmm.... That's all I got.

I have never used DWC but why try and reinvent the wheel? People seem to have really good success as it is.

Yeah I've set it up already just waiting on my clones to root a bit more and ill chuck them in.
I cut the bottom out of the pot and put a net pot in it. Its half full of clay balls with about 15cm of soil on top in a pot with a diameter of 20cm

If you need to go out of town use larger containers... my 100 gallon DWC setup can go 2+ weeks without attention. Even if you setup a top feed or something you are going to have to monitor the water ph/ppm unless you use a large enough res.

I still don't understand what the purpose of having soil is? To help retain moisture? If the system is on timers why are you worried about them getting dry?

- Agree with hydro burn... In my setup I have to adjust the Ph every other day + or -. Sometimes add water during hot weeks as it has been for the last couple here. But I have left it for 4 days without any harm, I adjusted everything as soon as I got home.

my 2 cents. Maybe 1/2 a cent

Just a preview not 100% hooked up yet

yktind said:

Well if you aren't already growing in that contraption here would be my suggestions:
-Earthbox
-DIY Earth box
-Use your time and make a recirculating system that you only have to fill up with water once a week.
Ummmm.... That's all I got.

I have never used DWC but why try and reinvent the wheel? People seem to have really good success as it is.

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See pics

I'll stick around and see how in all unfolds

3squared said:

Why not just go soil with a top feeder set on a timer ? A few days of timing the feed drip to the right soil moisture levels and the time between needed feedings should give you what you need to set a timer for a week. Just keep stones running in your res.

Click to expand...

That system works well with a bit of patients and creativity. I built a gravity drip system that I am thinking of using to brew tea and timer feed. Very easy to build and inexpensive.

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is perlite an option? using that, plus hydroton lining the bottom, in a pot sock would keep debris from flowing out.

Hey guys clone been in soil for 3 days now and has doubled in size.....roots galore

sniffmybuds said:

Hey guys clone been in soil for 3 days now and has doubled in size.....roots galore

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PICs

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