GOLDBERG71
Well-Known Member
I'd like to make this thread about everything someone needs to consider when switching from soil to hydro. Specifically ebb and flow bucket systems. I've been evaluating how I do things and I've decided it's time for me to change. I've been Flowering in 5 or 7 gallon pots and using a 50/50 mix of BX pro with mycorrhizae/ coarse perlite. I decided last week that this mix is the weakest link in my armor of protection besides the electric bill. There's no way around the lights using electricity.
At this point I'm using about 20 bales of pro mix and another 20 bags of perlite each year. I get these products from my local wholesaler to keep costs down. This last week I had to go pick some more up. I live in the north east and we've had an unseasonable cold winter and 3 times the average annual snowfall. Sometimes I worry to much and maybe this is one of those times but everytime they ask me if I have an account or a tax ID# because this is wholesale. But they have no problem selling to me for cash. During the spring summer or fall this isn't so bad because I live in an agricultural area. However, with the snow on the ground and temps what they have been it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize these products are useless to someone who doesn't have a greenhouse. I pick up 4 bags of each every time so that's 32 square feet of material. That is more than most need to transplant your average house plant!
This is just part of my security issue with the soil though. When I get it home I try to get it the garage without my neighbors seeing me. Once again if they see me unloading bales and bags in the winter I wonder what they would think or even if they would think about it at all. Then I wait until early in the morning when all my neighbors have gone to bed and the lights are out to bring it in the house. Needless to say trying to avoid doing this around a full moon. Then when the plant is harvested I have to do the same thing in reverse. Dragging out the used soil by the cover of dark.
I've been tossing around the idea of adding CO2 this summer to save on cooling costs for those months. So on my way home with the soil I had an AH HA moment. It suddenly dawned on me if I switched to ebb and flow I could eliminate all costs and considerations with the soil. This would also allow me to get the most out of the CO2 I was already considering. When I started I seriously considered the ebb and flo bucket system but choose soil because it was more forgiving. Now that I've got a couple of years under my belt I think I'm ready to take the step.
Other than looking for advice or warnings on possible pitfalls for a beginner with this type of system I have 1 major thing I'm trying to figure out. Currently I root cutting in a standard 10x20 flat of 72 cells. Then they get transplanted into 1 gallon pots to veg and shape the plants. 2 weeks minimum before I switch them to flower I transplant to either 5 or 7 gallon pots. I also top the plants working towards keeping the most level canopy possible.
At this point it looks like I can switch to root cuttings in rockwool cells that will fit in the same standard flats I already have. I foresee no issues here since my cuttings root at basically 100%. It can't be that different! I'm hoping I can still water them from top just as I did in soil. I might have to tip the flat and let any excess water drain out of there so there is no standing water. My question comes once the cutting roots. I don't want to go right to the 6.6 gallon gro giants but I do want to start them with the ebb and flo process. I do realize this system hasn't been released yet but I hope it will by May. I saw a product today called "sure to grow" it looked very interesting but I was planning on using L.E.C.A. in the gro giants. Maybe I'm wrong but I'm thinking in terms of soil and not wanting to disturb the roots so maybe "sure to grow" cylinders and a flooding flat could be the way to go for the veg stage?
http://www.suretogrow.com/STG-Storm™-Series.
In order for me to save space I can't use the gro giant mesh nets because they look to be about 14 inches square. It wouldn't be advised to take a smaller mesh net and place it in a larger one would it? The flower room will fit about 20 of them but the veg room won't allow that. Any advice or input or warnings of potential pitfalls would be appreciated!
At this point I'm using about 20 bales of pro mix and another 20 bags of perlite each year. I get these products from my local wholesaler to keep costs down. This last week I had to go pick some more up. I live in the north east and we've had an unseasonable cold winter and 3 times the average annual snowfall. Sometimes I worry to much and maybe this is one of those times but everytime they ask me if I have an account or a tax ID# because this is wholesale. But they have no problem selling to me for cash. During the spring summer or fall this isn't so bad because I live in an agricultural area. However, with the snow on the ground and temps what they have been it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize these products are useless to someone who doesn't have a greenhouse. I pick up 4 bags of each every time so that's 32 square feet of material. That is more than most need to transplant your average house plant!
This is just part of my security issue with the soil though. When I get it home I try to get it the garage without my neighbors seeing me. Once again if they see me unloading bales and bags in the winter I wonder what they would think or even if they would think about it at all. Then I wait until early in the morning when all my neighbors have gone to bed and the lights are out to bring it in the house. Needless to say trying to avoid doing this around a full moon. Then when the plant is harvested I have to do the same thing in reverse. Dragging out the used soil by the cover of dark.
I've been tossing around the idea of adding CO2 this summer to save on cooling costs for those months. So on my way home with the soil I had an AH HA moment. It suddenly dawned on me if I switched to ebb and flow I could eliminate all costs and considerations with the soil. This would also allow me to get the most out of the CO2 I was already considering. When I started I seriously considered the ebb and flo bucket system but choose soil because it was more forgiving. Now that I've got a couple of years under my belt I think I'm ready to take the step.
Other than looking for advice or warnings on possible pitfalls for a beginner with this type of system I have 1 major thing I'm trying to figure out. Currently I root cutting in a standard 10x20 flat of 72 cells. Then they get transplanted into 1 gallon pots to veg and shape the plants. 2 weeks minimum before I switch them to flower I transplant to either 5 or 7 gallon pots. I also top the plants working towards keeping the most level canopy possible.
At this point it looks like I can switch to root cuttings in rockwool cells that will fit in the same standard flats I already have. I foresee no issues here since my cuttings root at basically 100%. It can't be that different! I'm hoping I can still water them from top just as I did in soil. I might have to tip the flat and let any excess water drain out of there so there is no standing water. My question comes once the cutting roots. I don't want to go right to the 6.6 gallon gro giants but I do want to start them with the ebb and flo process. I do realize this system hasn't been released yet but I hope it will by May. I saw a product today called "sure to grow" it looked very interesting but I was planning on using L.E.C.A. in the gro giants. Maybe I'm wrong but I'm thinking in terms of soil and not wanting to disturb the roots so maybe "sure to grow" cylinders and a flooding flat could be the way to go for the veg stage?
http://www.suretogrow.com/STG-Storm™-Series.
In order for me to save space I can't use the gro giant mesh nets because they look to be about 14 inches square. It wouldn't be advised to take a smaller mesh net and place it in a larger one would it? The flower room will fit about 20 of them but the veg room won't allow that. Any advice or input or warnings of potential pitfalls would be appreciated!
