How Much Root?
- Thread starter faller200
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greenjacketdude
Active Member
2/3 submerged 1/3 exposed to air.
Neumann
Active Member
I posted this link a while ago, it's a pretty good read.
http://urbangardenmagazine.com/2010/11/qa-water-culture/
Since I read the quote below, I've started doing this and have seen significant increase in trichome production. Essentially, I have a higher water level ,1" from bottom of net pot, up until the fifth week of flowering or a week after the end of the stretch, whichever comes first, then drop it to 3-4" below the bottom. I used to keep it at the same height all the time but like I said, I'm seeing much more trichome production this way.
"Q: What are the potentialities for plant steering using water level / amount of root zone exposed to the air?
A: With water as their growing media, growers can tailor nutrient solution parameters more specifically. Provoking plant responses such as essential oil production, fruiting and flowering are better manipulated when the substrate can be dialed in. For example, higher exposure of the root zone to atmospheric oxygen can help trigger a plant to increase oil production as a means to conserve water, and can also apply mild root stresses that are often interpreted by the plant as reproductive cues. While higher water levels can cause plants to focus more energy on vegetative production, particularly fan leaves, which in turn speeds transpiration and photosynthetic potential."
http://urbangardenmagazine.com/2010/11/qa-water-culture/
Since I read the quote below, I've started doing this and have seen significant increase in trichome production. Essentially, I have a higher water level ,1" from bottom of net pot, up until the fifth week of flowering or a week after the end of the stretch, whichever comes first, then drop it to 3-4" below the bottom. I used to keep it at the same height all the time but like I said, I'm seeing much more trichome production this way.
"Q: What are the potentialities for plant steering using water level / amount of root zone exposed to the air?
A: With water as their growing media, growers can tailor nutrient solution parameters more specifically. Provoking plant responses such as essential oil production, fruiting and flowering are better manipulated when the substrate can be dialed in. For example, higher exposure of the root zone to atmospheric oxygen can help trigger a plant to increase oil production as a means to conserve water, and can also apply mild root stresses that are often interpreted by the plant as reproductive cues. While higher water levels can cause plants to focus more energy on vegetative production, particularly fan leaves, which in turn speeds transpiration and photosynthetic potential."
kanx
Active Member
What I usually do is keep the water level's high enough so that root's can sit in water as others have said .
Tho I would highly recommend that once you have some longer roots droping down into the bottem of the bucket , that you start to apply all your water , via the top , watering it like it was a compost grow , the top feeding help's keep all the top root's nice and moist , and from what i've seen causes a whole more lot of root growth.
The first dwc grow I did , i never top fed really only sat the roots in water , and some of the top roots where these thick massive root's , which sound good but apparently they don't do much appart from hold the plant in place , it's the thin little root's that you are after apparently.
Tho I would highly recommend that once you have some longer roots droping down into the bottem of the bucket , that you start to apply all your water , via the top , watering it like it was a compost grow , the top feeding help's keep all the top root's nice and moist , and from what i've seen causes a whole more lot of root growth.
The first dwc grow I did , i never top fed really only sat the roots in water , and some of the top roots where these thick massive root's , which sound good but apparently they don't do much appart from hold the plant in place , it's the thin little root's that you are after apparently.
By dropping the water level anything bellow the net pot you are robbing yourself of space for your feeding roots to grow. As mentioned above, only big thick roots for support and nutrient transport grow in this space, not roots that feed, which is what you're after.
Having an air gap is a misconception of DWC, run without one for best results, if you don't believe me, google Heath Robinson, the guy who invented DWC as we know (by accident)
The need of an airpump is another well known fallacy.
Notice how all the roots bellow the water are nice fine feeding roots? Then the ones that came out the sides of the netpot are thick and gnarley, because they're above water level, I'd be better off with a "net pot" with holes on the bottom only, which is what I'll do next. Dropping your water level anything bellow the bottom of the netpot will rob you of root space. Your plant turning it's roots into big thick cord roots to survive, and wasting energy doing so. More root space, less cord roots, and less energy stolen for a survival mechanism means bigger fatter buds for you at the end.
Having an air gap is a misconception of DWC, run without one for best results, if you don't believe me, google Heath Robinson, the guy who invented DWC as we know (by accident)
The need of an airpump is another well known fallacy.
Notice how all the roots bellow the water are nice fine feeding roots? Then the ones that came out the sides of the netpot are thick and gnarley, because they're above water level, I'd be better off with a "net pot" with holes on the bottom only, which is what I'll do next. Dropping your water level anything bellow the bottom of the netpot will rob you of root space. Your plant turning it's roots into big thick cord roots to survive, and wasting energy doing so. More root space, less cord roots, and less energy stolen for a survival mechanism means bigger fatter buds for you at the end.
xX2FaDeD247Xx
Well-Known Member
it's all a matter of personal choice...i let mine drop anywhere from an inch below the netpot to maybe only 1/3 every now and then to let them air a bit. me personally though yeh i don't let it drop below 1/3
Neumann
Active Member
While I agree about the corded roots, did you read the article I posted? I've found that when the water levels are kept high during veg and pre-flower, I get fine roots not cords. The plant keeps that root formation even when the water level is dropped after that period, essentially during weeks 4-to finish. I'm definitely seeing more trichome production, on plants I know very well, since I started root steering.
Yeah, I've read it before, it's a good article, but results based observation has led me to believe that more feeding roots = bigger better blooms.
Did you check out Heath Robinson? Harvesting 76oz from 1 plant with only 1500W.
I think part of the key is his huge area for hydroton so you get more of the fuzzy roots, and then the heavy drinkers down in the water.
I've tried lowering water level myself, and only noticed the roots not in the water drying up, tuning kinda brown, starting to smell a bit like pond, and the plant consumed less water and nutrients and looked a bit stressed. Unfortunately there are so many factors involved though it's really hard to single out the reason why we've had different experiences. I think the best thing to do for everyone is to just try it yourself and see what works best.
Did you check out Heath Robinson? Harvesting 76oz from 1 plant with only 1500W.
I think part of the key is his huge area for hydroton so you get more of the fuzzy roots, and then the heavy drinkers down in the water.
I've tried lowering water level myself, and only noticed the roots not in the water drying up, tuning kinda brown, starting to smell a bit like pond, and the plant consumed less water and nutrients and looked a bit stressed. Unfortunately there are so many factors involved though it's really hard to single out the reason why we've had different experiences. I think the best thing to do for everyone is to just try it yourself and see what works best.
Thats very strange that your roots dried up and started to smell just because you lowered the water level. How far did you lower it? I usually leave about 2-3inch between bottom of net pot and water and have let it go much lower and never had any these issues (in fact they usually loved it when they got a bit of space to breath), there must have been definitley other factors causing this in that grow rather than just the water level.
No other issues karmeron, just a different setup that yours I'm sure. My roots didn't like being out of the water. Pulling 24oz of a 3.5' x 2.5' canopy can't have any issues present. I think a better way to have more roots exposed to air is to use a larger container for the hydroton.
