while im waiting for my plants to flower in the flood and drain table how can i veg

Okay so ive got a 4x4 flood and drain table i use a 400wt light over 7 plants. Currently i have just taken clones and switched to flowering, but none of this is the problem.

The problem is i know that the clones are going to be ready to go into the table before my plants are harvested so im trying to figure out an efficient method or piece of equipment that will allow me to veg my plants for 2 to 3 weeks after the cloning process while waiting to go into a flood and drain table with lava rocks.

Ive been thinking about this for the past couple days and its beginning to frustrate me but i need to figure something out so i can have a consistant cycle i do not want to start this process over and over every time with seeds but i like my flood and drain.
please help if your experienced and have some ideas???

i came here because i cant just walk up into my local hydro store and ask questions this detailed, they help you out but look at you funny when you do. someone please?

you need a second tent/light/tray for veg.

joe macclennan said:

you need a second tent/light/tray for veg.

Click to expand...

i have another light the only option i could think of was to have a whole other setup like you said but i thought maybe there may be some other way to transfer into flood and drain, do you know any other methods? or set ups? that are cheaper that could transfer into ebb and flood? from cloning? like maybe a tray and a big piece of rock wool i could put the plug in? idk just trying to figure something out

how long can you leave a clone in a plug before you have to plant it could you use some sort of homemade dwc setup from a tub and net cups with lava rock for two weeks and then transfer into flood and drain cause i doubt within two weeks of veg the roots would come out too far so not much trauma would take place? is this possible?

I get good roots @ 5-9 days from cutting. This is when I xplant. I do not give them nutes until around 14-21 days from cutting though, ro water only.

after that they definitely need nutes though. So i'd say you have roughly 3 wks from cutting before you have to get nutes to them. Otherwise they'll start yellowing.

are you not running in pots? what are you doing filling the tray up with rock and xplanting directly into it?

either way i'm thinking you need a second setup.

congratulations! you are halfway to being perpetual

The main plants that are in the flowering stage right now are in square pots with lava rock 4x4 trey there is actually nothing between the pots either they are just sitting in the trey, also its a 40 gal res but thats what im trying to flower in i started from seed this time around.

the cuttings are in starter sponge plugs and i used a rooting hormone as well as pre soaking the sponges in rapid start

i guess im going to need a new set up though like you said because i just started flowering and id like to flower longer than three weeks(obviously) but do you know of any setups that are easily transferable into flood and drain thats not flood and drain? lol maybe something cheaper? just until i get a few harvests, if i could id just use an aero cloner and slowly add nutes once it went from clone stage to veg stage but the issue i see with that is getting roots into rocks without severely stunting or killing plant(this is not the method im using)

because at that point ill just buy a bigger trey for flower and use the old for veg, im just trying to find something temporary

and thanks man! Im trying to get there, this is my first time around with hydro

i used to use an aero cloner and put directly into dirt witch worked find im just wondering if there is any setup compatible with Ebb and flood in that sense

how long has it been since you cloned? You don't need rapid start for clones. In fact too much hormone will delay rooting ime. clonex gel the cuts and then straight into the cubes.

nothing but straight ro water is needed when using rapid rooters.

I know you are looking for a cheaper alternative to get you through for the time being....I don't really see any if you don't want to sacrifice the good health of the plants.

f&d is about as cheap and easy as it gets brother....a great way to get into hydro imo.

i've tried ebb and flow, nft, and dwc. you just can't beat the simplicity and ease of cleaning as with a f&d setup

its only bee 48 hours since ive taken cuttings and i read somewhere it helped but ill take your word for it i only used a few drops because i wasnt completely sure about it. next time ill stick to h20 and get some clonex

ill try to figure something out but if it doesn't work out once i reap the benefits of this harvest i will purchase another and then ill be able to get it on a consistent cycle

i love my flood and drain i plan on sticking with it for a long time, maybe eventually aero.

one more question once i get set mothers couldnt i just keep them in a dwc or soil on 24/0 and then put the clones into f&d witch one do you think would work better? or do you have another idea?

thanks for your help man i appreciate it hydro is a whole different ball game. but i dont plan on going back unless its outside

a few drops may be beneficial. It's just soooo easy to over do it with that stuff. Even with the clonex really. It's the same hormone in the clonex as the rapidstart i believe. Less is better...to a point. maybe you'll have good luck with this run of clones. In which case i'd stick with what works for you. but if you don't get good roots by two weeks i'd say nix the rapidstart

ebb and grow works well for mothers ime. Dirt would work just as easy. Maybe easier if you don't need a lot of clones often as things seem to move slower in dirt.

Pyzzled,
I was trying to find a solution to this issue for a friend of mine. This is what I came up with. Buy seven more pots just like you're using for your flowing plants. Then find some rubber stoppers to plug up the bottom holes...drill a hole 2" up on the side to convert it to a hempy bucket. Fill it with lava rock and stick the clones in there and let them veg as hempy plants. May have to hand water several times a day since roots will be small.

Then when the E&F tray is open, simply remove the rubber stoppers from the bottom and put them on the tray. The extra side hole won't hurt at all and will actually help the fill and drain. I haven't tried this but it seems like it may work. No disruption to roots at all.
JD