Best feeding system for automation

[Hgrow4]

What is the best feeding/watering system for automation and speed.
Initial cost does not matter nor the time to set it up.
I am hand watering at the moment and it is getting tedious.
Will be for around 20 plants
Please give reasons for your answer

 

[Moe.Red]

For automation, my go to would be some form of hydro.

Sounds like you are a soil grower, I'm not much help there, but I'm sure someone will be along to help you.

 

[hrtbrk3n]

I’ve set up drip systems and did DWC when I first started growing but I am back to soil and found that a large reservoir bucket or can 20-30 gallons or bigger with a garden size 3/4” water pump and attach a 3’ watering wand to it works really good. The watering wand has been my best friend they have dials for misting or showering so you don’t overwater stuff and I can do it without having to go inside my area or move pots around. Another reason this works well is because different strains have different water needs sometimes so with 5 strains all at different stages automation isn’t even probable.. I also don’t mix nutrients I top dress my plants according to how they look some get full strength dressings some get 1/2 or 1/4 and then I just plain water. One more tip if you do soil use a wetting agent these help distribute the water more evenly throughout keeping it properly moist and for longer.

 

[freezeland2]

If you are in soil check Blumat

 

[Hgrow4]

For automation, my go to would be some form of hydro.

Sounds like you are a soil grower, I'm not much help there, but I'm sure someone will be along to help you.

I'm a coco grower watering daily.
What type of hydro flood and drain?
Or drip or dwc

 

[Hgrow4]

What is the best feeding/watering system for automation and speed.
Initial cost does not matter nor the time to set it up.
I am hand watering at the moment and it is getting tedious.
Will be for around 20 plants
Please give reasons for your answer

(I am in coco but I forgot to put which hydro system)

 

[PpmOver9000]

I would say some type of top feed system, either a pressurized drip system or just a regular pump with 1/4" spaghetti lines if you're worried about any organics clogging it. Reasoning would be the coco needs consistent dryback cycles throughout the day for better growth, which doesnt happen if you just saturate it fully once a day. But this thread by @Aqua Man will inevitably be posted in here so ill just do it lol. Prob the best read on watering coco on this forum for sure.

HOW TO WATER COCO FOR BEST RESULTS.

Ok writing this cause i see this issue often and rather have a thread to link than explain this each time. This is not my work but a collection of info from many members here and I have put into practice myself. So first off COCO is NOT soil. For best results we want to keep it saturated...

www.thcfarmer.com

 

[PpmOver9000]

if you stalk his profile i remember he had a thread of him building out his system too, maybe he can link it himself because it was a while back if i remember correcly.

 

[Hgrow4]

if you stalk his profile i remember he had a thread of him building out his system too, maybe he can link it himself because it was a while back if i remember correcly.

Sound cheers

 

[TinFoilHat]

I enjoy hand watering coco but maybe I'm just weird...

 

[Moe.Red]

if you stalk his profile i remember he had a thread of him building out his system too, maybe he can link it himself because it was a while back if i remember correcly.

I think this might be the thread:

Aqua’s Hydro systems meet SPIDERFARMER SE 7000

As many of you know @Moe.Red and I have been working on various grow systems to be released in the coming months. Maybe even show a few results of the the system in real time, although much is left to be done still and not everything will be incorporated into this system that will be in the...

www.thcfarmer.com

 

[Moe.Red]

I'm a coco grower watering daily.
What type of hydro flood and drain?
Or drip or dwc

My automation - hands off best fit for you is RDWC. Once it is properly set up, you can go weeks without touching it if that is your thing.

You work with a res that is tied via plumbing to your grow pots, and all the measurements, top offs, aeration, chilling, PH control, etc is done in the res. All of those things can be fully automated if you like.

Add in an AC (mini split) a humidifier and dehumidifier, and some other tidbits and you can just stand back and watch things grow. I never do lol, can't keep my hands off the wheel personally. But as a testament, I recently had some medical issues and was in and out of the hospital for a while. I pretty much abandoned the grow, and I am still going to harvest!

 

[Hgrow4]

My automation - hands off best fit for you is RDWC. Once it is properly set up, you can go weeks without touching it if that is your thing.

You work with a res that is tied via plumbing to your grow pots, and all the measurements, top offs, aeration, chilling, PH control, etc is done in the res. All of those things can be fully automated if you like.

Add in an AC (mini split) a humidifier and dehumidifier, and some other tidbits and you can just stand back and watch things grow. I never do lol, can't keep my hands off the wheel personally. But as a testament, I recently had some medical issues and was in and out of the hospital for a while. I pretty much abandoned the grow, and I am still going to harvest!

Right now I have dialled in my environment and it is fully automated with it all being run off sensors and so on.
So the only thing missing is my watering.
I personally like working with my plants and enjoy it but right now spending at least an hour a day watering is a struggle whilst managing my own business and so forth.
Thanks for the info I appreciate it

 

[Hgrow4]

I enjoy hand watering coco but maybe I'm just weird...

I enjoy watering and enjoy tending to my plants but at the moment I am spending 1-2 hours a day doing this and it is a struggle whilst managing a business.

 

[TinFoilHat]

I enjoy watering and enjoy tending to my plants but at the moment I am spending 1-2 hours a day doing this and it is a struggle whilst managing a business.

Do hempy buckets...I water 5 gals every 3-4 days...I spend like maybe 20 min a week in the room lol

 

[PpmOver9000]

My automation - hands off best fit for you is RDWC. Once it is properly set up, you can go weeks without touching it if that is your thing.

You work with a res that is tied via plumbing to your grow pots, and all the measurements, top offs, aeration, chilling, PH control, etc is done in the res. All of those things can be fully automated if you like.

Add in an AC (mini split) a humidifier and dehumidifier, and some other tidbits and you can just stand back and watch things grow. I never do lol, can't keep my hands off the wheel personally. But as a testament, I recently had some medical issues and was in and out of the hospital for a while. I pretty much abandoned the grow, and I am still going to harvest!

oh yea for sure, for max automation rdwc ftw lol. I was under the impression you're sticking with coco so i suggested some type of drip system. But yea i had an rdwc set up for a bit and literally the only thing i did was tend to my main water tank. super ez and the growth rates were almost TOO fast for me. I just went away from it because i expanded my room and it felt like too much to do a big ass rdwc system.

 

[Hgrow4]

oh yea for sure, for max automation rdwc ftw lol. I was under the impression you're sticking with coco so i suggested some type of drip system. But yea i had an rdwc set up for a bit and literally the only thing i did was tend to my main water tank. super ez and the growth rates were almost TOO fast for me. I just went away from it because i expanded my room and it felt like too much to do a big ass rdwc system.

Sound I'm gonna look into it.
Found an alien one for like £1000 which comes with everything so I might look into that

 

[Moe.Red]

Sound I'm gonna look into it.
Found an alien one for like £1000 which comes with everything so I might look into that

Pretty easy to build your own, but I can't really help you source parts across the pond there. Maybe a pre-built is the way to go.

 

[Hgrow4]

Pretty easy to build your own, but I can't really help you source parts across the pond there. Maybe a pre-built is the way to go.

I'm actually a plumber for work so probably wouldn't be to hard to build my own.
But I just don't know the basis on how it works so may be easier to just buy one