Drip question

[Prestige]

Does anyone have the equation for GPH needed for each hose or something of the sort? Is there a fitting or adapter everyone uses, so that if your pump is oversized, you don't have too strong a stream coming out the end of your drippers?

 

[Pisces]

You can have any size pump you want, so long as you have a pressure release valve in the rez.

I've got a ball valve connected to mine so I can regulate the flow to the lines but does Not act as a shut off valve.
In fact, I just leave it partially open and Never touch it. It just stays as is.

With the valve partially open, it diverts some of the water supply away from the irrigation system and releases it back to the rez.

 

[Prestige]

I see, I see. Thank you, very helpful. I have been looking all over for info like that.

Would you happen to be of Pisces Genetics?

 

[Pisces]

No problem… so to give you a better picture.

My pump is sitting on the bottom of my rez.

coming from that pump is a 3/4" line which it is then "T'd" off with a 3/4" barbed plastic "T".

On the end of that "T", is a ball valve which again, is left partially open to divert the water flow back into the rez.

On the end of that Ball Valve, I connected a short piece of PVC so that the pump created a mixing effect.

Whats Awesome about this, is that I never have to manually mix or stir my Nutes together with a paddle.

Instead it mixes everything for me! No more back breaking work!

As for your other question…. No, I am not affiliated with Pisces Genetics.

 

[Prestige]

That is such a good idea. Much thanks for sharing! Man, a couple of bubblers AND swirling water?!? I'm going to have such aerated, o2 enriched water!

 

[Prestige]

What a little golden nugget of info! If you have any other suggestions/tips or tricks, please do share.

I'm going to run a recirculating drip system on tables. Using 3 gal airpots and coco. Thinking about either going straight coco or coco cut with something for better aeration in the root zone, so the roots can breath a bit better.

 

[Pisces]

When I ran coco with irrigation, what I would do is layer the bottom of the pot with 100% perlite, then fill with coco, then add a layer of perlite just over the top of the coco.

This will battle fungus gnats and also allows the for plenty of aeration and also allows the nutes to fully penetrate the root zone

Also, Fwiw, I wouldn't recirculate with coco… I never seen anyone have continuous good results with this method.

Coco can be like a sponge sometimes and won't easily let go of certain nutes, which in turn, can create problems such as salt build up in the root zone.

DTW with plenty of runoff every single watering is the way to go imvho.
Some may diagree… but this is Key to producing beautiful lush plants with no deficiencies!

 

[Prestige]

If I could, I would do a DTW, but I don't have a place to drain, lol. Like there is no plumbing in the flower room.

If you HAD to do a recirculating drip setup, how would you go about it? Lots of drip clean? I know DTW is the preferred method, but I just don't see it being practical for my situation. I have plenty of time to monitor everything. There has to be a way around this, right? Am I just in denial?

Any advice you have is much appreciated.

 

[Pisces]

If you HAD to do a recirculating drip setup, how would you go about it?

I'd either change mediums or go RDWC

hell, you could even just lay down some pond liner, leave a little extra on all sides and staple it to the wall crating a "pool" or one big ass bucket, and then have a nice sized shop vac next to you while watering and suck it all up while watering.
Ive seen this done and it works!

not trying to be nosey, but is this going to be for a larger type grow or just a closet style?
If the latter, why not elevate a table and collect underneath with a catch tray?

Is the home raised in any way or is built on a slab?

If raised, you could easily drill a small 1/2 hole through the floor and run pvc through it and then lead that away from the home.

We have a grey water pipe under my grow so I just tapped into that and T'd it off… so now it all just drains far away from the house.

 

[Prestige]

It's a sizable one, nothing compared to some other ones, but big enough to the point where hauling-out the waste every week or so would be totally impractical.

I'm thinking maybe I can hook-up a second pump that runs the waste outside, into the shrubs and trees and whatnot. Just take the pump from waste bucket to waste bucket every week or so?

A friend of mine who has really helped me along the way says that Grodan blocks are the way to go with this setup, but I just love Coco and am not familiar with rockwool at all.

 

[OGONLY]

I like coco more than Grodan rockwool blocks any day.

I dtw in coco and just drain from a tray to a 5 gallon bucket. Every couple days empty the bucket. Sure there are easier ways but sometimes they are not feasible.

Don't recirc in coco. Go with what works and works well. Dtw.

 

[Pisces]

I'm thinking maybe I can hook-up a second pump that runs the waste outside, into the shrubs and trees and whatnot. Just take the pump from waste bucket to waste bucket every week or so?

This is actually what I was also going to suggest but forgot to….. I did this years ago and it worked really really well.
Just be sure to have a back up pump laying around "Just In Case" one goes out while watering. that'd suck ass.

Grodan RW Croutons is the ONLY way to go IMVHO!!!
And IMO, soil, promix, Coco, and perlite Hempy Buckets cannot even come close in comparison.

I know there are going to be a lot of people here that are going to read this and say Fuck this guy, I grow in (one of the mediums listed above) and I Always get Awesome results! Who the hell does this guy Pisces think he is? :)

Again, just my own experience and humble opinion.
I've tried all those mediums above in the past, and I do have to admit that coco beat them all but once I seen with my own eyes from growers who's tech I copied, there's just No way I'll ever go back.

Water once a day, everyday, throughout the entire cycle. Whether on irrigation or just plain top feeding.
RW comes clean right out of the bag so No bugs, pests, mold, spores etc like you can get from other mediums.

I swear I need to start a thread here..

 

[Prestige]

Ah, the hydro store guy was trying to push those on me for a minute.

They work well? Even with little to no experience with RW?

 

[Prestige]

I like coco more than Grodan rockwool blocks any day.

I dtw in coco and just drain from a tray to a 5 gallon bucket. Every couple days empty the bucket. Sure there are easier ways but sometimes they are not feasible.

Don't recirc in coco. Go with what works and works well. Dtw.

I don't see that being practical or feesible for me, tho. A 5 gallon bucket will be too small, so I have to use a big bin, something short and I would need one for EACH table. I don't want the neighbors seeing me dumping out giant buckets of water every couple of days. Everything is legal, but HOA community.

 

[Pisces]

RW Croutons is by far the Easiest medium to work with…Especially with No experience!

All you Literally have to do is place plant in pot, fill with croutons, and water once a day with nutes.

I don't Ever use any additives or amendments of any kind with my nutes... no need at all!

Just silica, cal-mag, and base nutes added to RO …...in that order respectively!

I use the silica because it's good for the plants, but it also adjusts the PH and brings it up where I want it before feeding the plants.

So never any reason to use PH adjusters either.

 

[Prestige]

It looks like I just have to go with RW. No way around it.

 

[Prestige]

This is more or less what I wanted to do, lol.