Ebb & Flow Experts!! What Should I Do?!

[fortphoenix]

Hey guys, starting an ebb & flow in 3x6 botanicare trays with 36 plants, plan on cloning 1-2 weeks then vegging 2 weeks (4 weeks from clone to flower) if that helps but i need a couple suggestion on what I should do…

1) I want to clone AND veg in an aerocloner, then flower in the f&d trays but I’m not sure how i can do this. what i want to do but I’m not sure if i can is root in the aerocloner (so i can root with speed) then somehow place the clone in rockrool for veg without stunting/hurting it… and once it was time for flower should i just place it in a 6” rock wool cube. is this possible/productive?

2) what medium do you think would be ideal for my setup if not rock wool??? I’m also thinking about using hydroton in net pots .. once the clone is rooted and ready for veg i can put the plant in a pot with hydroton and once once its time for flower i can put the netcup with the hydroton/plant in a bigger pot with more hydroton

so what you guys think? any help/feedback is hugely appreciated… also! was wondering what you guys would think is ideal for lights 1 1k gavita per table or 2 600w? THANK YOU!!!

 

[happy b]

Im no expert but Youv answred your own question my friend.net pots & hydroton.
have a bit more faith in your own logic.im pretty certain putting bare roots into rock wool would be difficult.the best u could do is get the bigger 6" as you suggested and try and get it in to the hole.i doubt it would stand straight though and it would damage your roots.hydroton will serve you better in this instance i think.

 

[fortphoenix]

Im no expert but Youv answred your own question my friend.net pots & hydroton.
have a bit more faith in your own logic.im pretty certain putting bare roots into rock wool would be difficult.the best u could do is get the bigger 6" as you suggested and try and get it in to the hole.i doubt it would stand straight though and it would damage your roots.hydroton will serve you better in this instance i think.

yeah thats what i was thinking but i kinda just feel like hydroton would be a pain to deal with and clean and Id like to make it work with rock wool if possible. i asked some guy with a youtube channel on youtube and he said to cut/prune the roots and put them in the rockwool and it would take about 2 days for them to bounce back from the shock

 

[jumpincactus]

Im no expert but Youv answred your own question my friend.net pots & hydroton.
have a bit more faith in your own logic.im pretty certain putting bare roots into rock wool would be difficult.the best u could do is get the bigger 6" as you suggested and try and get it in to the hole.i doubt it would stand straight though and it would damage your roots.hydroton will serve you better in this instance i think.

Yea what he said

 

[happy b]

yeah thats what i was thinking but i kinda just feel like hydroton would be a pain to deal with and clean and Id like to make it work with rock wool if possible. i asked some guy with a youtube channel on youtube and he said to cut/prune the roots and put them in the rockwool and it would take about 2 days for them to bounce back from the shock

You could try and put the roots/stem between 2 rockwool cubes and hold em toghether with a tie.

 

[ken dog]

Rockwool will stay drenched... Better to use hydroton.
No need to change net pots... The net pot doesn't matter, it's the size of the roots that exit the net pot that matters.
If you do decide to put it in Rockwool, don't be afraid to soak the rockwool in 5.5 pH water, and break it completely apart and then just put it in pieces inside of the net pot.
The best way, is to use a combination of hydrogen and Rockwool... Fill the pot with hydroton to make sure that the hydroton stays above the water line when the table is flooded, and then put rockwool on top of that, which will stay dry.

 

[ken dog]

Transplanting from the EZ cloner is easy... Just put the long root tail in a circular pattern in the bottom of the net pot and fill it with hydroton and then put pieces of Rockwool on top... or, just use hydroton only.

 

[happy b]

Transplanting from the EZ cloner is easy... Just put the long root tail in a circular pattern in the bottom of the net pot and fill it with hydroton and then put pieces of Rockwool on top... or, just use hydroton only.

I agree ken.hydroton is a better medium than rockwool.i really cant stand rockwool.

 

[Big Hempin]

Hydroton holds water for a long time depending on the depth... Every inch of hydrogen on the table will need to be watered once a week give or take a day or two.. Net pots plus hydrton on the table will give you enough room for your roots to grow at the bottom

 

[ken dog]

I flood my tables for a 1/2 hour every 3 1/2 hours... That gives a 4 hour cycle. So that's 3 1/2 hours drain, 1/2 hour flood.
Day or night, doesn't matter.

 

[fortphoenix]

Rockwool will stay drenched... Better to use hydroton.
No need to change net pots... The net pot doesn't matter, it's the size of the roots that exit the net pot that matters.
If you do decide to put it in Rockwool, don't be afraid to soak the rockwool in 5.5 pH water, and break it completely apart and then just put it in pieces inside of the net pot.
The best way, is to use a combination of hydrogen and Rockwool... Fill the pot with hydroton to make sure that the hydroton stays above the water line when the table is flooded, and then put rockwool on top of that, which will stay dry.

I flood my tables for a 1/2 hour every 3 1/2 hours... That gives a 4 hour cycle. So that's 3 1/2 hours drain, 1/2 hour flood.
Day or night, doesn't matter.

so you keep that cycle 24/7 day and night in flower? and when you put it like that the what the hell is the point of the rockwool? lol I'm also not sure what you mean when you say "Fill the pot with hydroton to make sure that the hydroton stays above the water line when the table is flooded, and then put rockwool on top of that, which will stay dry." are you saying put the netcups in a flood tray with a cover with holes for the net pots so the net pots ar suspended in the air and have the water flood only up to the bottom of the netcups?

 

[fortphoenix]

I agree ken.hydroton is a better medium than rockwool.i really cant stand rockwool.

i was going to run a 3x6 ebb and flow tray, clone/veg 36 plants for 4weeks total (should i train them? i wasn't going too. was just going to take clones/prune a week before flower) in an aerocloner then put them in pots or smartpot of hydroton under either a 1k gavita or 2 600w cooled hps (which do you think would be better?) with the lucas formula... you think it would be relatively easy/possible to get a zip each plant?

 

[happy b]

Im no hydro expert i just know i think hydrotons better than rockwool but its a personal preference.
as to training...it sounds like u already have a plan worked out in your head but youre just a little unsure of yourself.from what youv said so far u seem to have a decent grasp of what your doing.just go for it bud.its the best way to learn.

 

[fortphoenix]

Im no hydro expert i just know i think hydrotons better than rockwool but its a personal preference.
as to training...it sounds like u already have a plan worked out in your head but youre just a little unsure of yourself.from what youv said so far u seem to have a decent grasp of what your doing.just go for it bud.its the best way to learn.

very true, I'm just concerned with how i am going to pull off cloning/ vegging because with the perpetual style I'm trying to do i need to take clones.... off of 2 week old clones

 

[ken dog]

Get an EZ cloner... Or float your cuttings in a water bubbler.

very true, I'm just concerned with how i am going to pull off cloning/ vegging because with the perpetual style I'm trying to do i need to take clones.... off of 2 week old clones

 

[happy b]

I have a turbo kloner which is yhe same as ez cloner.however since buying mine iv realised it can be made for pennies.when i say "made" i mean u can buy a mister/sprayer bar and submersible pump off ebay and put it in a light proof tote with a lid with holes cut out for neoprene inserts.or but one of the cheaper aero clonerz.as long as it sprays water it will work the same as an ez or turbo klone and are much cheaper.

 

[ken dog]

so you keep that cycle 24/7 day and night in flower? and when you put it like that the what the hell is the point of the rockwool? lol I'm also not sure what you mean when you say "Fill the pot with hydroton to make sure that the hydroton stays above the water line when the table is flooded, and then put rockwool on top of that, which will stay dry." are you saying put the netcups in a flood tray with a cover with holes for the net pots so the net pots ar suspended in the air and have the water flood only up to the bottom of the netcups?

In ebb and flow, the trays are empty except for the net pots... The net pots are full of hydroton. Some people put rockwool on top, but if you do, make sure it stays dry. You flood the table for a short period of time, then drain it for a longer period of time... You do this constantly.

If you're going to hang the net pots and add a lid...and keep the tray full of water with an air bubbler, it now becomes deep water culture, not ebb and flow.
if you keep the table full of water and keep the pump on and circulating, it now becomes a recirculating deep water culture.

 

[happy b]

In ebb and flow, the trays are empty except for the net pots... The net pots are full of hydroton. Some people put rockwool on top, but if you do, make sure it stays dry. You flood the table for a short period of time, then drain it for a longer period of time... You do this constantly.

If you're going to hang the net pots and add a lid...and keep the tray full of water with an air bubbler, it now becomes deep water culture, not ebb and flow.
if you keep the table full of water and keep the pump on and circulating, it now becomes a recirculating deep water culture.

In your experience ken which of those methods u mention is more productive?id assume flood and drain(ebb & flow) would be best because its a higher oxygenated environment but im not 100% sure on that.

 

[ken dog]

Recirculating deep water culture gives the most explosive growth.
That said, your equipment seems like it is best suited for Ebb and flow.

 

[JK420]

I cloned in home made Aero buckets and put my clones into 4inch Rockwool cubes. I just let the roots slide naturally into the hole in the cube and then stabilized the clone stem by splitting a upside down Rapid Rooter down the middle so I could slide the stem inside. The plug keeps the clone upright. Hand water the tops, just enough to keep moist, every 2 days for the first week (until roots poke out bottom) and then once a day after. I had to figure out the top watering the hard way. Perfect looking clones had some issues until the roots took hold.

These are at 17 days from planting. Roots are blowing out the bottom of the cubes. I was told to keep uncovered until I put them in their final tables as I vegged this far in one. I got some algae on the tops of the cubes, but H2O2 has kept algae out of the trays. The plants are now covered and roots are spreading along the bottom of the table.