Ebb/flow Water Levels, Flood Times And Drainage.

[ReeferChief]

I am growing in a 3x3 tray that is 7'' deep. I have it filled halfway with 95L of Hydroton.

How high should I flood the tray? I am guessing just enough to float the pellets but not see the water coming through so maybe about an inch from the top layer?

My tray is on a table which I have slanted slightly to improve drainage. The problem now is that it seems to flood much quicker in the front of the tray than the back. Is this a problem I should be concerned with?

My flood/drain times also seem much quicker than what I have seen suggested. It only takes about a minute or two to flood the tray and about 5-10 to drain. Am I flooding too fast? I think I can adjust the pump to a lower GPH.

Thanks guys!

 

[907debow1234]

Not a pro in this medium but I know table should be pretty flat. Bust out level. Drain time an flood not too important. . What is critical is keeping roots wet. So maybe watch an see how they look general after drain they look too dry, an use that for base marker of time. It's about wet an dry over and over. At least that was my experience. Hope this helps

 

[ReeferChief]

Thank you for the advice. I am curious about the fill height because most trays i saw were only 3-4'' high. I don't know if I should worry about filling it all the way with another 40L of hydroton... that stuff has not been fun to clean.

I am also looking into water and my tap is about 125ppm. Do you guys think that is low enough to use or do I need to RO/source elsewhere? I would prefer to invest in an RO system after my first successful grow.

 

[PhatNuggz]

Instead of all that messy hydroton, which BTW, if you have a sick plant (or males), not easy to remove , and when you do, you have dead roots in the tray= no bueno

Instead get something like air pots or ~ 6-10" net pots ad fill them with ornamental stones. They are clean and easy to remove to use over and over

You might top feed using hydro halo rings

 

[ReeferChief]

I am using feminized seeds so not worried about a male. The seeds are autoflowering so I read it is best to start them in the same container you will finish it. I am trying to follow this SCROG grow: https://www.thcfarmer.com/community...bb-flow-table-daily-fotoreport-39-days.57142/

Those rocks are a great idea! I figured roots needed something smaller to grow around but those definitely look easier to clean. :)