Rack to hold flowering plants, drainage and autofeed???

[MeJuana]

I run an aero nft system because it is so convenient but I have always had a dirt plant along side during flower, at least one. Happening across CoCo coir and being hydro oriented I quickly figured out how awesome CoCo is, 0 transplant shock, can not over water (you can get gnats tho), almost impossible to shock them unless you don't water or you burn.. Almost the same growth as hydro or maybe it is even.. Ok but the problem is the convienance how do I make a rack to set them off the floor and a collection system for using in flower.. With a drainage plan that I can wash out so no mold.. I can figure out the reservoir and the feeding system I seen great pictures. If anyone can point me to something really awesome that would be kind. I can build it but I am not a designer.

My room is 8x5 feet basically, 2000w, CO2, perfect humidity..

 

[MeJuana]

Ok well does anyone actually lift up flowering plants, sit them on a drain thing and hand water an entire room? If so hows that working out, isn't it the death sentence I think it will be? I am planning on about 20 plants in there.

 

[leadsled]

5 gallon top hat pots can sit directly in 3.5 or 5 gallon bucket and allow to drain into the bucket. The sides are slighly wider in size towards the top o the pot. That allows the pot to sit inside the bucket and leave some room for drainage.

You can setup a sump pump or just empty the buckets by hand. 5 gallon buckets will allows a few feedings.

or go with hempy buckets.

otherwise if you got the $$ can get dutch trays and res or buckets to catch the run off. Those dutch trays are smaller than the setup of trays on tables with res for the drains. (3x3 2x4 4x4 4x8 etc are some trays sizes)

could fit smaller pots in a dutch tray.

The standard for dirt/soiless, pot in saucers is a pain in the ass, a shop vac helps because you can suck the extra water from saucers. Problem being coco needs more runoff that soil so saucers are not large enough.

imho, you can over water some types of pith coco, it is a forgiving medium.

Hope that helps, to hold trays can use see saws or build tables. I made some tables out of metal with wheels so I can move em around. for tables for hydro tray ideas check out west coast growers dot com

p.s here is what the top hat pot looks lie

 

[MeJuana]

Awesome thanks, explained perfectly too I understand 100%.

 

[Crysmatic]

with 2kw lighting, you can easily use 4x8...which doesn't leave much space to walk in your room! get a bigger room :) 1 plant/sq.ft with 3 gal pots works very well.

mdizzle uses 80% chunky perlite and 20% coir. the % coir depends on how much they drink, and how big the pot is. if you're auto watering, you just adjust the schedule. janus uses 100% perlite and runs drippers 24/7 in a recirc setup. i've seen dtw systems that were watered every 3-4 days, with obvious nute issues, and still produce 1 g/w. i don't feel that watering frequency is critical. i still think dtw is superior to recirc, however, recirc gives you feedback on optimum ec.

have you read this?


you can make a box with 2x4, plywood and pool liner. set it on cinder blocks at a comfortable height. a 4x4 e&f tray is ribbed to prevent stagnant pools, and comes with a drain.

btw, what is 'perfect' humidity? how's everything going?

 

[Bud Spleefman]

.......how do I make a rack to set them off the floor and a collection system for using in flower.. With a drainage plan that I can wash out so no mold.. I can figure out the reservoir and the feeding system I seen great pictures. If anyone can point me to something really awesome that would be kind. I can build it but I am not a designer.

My room is 8x5 feet basically, 2000w, CO2, perfect humidity..

The link in my signature is a drain to waste as you describe, I am using #5 pots in Dutch Leach Trays sideways on a concrete mixing tub (Home Depot, $12.00) and a 2" PVC Stand...... empty the tubs every 4 or 5 days....

 

[CelticEBE]

I had 2kw over a 8x4 table. I cut out holes for the pots and then put buckets under the pots.