Switching From Soil To Hydroponics

Vonkins · Aug 14, 2018

I've been growing using earth juice for some time now. I'm getting tired of getting dirt everywhere, hand watering, and not being able to use trellis cause of the hand watering and moving plants around. Im interested in the faster growth and the possibility to increase yield. Dont know if ebb and flow or rdwc would be for me. So heres were my questions come in. I could eliminate my trellis issue fairly easy by just setting plants in place and install the trellis. Instead of having to move buckets I can purchase a long watering wand, flow meter. I currently have a water pump, so just use hose and fittings and now i can water without moving plants. But I'm interested in the fast growth and yield. Is it true that both will noticeably increase once the rdwc is dialed in.
Ok I grow in one large room 13 by 13 that has an enclosed 4 by 8 room. The 4 by 8 is for flower and the rest of room is used for veg and hanging plants to dry. How do I veg/prep plants for the flower buckets? Obviously I cant veg in dirt anymore. Do I have to build an rdwc just for vegging? If so I will just stick with my dirt and water wand idea. I really dont want to build 2 rdwc setups. Any ideas guys. Will the difference in veg times and final yield be worth all this change? And of course I wont be hand watering and I'll be using trellis netting.

Vonkins · Aug 14, 2018

Check out this silly idea I came up with. Connect all buckets like normal with the drain hose at the bottom. Heres the change I came up with. My water pump has a 5/8 fitting on top, so run a 5/8 PVC line down the center teeing off to each bucket. Run the PVC inside each bucket capped off. Add several 360 sprayers on that PVC. No ebbing and flowing or airstones in each bucket. Just make sure the main reservoir is bubbling like crazy. Would this work. I guess it would being aeroponics and not rdwc or maybe both.

Vonkins · Aug 15, 2018

No one?

OldManRiver · Aug 16, 2018

I am a little stoned and struggling to follow your post. I have grown hydro for a very long time. In a well designed system, there is no wand. Feeding the plants is automagic. This is easy, so if the solution you are considering doesn't do it, it sux rox.

Vonkins · Aug 16, 2018

OldManRiver said:
I am a little stoned and struggling to follow your post. I have grown hydro for a very long time. In a well designed system, there is no wand. Feeding the plants is automagic. This is easy, so if the solution you are considering doesn't do it, it sux rox.

Basically is hydro that much better than soil that it would be worth my time and money to revamp my flower and veg setup

donweed · Aug 16, 2018

Vonkins said:
Basically is hydro that much better than soil that it would be worth my time and money to revamp my flower and veg setup

Im considering the same... was looking at building my own RDWC system.

OldManRiver · Aug 16, 2018

Vonkins said:
Basically is hydro that much better than soil that it would be worth my time and money to revamp my flower and veg setup

Personally, I strongly prefer hydro for indoors. If you know what you are doing, I think its easy and fewer problems than soil. Its easier to get excelent results in hydro than soil, IMHO.

scubascrog · Aug 16, 2018

so I would set up 2 equal rooms, since you dont need more room to veg than you do to flower in rdwc. you are going to want to not rip them out. im doing coco side by side with rdwc and i can say rdwc all the fucking way.
. I'd go 2 inch bulkhead fittings on square buckets I am already clogging my 1.5 inch pvc tubes, I have to manhandle my roots out of my tubes once a week to prevent overflowing.... I used the big disk air stones and it creates an obstruction when the roots wrap around it right in front of my pvc pipe ends. , if you are construction minded uni-seals work just fine, just takes more attention when SANDING your holes open and dont shove the pipe in too much. ;)

i'd do 8 buckets in a 4x8 with a 700gph water pump and 2 700gph air pumps.

my DIY system is pretty nice check it out https://www.thcfarmer.com/community...is-head-4xrdwc-6xdtw-6x9-led-perpetual.95538/

scubascrog · Aug 16, 2018

I know since you are wanting to clone properly instead of going from seed the entire time, but with a drain tray with clones in rockwool when you are prepping a room up is basically all you need. you will get a little ahead on your schedule if you let roots pop out of your cubes before transplanting them to the net pot lids. I'd keep the room for clones and the big area to flower IMO :)

Vonkins · Aug 16, 2018

scubascrog said:
so I would set up 2 equal rooms, since you dont need more room to veg than you do to flower in rdwc. you are going to want to not rip them out. im doing coco side by side with rdwc and i can say rdwc all the fucking way.
. I'd go 2 inch bulkhead fittings on square buckets I am already clogging my 1.5 inch pvc tubes, I have to manhandle my roots out of my tubes once a week to prevent overflowing.... I used the big disk air stones and it creates an obstruction when the roots wrap around it right in front of my pvc pipe ends. , if you are construction minded uni-seals work just fine, just takes more attention when SANDING your holes open and dont shove the pipe in too much. ;)

i'd do 8 buckets in a 4x8 with a 700gph water pump and 2 700gph air pumps.

my DIY system is pretty nice check it out https://www.thcfarmer.com/community...is-head-4xrdwc-6xdtw-6x9-led-perpetual.95538/

What kind of yield are u getting from 8 buckets? I have 20 ladies in 5 gallon buckets in my 4x8 and I get over 3 lbs every 9-10 wks with soil and EJ

scubascrog · Aug 16, 2018

I am running 4 buckets and 7 dtw right now, in a 9x6 but its a 4x8 canopy.. first run like this setup so I'll let you know. all i know is the growth is EXPLOSIVE definitely looking at over 2 with this style lighing. pretty new so I gotta see what it can do.
I'm saving a shit ton of electricity not running ac in the middle of summer though!!!!!
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community...w-6x9-led-perpetual.95538/page-7#post-2172347

Vonkins · Aug 16, 2018

OldManRiver said:
Personally, I strongly prefer hydro for indoors. If you know what you are doing, I think its easy and fewer problems than soil. Its easier to get excelent results in hydro than soil, IMHO.

How many rdwc buckets could possibly be setup in a 4x8

scubascrog · Aug 16, 2018

Vonkins said:
How many rdwc buckets could possibly be setup in a 4x8

8 with absolutely no walking room

Vonkins · Aug 16, 2018

scubascrog said:
8 with absolutely no walking room

If I switched to rdwc I dont see myself getting 6oz per plant to match the soil. Even though I'm doing 20 to your 8 but that's what fits easily in my 4x8. I could squeeze 25 to 30. Then I would have a total SOG, with no breathing room. I like to give my gals some room so they can spread them wings.

scubascrog · Aug 16, 2018

scubascrog · Aug 16, 2018

This is 4 plants, I didn't even throw a scrog net up to spread them out. 4x4 of your 4x8 right there

Vonkins · Aug 16, 2018

scubascrog said:
This is 4 plants, I didn't even throw a scrog net up to spread them out. 4x4 of your 4x8 right thereView attachment 823431

Looks great

OldManRiver · Aug 17, 2018

Vonkins said:
How many rdwc buckets could possibly be setup in a 4x8

I'd use six

Vonkins · Aug 17, 2018

Just harvested a small girl. Probably 2.5ft tall. Looks like 2 zips ez when dry, at least 1.5. I guess I will stick with soil cause I'm good at it and I'm getting great results. I guess I will just deal with hand watering as long as I keep getting good results. Got a few 3.5 ft skywalker ogs. Probably 2.5 zips on each, 2 minimal.

OldManRiver · Aug 17, 2018

Vonkins said:
Just harvested a small girl. Probably 2.5ft tall. Looks like 2 zips ez when dry, at least 1.5. I guess I will stick with soil cause I'm good at it and I'm getting great results. I guess I will just deal with hand watering as long as I keep getting good results. Got a few 3.5 ft skywalker ogs. Probably 2.5 zips on each, 2 minimal.

I got eight oz off of a 30 in by 30 in scrog in hydro last time. Two plants.

Switching From Soil To Hydroponics

Switching From Soil To Hydroponics

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