ok i am using a homemade drip system using rockwool as my grow medium. my question is how long do i run my timer to pump the water for the drip system? does it drip 24 hours a day? or how does it work? how often do i turn on the drip system to water my rock wool?

I have the same question. I'm on my first grow and using a drip system. I've been on this site before and had my head ripped off for asking a question that was already posted or in the FAQ. I've been cruising the site for 4 days and gotten some really good info. Everyone seems to be able to tell me what to do, but no one goes into any real detail as to the actual process'. Also to add to the question, when do I intoduce my seedlings to the drip system?

Ok you have a diy drip system.What size is it ,how big are the rockwool cubic,I'am guessing they are cubic.One thing how long dose it take for the rockwool to dry out.Than you can set up the timer.Give us a run down on what you got so we can help you better.Check out FAQ at the top of the page it has a ton of infor there. Peace

I wont tear off the head. How old are they and what are they in now?If you want help you got to give us some infor about your system and what you are doing to grow in it.Its hard to tell you something not knowing.Tell you anwser and it kills your plants that kind of thing. PEACE

four days old, in rockwool now. I have the simplest drip system I could come up with.
Thank you for any help.My babies are 2 inches tall and the tap root is just poking out of the bottom of my 1 x 1 rockwool cubes. Where do I go from here?

Transplant them into the next larger size rockwool cube to encourage early root development, then into whatever pots you are going to use in the drip system, when the roots break thru again. At that point they will be ready for your drip system. With rock wool in a drip system twice a day at 15 minutes should be sufficient depending on the size of your pump and the gph of the drippers. VV

Just a quick note make sure you check your dripper's everyday cause they clog easily my plants have almost died twice because of the drippers not feeding the plants

I left my drip on all the time. it should drip at a very slow rate and they do clog easily. Wrap some screen (window screening) around your water pump with a trash bag twist and you shouldn't get anymore clogs or just eliminate the whole drip and get a mister/fogger like I did.

I'm not saying that anyone else here is wrong it's just how I work mine. Now a lot of people believe the water is suppose to pour out of the hose, it is not good if this is happening. It should just drip at a nice slow pace.

The other advantage you can use is make sure the drip is under the growcube and on top of the hydroton so the drip is sandwiched, this will also get some more O2 to the root zone. And slowly wet the rockwool without soaking it. Wet rockwool can collapse and if you have seedlings in those cubes it could be fatal.

There is a simpler way to do that. How many plants are you planning on doing? How much room do you have? I like the system but you can do it simpler if that is what you are after. If you want just PM me and I'll help you out with something simple and cheap and it still works great. Also be careful never put water above electricity, an accident is bound to happen.

Dam good advice Gygax about the water over elect.. Never a good idea.

SHit Happens. And this is not how you want it to happen.


I have a question here though. I have no idea about this type of system. But why does he pump it from the lower tank to the higher one?? Why not just pump it from the lower to the drip tubes where you plants are from below?