Building a Drip System - Need Advice

Mr Green Man · #1 05-29-2008, 02:22 PM

Hi,

This is not my first hydroponic grow.

I have decided to build a little drip system for my next grow.
I have nearly everything I need and I'm trying not to spend any more money, I don't mind spending a little, but no big investments.

I will be doing experaments in a couple of days, but some grown infomation would be great.

I'm wondering about the drip part of this set up.

Can I just plug my pump into a hose pipe, and make holes in it where i want the water to come out?

Or

Do I have to use a manfold?

I'm growing in perlight and was thinking run to waste.

Would it be possible to use a small tray under each pot that would act like a small Rez, this way I would only water once a day.

Or

Would I just be better off, no Tray and watering more offten.

I gess my plants will tell me how often to water them, but any advice would be great.

Mr Green Man · #2 05-29-2008, 02:24 PM

Oh, and I'm thinking that it will be more of a watering than a dripping type system.

VictorVIcious · #3 05-29-2008, 06:41 PM

Any system other tahn run too waste will need a method of returning the water back to a reservoir. Flood and drain is much easier than drip systems are. For either one you need a pump and water lines. If you insist on drip system, then yes you would run 1/2" to the end of were your plants are, poke holes in it, and put individual 1/4" lines from there to each plant. Connectors for these are avaiable at hydro shops and the big box stores. VV

ghengiskhan · #4 05-29-2008, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VictorVIcious

Any system other tahn run too waste will need a method of returning the water back to a reservoir. Flood and drain is much easier than drip systems are. For either one you need a pump and water lines. If you insist on drip system, then yes you would run 1/2" to the end of were your plants are, poke holes in it, and put individual 1/4" lines from there to each plant. Connectors for these are avaiable at hydro shops and the big box stores. VV

Why do you say ebb n flow is easier than drip? Just curious cause I built a drip system cause it required less labor on my part. Took me about.. 15 minutes to put together and the parts were around $50. Right now it's only made for 4 plants, but can be modified very easily to accomodate more.

OP: It kinda sounds like you want to make a self watering hempy bucket system.

Mr Green Man · #5 05-30-2008, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghengiskhan

OP: It kinda sounds like you want to make a self watering hempy bucket system.

Yep, That's what I was doing, but then When I had brought all the equipment I realised I pretty much had a drip system.

I don't know that much about drippers as I never thought that I would grow that way.

I have a good water pump. 60Lpm. and Trays for drainage, it's not difficult to make it drain back to the rez. I would love to go ebb and flow, but can't dure to the fact that I can't find a big tray at the moment.
I actly really need them beacuse I want to make a Recerulating DWC system for next winter.

Any ways. Rambaling.

At the moment I'm hand watering. So I am letting the trays fill up, they hold water enough water to keep the plant going for 34 hours, 48 at a push. The plants are still quite small so i'm thinking they will need water more offten soon.

The reson for diing this is that it would add a bigger buffer. But I also think that there would be less air in the root space.

VictorVIcious · #6 05-30-2008, 04:43 AM

Innorder to move a plant in a drip system you will have to remove the dripper and place it out of the way then move that plant, remove the dripper from the plant you are going to trade places with move that plant and then put the drippers back. I could have moved all four plants in less time. In addition to that you will need to remove the drippers and place then in some plain white vinegar every week to remove the debris that builds up in them. VV

Mr Green Man · #7 05-30-2008, 06:34 AM

Yes.

But thats why i'm thinking more of a ortamated watering system. The water in the tray lasts, at the moment around 18 hours, but as the plants get bigger i'm gessing a lot less.

What I'm thinking of is, every few hours (Depending on how fast they are drinking) a load of water will flow round the system, enough to fill all the trays (Any over-flow will run back to the Rez or to waste).

So I gess, it's miss labled when I say drip it's not really a drip atle.

I was thinking of making a Manafold out of a 4 liter water bottle. Water will be pumped in the top. At the bottom of the bottle there will be a load of small pipes that run strait to the pots.
This will make moving and inspecting plants easy. and if I want to remove a plant all teagather I just place that pipe back into the rez, easy.

What do you guys think to this plan?

VictorVIcious · #8 05-30-2008, 07:16 AM

I think the only way you will understand it its to just do it. What medium are you using that is supposed to have water in it all the time? VV

TetraHyC · #9 05-30-2008, 07:42 AM

I've been using drip, on/off for some time, its easy, right now I using my drip system for single pass watering, coco.

Heres a recirculating system feeding rockwool.

I don't like emitters, they clog, these drip stakes do not clog easy, to clean my drip system I hook it up to a hot water hose coming from the sink,blasts them clean in a heart beat.

I use a 250GPH fountain pump

Mr Green Man · #10 05-30-2008, 08:59 AM

I'm growing in perlight.

It doesn't seem to hold much water, Soon after the trys dry out, the plants start to wilt.

If it's an auto watering system, then It is okay to have it watering more offten without the trays, I'm only using the trays at the moment beacuse, I am watering by hand, we are only talking about 1cm of water at the bottom of the pot, It takes around 9 hours before it is gone and about 5 hours after that the plants are starting to look like they need anouther drink. Considering they are only quite small at the moment, this is a lot of water.

But anyway. Scrap that idea, If I bother to set up a self watering system There is no reason why it can't water the garden 3 or 4 times a day, That is the piont after all.

So.

These dripers. Why are they nesaccry. the only reason I can think of is it's a pressure thing? They keep the water pressuer even thoughout the system alowing each plant to get the same amount of water?

If this is the only reason I think I can make something myself. I love DIY.