How long should roots be submerged

Greetings,

I have attempted a few different methods of growing and I have now reached the ebb & flow. I am manually performing the flooding and draining by having net pots in rubbermaid containers and filling them so the solution is flush with the top of the rockwool cubes. The solution sits (stagnant) for 30 minutes and I do this every 3 hours or so. Now that I have had a few days experience with this method I have a few questions.

How long can the roots stay submerged in stagnant water?

Last night I fell asleep while the plants were submerged and woke up to realize the roots have been submerged for 3-4 hours.

Is placing an air stone in the reservoir a must?

Do plants usually drink more water than nutrients?

I see the solution level dropping but the ppms are rising (340 to 380) and the ph is dropping (6.0 to 5.4).

What is the difference between the deep water culture (bubble buckets) and ebb & flow (flood & drain), why would a grower prefer one over the other?

One method periodically soaks the roots in solution while air stone is in reservoir, and the other keeps roots submerged at all times with air stone in the bucket with the roots.

Is nutrient lock-up true or a myth?

Does nutrient solution need to be shaken or re-mixed often?

I have a one gallon jug filled with solution that I gradually feed plants with. Do I need to re shake the jug to mix the nutrients again as if nutrients settle in stagnant water?

All I can think of right now.

Thanks

Wiggla said:

Does nutrient solution need to be shaken or re-mixed often?

Click to expand...

Only one I can answer from experience, Depends on the nutes my MG didn't need a shake, but my cheap ass tomato feed did.

Hope this is *slightly* useful haha

That actually does help a bit. I use GH nutrients which could fall under cheap, but then it may be the most widely used so maybe it's because of the quality or ease of using the product.

Thanks for the contribution