Please, Help With My Ebb & Flow

tmpearson · Nov 15, 2009

I have an ebb & flow system I use for vegging and am having problems with my mothers. What should I keep my mothers in? I tried net pots with hydroton but the roots grew out the sides into the tray and then were exposed to light. I just repotted into solid pots with drain holes and hydroton to contain the roots. Is this the way to go? They don't seem to be doing as well as they were in the net pots. The roots aren't getting as much air. Should I just use net pots and not worry about any roots that grow out of it?

BoosteD · Nov 15, 2009

just fill your tray with hydroton to protect roots from the light.

tmpearson · Nov 15, 2009

BoosteD said:
just fill your tray with hydroton to protect roots from the light.

But then I wont be able to move pots around or veg clones in the tray.

wizard82 · Nov 15, 2009

try a dwc in bucket sprayed black

Philo2 · Nov 15, 2009

I just use regular pots with no issues. I don't see any problem with them getting enough air, with there being so much space between the hydroton.

wizard82 · Nov 15, 2009

don't put hydrotons in the bucket, just an air stoneand water with nutes.

StreetRider · Nov 15, 2009

Make sure you are using atleast 6" pots. Your roots will die back to the rocks. If you keep your plants small they can live in the space in the pots. Try using the square white pots with the wholes in the bottom. They owrk great for SOG. If you want bigger roots you hae to fill your tray.

There is no way to be able to move the plants around and have long roots. I learned that the hard way. If you feed properly and often small root systems can do well.

tea tree · Nov 15, 2009

some ideas. How about letting the roots die and just keeping them like that. After all if they are the mothers you say they are (lol) then with the spanking yu will be giving them they should not mine right.

How about just getting a lowes bubket and a four dollar net pot lid that just fits right on and keeping mothers in those. They can even rest on a flood table if you can fit them in your room.

How about forgetting the change and giving thme some more time with some superthrive. I have just moved a plant into aero from soil and a plant from soil to dwc and it takes a few days. They should do fine. That is a lot of air.

I am thinking about moving them all to ebb and flow for mother keeping like you and veg. Then moving them to dwc for flower using 10 inch net pots in five gallon buckets. If anyone has any ecperience with this I would like a pm. Anyway jorge cervante profiles this lady's garden who does ebb to dwc. Man I ramble.

strangenuggs · Nov 16, 2009

hey bro ...wow what some info... 1. you want your mothers to get huge so you can get plenty of clones off them.. 2. your going to want all the room in your ebb and flood table for your babies or your crop . SO.... 1.get deep water culture bucket system for your mothers if you can afford it. 2. if you cant afford a 500 dollar set up simply take the mothers out of your hydro setup and put them in 5 gallon grow bags in some roots 707 organic and just feed it water for a few weeks .. roots organic has lots of nutrients in it and will burn transplants if you add fertilizer for a month or so.. then add nutrients half strength for a while or just use pro mix which has little food value and feed as directed.but 1/4 strength first week after transplant.then 1/2 strength next week then 3/4 then full.. I keep all my mothers in five gallon grow bags for a few months then move up to 10 gallons as needed . take clones fill ur ez cloner once a week and fill ur 4x4 and do the damn thing proper. have a good one.

tmpearson · Nov 16, 2009

Thanks for the ideas! Maybe i'll look at keeping my mothers separate in the future.

Bob Smith · Nov 16, 2009

tmpearson said:
I have an ebb & flow system I use for vegging and am having problems with my mothers. What should I keep my mothers in? I tried net pots with hydroton but the roots grew out the sides into the tray and then were exposed to light. I just repotted into solid pots with drain holes and hydroton to contain the roots. Is this the way to go? They don't seem to be doing as well as they were in the net pots. The roots aren't getting as much air. Should I just use net pots and not worry about any roots that grow out of it?

The roots are getting plenty of air, you're fine.

I have plants in two gallon "regular" pots with hydroton and they're fine.

Got any pics? Also, what makes you say "they're not doing as well"?

How often are you flooding? PPM/pH?

All of the below plants are doing fine in "regular pots" - hydroton (IMHO) is the best medium for E&F because of the oxygen provided to the roots.

View attachment 622054 View attachment 622055 View attachment 622056

tmpearson · Nov 16, 2009

Those are the exact pots I am using Bob! How high do you flood up the side of yours? I flood for 15min at a time and it only reaches about 2" up. Does the water touch the rockwool inside (if you use it)? I think I planted my rockwool cube to high in the pot and when I flood the water doesn't get high enough to water the roots properly. I don't think the roots have had a chance to grow far enough down in the pot. I notice that some of your plants are only using the bottom half of the pot. Do you pull them out and add more hydroton when they get bigger?

BoosteD · Nov 16, 2009

Bob Smith · Nov 17, 2009

tmpearson said:
Those are the exact pots I am using Bob! How high do you flood up the side of yours? I flood for 15min at a time and it only reaches about 2" up. Does the water touch the rockwool inside (if you use it)? I think I planted my rockwool cube to high in the pot and when I flood the water doesn't get high enough to water the roots properly. I don't think the roots have had a chance to grow far enough down in the pot. I notice that some of your plants are only using the bottom half of the pot. Do you pull them out and add more hydroton when they get bigger?

I flood for 10 minutes on every even hour (12, 2, 4, etc.) - the water level gets to about 4-5" up the side of the netpot, and would get higher save for my overflow valve.

I don't use rockwool, just go right from my DIY bubble cloner straight into the hydroton.

Not planning on adding anymore hydroton to any of the pots - they're too big as they are, honestly - going with 64 6" square pots for my next run.

Also, there's an interesting contrast in my journal (last post) showing the difference between my clone's roots which have reached the flood zone and those that need some more time - kinda interesting, you should check it out.

Please, Help With My Ebb & Flow

tmpearson

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BoosteD

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tmpearson

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wizard82

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Philo2

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wizard82

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StreetRider

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tea tree

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strangenuggs

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tmpearson

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Bob Smith

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tmpearson

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BoosteD

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Bob Smith

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