Possible to use perlite for a flood and drain system.

Building a flood and drain system this week. Mother plant is in 70%perlite and 30% soilessmix. Cloning end of week. once the clones root will I be able to put them in pots with perlite and Soiless mix or should I just go with hydroton

Madagascar said:

Building a flood and drain system this week. Mother plant is in 70%perlite and 30% soilessmix. Cloning end of week. once the clones root will I be able to put them in pots with perlite and Soiless mix or should I just go with hydroton

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Perlite
Superheated volcanic silicous rock
Origin: Produced worldwide but now mostly in China.
How much: $45 3 cu. ft.)
Reusable: Yes
pH: Neutral
CEC: Low AFP: High-medium WHC: Medium
Pros: Lightweight, readily-available, great for rooting cuttings, inert, chemically stable.
Cons: Has no buffering qualities, leaches nutrient easily and tends to float when flooded
Irrigation: Manual top-feed, Drip, ebb/flow and aeroponics?Nutrient Requirements: Naturally Inert medium, suits most hydroponic nutrient solutions.
Usage notes: Perlite is available in many grades. 4-12mm is most common for horticulture. Perlite can be used alone or amended into coir, vermiculite, peat moss, or soil mixes to improve aeration/drainage. A 50/50 mix of perlite and vermiculite is ideal for rooting most cuttings."

http://www.just4growers.com/stream/growing-media/growing-media-101.aspx

Diatomaceous Earth



A sedimentary rock made from fossilized remains of diatomsOrigin: Worldwide
How much: $55 (40 litres)
Reusable: Yes
pH: Neutral
CEC: Medium AFP: High WHC: Medium-low
Pros: Does not roll, contains silica, sterile (but harbors beneficials well), holds more water than clay pebbles
Cons: Heavy weight; releases sediment
Irrigation: Ebb/flow, drip, DWC, aeroponics
Nutrient Requirements: No special requirements. Diatomite contains silica, which is absorbed into plant tissue and helps improve plant structure and resistance to pests / diseases
Usage notes: Prewash, as sediment may clog drippers. Many growers mix it with hydroton; this makes for improved air / water ratio. Also acts as a good killer of soil dwelling pests.


And this stuff slices bugs to ribbons when they crawl on it. Doesn't bother flying critter but no root aphids or any other sub-surface crap. Just wash it well with clear warm water until it runs clear in the rinse. Same with pumice.

hotrodharley said:

Perlite
Superheated volcanic silicous rock
Origin: Produced worldwide but now mostly in China.
How much: $45 3 cu. ft.)
Reusable: Yes
pH: Neutral
CEC: Low AFP: High-medium WHC: Medium
Pros: Lightweight, readily-available, great for rooting cuttings, inert, chemically stable.
Cons: Has no buffering qualities, leaches nutrient easily and tends to float when flooded
Irrigation: Manual top-feed, Drip, ebb/flow and aeroponics?Nutrient Requirements: Naturally Inert medium, suits most hydroponic nutrient solutions.
Usage notes: Perlite is available in many grades. 4-12mm is most common for horticulture. Perlite can be used alone or amended into coir, vermiculite, peat moss, or soil mixes to improve aeration/drainage. A 50/50 mix of perlite and vermiculite is ideal for rooting most cuttings."

http://www.just4growers.com/stream/growing-media/growing-media-101.aspx

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hotrodharley you are a treasure trove of knowledge dude, i am sooooo glad you are here.

thewanderer718 said:

hotrodharley you are a treasure trove of knowledge dude, i am sooooo glad you are here.

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Don't ever rely on just what I might say. I like posting actual reliable sources so folks can read and decide. Wish the net had been around when I bought my first hydro setup off High Times in 82. "Grow Hydroponically! Huge yields!"

My $400 kit was two big trays like cat boxes. A big bag of red lava for a BBQ grill and a frigging HUGE street light with a hot ass magnetic ballast that weighed over 50# and a street light reflector like hangs over parking lots (or used to). A few little bottles of nutes and some vague instructions. This was in south central Colorado where it took forever to order something and have it show up. Man did I start reading. A few spectacular failures wasting time and money. I vowed them to wise up.

Perlite floats all over the place.....Not good for Ebb....

DE, I never mixed it with hydroton.....Most of the DE available around here then was prone to turning to mush.

I always found Grodan (Rockwool) cubes on slabs as perfect for tray based ebb growing.

Later I tried small smart pots and coco/perlite. That worked well too but, I still liked the rockwool better!

Doc

Thanks for your info Harley. Always lend a helping hand.
My perlite is extra chunky it says and in pots with holes at the bottom when I build my flood and drain I can put filters on top of the drains so perlite won't clog it?

Madagascar said:

Thanks for your info Harley. Always lend a helping hand.
My perlite is extra chunky it says and in pots with holes at the bottom when I build my flood and drain I can put filters on top of the drains so perlite won't clog it?

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The floating problem translates to the plant and it's roots in the pot too.....at least till the plant gets heavy enough to hold it's self and the pot/perlite steady in fill mode.

Madagascar said:

Thanks for your info Harley. Always lend a helping hand.
My perlite is extra chunky it says and in pots with holes at the bottom when I build my flood and drain I can put filters on top of the drains so perlite won't clog it?

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Dr. Who just explained the possible problem with that.

hotrodharley said:

Dr. Who just explained the possible problem with that.

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Yeah it's a heart breaker to walk into your room and find all your plants have fallen out of the pots or over big time......poor little transplants all tried to be sucked away by the big bad drain......I didn't do it but, my neighbor did. even after being told "Don't do that that way"....LOL

Doc

hotrodharley said:

Don't ever rely on just what I might say. I like posting actual reliable sources so folks can read and decide. Wish the net had been around when I bought my first hydro setup off High Times in 82. "Grow Hydroponically! Huge yields!"

My $400 kit was two big trays like cat boxes. A big bag of red lava for a BBQ grill and a frigging HUGE street light with a hot ass magnetic ballast that weighed over 50# and a street light reflector like hangs over parking lots (or used to). A few little bottles of nutes and some vague instructions. This was in south central Colorado where it took forever to order something and have it show up. Man did I start reading. A few spectacular failures wasting time and money. I vowed them to wise up.

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Did you eventually catch on?

Demetrius Powell said:

Did you eventually catch on?

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Oh yeah. Nothing produces like hydro. Simple DWC really pulls the bud. You can maintin your feed EC and pH fairly easily staying clean.

hotrodharley said:

Oh yeah. Nothing produces like hydro. Simple DWC really pulls the bud. You can maintin your feed EC and pH fairly easily staying clean.

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I'm really debating between rockwool mini cubes and perlite

OP, ask yourself "What is Perlite made from?" Now put that in an environment where it is being soaked 3-4 times a day @ an acidic pH. do you really want to risk that? I use polished ornamental gravel/stones, which provide plenty of space in between for roots to grow and anchor while providing a bit of nutrient in the crevices to keep the roots moist between floods

In the picture I have pulled the rootball from the stones

PetFlora said:

OP, ask yourself "What is Perlite made from?" Now put that in an environment where it is being soaked 3-4 times a day @ an acidic pH. do you really want to risk that? I use polished ornamental gravel/stones, which provide plenty of space in between for roots to grow and anchor while providing a bit of nutrient in the crevices to keep the roots moist between floods

In the picture I have pulled the rootball from the stones

View attachment 4204369

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Actually you can use perlite

PetFlora said:

OP, ask yourself "What is Perlite made from?" Now put that in an environment where it is being soaked 3-4 times a day @ an acidic pH. do you really want to risk that? I use polished ornamental gravel/stones, which provide plenty of space in between for roots to grow and anchor while providing a bit of nutrient in the crevices to keep the roots moist between floods

In the picture I have pulled the rootball from the stones

View attachment 4204369

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I was just going to say that you can use marbles.

I tried perlite, it worked but was quite a mess. I imagine if you set it up so it can't float and use screen to keep it in your pots that it would work pretty good. I didn't do that.

xtsho said:

I was just going to say that you can use marbles.

I tried perlite, it worked but was quite a mess. I imagine if you set it up so it can't float and use screen to keep it in your pots that it would work pretty good. I didn't do that.

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You can put cheese cloth over the pots plus your supposed to rinse and wet the perlite beforhand add minirockwool cubes at the bottom of each pot it'll weigh it down

Demetrius Powell said:

Actually you can use perlite

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My point is it's not a question of can you, but should you

Yes

PetFlora said:

My point is it's not a question of can you, but should you

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yes it's alot cheaper to run perlite vs 4x4 rockwool cubes you could line the bottom with mini cubes put cheese cloth on the ebb and glow fittings to prevent dust and residue from getting to the pump plus there's a filter bag you can buy to cover your pump just in case something makes it through

PetFlora said:

OP, ask yourself "What is Perlite made from?" Now put that in an environment where it is being soaked 3-4 times a day @ an acidic pH. do you really want to risk that? I use polished ornamental gravel/stones, which provide plenty of space in between for roots to grow and anchor while providing a bit of nutrient in the crevices to keep the roots moist between floods

In the picture I have pulled the rootball from the stones

View attachment 4204369

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That's pretty cool..! (I think I see a marble in the top right corner) Do you think smooth, similar-sized Beach rocks would work?

btw I vote for hydroton