Makes perfect sense to me....

[Elliot Jansen]

I have been on my first hydro grow for about 3 weeks now. And I am noticing every time I clean my table and res, when I remove my rockwool it is still soaking wet from the last feeding, which more than likely was 7
+ hours ago.. SO why am I feeding them on such a regulated schedule? Why not wait until they feel just damp and not dripping.. Then hit em with a nute bath.. It just makes more economic sense to me to use nutes only when the cube is approaching dryness. From every thing that I have read and talked to the gro shop people about rockwool isn't even supposed to be dripping wet all the time anyway.. It's been approaching 48 hours and my plants have been growing like they normally do without clockwork feeding schedules.. Not to mention my cubes are still drippy wet to the touch on the bottom... How much water can any given medium really absorb if it is already saturated with water/nute juice... They have no droopy leaves or signs of stress.. Just happy green girls... hopefully. Or am I missing something here??

P.S. I also left the plastic on the sides of my cubes and slit it about 1 inch on every corner to increase the absorbtion.. if that makes any difference at all..

[Megatron]

Make it as easy as possible... What happens when you can't be there for a night to feed? Are you gonna set it back up on the timers? Seems that an obligation like that would need your attention for 3 straight months 3+times a day..
This is why we rely on timers.... You do not turn on and off at perfect time. every time... I'm sure that you will not see any difference in your power bill..

[King Bud]

It just makes more economic sense to me to use nutes only when the cube is approaching dryness.
I think you've struck gold here.

Everywhere you look, people have different flood schedules.. I've seen mostly twice a day, up to 5 times a day.. some flood less at night, some do it every number of hours.. some do it manually so they can judge when it's dry or not, then set the timer to that schedule..

I think it all comes down to, like you said, what the plant needs. A smaller plant will require fewer flooding, and a larger one will require more.

It's good you're noticing such things, keep fine tuning your system.

:)

[Elliot Jansen]

I have my pumps on a timer... I ust have it unplugged right now... Maybe I should have been more clear on what I meant.. What I meant was: If I have a rockwool cube that it saturated with nute juice already, how is it going to soak up any of the new batch I just put in when it is full up to capacity already.. VS. letting the cube approach dryness then put them on the timer for a day or two.. Then off, until the cube once again approaches dryness.. I thought that the reason that roots go down to search for nutrients for the plants, would this promote root growth? Im Not sure.. but I do know that the girls would be very happy to recieve fresh new nutes after they used up what was supplied in the water already in the rockwool... Im not trying to be a penny pincher per se ( just bought my 400 watt HPS and digi PH tester today ) But I am in landscaping and have seen plants not only survive but thrive in the harshest of conditions.. The rockwool is not harsh compared to some of the things I have seen.

But after about an .5 hours thought on the ? staring at my plants..:watchplant: I might have answered my own question.. I hypothisize that this method would work up to a point in which my plants were not seedlings anymore and mid - full size veg.. I assume that the amount of water and nutrient use would have to be 2x to 3x its use now as a 1.5 to 2 in plant in say a month or two from now... In which time it would be time for a cycle every 7 hours because the cube would be nearing a dry state alot sooner than it is now. I will definately not be trying to use this method in flowering so that there is as much phosphorus as she can handle in the cube at all times.. Thanks for the reply tho mega.. any of your advice is always welcome...

[Elliot Jansen]

Thanks King Bud... I didn't see your post until after I posted... perhaps we were posting at the same time:) ...

[King Bud]

Muh pleasure :D

If I have a rockwool cube that it saturated with nute juice already, how is it going to soak up any of the new batch I just put in when it is full up to capacity already
Rockwool allows water to flow through it very easily. It might retain some of the original 'nute juice', but the flood will also mix some of the new juice in, at the very least on the surfaces.

I assume that the amount of water and nutrient use would have to be 2x to 3x its use now as a 1.5 to 2 in plant in say a month or two from now... In which time it would be time for a cycle every 7 hours because the cube would be nearing a dry state alot sooner than it is now.
I've never grown strictly with rockwool, I've always had it in some clay pellets as well..
I think you're right, the cube will dry up faster. I think there will be plenty of roots out of the bottom/side of the rockwool, which will hold onto water when you flood/drain, so you may not need to flood many times more. You'll definitely have to increase the amount of nutrients.

I think an EC meter, or TDS meter (they're really the same), will be essential for you. As the plant absorbs nutrients from the water, the TDS will drop, and you'll have to adjust it. This (http://www.growfaq.net/growfaq/314.htm)guide explains it very well.

[Elliot Jansen]

3 days without flooding my table, and my plants look well, with lots of new leafy and stem growth.. My cubes are still moist and still almost drippy wet to the touch on bottom. Ph'd the bottom of my cube sitting at 6.5 with a digi. A little higher than I like it, but smack in the middle of nitrogen intake ph. So I'm lettin it ride. I will wait until the water has evaporated a little more until it is just damp and then flood every 7hrs and a 2hr hour in the middle for a day maybe 2. Then its off again.

[Megatron]

I think the point of flooding the table is to replenish the nuitrents throughout the rest of the roots . Where topping off would not let everything "flush" so to say. I am not using only rockwool in my hydro setup, but I know my roots are 2-3 feet long. My roots exceeded a foot out of my baskets after 3 weeks What happens to the roots on the bottom? Either they only get leftover nuitrents or they die from not getting any..? If the only thing you are doing is keeping the rock wool cube wet..?

Just don't make the mistake of going too long. Or you will have dead plants. It seems like a great idea, if you can keep up with a schedule and u use enough water to flood the whole system.

Root rot sucks!

I had to throw in the penny pinchin line :D

Shoot some pics. Keep us updated

[Elliot Jansen]

The roots are not to the bottom of my cube yet as far as I know.. And its been 3 weeks. I wish I could look inside and see their development. But I would venture to say that the roots at the bottow would better off than the tops as most the water will drain through the bottom if it drains and doesn't evap. first.. I'm not keeping it just damp I'm just waiting until it is damp then soaking it so that the new solution goes to the very top and saturates the cube again. However I changed my mind on the 2 day thing.. I FIM'ed my plants today so I want them to have nutes tomorrow.. I happened upon Timmys thread on it, and it just so happened it was the perfect time.. my plants looked like his pictures so I took a gamble and tried it.. Hope I didn't cut too much.. I am trying to figure out a way to get some pics... My computer is too old for a USB port so... I might take pics with a digi camera and take it to the library and try to post them from there maybe... Haven't quite figured it out yet..
:postpicsworthless:

[Megatron]

Don't go to the library man! Get a scanner or a serial to USB adapter. THey have them at wal-fart. Make sure not to upload your images to a hosting company..
Use picasa.