calling dwc experts

[octobong007]

i'm wanting to play with dwc, got some sweeeeeeet clones and all...my question is, in my plant nets, how should i have my medium? example: bottom will be pee gravel then rockwool in the middle, then gravel on top. also, how much of my medium is submerged in the water? if its in all the way, would root-rot be a factor? wanting to do this soon and all advice is xxx-tremely important. thanx.

 

[rhenderson]

Lets assume your using the standard DWC of a rubbermaid container and lid. For dwc use hydroton clay pellets. Get 4-6" net pots and just cut out the holes in the lid of your container and stick em in. You want to fill you resevoir till it covers bout 1"-2" of the bottom of the net pots. Get your air pump and bubble stones and keep in mind you cant have too much bubbles but you can have too little. If the roots are starved for oxygen then you will have major problems. Your also going to need specific liquid nutes, NO salt or granule nutes, and ph up/down and a ppm meter and ph meter. slowly raise your nute level over the weeks starting at 200 ppm and finishing around 1000-1300 ppm. check your ph every couple of days. Every 2-4 weeks completely change the mixture in the rubbermaid and keep an eye out for algae. Good luck and happy growing and if you need anything else just ask

 

[octobong007]

sounds like alot more work than my drip system...think i better "keep it simple". thanx for the advice tho.

 

[rhenderson]

but see it really isnt. going from soil it is but just going from drip it is actually simpler. I say this cause in a drip system you still have to do everything thats involved in a dwc. The only difference is there is no drippers so all you do differently is keep the water level a bit higher and maybe add an extra air stone. If you have had success with a drip system then just use the same system heck use the same setup you have but just take away the drippers and add a air stone

 

[octobong007]

my resevoir on my drip is about 30 gallon, i only use 8 gallons of liquid tho. if i do the dwc, it'll probly be in a 5 gallon bucket...unless you think i can go smaller. i just want to use it to check a sex on a future clone...i hope that makes sense...i harvested a couple days ago from some bagseeds and POW...it kicks! hard! but back to the dwc...whats the smallest container you think i can use for checking sex...and maybe a micro-grow or 2?

 

[rhenderson]

for just checking the sex you can do 3 in a 3 gallon container. Just get those 2"-3" net pots and a lid for the 3 gallon container and fill it to an inch below lid and put in 2 6" air stones

 

[stunzeed]

I have a Dwc setup bubbling upstairs as we speak. I use Hydroton clay througout except a little bit of rockwool thats supporting my clones. If you have anymore questions feel free to fire away. Mabey I could get you some pics. Mine are in black 5 gallon buckets though as opposed to the rubermaid which works just fine too!!!!

Tangent alert............


Stunzeed..

 

[yungmune]

hey guys, i dont mean to hijack but since i have questions on the same subject ill just ask here. my question is if you use a dwc system could you fully grow your plants veg and flower with this system? and will the plants be okay if the roots start growing in the nutrients itself? and also does the air pump stay on 24/7?

 

[HGB]

slowly raise your nute level over the weeks starting at 200 ppm and finishing around 1000-1300 ppm.

why wouldn't you adjust it by what the plant use's??? this would result in the fasted growth rate right? versus just add'n what YOU think the plant needs.

example of how I grow in DWC

day 1. ppm 200
day 2. ppm 150...give plant back what it ate plus what it wanted, so adjust ppm to 250
day 3. ppm 250 all good
day 4. ppm 200...needs bumped up to 350
day 5 ppm 250...needs bumped up to 450

do this until plant says stop and it will be on an even keel and getting max nutrient uptake like hydro is meant to do...

just going by a number you think is good is probly not the best for the plant IMHO


for a great read google jamesgang day by day bubbler grow, should be first link:hubba:


grow on

 

[Growdude]

whats the smallest container you think i can use for checking sex...and maybe a micro-grow or 2?

All you need to check sex is a 1"x1" rockwool cube in a shallow pan.

Just take your cutting and set the rockwool in a pan and keep the very bottom wet.
Put into 12/12 lighting and it will show its sex even before it roots.