Hydro Veg

[squarefoot]

I am an average dirt grower (3-4 zips a bush) looking to go hydro. I would like to veg for a month prior to flowering. I would like to veg on a flood table and flower in a big boy bucket system. What would be my best bet for a grow medium in veg so that at the appropriate time I can easily transplant to the 10 inch grow pots the big boy uses for flower.

[Bisharoo]

Hello squarefoot!  There are a few good hydro folks on here.  Longhairbri is one you might want to ask.  I only want to say, keep some dirt back-ups in case of some issues.  Things can go south very, very quickly in hydro, if you aren't always on top of everything 100%.  Hydro, done right, is very good and as you said, faster than dirt.  Many folks have good success with it, and some of us have struggled, so be ready to read some tutorials and get started.  Good luck, squarefoot!

Peace...

[pic book]

not rockwool.  you don't want rockwool unless you cut the Big Boys back to 1 cycle per day--the stonewool retains gushes of water...

so use small net pots and a litttle hydroton... you can bury the tiny net pot in the Big Boy netpot with more hydroton.

Edited April 10, 2013 by pic book

[phaquetoo]

not rockwool.  you don't want rockwool unless you cut the Big Boys back to 1 cycle per day--the stonewool retains gushes of water...

so use small net pots and a litttle hydroton... you can bury the tiny net pot in the Big Boy netpot with more hydroton.

 

And procede to watch them die!    Nah Im just messin with ya, I changed mine over like way late one time, just as they got very pretty they went downt 1-2-3, I put the bubble boys away and went right back to dirt lol!  It is alot of work, but once you get er done you will be happy!  Yea highlander, long hair, theres a few super soaker growers in here!

 

Happy Growing!

 

Peace

Jim

[squarefoot]

Thanks guys, next question......do the small net pots with the hydroton just sit open on the flood table, or do you fill the entire table with the hydroton and nestle the 3 inch nets down into it?

Troy

[_abbenormal]

hi sf

first everyone has there way to do what your asking about in hydro... i only do hydro i will never allow any dirt in my rooms as its dirt and will cause your hydro to kill its self faster... as far as flood and drain aka ebb flow its great... remember that hydron can float so think about the water level and your pots you wish to use... id figure to use a net pot as you say 3in type then keep plant in that as your thinking... but look at the level you flood too and keep the pot 1/2 inch min above that level so the hydron wont float out of the pot... as far as filling the flood tray up with hydron you can but you can also run into issue with root tearing when you want to move them... if you wish to do it like that then use smaller tray and leave your plants in them and move whole tray to flower... if not you will need a holder item like say a piece of pvc pipe to hold the netpot or a planter pot to hold the netpot in... remember the floating issue with your setup... you can use the lids of the buckets and hold the plant in them then flood in the tray then move the lid to the bucket for flower...

think on this it may help ya also...

use plugs for the clones gives it a base to hold a little better... use a plastic grow pot to hold plant and hydron... setup up a dripper setup... drip into those and when the month is done remove the plant then with that hydron move to the bucket lids and add more hydron... setup the bigboy... now on that do at least 3 runs on the buckets to make sure your timers work and you get it down do this before you set a plant in that system... if you wait you may have issue with how it drains and floods into the buckets... if you didnt buy that setup then you may want to make trays and do those as less plant move more stable on the plant and less chance of pulling roots...

theres a lot of chat rooms out here that some growers live in and most of the time instant help can be had... to get to them you need other software and to know where to find them...

i feel when you find your system and figure it out you will like hydro as its not to bad to work in... keep extra pump or 2 along with air stones to us in res... get a good ph pen and test it until you know its stable and use it every time you mix nutes... if you do run into any issues you can always post here as theres some fine hydro grows who do visit here and most of us will offer help in what we can and know so info you give will be important to help in figuring out whats up... good luck and ask away as thats how you will find your happy place in hydro...

abbe

Edited April 11, 2013 by _abbenormal

[Highlander]

I agree with abb.  If you switch from dirt to hydro and get dirt in your nute solution, you're asking for trouble.

 

Myself, I hate hydroton.  The number of times I've spilled that crap and it goes all over.......So I now grow bare root.  My cuttings go into the EZcloner or my homemade knock-off in 2" foam net pot inserts in 2-inch net pots with the bottom cut out - like most people do. 

 

After about 10-14 days, the rooted clone gets dropped into a 5-gallon bucket lid with 5-9,  2" round holes cut into it.  I have three, three gallon- buckets in my system so I can have roots closer to the water when they start out.  As the plants grow, they graduate to the 5gal bucket and get moved to a lid with 1-5 2" holes cut in it.....and once they are about a foot tall, they have moved into their very own bucket lid with a steel tomato cage mounted to the top.

 

There are many advantages to bare root growing 1) less cost/hassle.  2.) you can see all of your roots.  3.) you can spray off all of your roots.  4.) the height of the plant is adjustable.  I usually top mine when they are young, then pull the stem deeper into the net pot....this eliminates the wasted vertical height of the stalk.