DWC - Drip Irrigation Scrog 2400W

I am vegging under 200w CFL. I have a month in front of me till i'll switch the lights.
I haven't decided what lights i will use in the flowering room. I didn't mind the CFL's till now, but i have some doubts about CFLs being the right choice in the flowering area.

Do you use any treatment after defoliation? Change in nutrients, Light position, Foliar feeding? Any change?
 
What do you see as the advantages of DWC vs a flood and drain style system? I've never been comfortable with the concept of DWC. This plant did not evolve with the roots spending their life in water. Hydroponic growing is an attempt to maximize the plants growth, so perhaps DWC does do that? Just seems to be that a flood and drain is like an accelerated version of conditions in its natural environment. Basically we simulate several periods of rain and then sun drying things out every few hours.

I'm not knocking DWC at all. Obviously the results speak for themselves. I'm just trying to understand what the advantages are as others see it. I'm smart enough to know how dumb I am. :Namaste:
 
I am vegging under 200w CFL. I have a month in front of me till i'll switch the lights.
I haven't decided what lights i will use in the flowering room. I didn't mind the CFL's till now, but i have some doubts about CFLs being the right choice in the flowering area.

Do you use any treatment after defoliation? Change in nutrients, Light position, Foliar feeding? Any change?
Click to expand...

Id go 600w hps if u can.

After defoliation i will use superthrive or b-52, liquid seaweed (nitrozyme or other) then regular base nutes.


What do you see as the advantages of DWC vs a flood and drain style system? I've never been comfortable with the concept of DWC. This plant did not evolve with the roots spending their life in water. Hydroponic growing is an attempt to maximize the plants growth, so perhaps DWC does do that? Just seems to be that a flood and drain is like an accelerated version of conditions in its natural environment. Basically we simulate several periods of rain and then sun drying things out every few hours.

I'm not knocking DWC at all. Obviously the results speak for themselves. I'm just trying to understand what the advantages are as others see it. I'm smart enough to know how dumb I am.
Click to expand...

DWC grows faster, considerably faster than flood and drain. It also yields more per sq meter. In my flood drain systems the flowers tend to show slightly faster. DWC is simpler. They are both great ways to grow, I like them both but i favour DWC for the higher yields.
 
Cultivator said:
DWC grows faster, considerably faster than flood and drain. It also yields more per sq meter. In my flood drain systems the flowers tend to show slightly faster. DWC is simpler. They are both great ways to grow, I like them both but i favour DWC for the higher yields.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing you have run both. I've only ever grown with soil or flood & drain (trays then buckets). I guess I don't see how DWC could push the plants any faster then a frequent flood and drain. Maybe it depends on the media? I guess I have a hard time seeing how to keep the area around the roots heavily aerated towards the end when the root mass gets huge. If the water isn't moving around, how does fresh, oxygen rich, nute solution get to the roots?

I'm not questioning your expertise either C. I have tremendous respect for your skills and knowledge. DWC wasn't around back in the 90s, at least not among my circle of growers.

Does a DWC nute solution differ from a flood and drain system? ie could I use the same nute soup as I do in my ebb & gro res?
Maybe I'll build a single bucket dwc and do a side by side test. Again, not questioning you, but I'm skeptical. My intuition tells me there is no way it could be better. I will have to prove it to myself. Sorry, I'm stubborn like that. :Namaste:
 
air stones keep the nutrient well aerated. u need to use half the nute strength u use for flood and drain. highest i go is 1.4 ec. flood drain is great too but yield is def less. im running both now.
 
Cultivator said:
air stones keep the nutrient well aerated. u need to use half the nute strength u use for flood and drain. highest i go is 1.4 ec. flood drain is great too but yield is def less. im running both now.
Click to expand...

Think DWC would work well for mothers? I'm still undecided on how to grow the moms I pick from this batch of seeds. I'm leaning towards a soil/coco mix in smart pots. I'm a little nervous about trying them in DWC though. Losing a mother would be horrible!
 
no dwc is only suitable for a mother if u dont plan on keeping her long, or u could do it with a large res. i stick to coco/perlite mix for mothers.
 
Cultivator said:
no dwc is only suitable for a mother if u dont plan on keeping her long, or u could do it with a large res. i stick to coco/perlite mix for mothers.
Click to expand...

Thanks C
 
this is about a week dry off the first 2 plants. dry weight was 12oz 3g off the 2. these were the 2 largest plants.

20130109_104821.jpg


20130109_104618.jpg
 
Thanks tony, taken on my mobile too. good quality pics for a mobile phone, Now u just have to vote in nug of the month! lol
 
be setting up my new grow tomorrow. 2 1000w lumatek digi ballasts with dimmers and super lumens. 4 oxypots vs 12 coco. wanted to go undercurrent dwc but no time to build one.
 
Cultivator said:
be setting up my new grow tomorrow. 2 1000w lumatek digi ballasts with dimmers and super lumens. 4 oxypots vs 12 coco. wanted to go undercurrent dwc but no time to build one.
Click to expand...

git off yer coochi and order up them uniseals! Make sure ya have the right size hole saw too! It doesnt take long to make once ya get out a ruler and elec drill!

Check out my question on my last post in my new grow. I've got to come up with something myself. If ya don't mind.
 
lol, i know bass im so lazy u got no idea haha and if u saw me with a saw u'd understand. I have a friend elsewhere and we are going to build one there when his current grow finished. i'll journal it.
 
what level is your water at? if their is a 8 inch gap between the bottom of the net pot and the top of water level this will happen.. your rootball will tend to stay in the water and the rest of the roots going down will become stringy.. i had this same problem untill i filled my bucket up with more water and within a week the rootmass filled out where it was stringy.
Rickie said:
i have just had this problem and the tap root ended up snapping right off i lost 95% of my root system if you look at my thread it has just stunted the growth just before flower time so i dont know what to do all i could think of was putting it in a self contained dwc bucket with independant drippers etc to try help it come back to life its been three days still droopy and sad but hasnt started to die yet i dont know if this would be worth trying to recover or if it should be down the road any advice would be greatly thanked guys and cultivator pimp as always!
Click to expand...
 
lol, yeah it can take some catching up when u have to go through the whole thing! welcome mate, hope u enjoyed.
 
Back
Top Bottom