Flooding schedule in ebb and flo

A2Michigan

Well-Known Member
After transplanting my clones into straight hydroton from an aero cloner, how many times should I flood my buckets a day during veg? Right now I’m flooding every 3 hours, plants look slightly droopy. Should I maybe flood them less? I’m thinking maybe start with fewer floods and work my way up to every 3 floods an hour? Any help would be appreciated. Also, I’m using a recirculating ebb and flow system with buckets. Vegging under metal halide. Thanks!
 

vostok

Well-Known Member
Hydroton.(Expanded clay pebbles) 4 to 8 times a day (every 2 to 4 hours) not needed in the dark period

sagging leaves is a good indication of less air ....so pull her back

good luck
 

Fordprefect42

Well-Known Member
That’s what I thought.. but it appears that you actually can. I’ve reduced my feeds from every 3 hours to only 3 floods a day during lights on and it looks like they are improving
I have been starting with 3 or 4 floods a day and bump to more frequent flooding as they mature, topping out at a flood every 2 hours during lights on, and nothing during lights off. I do have air stones in the res. It seems like that would deal with any overwatering issue. If you can run roots submerged in water 24/7 with dwc and an air stone I can’t see why you would have issues with ebb and flow and roots submerged for 20 minutes a day.
 

A2Michigan

Well-Known Member
I have been starting with 3 or 4 floods a day and bump to more frequent flooding as they mature, topping out at a flood every 2 hours during lights on, and nothing during lights off. I do have air stones in the res. It seems like that would deal with any overwatering issue. If you can run roots submerged in water 24/7 with dwc and an air stone I can’t see why you would have issues with ebb and flow and roots submerged for 20 minutes a day.
I have an air stone as well. Have you noticed any issues with starting at 3 or 4 floods a day? Have you ever tried to increase the flooding frequency as soon as you put the clones in? How long are your flood times? I’m doing 3 times a day right now at 30 minutes. Maybe I should reduce the flood duration to only 15 minutes?
 

Fordprefect42

Well-Known Member
I have an air stone as well. Have you noticed any issues with starting at 3 or 4 floods a day? Have you ever tried to increase the flooding frequency as soon as you put the clones in? How long are your flood times? I’m doing 3 times a day right now at 30 minutes. Maybe I should reduce the flood duration to only 15 minutes?
I’m running from seed so it’s slightly different. Typically I’m putting them in the medium about 6 days from the start of germination. Haven’t tried more frequently at the start since what I had was working, and no issues running that right off the bat. The other thing that is different is that my flood is shorter. I can hit the overflow drain in just over a minute so I run 2 minute floods and drain takes maybe 12 minutes.

Personally I don’t see why you need to flood for longer than what it takes for the table to fill up. If you can do it in 15 minutes that ought to be good. That said if your plants are already perking up with your change why screw with it more?

The other thing is I still think with an air stone too much water shouldn’t be an issue. If it was how would DWC even work?
 

A2Michigan

Well-Known Member
I’m running from seed so it’s slightly different. Typically I’m putting them in the medium about 6 days from the start of germination. Haven’t tried more frequently at the start since what I had was working, and no issues running that right off the bat. The other thing that is different is that my flood is shorter. I can hit the overflow drain in just over a minute so I run 2 minute floods and drain takes maybe 12 minutes.

Personally I don’t see why you need to flood for longer than what it takes for the table to fill up. If you can do it in 15 minutes that ought to be good. That said if your plants are already perking up with your change why screw with it more?

The other thing is I still think with an air stone too much water shouldn’t be an issue. If it was how would DWC even work?
Since I’ve changed the feeding to less frequent, I’ve noticed the tops of the plants are perking up and the bottom is still slightly droopy
 

Fordprefect42

Well-Known Member
Since I’ve changed the feeding to less frequent, I’ve noticed the tops of the plants are perking up and the bottom is still slightly droopy
If all you have are slightly droopy first leaves and the new ones are now good it may be best to just watch and wait. Can’t wrap my head around overwatering with ebb and flow with air stones, but it sounds like there is some kind of connection based on what you are actually seeing. One thing that you probably can’t easily check for is if you leave standing water in those buckets after flooding. It seems like roots sitting in an inch of water due to poor drainage could produce overwatering symptoms. That oxygen from the air stone won’t last forever.

Good luck. Hope they produce some great smoke in the end.
 

myke

Well-Known Member
Yes the problem is that 1" of water that sits there.Watch out for unlevel floors.
In dwc if the airstone quits it doesn't take long to wilt a plant.
 

A2Michigan

Well-Known Member
Hydroton.(Expanded clay pebbles) 4 to 8 times a day (every 2 to 4 hours) not needed in the dark period

sagging leaves is a good indication of less air ....so pull her back

good luck
So how do I know if I should flood for 15 min vs 30 min per cycle? I have a 55 gallon drum that feeds 24 sites. Like should the buckets soak during the duration or should it be just somethjng super quick that fills the bucket and then just drains?
 

myke

Well-Known Member
So how do I know if I should flood for 15 min vs 30 min per cycle? I have a 55 gallon drum that feeds 24 sites. Like should the buckets soak during the duration or should it be just somethjng super quick that fills the bucket and then just drains?
I’ve tested with hand feeding. Would just pour 3 litres through once a day and they did fine. So it was under water for 2 seconds lol.
 

A2Michigan

Well-Known Member
If all you have are slightly droopy first leaves and the new ones are now good it may be best to just watch and wait. Can’t wrap my head around overwatering with ebb and flow with air stones, but it sounds like there is some kind of connection based on what you are actually seeing. One thing that you probably can’t easily check for is if you leave standing water in those buckets after flooding. It seems like roots sitting in an inch of water due to poor drainage could produce overwatering symptoms. That oxygen from the air stone won’t last forever.

Good luck. Hope they produce some great smoke in the end.
I really do not understand how I can go from an aerocloner (turbo cloner) which sprays water at the roots 24/7 to something like an ebb and flow system that just instantly shocks the plants and seems to droop if I flood every 3 hours.. maybe it’s because I’m doing 30 minute floods instead of 15 and maybe that it causing like an oversaturating/ choking affect on the roots? I’m on my 5th grow and I always get this at the beginning of grows but I’ve recently started to switch things up to try to figure out what’s causing it
 

myke

Well-Known Member
I really do not understand how I can go from an aerocloner (turbo cloner) which sprays water at the roots 24/7 to something like an ebb and flow system that just instantly shocks the plants and seems to droop if I flood every 3 hours.. maybe it’s because I’m doing 30 minute floods instead of 15 and maybe that it causing like an oversaturating/ choking affect on the roots? I’m on my 5th grow and I always get this at the beginning of grows but I’ve recently started to switch things up to try to figure out what’s causing it
Deep cycle timer,do 5 min floods.
 
What did you end up for your feeding cycle and duration/cycle @A2Michigan? I've been fighting and testing to find the right feeding cycle. I did purchase a wifi outlet and now I'm running the cycle every three hours at four minutes per cycle.
 
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