Where to start???? I NEED HELP!!! 1st time hydro!!!!

Knoxville

Member
Hello everyone! I have been reading post from here for a long time now, and would like to thank everyone here who has offered advice for growing. Ever since Overgrow was shut down, I was very hesitant to register at another forum such as this one. I have finally obtained my med card here in California and I am finally growing legit! My problem is in my watering schedule. I am using 1 1000watt HID (1 mh & 1 hps). I have it in a 4x4x8 hydro hut. I am using a ebb N flood system with a 4x4 tray to fill. I also have Co2 with a hydrofarm regulator I plan on using. I plan on using only expanded clay pellets and rockwool cubes for my medium. I am using Dry Concentrated Nutrients from general Hydroponics. MAXIGRO, MAXIBLOOM & KOOLBLOOM. That\'s the set-up! I am afraid of over watering and over feeding my gals. I know normally people are flooding their plants more than 3 times a day. but I\\\'m thinking the rockwool will hold a lot of water and will not have to be flooded as frequent. I have never tried to grow indoors and if anyone can help or mentor me, I would greatly appreciate it!
 

AlwaysFUBAR

Well-Known Member
What size rockwool? if it is the 1 inch cubes I would go with a 4 times a day for 20-30 min and if your going with the big 4 inch one a 2-3 times a day for 15 min. This should work fine. All strains are different so you may have to adjust as needed, dry looking before/ droopy after watering.
 

Knoxville

Member
What size rockwool? if it is the 1 inch cubes I would go with a 4 times a day for 20-30 min and if your going with the big 4 inch one a 2-3 times a day for 15 min. This should work fine. All strains are different so you may have to adjust as needed, dry looking before/ droopy after watering.


I was gonna start my seedlings in 1 inch cubes & then upgrade the size of the cubes as they get bigger. Is it possible to only use 1 inch cubes for the whole grow? I bought some 9inch square baskets to put the cubes and clay pellets in, but from the looks of it, do I even need them? Thanks for the respond also!
 

AlwaysFUBAR

Well-Known Member
I was gonna start my seedlings in 1 inch cubes & then upgrade the size of the cubes as they get bigger. Is it possible to only use 1 inch cubes for the whole grow? I bought some 9inch square baskets to put the cubes and clay pellets in, but from the looks of it, do I even need them? Thanks for the respond also!
Yea man no problem.
I just use the 1 inch cubes in my grow and they have always seemed to be fine. I find it easier to control the amount of moisture.
 

Knoxville

Member
Yea man no problem.
I just use the 1 inch cubes in my grow and they have always seemed to be fine. I find it easier to control the amount of moisture.

So 1 inch cubes in a basket of clay pellets will hold them up. Good to know, I was gonna use 4inch cubes. Thanks for the help man!
 

NoDrama

Well-Known Member
So 1 inch cubes in a basket of clay pellets will hold them up. Good to know, I was gonna use 4inch cubes. Thanks for the help man!
Thats exactly what I use, works just fine. For my flood and drain table ( Ebb and Flow same thing) I flood 3 times a day for 15 mins each time. Your particular strain may like more or less, you will eventually get a feel for it. The 4 inch cubes retain so much water that you only need 1 cycle per day, and then there is algae growth associated with large cubes. Using the Hydroton clay pellets is a good idea and they can be reused when cleaned And sanitized. Start slow, it may take a couple years before you master 1 particular strain if you are on a perpetual system with a mother plant and only grow from clones. Otherwise you might spend some time before you find that magical combination of nutes and strain that allows awesome yields. Thats something the organic soil growers are able to do a bit easier than us hydro growers. The organics are safer to use as they do not burn the plants so quickly or harshly or even at all in some cases. Hydro gives you little time to rectify problems.
 
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