Flood Cycle During Flowering

splifman

Well-Known Member
Currently I am flooding my tray in my ebb and flow system 3 times a day (every 8 hours). THe plants are still in vegging.
I am going to start flowering this weekend and was wondering if I need to change my flood schedule so that the tray does not get flooded during the dark period.
Is it okay to leave the flood times as they are and have one feeding time during the dark period? Or should I either plan all three floods during the light period, or cut back to only the two floods that take place during the light period?

I appreciate any input....

Peace:joint:
 

Ar1$t[]cr@t$

Active Member
9 times aday, its in hydroton?
and no it will be fine but if its in rockwool i would only water 6 times aday...and if ur having humidity jump when lights out yes u can cut it back8 r 7 times a day..maybe this will help..late ar1
 

potroast

Uses the Rollitup profile
Don't schedule a flooding during the dark cycle, the roots are busy enough already.

Flood 1 hour after lights on, and 1 hour before lights out, and maybe some in between.

Man! Am I concise, or what?
 

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
The size and shape of the rockwool you're using will change the way you water. Slabs are good for drip systems as they drain reasonably well, but rockwool still holds a heckuva lot of water.

I use 8" plastic pots stuffed with loose rockwool (a.k.a. "floc" or "granulated rocskwool"). The pots sit in a flood tray. I only flood one time per day for 3 minutes. That's plenty, and in fact might be a little much when the plants are yet very small and can't use up the water before being flooded again.

I started off in hydro with expanded clay pellets, watering 4-6x day during lights-on hours. I shifted to rockwool just to try it out and didn't reset the timers... resulting in serious overwatering and a bunch of yellow leaves and even a few dead plants.

I worked it out by wetting some pots of floc and checking the weight of the pots periodically until 2/3 of the water weight was gone. Almost exactly 24 hours with plants more than 2 weeks old. Bigger plants move more water. Low humidity causes plants to use more water as well.

Cheap mechanical timers usually only allow minimum 15 minute on times. A bit more dough gets a digital timer which can be set to any length of on time. I flood the very smallest plants only for 1.5 mins every 24 hours. Everything else gets 3 mins per day.

An 8" pot full of dry rockwool will pretty easily hold 1.5-2 litres of water. Slabs and cubes will hold less and will permit more evaporation, requiring more frequent water. Checking by weight at at time intervals after watering is the sure way to dial it in.

Your mileage may vary. ;)
 

clq35

Active Member
I have an ebb and flow, and I'm about 2 or 2.5 weeks into veg. I flood once in the morning, just fill the tray and let it drain, then once more in the evening. Seems fine so far.... I'm using a perlite mix, with seeds started in rockwool cubes
 

stoned again

Active Member
hi ,guys first time posting,so if i get ready too flower i turn light 12/12,ihave my bloom mix set too .why is it important too flush nutes out of plants before blooming mixs is added.d;~)
 

OhioGrown

Well-Known Member
its more organic to flood out all of the nutes. you also get better taste after you flood. for the last 2 weeks, you want nothing but water pritty much.
 

GrapefruitGrower

Active Member
i also use a ebb and flow system, ive always watered three times a day even in flowering cycle, ive noticed no detrimental effect to my plants if i water them in the dark period, i know loads of people that water there plants this way and never had any problems. It all depends on how your plant reacts, just keep a watch... different plants react in different ways, hope this helps...keep it green! :blsmoke:
 
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