Share your Ebb & Flow Flowering Nutrients and Watering Schedule

I'll be starting a SOG Ebb and Flow Flowering setup and I wanted input on a couple of things.

Loose Rockwool or Hydroton in the net cups?

Flood frequency during light (no floods during the 'night')?

Nutrient bases and supplements?

Suggested PPM's during flower weeks 0-2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-8?

Also if anybody knows about CO2 dispersal schedules that would be helpful too. Thanks!

whats up BR69...

ebb & flow is a goo system... works great for me

- i like the hydroton, because when i want the water out i like it to flow out... rockwool holds too much water, too long for a quick ebb & flow system... they slow it way down, IMO...

my flood frequency... using hydroton, is flood on the hour, every hour the lights are on... so 18 floods a day in veg, and 12 in flower... it takes about 1 minute to flood my planters, and probably about 2 to drain... its quick, and it works well for me... i know some would say thats too often, but the girls love it

nutrients, i would say go General Hydroponics - they are just so easy, and they grow nice plants... i've tried advanced nutrients, the $800+ bill for the nutrients for a grow is ridiculous (50 gal res) - they grow nice plants also, but not an extra $700 or so (for me).
I also like to use CalMag Plus which is a calcium and magnesium additive... I use the Lucas formula on the GH nutrients, and i've run into mag deficiencies just using the micro and bloom formulas. Also, get some kind of biological growth inhibitor - like hydroguard (but i think they changed the name of that to something else, cant recall)... and that should do it.

not sure of my PPMs... i dont bother to even check them anymore...

i'll be adding co2 sometime soon - but i'm using a controller/sensor to put it right at 1500ppm (not timed)

hope that helps...

peace

Hey BeverlyRollins69

I have just recently started using the ebb and flow system after being a dirt farmer for 7 years. I would have to say I love it and am going to be using ebb and flow for a long time.

Like BloodShot420 said…Hydroton is where it’s at. Rockwool will be too wet for too long. Spend the extra and get yourself some Hydroton and fill the entire tray. I use a pump schedule of 1 hour on and 2 hours off. This makes it flood 5 times a day in vegetation. I run the pump the full hour because it mixes all the heavy nutrients on the bottom of the tank and arrogates the water when it drains. I never flood at night.

I am using the General Hydroponics line. The 3 part system is really easy to use and follow. I got the additives Floraicious Plus and Kool Bloom to increase vegetation and flowering periods. I use the schedule off the back of the bottle, but I only use 50% of what they say otherwise I get nute burn

Schedule
General Hydroponics: FloraGrow, FloraMirco and FloraBloom
Quantity of each are based on 1 teaspoon per gallon

Cuttings, seedlings: 1/4 Grow; 1/4 Mirco; 1/4 Bloom
General Purpose: 1 Grow; 1 Micro; 1 Bloom
Vegetative Growth: 3 Grow; 2 Micro; 1 Bloom
Transition to Bloom: 2 Grow; 2 Micro; 2 Bloom
Blooming Ripening: 1 Grow; 2 Micro; 3 Bloom

The PPM in my 12 gal tank is roughly 500ppm as for vegetation. I use RO water so I start with 0ppm water. Flowering I expect I should get up to 800-900ppms.

CO2 I don’t use…too much headache for me to deal with.

Good Luck!!

Died Evil... you should do some research on the "Lucas Formula"... it works great with the GH nutrients, and you could ditch your bottle of FloraGrow... the Micro and Bloom have plenty of nitrogen by themselves... so this may help prevent the nute burn you speak of...

I'm too lazy to find the link but the formula is this...

veg - 5ml micro / 10ml Bloom per gallon
flower - 8ml micro/ 16ml bloom per gallon...

then your additives as usual... it works really well

dried evil are you kidding you flood for an hour? Man that seems like a long time really long for a 12g tank

Died Evil... you should do some research on the "Lucas Formula"... it works great with the GH nutrients, and you could ditch your bottle of FloraGrow... the Micro and Bloom have plenty of nitrogen by themselves... so this may help prevent the nute burn you speak of...

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Hi there BloodShot, Thanks for the info, I will look into it, I will save money anywere I can. I just know the GH 3 part system works very well with my tomatoes and herbs.

dried evil are you kidding you flood for an hour? Man that seems like a long time really long for a 12g tank

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Hello Mrduke, yep I flood for 1 hour on and 2 hours off. The water has plenty of oxygen because of the overflow valve is constantly dropping water in the tank. I also use an airstone in the reservoir to provide oxygen when on the off cycle. Because I have this much oxygen in the water, I can allow the roots to be fully submerged without overwatering the plants. This way nutrient uptake is maximized.

I believe in simple...

pH 5.8

1400 ppm from day one to harvest

One non-organic nute and h2o2



Hydroton filled pots

Flooded 4x during lights on, 15 minutes each flood... no floods in the dark...

RW cubes used for cloning remain above flood level as illustrated by Al B. Fuct...

I don't wanna hijack the thread but while everyone is on the subject of ppms, I'm a noob and whould like to know how to bring your ppms down if need be?

more water?

Great advice Bloodshot. Even though I have not started growing yet, with all the research I have been doing this is my plan for my girls...along with regular flushings and home made CO2 (using sugar and yeast) - and a bat to stand gaurd

I haven't decided on 2 other additives, so let me know if you have any advice.

1st - Bud enhancer, i.e. AN BigBud
2nd - Some sort of additive for sweeter buds

I've used both of the AN products you speak of... BigBud and SweetLeaf...

i found that A - the big bud is in a powder form and congeals into a thin, celophane looking crust on top of the reservoir... actually, now that i think about it - i'm pretty sure that crust was caused by the CarboLoad powder... or maybe both of them working together... i cant completely recall... i didnt notice much difference between the Advanced Nutrient collection of nutes and additives vs GH and a couple coice additives... (except the kick in the balls feeling you get when buying a whole line of Advanced nutrients products)...

the sweetleaf is an OK product... i dont think its supposed to make the bud sweeter... but smell stronger... again, i've grown with and without this... and i've grown some stuff without it that smelled stronger than the stuff with it... (different strain) but between the same strain, i think that it does make the herb smell stronger... but not a huge difference.

not a completely scientific experiment ... i know...

i use rockwool as soon as the roots grow out of the pots you just change the hieght of your over flow tube so it dnt touch the rock wool thats what i do

i got something like a bubbleponics but it's one i made myself

Hi,
i'm doing a 3x3x6'7 tent.
I have 400W, Can Fan, Filter, etc

I'm using ebb and flow with Foxfarm nutes.
Wht. Widow, Sour Diesel and G.C. strains.
P.h. range: 5.8-6.2, i let it cycle up across a couple of days and then cycle it back down across the same.

Rockwool starters going into 1 gal pots with Hydrotron pellets.
I've got the starter cubes near the surface of the pellets, but just under a layer of pellets.

Is this how they should be layered in?

Are these 3 strains going to have the same tds/ec levels?
What is a good place to start with Foxfarm grow big tds/ev levels?
same Q. in regards to Foxfarm Tiger bloom w/ big bloom?

and last Q.: what is a good feeding cycle for this kind of set up?

prosit!

DR

Thanks for the input, it sounds like I'm going to do this.

Pull clones out of the EZ cloner, put them in a net pot full of hydroton, flood them with GH lucas formula micro/bloom with additives (Hygrozyme, Superthrive, Purple Maxx, CalMag Plus, Sugar Daddy, Kool Bloom) for 5-10 minutes once an hour whilst flowering.

I still need input on a CO2 schedule pleeeeeeeeeease.

What size pots should I use for a SOG setup, in 3' x 3' flood tables? Square pots not round I'm assuming?

I have heard that Super Thrive is a no no during flower. It mak keep your plants from trying to complete the cycle at the end and make for a longer flower cycle.

Anyone able to offer a more definitive answer to this? I was kinda just given the hand slap when I did it.

Corwin

Keep up the good work.

Corwin said:

I have heard that Super Thrive is a no no during flower. It mak keep your plants from trying to complete the cycle at the end and make for a longer flower cycle.

Anyone able to offer a more definitive answer to this? I was kinda just given the hand slap when I did it.

Corwin

Keep up the good work.

Click to expand...

I wanted to throw a few words out there for ya...I have been lookin @ your setup. Just a few things that might help as I ran into the following issues. Personally with my grows I found it easier to NOT use rockwoll because of all the PH balance problems and the fact that ur using 2 opposite mediums 1 is used to hold moisture the (Rockwool) and Hydroton or other medium like hydroton doesn't hold very much Nute/water. The problem I see with using Rockwoll it that I don't want any water being held anywhere (i see RW as a storage tank) Besides alge probs. I had even with covering the cubes it became an issue.
The way I have my set up is as follows..........
I have 2 diffrent tents veg. and flower in my veg tent. I have 1 1000w hps with a horti Super in the veg tent I failed to mention that my system was recently changed over to Aero for clone to veg. and into ebb in 6inch pots for flower.........

Because I wasn't such a fan of the RW I use the aero for begining and switch to ebb later I found that my roots are nice and healthy and respond better to transplant when I do it this was.... (also I had crazy roots and narely plant growth....Unfortunatly I am work so I can't post pics..) I use the full line of GH nutes Cal MAg bloom flower Liquid Karma Hydroplex, Silica althugh rather expensive I started with this nute and have had great results <my motto is if ain't broke don't fix it> I keep my water at 5.7 run a 20lb CO2 at 10psi for 10 min 4 times daily, my spray bottle has a lil hormone and ph balanced water, in veg I run lights 24 hours temp is fixed @ 75 I have 2 exhaust fans in each tent 2 big ac that are vented from the outside to bring fresh air, 2 oscalating fans for the plants all my hoods are air cooled and my ballasts sits outside the room in a joining closet on a high shelf all though this is a lil extreme i feel it important to remove ballast from your area cause it makes it easier to control ur heating issues. in my veg tent I use the aeroponic leaving them in there till they hit about 2 ft then transplant them to the ebb tent and place them in 6 inch pots with hydroton for added protection I place a homemade cover over each potmade to ease my mind about any possibility of root exposure now this is my water schedual I water 6 x during lights on for 15min intervals I let the water flood to about 1 inch from the top of the hydroton sense I don't use RW I don't have to worry about how big my fill line has to be...... Now I know that aero is a pain alot of cleaning ur heads unclogging ur screens and o2 levels are super important but besides those issues I like it it alot it was cheap fun to make and was diffrent, with diffrent results.... Know what i mean>>>> Back to ebb, after tons and tons of trial and error i found that 3 issues can occure and my fix it......
1)HEAT: vented hoods, C02 and exhaust fans
2)NUTES: I only had problems in the begining because I didn't follow the nute rule Quarter solution for first week then to 1/2 ect.ect. this caused bigtime growth stunt This was longs time ago
3)Bugs: I try to elminate the factors that usually cause this problem ( I see it as if you obtain clean healthy clones or from mother and are in an indoor enviroment so you control air where it comes from where you are venting to and if there is any gap inbetween for outside pests and bugs to get inside) I also use a precautioary Fly strip for those damn fruitflies if they manage there way into ur life........ All an all I find these steps very benificial. With my setup I am pulling approx 1 1/2 to a lil over 2 zips a plant I am satisfied with the results and this is how I did it. I will try to get pics of the whole cha cha when I get home later or sometime 2morrow. Also I have pics from start to finish I have never done a journal and the reason being was i was worried about putting my buisness out there......... FYI I am from NOR CAL if youare going to ask about climate and yes the rumors are true CALI has the best weed and collectives......... Good luck on your grow.....Please understand unfortunate but prolly gonna happen is alot of trial and error the best advice is have fun with what your doing and learn as much as you can and ask all the questions that you can, if for some reason google can't find the answer shoot me a line and I will try to reply..... GL and HAPPY GROWING

I keep the CO2 at around 800 for thee first week, 1000 for the second, and when they really start to jump, I maintain 1500 all the way till the end. If you don't have a ppm meter your pretty much not going to have any idea in the word what your ppm is going to be so bite the bullet and buy one.

I go aero clone bucket straight to hydroton. flood almost all the way to the bottom of the stem. I have a fast flood/drain as well. Like 3-4 minutes so I go every 1 1/2 hours.

I don't follow the directions on the container for nutes, I use my PPM meter. I have a schedule written down somewhere. botanicare cal/mag and grow and then calmag/flower after the switch. Always a 50/50 ratio of calmag and fert.

I THINK this is the schedule...
100PPM each the first week
150-200 each the second
400 each for third-4th
500 each for any remaining weeks.

Switch to flower...
Quick ramp up to 1300 PPM total. Maintain 1300-1500.

If you are running co2 keep the temps at least 85, keep a strong fan on them, make sure you have a cover over your hydroton/roots.

rinse, dry,repeat

Rockwool, flood and drain, 15 gallon res, 3 floods per day.

I use the GH full line as well as the Dyna-Gro full line. I'll soon be switching to the Dyna-Gro line with a GH additive or two (floralicious plus, maybe Sweet).

I do pretty much the same thing- hydroton in square Olivia's Garden pots. GH nutrients. We just set up a second tray- 2x4 with 2 400w HPS. The tray fits 30 pots. It's an experiment for us because we went straight from the EZ Cloner into the tray at 12/12. No veg. Our other tray is 3x3 with a cover and 12 pots. We always vegged them before they went into this tray. I think of it as a semi-sog style.

So, anyone not veg? Should I have vegged the 27 plants first? Not sure what to expect.

But I can tell you the flood and drain is a great setup. Oh, we like to run it once an hour or so for 10-15 minutes.

rockwool, flood and drain usually once a day(not always) 100 gal resivoirs in flower, same in veg but only 70gal and flood 2wice.
technaflora nutes- boost, bloom/grow, magical, sugar daddy, thrive alive red, awsome blossoms
in veg ph 450-650, wk 1-2 700-800ppm then it changes by strain from there
havent messed around too much with co2