3'x3' with net well insert questions

[Droopy Dog]

Getting time to get down to the real nitty gritty and I have questions and need suggestions.

Not an inexperienced grower, BUT, I have never done hydro, or flowered indoors. Did SOG, but outdoors.

What I have in mind is, a 3'x3' table and the netwell insert (24, 5 1/2" pots), from American Hydroponics. Will be used as a ebb and flow. Expanded clay pellets with the clones in rockwool.

Anyone use this set-up, or something similar? Good, bad, something better?

Am Hydro mentioned something about the same tray and using perfect (sp?) pots. Looks like this would eliminate the insert to hold the round net pots (and the $149 price tag LOL), but, how well do they work in a ebb and flow? Do they slosh around? Stay put?

Would I be better off with a slightly larger tray, say, 4'x4'. This would be the largest I can go, with my lights and space (400W HPS+400W MH).

I had also considered a straight rockwool set up and then figured SOME rockwool and a LOT of re useable media might be better due to: Cost, delivery, disposal.

I've been cloning in rockwool for years, but transplanting to a soil less mix of my own making, but never re used it. Expanded clay shouldn't be a problem except for cleaning it, or, is it?

How does this sound so far?

The clones for the new mothers have already been started, so I have some time, but not that much. LOL The mothers of the mothers are outside doing the natural thing.

Any thoughts, suggestions?

Thanks!

DD

 

[PitViper]

3x3 will work but its tight. 4x4 is better. how bout 4x4 and 12 8" nets? ive done your deal and I know the space constraints. the real PIA is keeping the plants from toppling when heavy. I had to use rock to hold them up. 8" pots wont do that...and the plants get bigger

 

[The Butcher]

i've done the same set up as well. pitviper has it pinned rite on the nose.But if your stcking to 3x3 then conside L.S.T'n the out side plants that way your making use of the space not usedand cola the inside to make sure the light petnetrates all the way down.just a suggetion though.

 

[Droopy Dog]

4x4 is workable, but is there an insert to hold the pots? Or, is it necessary? The one thing I liked about the 3x3 was the insert for the pots. Believe me, I know all about top heavy plants in small pots. Used to be in the nursery/orchid business many years ago. Orchids are the worst because the medium (if any), is so light.

I do use a SOG, more like the original concept than what seems to be done today. Even when I was flowering outside, clones seldom were over 5" before flowering was induced and usually ended up being no more than 10-12" tall at harvest. You simply could not see the plants, even in a suburban back yard. Just 1 huge main cola. Seems like these days, the clones are much taller before flowering is induced and with fewer plants/area. Just what I've noticed from reading threads and grow journals.

Is this just a trend,or, is there a reason behind it? Just curious here.

Are pots even necessary? Could you just 'plant' the rockwool in a layer of clay pellets?

BTW, what I used to do was use the 3"x3" rockwool (no hole), to root clones, putting one in each corner +- and then divide into 4 when the clones were rooted. This seemed to hold moisture better/longer and you had more medium for the roots to grow into as opposed to the small cubes. Picked up that little trick either from SSSC or "Sinsemilla Tips" magazine. Hard to remember as it was over 20 years ago. Using that and Clonex gel and solution had, and still do, over 95% success.

But, using that method, the medium had to be ~5" deep or more for room under the rockwool and to cover the top of it.

Would 5" or so of the clay pellets be too much, too little, just right? Or, would I have to use the small cubes? How deep should the pellets be? I mean, is there an ideal depth?

I'll stop with the questions for the moment, or there will be so many some won't get answered. LOL

Thanks for the insights!

DD

 

[The Butcher]

well the colamethod i've used for a lil over 10 years now.5" would be deep enough.i when i did it i used 1 in. cubes then inserted them into a larger cube along with the hydroton pebbles.this gave me a decent clearence.i also used the white cube covers. And still use the covers. i cut them to the size i need.as far as depth with pebbles i jus went a few inches.you want good drainage but if your going 5 " then your going to have to water more often, so that the roots stay moist.the up side is the water/air ratio is greater.the cubes are personal preference, if you go small then more pebbles, less pebbles bigger cubes.ask away.
Oh and if you flowering your clones at 6 inches and they goe to 12 then what i like to do is snip a plant steak in half and twist tie them to it if it needed.if you check my grow you'll see a how i stet it up so the larger plants are on the out side so i could cola the rest,But thier in a strech right now so thier going crazy with the side branching.Its funny i've never had a grow go horizontal in the streching phase like this one.
n e ways.
I hope i answered your questions.

 

[Damian Thorn]

i bought the same setup switching to hydro... the 3 by 3 but i have the 3 by 3 x 2. so its 3 by 6..... if you can get your selft more numbers of clones ..go with 36 clones in 5 by 5 inch pots..veg for a week or soo to 5 to 8 inchs then flower... i used the diamite sycla rocks...for the first time doing hydro i have had no problem...the ph has stayed level and they hold more water then the hydroton.. soo i was just flooding twice a day to start off then im at every 6 hours and im in 2 weeks flower...

 

[Droopy Dog]

Hey Butcher

Checked your grow out. Beautiful!

That first pic, of your veg plants is sort of what I have in mind. Did that cover come pre cut, or DIY? I would guess they have them for a 4x4 table, but have not found one yet. Any place I should look? Going through online hydro catalogs will make your eyes cross after a bit, simple overload, and the closest hydro shop is a good 75 miles away. Not so far if I know what I'm getting, but too much to keep going back for system comparisons.

I think I will go with the 4x4 table. I have the room and the lights for it, but that would be about max. Too broke to afford much in the way of new stuff.

The table, decent timer, and good pump won't be cheap.

The res and stuff I can do myself. It is remarkably similar to the water systems on large printing presses and I've been working with those for years. Be nice to have a meter like we have at work (Myron L), but $750 is a bit steep for me. I should be able to use it to check against whatever I can afford though.

BTW, the size of the clones in your veg pics are about the size I put mine into flower and your containers and mine are very similar.

Just need to get that table figured out. LOL


A real newb question: Just what is DWC? I've been reading till my eyes cross and just cannot figure out the abbreviation.

DD

 

[Droopy Dog]

i bought the same setup switching to hydro... the 3 by 3 but i have the 3 by 3 x 2. so its 3 by 6..... if you can get your selft more numbers of clones ..go with 36 clones in 5 by 5 inch pots..veg for a week or soo to 5 to 8 inchs then flower... i used the diamite sycla rocks...for the first time doing hydro i have had no problem...the ph has stayed level and they hold more water then the hydroton.. soo i was just flooding twice a day to start off then im at every 6 hours and im in 2 weeks flower...

Are these 5x5 pots square, round, net, or??

Besides in the pots, do you also add the rocks around the pots to fill in?

I've read about the hassle of cleaning the used rocks and what I plan on doing is getting twice what I need, so I can clean at my leisure during alternate flowerings.

Clones are no problem. I have 8 mothers to be and can easily bump that up, just a matter of time to grow them out.

Is 'diamite sycla' the correct spelling for this? So I can start looking to locate some.

Thanks.

DD

 

[The Butcher]

D.W.C = Deep Water Culture

The whole system is D.I.Y.simple.If you dont have a drill. you can do an outline on the bottom of your lid and cut them with a exacto blade.Thats what i did when my drill burntout in the middle of cutting one of my trays.If you have any questions as far as diy goes p.m me or just ask away.there are a million people on this sight to help us all.

 

[Droopy Dog]

Well, after looking at both Butchers and Omen grows/pics (Major props to both), and a good suggestion by PitViper, it looks like a 4x4 table for me.

The 3x3xx2 that Omen has is nice, but I think that the 6' length would be too much for my lights. I have 1 400wHPS and 1 400wMH and no $$$ to get more or light movers for the rectangular shape. Would be nice to alternate tables for a more continuous grow. Perhaps in the future.

I plan on doing what Omen is doing (and what I've done in the past), root the clones, transplant into pots, a few days to get settled in, then right to 12/12.

I will veg in the same tray as I flower in, 3 days to 1 week. I do have enough mothers started that I can get 64+- clones at once. I have 15 clones set aside as mothers and I can clone more,or, flower out any extras.

Thanks guys !!!!!!

More specific questions will be along.

DD

 

[The Butcher]

sounds like you've done you homework just rite.Omen has the rite idea when it comes down to it. Are you going to journal the grow.

 

[Droopy Dog]

Yes, I will.

Right now, I'm at a point where I can sit and wait for a bit to see if these plants are worth going forward with.

The seeds came from 1 very nice bud, from a friend. He got it from a grower, but never named it. For sure, heavy Indica dominate, but no smell (???).

Both of the fems are outside and in flower. I also have about 25 clones outside and also in flower.

Have 12 mommie clones of the nicest one going and 2 of the other one. These don't take much to maintain as is and with very little $$$ outlay.

Also, pollinated a couple of stems on both the fems from the 1 male that popped up. Just did that, so I don't know it it worked yet or not. Decided at the last minute to save the pollen and it was mostly done by that time. So, maybe yes, maybe no. I'll repeat in a few days and hope something takes. My bad for not thinking ahead with the pollen.

When I see how everything turns out (about 3 weeks into flower), then I can either go ahead with the flowering room, or wait on a better strain.

With all those mommies, it won't be hard to 'kick it up a notch', or, compost them if they aren't 'all that'. LOL

DD