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Alternative potting medium for DWC

tacitocastillo

New member
Long time browser, first time poster and first time grower.

I've got some plants hanging out in beer cups full of perlite. They have been vegetating long enough to show preflowers and need to go into DWC and start flowering within the next week, but I'm having trouble locating a suitable potting medium.

I like the perlite, it has treated my plants well so far. I haven't built the DWC system or ever run one before, but I'm assuming that the bubbling water of the DWC reservoir would knock perlite into my reservoir and probably clog my air! I notice most people use hydroton/clay pebbles but I'm unable to find these at regular stores, I refuse to visit hydroponic shops,internet retailers and ebay for security reasons.

I've considered doing the bottom 1/4-1/3 with lava rocks and topping it off with perlite, that would keep the perlite above bubbling water level, but I'm not sure about how they will affect pH, TDS and turbidity in the reservoir. Does this seem like a smart solution? What about small paving stones/pebbles?

Can you think of a better solution?

Should I perhaps go with a different hydro method that will better accommodate my security precautions?

The scale of the grow is relatively small, 252 watts CFL, about 16,000 lumens in a space 15"x22". Looking for about 4-6 plants.

Please discuss freely and I apologize if I have posted too much at once.

-TC :joint:
 

FreezerBoy

Was blind but now IC Puckbunny in Training
Veteran
Technically, you don't need any medium beyond water. Many people use foam or "pool noodles" wrapped around the stem to hold the plant and naked root ball over the res. If you're growing in the rez itself, some perlite in the water probably wouldn't harm anything. In a recirculating system involving water pumps, it could clog up the works.

Beer cup means nothing to me volume wise. I can't picture the size of your rootball. Can you gently remove the plants from the cups and simply wash the perlite out. If you can, you can grow with naked roots. People do it all the time.
 

reachtdk

New member
the only problem with growing mediumless is that the plants need support to keep upright. the hydroton in dwc supports the plant keeping it stable, especially when the plants go into flowering, as they get extremely top heavy.
 

stihgnobevoli

Active member
Veteran
im in a similar situation. i was gonna suck it up and buy hydroton from a local hydro store. but i dont want to have to buy essentials like that from a shop like this which only caters to certain things. I seem to recall people using lava rocks when og was still around. but im not sure if that would work. mostly cuz im not sure if i remember correctly.
 

BudLove

Member
Lava rocks will work fine... and to boot they also promote good bacteria growth. I've used them in several grows and noticed no difference between them and hydroton - with the exception that lava rocks tend to be big and small vs. the uniformity of hydroton.

One other thing I did prior to using them was take out the large ones, throw em under a towel and smash em with a hammer. This allowed me to use more rocks per net pot (smaller the better, as long as they dont fall through the nets).... gave the ladies enough support through-out their entire lifespan.

BL
 

FreezerBoy

Was blind but now IC Puckbunny in Training
Veteran
reachtdk said:
the only problem with growing mediumless is that the plants need support to keep upright.
True. Shame on me for not mentioning this. People who do this usually use a Scrog screen as well. Once tied to the screen, the screen provides the support.

Careful with lava rock. There's good kind and bad kind. Wish I could give better info on this but all I can really say is I tried it once and I got the bad kind. Foulest tasting grow of my 15 year indoor career.
 

brooklyn

Member
peace, can i chime in with my limited knowledge, read everything big toke, blazeoneup, etc., then read it again and maybe one mo again just to break thru da haze. self made lids (styrofoam), double layer style(inner lid siliconed to onverhanged top lid) keeps da side to side and front to back steady, those lil black cloning pods thingys are use for support in da beginin!!!(decided the amount of fruit u want to grow per bucket, tub, etc., measure space per plant to maximize lite penetration, pop em in!! as they get a lil heavy, figure out a verticle support system(usually string to da ceiling or scrog screen as mention above), can be totally mediumless(just fruit and soup), no lava rocks, hydroton, rockwool to worry about, plus if want to harbor bacterial ala BT u can use the plastic bio balls they sell at pet fish store, throw 'em in a net bag and throw them into your bucket, tub etc...use a benefical bacteria startup for an eccelerated bacterial growth...done!

one!
 

Haps

stone fool
Veteran
Wash the lava rock, you can also uses granite chips, marbles or glass, if they are available.
H
 

tacitocastillo

New member
Thanks all for the responses.

Last night and today I searched long here for info about lava rock. Looks like I will be heading out to get a big bag and a rubbermaid to wash it in.

As to the guy who said just send a friend to the hydro store, I don't mind telling you that breaks the first rule of security, to tell no one. I don't tell my girl, my family, friends, or even friends who grow. I don't give them reason to believe I even know the basics of growing and I tell anyone reading this to do the same.

The mediumless solution fascinates me as the ultimate secure method but I think on a first grow with plants from seed it will be too much effort to design a plant support system. I will do it on the next cycle when I am comfortable with just keeping the plants alive and happy.

I posted a few more timesd so I could show the plants you've helped. They've led a tough life through pH swings (switching between bottled and tap water), but they have stabilized well with alternate waterings of plain 7.25pH ~300ppm tap water and ~125ppm 24-8-16 MG all purpose added to the tap water. Temps in the low 90s with the lights on, mid 70s with the lights off. Humidity constant 35%.







I think my only problems will be #1 getting the plants from perlite to lava rock, #2 controlling the heat and #3 lowering the pH down a point into the acidic range. Then again I haven't built my tubbler yet, which may introduce a whole new set of problems but I believe the answers are all here for me to find.

Until then, muchas gracias and stay safe.

-TC :joint:
 
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Haps

stone fool
Veteran
An old cooler makes a superior tubbler, just a little harder to cut through, worth it I think.
H
 

Chronmon

Member
Bro I think your going over board on the paranoia You can go by a Bag of Lava Rocks at Home Depot or Lowes or Rona, no need to be paranoid about that. Did you no there sold in the BBQ section and can be used in BBQs as a subsitute to charcoal rocks?
 

chosen

Active member
Veteran
If you are using pots, you can go media free and use styrofoam cut outs or plastic lids with holes that are painted or covered with reflective material.


 

HOVAH

Member
GO WITH LAVA ROCKS, WITH MEDIUMLESS SOMETIMES THE PLANTS SLIDE DOWN TOO FAR, AND U HAVE TO KEEP READJUSTING... ITS BETTER TO PUT UM IN A POT. ROOTS AT THE BOTTOM, THEN SPEAD ROCKS AROUND IT... DONT FORGET LAVA ROCKS HAVE A HIGH PH, EVEN AFTER YOU WASTER SO BUY PH DOWN.....
YOU CANT BE PARANOID IF YOU WANNA DO THIS SHIT... YOULL JUST GIVE YOUSELF AWAY OR DO SOMETHING STUPID... RELAX.. AND BREATH...IF THEY WANNA CATCH YOU, THEY WILL.... AND YOU CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, SO WHY SWEAT IT... IF YOURE LOSING SLEEP THEN YOU NEED TO STOP AND FIND ANOTHER HOBBY... TY 1HOV.
 

tacitocastillo

New member
You're all talking about paranoia but believe me when I say you've got it backward.

Doing it like this takes the paranoia out of the question for me. There's little to worry about when you haven't told anyone, run small scale and prevent anyone profiling you on your purchases. That's how I sleep at night.

I'll post some pics next week of what I've come up with.

Thanks again for the help and concern.

-TC :joint:
 
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