teddynugent
Member
Hello all,
I just bought a V-Drip 32 plant Top Feed Drip System.
I am definitely not new to growing by any means lol.... But I AM Brand New to using a Top-Feed Drip System.
I have grown in soil, Soil-Less Mixes (Pro-Mix/Coco etc.) that were hand-watered And others that were Passively Watered/Fed using Wick-styled systems. I've also done lots Aeroponically (using AeroFlo's & AeroJets Etc.). But NEVER have I used any type of drip system like this.
Each 4.5" Square Pot is filled with HydroTon clay rocks AND haas it's own hose with a Round Drip Emitter in each end.
I will be putting a Clone Rooted in RockWool into each Pot (Just like the Net Pot's filled with HydroTon I've used in the AeroFlo's & AeroJets).
What I need to know is how often I should have the Dripper running to Water/Feed each Plant? Or at least if someone with Experience (the more the better lol) with using a Top Feed Drip System with HydroTon as the Grow Medium could help me -
- Would someone at least have a rough guess and/or a good place to start the Watering Schedule?
I have a 24-Hour Timer that can be run in 15 Minute Intervals.
Should I start with a Watering Schedule of say 15 Minutes ON and 45 Minutes Off?
Or should I start with something higher like 15 Minutes ON and 15 Minutes OFF for the day?
The other thing I have to consider is that each row has 4 Plants in a Gutter-Like Hole set at a 45 Degree Angle, so the Top Plant in each Row is at least 1 Ft. Closer to the Light than the Bottom Plant in that row.
So I have to take into consideration that the Bottom Plant in each row is going to get the Run-Off of the 3 Plants being Drip-Fed Above. (I don't know if this really matters or isn't really a concern - Like I said I am Totally New to this type of setup).
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Oh, and if you'd like to know more about my System, I went into more detail below on why this V-Shaped Design produces Bigger Yields for me (Even when I was just growing in soil using this Tiered OR V-Shaped Setup.)
Also for anyone looking for a Cheap way to start growing Hydroponically, I would suggest taking a look at all the different Systems sold at www.v-drip.com . I picked up a Top-Feed Drip System that holds 32 Plants for $199 (roughly $230 w/shipping & that included everything(including Medium) except for the Light & Nutrients(but a full set of nutes could be added very cheaply. I have my own Feeding System/Nutrient Mixes like most anyone who's been gardening for a while....)
For me, it was a nice cheap way to get back into Hydroponic/Aeroponic type Gardening - since I no longer have any of my Aeroponic Gear :-(
I would have loved to buy an AeroFlo 36 instead of my V-Drip 32. But when 1 comes to like $230 Complete and the other System Starts at about $700 before Tax or anything - It was kinda a No Brainer for me (especially with this Fu*ked up Economy & having been laid off at work). Its not as nice as an AeroFlo, but it sure beats hand watering 32 5 Gallon Pots (especially when each plant takes 1-2+ Gallons of water, with each gallon having to be mixed with Nutrients Separately.... Mixing up 60 1 Gallon Jugs with 3-6 seperate types of nutrient having to be added to each, gets old real quick & as much as I love the simplicity of growing soil/soil-less - I just got too sick of hand watering (especially when I was working 6 days a week).
It's a Very Nice System Design for use under 1 Single HID Light - And with a higher Likely-hood of producing a Higher Yield than most other units made for 1 single Light.
The system is V-Shaped. It has 4 rows of 4 plants on each side. Each Row of Plants sits roughly 6"-8" higher than the row beneath it.
It's a nice design, especially because I have a very nice, high quality Air-Cooled Light Reflector (with 1000wt. switch-able Bulb) Setup over it with a good, powerful inline fan. So, it can literally be put like 6" above the plants (even when they're still small) - and it doesn't hurt the plants at all. This Reflector with the In-Line Fan I use- along with a small amount of Ducting needed (I use the good Insulated type of Flexible Ducting) to exhaust ALL that heat from the 1000wt. Light straight out of my Sealed Room - and I've used air-cooled set-ups before but there would always be some heat to deal with especially with the 1000's. BUT this new setup LITERALLY takes care of all the heat generated by the Light. I have even had it where my Blooming Plants were TOUCHING the Glass of this 1000wt. Setup and were not Burnt at all!
ANYWAY, getting back to the point.... The reason I like the V-Shaped Design is because along with a high quality air-cooled light setup, you hang the Light right over Top of this Machine - And because of my very efficient air-cooled light I hang the 1000wt. Light so it is Even with (OR roughly 6 Inches Above) the tops of the 4 Plants in the Highest Row on each side.
So, instead of all that Horizontal Light coming from the Reflector being kind of wasted by only just barely covering the edge of plants in your garden, the V design puts the Light to WAY Better use!
By having it so close to the tops of the plants on the 2 Highest Rows and hanging straight over the tops of the Plants in the Lower Rows, ALL the Light's Intensity can be used so much better - Since All that Light that gets Reflected Horizontally is used to Light the Plants in the Higher/Highest Rows since they are nice and close to the Reflector. So by having the Plants Directly under the Most Intense Light put out by the Reflector in the Low Rows - It Gets rid of the problem of where the outside row(s) of plants produce smaller buds/yields than the plants that are (more) directly underneath the Light.
Well if you read this whole post, thank you lol. And sorry for rambling on there....
I appreciate any and all help you can give.
Thanks again & Stay Safe everyone,
-Teddy Nugget
I just bought a V-Drip 32 plant Top Feed Drip System.
I am definitely not new to growing by any means lol.... But I AM Brand New to using a Top-Feed Drip System.
I have grown in soil, Soil-Less Mixes (Pro-Mix/Coco etc.) that were hand-watered And others that were Passively Watered/Fed using Wick-styled systems. I've also done lots Aeroponically (using AeroFlo's & AeroJets Etc.). But NEVER have I used any type of drip system like this.
Each 4.5" Square Pot is filled with HydroTon clay rocks AND haas it's own hose with a Round Drip Emitter in each end.
I will be putting a Clone Rooted in RockWool into each Pot (Just like the Net Pot's filled with HydroTon I've used in the AeroFlo's & AeroJets).
What I need to know is how often I should have the Dripper running to Water/Feed each Plant? Or at least if someone with Experience (the more the better lol) with using a Top Feed Drip System with HydroTon as the Grow Medium could help me -
- Would someone at least have a rough guess and/or a good place to start the Watering Schedule?
I have a 24-Hour Timer that can be run in 15 Minute Intervals.
Should I start with a Watering Schedule of say 15 Minutes ON and 45 Minutes Off?
Or should I start with something higher like 15 Minutes ON and 15 Minutes OFF for the day?
The other thing I have to consider is that each row has 4 Plants in a Gutter-Like Hole set at a 45 Degree Angle, so the Top Plant in each Row is at least 1 Ft. Closer to the Light than the Bottom Plant in that row.
So I have to take into consideration that the Bottom Plant in each row is going to get the Run-Off of the 3 Plants being Drip-Fed Above. (I don't know if this really matters or isn't really a concern - Like I said I am Totally New to this type of setup).
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Oh, and if you'd like to know more about my System, I went into more detail below on why this V-Shaped Design produces Bigger Yields for me (Even when I was just growing in soil using this Tiered OR V-Shaped Setup.)
Also for anyone looking for a Cheap way to start growing Hydroponically, I would suggest taking a look at all the different Systems sold at www.v-drip.com . I picked up a Top-Feed Drip System that holds 32 Plants for $199 (roughly $230 w/shipping & that included everything(including Medium) except for the Light & Nutrients(but a full set of nutes could be added very cheaply. I have my own Feeding System/Nutrient Mixes like most anyone who's been gardening for a while....)
For me, it was a nice cheap way to get back into Hydroponic/Aeroponic type Gardening - since I no longer have any of my Aeroponic Gear :-(
I would have loved to buy an AeroFlo 36 instead of my V-Drip 32. But when 1 comes to like $230 Complete and the other System Starts at about $700 before Tax or anything - It was kinda a No Brainer for me (especially with this Fu*ked up Economy & having been laid off at work). Its not as nice as an AeroFlo, but it sure beats hand watering 32 5 Gallon Pots (especially when each plant takes 1-2+ Gallons of water, with each gallon having to be mixed with Nutrients Separately.... Mixing up 60 1 Gallon Jugs with 3-6 seperate types of nutrient having to be added to each, gets old real quick & as much as I love the simplicity of growing soil/soil-less - I just got too sick of hand watering (especially when I was working 6 days a week).
It's a Very Nice System Design for use under 1 Single HID Light - And with a higher Likely-hood of producing a Higher Yield than most other units made for 1 single Light.
The system is V-Shaped. It has 4 rows of 4 plants on each side. Each Row of Plants sits roughly 6"-8" higher than the row beneath it.
It's a nice design, especially because I have a very nice, high quality Air-Cooled Light Reflector (with 1000wt. switch-able Bulb) Setup over it with a good, powerful inline fan. So, it can literally be put like 6" above the plants (even when they're still small) - and it doesn't hurt the plants at all. This Reflector with the In-Line Fan I use- along with a small amount of Ducting needed (I use the good Insulated type of Flexible Ducting) to exhaust ALL that heat from the 1000wt. Light straight out of my Sealed Room - and I've used air-cooled set-ups before but there would always be some heat to deal with especially with the 1000's. BUT this new setup LITERALLY takes care of all the heat generated by the Light. I have even had it where my Blooming Plants were TOUCHING the Glass of this 1000wt. Setup and were not Burnt at all!
ANYWAY, getting back to the point.... The reason I like the V-Shaped Design is because along with a high quality air-cooled light setup, you hang the Light right over Top of this Machine - And because of my very efficient air-cooled light I hang the 1000wt. Light so it is Even with (OR roughly 6 Inches Above) the tops of the 4 Plants in the Highest Row on each side.
So, instead of all that Horizontal Light coming from the Reflector being kind of wasted by only just barely covering the edge of plants in your garden, the V design puts the Light to WAY Better use!
By having it so close to the tops of the plants on the 2 Highest Rows and hanging straight over the tops of the Plants in the Lower Rows, ALL the Light's Intensity can be used so much better - Since All that Light that gets Reflected Horizontally is used to Light the Plants in the Higher/Highest Rows since they are nice and close to the Reflector. So by having the Plants Directly under the Most Intense Light put out by the Reflector in the Low Rows - It Gets rid of the problem of where the outside row(s) of plants produce smaller buds/yields than the plants that are (more) directly underneath the Light.
Well if you read this whole post, thank you lol. And sorry for rambling on there....
I appreciate any and all help you can give.
Thanks again & Stay Safe everyone,
-Teddy Nugget
