Hello all, I have decided to make the move from growing in Soil to growing in DWC (Deep Water Culture) hydroponic set up. I will be using Hydrobuckets so I can monitor and change out my solution without lifting/disturbing the plant.
Does anyone have any advice, regarding: Set up, Nutrients, lessons learned, etc.? I already have a plan, but wanted input from the community.
My main reasons for switching:
It is the most environmentally friendly option for growing.
I don’t have a pile of old soil to dispose of after growing each plant.
I can stop bringing bugs into my grow space from the store.
It is not an environment for many bugs to want to live.
I won’t have any issues with Nutrient build ups, causing pH fluctuations that I can Never seem to correct…
It will be less time consuming as I can prepare each Hydrobucket once per week/per plant.
Hi @Rasta_Free-Man I look forward to your feedback on growing.
I have some doubts about point 5. How will you not have problems with EC and PH? Do you intend to use fertilizers with a buffer effect? I know that in hydroculture those two parameters are a nuisance to keep under control.
Hi @Maro, I am sure that my pH will slowly drift upwards, which is fine as long as I start in the 5.8 range and it can creep up to 6.6 before I would adjust it. This would allow the plant to uptake I wider range of nutrients, as they uptake different nutrients at different pH levels. Same as with soil.
The issue I have in soil is that, by the time that I am in the flowering phase, The root zone pH gets up to seven. Five or higher and I have tried with all my might over and over to lower the pH but still having issues. This can’t happen in deep water culture because I am replacing the entire nutrient solution once per week.
I don’t see EC/PPM being a problem at all.
Water temperature is my main concern. Must keep it cool enough to avoid damage/root rot. But I think I dreamed up a little solution to that…. Each week when I prepare nutrients, I will make extra and freeze it in ice cubes. Then, I can drop some cubes in every day to top up the nutrients and keep temperatures down
Just in case anyone is interested, it was watching this video with Mr. Grow it and Mitchell from Visionary Hydroponics that made me consider switching. First off… I knew NOTHING about DWC or RDWC… after this video I understood enough and saw that it can be fore beginners and seems like it will address a lot of my personal issues with my personal growing style.
How To Grow Hydroponically! DWC & RDWC (Garden Talk #36)
Also, I just love his new Hydrobucklet system, it seems like it changes the game a bit with regards to DWC/RDWC in 3 main ways, easy to check and replenish the nutrients, air stones stay in side reservoir to avoid getting “eaten” by the roots, and he changed the game on transplanting into larger containers.
Watching this Transplanting seedlings from small bucket to dedicated Hydrobucket.
Hey Rasta to start with I see a problem all ready, your pH is wrong that’s the pH you want to be running for soil for sure in hydro u want your pH around 5.5, I’m currently at work I hate typing on my phone. When I get home I’ll jump on my PC and write up some notes for you.
I don’t know about the ice cubes mate, it would shock the roots when you have a big root ball, cover the tops of your buckets with tin foil to reflect the light for one.
Many thanks @Wildwestie420! You are right, I typed the pH range for a soil, by habit of growing in soil
Good point on the ice cubes… but I am thinking, maybe if I start with 1 cube at a time and make sure it doesn’t come in contact with the roots… not sure… maybe just won’t do that. Haha.
I will be wrapping the buckets in reflective insulation (not sure what it is called) but I see the maker of Hydrobucket and other DIY setups doing that.
It will be a learning experience, with a learning curve… just like with soil or any other form of growing.
Ohh man… I think I might have my solution for keeping water temperates in check.
This guy put his Air pump in a mini-fridge, drilled holes through the door, sealed it. He control how Cold the water gets with the Fridge temperature control!
I saw people talking about this, but glad I found a video with someone who did it! Super low quality video, but good quality information.
Here is another way to maintain the water temperatures, But seem like Way more work/complicated set up, and would require another AC unit… Pretty Smart though!
He just puts his buckets into toat bins that have AC air running though them.
Regarding ph/chasing ph in DWC… After watching this guys video, I was like… that is what I was planning to do… Not chase the ph… I will monitor it so it stays in range, it will go up and then down again. Especially that I will be adding beneficial microbes and such and they will help.
Hey Rasta, so this is my first dwc grow I used hydroponic research veg/bloom nutrients it is a all on one mix I also added cal/mag that is it as far as temp control goes I have a 2x4x5 tent inside I am in ny and it is winter my temp ranges about 70-73 so I have left it alone I also add a small amount of garden friendly fungicide with every res change. My bucket is a 3.5 gallon and I am only growing one plant as this is trial and error… the whole grow has gone smooth and let me tell you she grows fast
I change my res weekly but these last few weeks I will top off… I do use ph down as needed and keep her in range. My last three plants were done last year and in soil one inside two out and I still am sold on hydro good luck
I think so, I am looking for a used fridge with plastic door, then I’ll need a long drill bit. hehe, should be interesting. I am even going to put the pump on a UPS Battery Back up, since I lose power often(ish), I want to make sure my plants can breath at all times.
I’ve seen a mini fridge used as a chiller where the nutrients ran through a 3/4" stainless coil in the fridge . . . no reason pumping cold air in couldn’t work as well
Hi Rasta, regarding the pH in DWC ,I’m starting my 2 grow in Dwc ,and one thing I can tell for sure regarding the pH,it depends from strain to strain but so far I’ve seen that during the seedling and during the veg if you don’t keep your pH between 5,7 and 6.0 you going to have problems.
I watched that video and followed what he says for 2 days ,and on my 3 day I had to get the pH at 5.8 or my seedlings would die .
I will post some foto’s so you see .
The fotos off my seedlings were taken today.As you can see 2 days with pH floating between 5.5 and 6.5 as he said in the video doesn’t work. Unfortunately in Dwc we have to keep pH around 5.7 and 6.0.
Hi @Halloweengeek, Many thanks for the response! I think I would have to agree with you/your findings, that for seedlings, I imagine the ph needs to be absolute Ideal range, but I am thinking, later in growth, the fluctuations can vary a bit more as the plant will have stored nutrients. However, I think I also agree with you that it will vary by the strain/genetics. … Only one way to find out
I have my Hydrobucket, reflective insulation to wrap the bucket, a Great air pump, the rockwool that I need… all i need to do now is to buy the mini fridge to install the air pump and start testing out temperature control in one of my vacant tents.
I was going to purchase a bunch of cheap aquarium thermometers, but I will not have any data on the temperatures when I am not in the room/. I haven’t found a Wifi/Bluetooth one with an app yet… Any suggestions?
