i bought a waterfarm module. i believe this is a drip system...? what is the working concept behind the bubble method and how is it better than a drip system?
Bubble bucket is better than the drip system. Drip system roots are only explosed a little of the nutrients at a time. In bubble bucket the roots are in the nutrient solution at all times and the bubbles provide the oxygen the the plants need. i love bubble buckets, simple and very very cheap to build.
Well, not quite... if it's in a rockwool cube the roots are still sitting in nutrients, just not a fresh supply of nutrients like with a bubble bucket. From what I've read/seen it seems like people have great success with drip systems, bubble buckets and ebb & flow systems. Kinda just a preference thing.
They're all good methods, but just because the bubbler systems aren't significantly harder OR more expensive to make it is only sensible that one uses a bubbler system. You can get a 6-8 plant bubbler system with everything you need except for seeds on ebay for $200 shipped. And you can build it yourself for even cheaper. Personally the only time I'd ever consider a drip system is for large scale commercial grows. I'd never use and ebb and flow... hate that stuff. Bottom line... the bubbler rocks for small scale grows. And I recommend it to anyone. Even beginners.
you consider the stem of the plant sitting in the rockwool in nutrients??? Most if not All of the roots of the plant will be outside of that rockwool, roots do not stay inside the rockwool. anywhoo.
Thanks dierwolf, I was wondering if anyone was going to catch falicy of sth's statement. The only time that rockwool actually provides anyth nute support is in the seedling stage.
Someone's a little sassy today, huh? There's the original root structure sitting in the rockwool/sitting in nutes.
[sarcasm on] ok dude your right.. [sarcasm off] [Sassy On] But get this, soaked rockwool next to a stem causes rot and also causes Damping Off (google that shit) without proper oxygen.... This is why you dont keep your rockwool soaking wet in any type of hydro system. No now let me ask another sassy question... if its not good for the rockwool to be wet after seedling stage then that means it must be dry (as its serves no more purpose after the seedling stage) where would these nutes be coming from??? the Air??? but you go right ahead and keep your rockwool soaking wet, its not how it should be done, this is why the ring of the dipper systems are so big and round as to not drip directly onto the rockwool but on the growrocks and roots. PS. the "Original Root Structure" as you put it is not still in the rockwool, last i checked Roots grow so what was originally IN the rockwool must have grown out But i think of the little details all the time [Sassy-Off]
I love my bubblers! they are a piece of cake to build and maintain. Im still new to hydro but so far its been sweet. I also think that the bubblier provides the most nutrient availability between drip and bubblers.
Seriously, like a big ole sass-auge festival over there. I guess I was getting most of my information on the rockwool subject from that I Grow Chronic video on pot.tv. He has a dripper placed directly on a 4"x4"x4" rockwool cube for the entire veg stage. Once the roots started outgrowing the cube he placed the cube in hydroton and again puts the dripper directly over the rockwool cube. He didn't have any stem rot and his plants turned out great. (I'm sure you've all seen the video) Later on he continues to douse the rockwool with nutes in the EBB & flow system. So while this may not be the most ideal scenario it clearly still works - right? Dierwolf - I'm still on my first grow and I'm here to learn, no need for the negative stuff. If you prove me wrong both my plants and I will be greatful
Yep i have seen the video. And Yep i have gone thru it.. lets jsut say he got lucky on that grow that he didnt get stem rott. On top of that, he had a timer! on his drip system and only dripping on the rockwool at certain periods of the day, allowing the rockwool to dry out. The system you ALL are talking about, the dripper is dripping continuously throughout the day. Thats the big difference between "I grow Cronic" and a Hydro/Water Farm. In addition, when he put it in the grow bed to flower, he was using a flood and drain system not a drip system... the drip system was just during his veg stage from seed to sexing and then from clone to flowering stage, of which time there was hardly any roots as yet outside the rockwool if you looked clearly. Yes i understand its your first grow, and believe as such you should try and listen to the more advanced users.
Ahhh, but alas - I built a timer/drip setup nearly identical to his. No constant dripping here. The reason I bring up the ebb & flow is because it's the same idea of completely drenching the rockwool cube a certain number of times a day. A constant drip on a rockwool cube would just be silly. So that said, I think we can agree that while the roots remain in the cube and are dripped on X times a day, that they are infact sitting in a supply of nutrients. I've never heard of this stem rot dealy, do you have any sources perhaps explaining the causes/symptoms/ways to avoid?
Agreed, but like i said, most if not all the roots are outside the rockwool. only watering the rockwool will only water that portion of the root base, and the rest will dry out and die, thereby effectively slowing down the plant if not almost killing it when it gets large. Point is ALL of the roots need to be adequately moist at all times in order for them not to dry out... simple drip system on rockwool only does not do this. This is why i say, Bubble bucket works the best compared to any drip system as the roots are always in the solution and being airated with bubbles for oxygen. I have tried both methods and bubble bucket is better and much simpler. right now you have to figure out how long to set your timer off for, too long and it will dry out too much and screw up the roots and plant, too often and the roots will not get enough oxygen. as the plant grows bigger it will suck up water/nutrients faster and you will have to once again keep adjusting your timer to suit the plant. YOu have none of this in bubble bucket as the water is always there and oxygen is always there and there is no shock to the plant because one minute the roots are dry and the next wet. But yes we can agree that while the roots are still IN the rockwool they will be fed properly with a timed drip system, after they are out is when things get a little more hairy by just dripping on the rockwool alone.