I'm looking for a way to get a perpetual harvest going by trying to purchase 1 ebb and grow system to fruit plants in, have a separate clones/rooting area for clippings, and some way to veg them; only problem is how? Is it possible to veg plants using another (possibly cheaper) hydro method and somehow transfer them to the ebb and grow for fruiting? I'm willing to buy a system for veg, but hopefully it can be less than ebb and grow. The system is so expensive I'm trying to cut costs, thanks everybody.
i have to preface this with the fact that it's insane to buy all that shit, when for a tiny fractino of the cost you can build your own. it will be just as good, if not better. why not just keep them in the same container throughout the grow? i don't really understand why you'd want to change systems? in general, i'd use mini rockwool as the growing medium (hydroton sized rockwool cubes) since there is absolutely no way on god's green earth you can get a root system out of hydroton without doing substantial damage. if you grow in orchid pots you could just swap them from one system to another, but that still... why would you want to do this? if it's your first grow/first time using hydro, i'd set some less ambitious goals, and learn your tastes in systems before buying for a large scale continuous operation. seriously though, you can build a fantastic hydro system for less than it costs to take your girl to applebees. don't buy into the bullshit form-over-function aerogarden stuff. why pay hundred of dollars to pump water onto clay?
I would suggest trying a bubblebucket. They are easy to build, easy to maintain, and give fantastic results. Check out Rumple's bubblebucket thread at the beginning of this section. I have built two so far, and they average about $35 each with simple parts at Home Depot or Lowe's. Ebb and flow is a good system, but in my opinion too complicated.
For my Veg I made my own drip set up. It was rather easy to do so I am not sure how many plants I can grow in it but here is what I used and how I made it. 150 gph water pump 2 spot air pump 2 6" air stones 2'x4' ebb and flow table 2x4s to make my table 2-1/2" ebb and flow drains 1/4 inch tubing for air hose 1/4 inch drip hose on 4" drip stakes 2 gal per hour 1/4 restrictors 1/2 inch poly hose zip ties and drill bit 18 gal Rubbermaid tube for res. I took my drill bit drilling holes around the edge of the 2x4 foot plastic ebb and flow table so I could zip tie the 1/2 hose around the top lip I then drilled a hole in one of the corners so I could run the line to the res. take the other end and put a zip tie around it kinking it closed. I then drilled two holes for my drains in the bottom on each side using some silicone to seal them in. hook the hose to the pump going up to the zip tied line. hook 1/2 tubing to each of the drains and put them in the res. hook your air stones to the air pump and drop them in. use a digital timer to set the on off times I have mine set to 15 min intervols. ohh and take your drip lines and punch a small hole with a nail or you can get the punches for it like I did and hook your restrictors in and your drip lines from them. http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com I found everything I needed here except for not sure about the drip stakes. with shipping came up to $200.00 for everything use some 1.5" rockwool and transfer into 4" when they get a bit bigger then transfer the 4" into your ebb and flow when ready.
Huh? 1 tray, 1 res, 1 pump, 1 timer...How is that complicated? Anyways, you can run a different type of system for veg if you wanted. Top feed/drip, dwc (bubblebucket), or even handwater 2-3 times a day. If you are using rockwool blocks in your hydroton, you can water just once a day during veg. There are many options available. If you know what you want to accomplish, don't let anyone discourage you. Now that I am growing on a small scale, I run a little perpetual grow - all ebb and flow after cuttings are rooted. Simple. I check on my reservoirs every couple days to top off with water and spend less than an hour in my grow room per week. If you download video, check out "Mr. Green's: I Grow Chronic" * hell - here: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuOTnI34vCc&feature=related"]YouTube - How to Grow Green[/ame] This is only part 1, click on video to open youtube.com and you should see the rest of the parts. Good luck
