So, I've successfully built my first hydroponic bubble cloner and after spending 3 hours repotting my plants in 5 gallon pots with 100 liters of soil.. I thought maybe I could move to growing in hydro as well. I've been doing some research on the subject and this is what I've figured out. Growing in hydro is the same as cloning except that you need some sort of medium (I use no medium for my bubble cloner), like those coco balls and/or rockwool, and you need to scale the amount to grow bigger plants just like you would in soil. Is that right? Now, you need a reservoir or a tank which will either pump the water to the top of the plants or spray the water under the plant while the plant is slightly submerged. So, in all, is hydro better because it allows the root system to extent beyond the airpot and because it makes it easier to feed the plant with nutrients without the buffer of soil? In which case, what is the difference between hydro and just leaving a plant in a pot full of water? Is it the air that is being pumped inside via the air stone? That would cause root rot, wouldn't it? So, how does hydro prevent this if the roots will inevitably become drenched in the water as they grow? Thanks for the input!
We pump a lot of air in the water and get it vigorously bubbling. Its more like a rushing river then a soupy swamp. Give it a try man. Its kick ass and easy as shit. A DWC has nothing but an air pump and is real easy.
There are a few types of hydro systems and each one has several variations of it. I recommend DWC as the first one to try as it is so simple to build. It's basically a container with a lid, a small net pot fitted in the lid holding clay balls, and the plant is held in place by the balls. Roots grow down in to the main part of the container which is filled with a nutrient solution and aerated with an air pump and stone. This allows the plants to take up enough oxygen so they down suffocate. If done correctly they will have access to a lot more oxygen than soil can allow