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Small DWC buckets?

I'd like to build several DWC buckets for an indoor/winter pepper grow. It seems like a 5 gal will take up too much space for me. Has anyone done DWC in something smaller than a 5gal bucket. I'm really just looking to grow a few compact plants, each only being say 2'x2'x2' at the largest. I bought 3 inch net pots. How small of a water reservoir can I get away with? I'd really like each plant to be in its own bucket/reservoir.

Any links to glogs or threads would be helpful, I've used the search function, but it seems most people doing DWC are in 5gal buckets.
 
I'd like to build several DWC buckets for an indoor/winter pepper grow. It seems like a 5 gal will take up too much space for me. Has anyone done DWC in something smaller than a 5gal bucket. I'm really just looking to grow a few compact plants, each only being say 2'x2'x2' at the largest. I bought 3 inch net pots. How small of a water reservoir can I get away with? I'd really like each plant to be in its own bucket/reservoir.

Any links to glogs or threads would be helpful, I've used the search function, but it seems most people doing DWC are in 5gal buckets.

Try a 3.5 gallon bucket.
Below that, my be tending your reservoir levels very frequently by the time your plants are near 2x2

JD has a great suggestion too...

Regards, Chris
 
You could also use say a 10 - 15 gallon sterlite container and place several plants into the one container. Similar to this pic :

cheapskate_parts.jpg


But less plants ( 4 - 6) if you want to grow them out -- Here is a guide to building the one shown
 
depending on how hot your room is/how hot your lights are, Id say you could be looking at between half a gallon and a gallon a day once they are getting larger in a hot room. It has been a couple years since my DWC has run though, so my memory may not be the best.
 
I know that's not answering your question, but have you considered passive hydroponics? - Chilies do very well in passive systems, and it takes up the least amount of space. Also it's the easiest and most reliable system (and the least noisy), the only tricky phase is the root-growing-phase, containers shouldn't be too large at the beginning, or your roots will start to rot, since they're in water for too long. So you should start with smaller containers and smaller-grit hydrocorrels (something like perlite or seramis is great for starting the plants - the small correls water themselves via capillary action, so you can leave the water levels very low)
Once the plants are bigger, they'll use up the water in a larger hydro-pot quick enough to avoid root-rot, all you have to do is water your plants once or twice a week and rinse the hydrocorrels every few weeks.

Another easy way of growing them in passive hydroponics is rockwool. It stores quite a lot of water, but also there's always enough oxygen for the roots. Just use a pot with an open bottom, rockwool and a few hydrocorrels on top. Works like a charm, I've been growing two tomatoes this way as a test:
Here's the system when I started it (on april 29th), there's two blocks of rockwool in there, and some holes in the bottom, so the water can drain easily: (I got rid of the chili in the middle quite early)
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And here's how it looks now, all I did was water it once a week (with nutrient solution obviously)
sHYD8.jpg

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Since the nutrient solution drains easily you can't overwater them, the rockwool holds enough water for at least a week.
 
I've done 9 2 gallon buckets under a 600 watt HID lamp, worked great! Explosive growth. I've done 5 gallon buckets too both work great and are very easy. Coco coir is also a good alternative, and you can move them outside if the plants get to big. Hell, rock wool is great too!
 
Hello...

The topic name was just about what I was about to start, so just write my questions here... Hope noone is offended...

A few weeks ago I started some seeds in coco-jiffys... Now I wonder when to transfer them to the bucket-system? - the roots is starting to show in the bottom of the jiffys - not through the sides yet... I have build a bucket bubler system - so I'm not worried about cococoir into the reservoir since there is no waterpump used...

I was planning to put the jiffys inside a 10x10x10 cm pot (which I have cut rippes in for the roots to grow out of) filled with leca... Should I just transfer them into the leca now and water from top untill roots reaches the nutrient solution?

Should I use pure water now or start with nutrient solutions (maybe half dosage)?

If anyone would take the time to answer those questions i would be grateful... :-)
 
I'm not an expert but I would do quarter dose (or even a little less) starting off. Never exceed 70% dose on peppers. Full dose is, at best, a waste of nutes. With vigorous bubbling you can submerge the tip of the roots into the water. I would have the roots above the water level and let the leca sort of keep the area moist. Otherwise you can hand water. I am guessing you can't adjust the height of the water line? A little wilting is fine, it drives the roots down.

The biggest mistake I always make is undersestimating how much growth there will be.
 
i suggest getting em in the bucket sooner than later. and keep the water level right below the net pot. the bubbles will help keep the medium moist. i also would add water through the top once and a while to help keep things moist... it wont take long for the roots to find their way to awesomeness, and then it will kick into high gear like no other. I also suggest very mild nutrients maybe 1/4 tops and increase the levels every time you add/change the solution
 
You could also use say a 10 - 15 gallon sterlite container and place several plants into the one container. Similar to this pic :
But less plants ( 4 - 6) if you want to grow them out -- Here is a guide to building the one shown


Going for that one (or a couple) this weekend.
Only doing an "8 holer" though. Modified a bit to take the aerogarden sleeves.

Maybe get a full fall/winter grow out of them.
Sprout first in the aerogarden, transfer to the frankenbubbler (roots already well developed), dirt them in the spring.

Damn. Could get a whole assembly line of peppers in limited space.

Been looking at them for sale, figured it isn't that difficult a concept.
I have a drill and a hole saw.
 
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