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Kratky or DWC? What's your experience and preference?

Never had an issue refilling and even if I forgot that it drank all the solution.. Roots were white getting dry..

Plants perked right up with a refill.



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I have and am currently. Mini bell peppers, tepin x lemon drops, and ajis..
mitchNC said:
So are you guys saying you've grown fruiting plants using Kratky and refilling as needed?
Without air pumps?
Click to expand...
Sent from my Galaxy S8 using Tapatalk
 
mitchNC said:
So are you guys saying you've grown fruiting plants using Kratky and refilling as needed?
Without air pumps?
Click to expand...
Imo it's not really kratky as soon as you add an air pump. More like a sad dwc.
 
AndyW said:
Imo it's not really kratky as soon as you add an air pump. More like a sad dwc.
Click to expand...
It seems I may be not understand what DWC really is then. I was under the impression that it was basically just Kratky with an air pump and air stone added? Am I missing something?
 
FITN said:
It seems I may be not understand what DWC really is then. I was under the impression that it was basically just Kratky with an air pump and air stone added? Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
 
The difference is in a DWC the roots are immersed in nute solution that are oxygenated by the air pump and in the Kratky system the roots get oxygenated by not being immersed and getting their oxygen from the air they're exposed to.
 
dwc-system.jpg

 
cloud-farms-progression.jpg

Kratky method,,,,,,,
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YES!  Northeast summed it up.
That first picture is the same one I used in my hydro presentation at our homesteaders club meeting.  :)
 
That's why I was surprised to hear people were growing peppers using Kratky.  It's "not supposed" to work. 
 
I never heard of Peter Stanley until now.  I checked out a couple of his videos.
I've seriously never seen pepper plants like that grown with Kratky.
 
He said something about float valves so I'll have to check out his vids to see how he sets it up.
 
Edit:  My whole belief system has been challenged.  LOL
 
mitchNC said:
So are you guys saying you've grown fruiting plants using Kratky and refilling as needed?
Without air pumps?
Click to expand...
You mean like this? This Red Moruga Scorpion is 5 1/2 feet above the reservoir and just as wide. I have already taken 100-200 pods off this plant and I will get 1 more good pull before it freezes. It is in a 30 gal garbage can.

6F0DA9CA-F640-4A43-83BC-7709E831B0A7.jpeg
 
mitchNC said:
So are you guys saying you've grown fruiting plants using Kratky and refilling as needed?
Without air pumps?
Click to expand...
You mean like this? This Red Moruga Scorpion is 5 1/2 feet above the reservoir and just as wide. I have already taken 100-200 pods off this plant and I will get 1 more good pull before it freezes. It is in a 30 gal garbage can.

6F0DA9CA-F640-4A43-83BC-7709E831B0A7.jpeg
 
Geez, that's awesome.  So do you agree with the "air exchange roots" concept?  You don't refill the solution all the way to the top of the roots?
 
Yes, the air exchange roots are what makes it work. I let the solution go down to about half the depth of the container and try to hold it about there, also a good reason to use the float valves and a supply reservoir. Also, Kratky will work when it is hot as hell because it is not getting the oxygen from the submerged roots.
 
skullbiker said:
You mean like this? This Red Moruga Scorpion is 5 1/2 feet above the reservoir and just as wide. I have already taken 100-200 pods off this plant and I will get 1 more good pull before it freezes. It is in a 30 gal garbage can.

6F0DA9CA-F640-4A43-83BC-7709E831B0A7.jpeg
Click to expand...
PLEASE take an up close photo of the base of that trunk with something for scale (standard Bic lighter, beer can, etc.,).
 
That is what I want to do next year. I plan on using something like this. It's 55 gallons and I can get them for cheap.
 

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