Ebb and Flow spacing Question

[Geosojda]

Hi guys, getting into the hydro thing this winter and i know i'm getting ahead of myself but i am planning on setting up the hydro growing for next season and am wondering about spacing of plants. Basically i think i am going to build a flood table, basic ebb and flow, like this,

So what type of spacing is needed for a, b and c? I've done a good bit a research on the web about hydro but haven't really been able to figure this out. Is the space needed similar to that of planting in soil? Also, if i go toward a bucket system

can i get away with 3 gallon buckets? Both will be for full sized plants.. thanks.

 

[spongey600]

not sure on your ebb/flo spacing but i saw a bucket system that was super cool and i wish i had the room for it. it was multiple "5gallon" buckets with 2"PVC pipe running into and out of the bottom and it all came from a 50 gallon resivoir barrel so nute soloution was being pumped into bucket number one and the soloution was bwing pumped through all the buckets back to the resivoir. what i liked about it was that each bucket had a air pump airating the soloution and the soloution was moving at all times from buket to bucket to bucket back to res.

 

[RouteBound]

Ebb and Flow Builds massive root systems because the roots chase the water as it recedes.
I am going to try 6 plants in my 4x4 flood table.
If my math is right thats about 2.66 sqft per plant. Someone correct me if im wrong.
If you use buckets you will gain more vertical hieght because you dont have to raise the buckets like you would a table.
You could most Defiantly use a 3gal bucket. I think the Ebb n Grow system sold by many hydro shops uses 2 or 2.5 gal buckets

I just got a timer for my pump might clean out my rez and haul in 4-5 cynder blocks to set my table on.
I only have 2 6x6 rockwool cubes left need to order some or head to Tampa to the hydro shop.

 

[RouteBound]

not sure on your ebb/flo spacing but i saw a bucket system that was super cool and i wish i had the room for it. it was multiple "5gallon" buckets with 2"PVC pipe running into and out of the bottom and it all came from a 50 gallon resivoir barrel so nute soloution was being pumped into bucket number one and the soloution was bwing pumped through all the buckets back to the resivoir. what i liked about it was that each bucket had a air pump airating the soloution and the soloution was moving at all times from buket to bucket to bucket back to res.

Hey Spongey,
Thats called a Recirulating Deep Water Culture(RDWC)
When I am tired of my ebb n flow I am gonna try my hand at RDWC.

 

[spongey600]

Hey Spongey,
Thats called a Recirulating Deep Water Culture(RDWC)
When I am tired of my ebb n flow I am gonna try my hand at RDWC.

ahh yes, i could not think of what it was called! i have like 10 DWC buckets to use and once i get into a house i will be setting one of those up as well!

and your calculations are correct unless my brain is just mush after a long weeekend of DD in LA, nothing like carting around drunks in traffic!

 

[ihadurca]

I'm not sure if this helps,

I started 6 plants in this 2' x 3' tray.



At the end of the grow - one plant ended up consuming pretty much all the space in the 4' x 4' grow tent

 

[bpickell]

Hey Spongey,
Thats called a Recirulating Deep Water Culture(RDWC)
When I am tired of my ebb n flow I am gonna try my hand at RDWC.

Actually, I believer that is called Under Current Deep Water Culture. RDWC doesn't really use PVC connecting all of the buckets. Granted you can use whatever you like, but when you see big PVC pipes connecting multiple buckets together, that is more than likely an undercurrent system.

And as to the original question: I have a flood table that is 1'x2' and in that flood table I have 3 Habanero plants and 2 Jalapeño plants. I have each plant in a 4" rock wool cubes. There is about an inch and a half between each block, and they are linear. My plants are currently about 4.5 feet tall and very bushy. I had to mount a trellis on the back of the stand that I have my flood table on; in order to keep the plants from falling over. They are doing very well. I have more habaneros than I know what to do with.

The nutrients I use is General Hydroponics: Micro and Bloom. The ratio is 12ml/gal of Micro, and 24ml/gal of Bloom. I have not had any signs of any deficiencies whatsoever nor have I seen any signs of burning them.

here is a picture of my setup.. The picture was taken about six weeks ago so they are a little bigger now.. but you get the point.

 

[RouteBound]

I must be ill informed about this as I thought they were the same.
They both Recirculate to a control bucket with a pump to keep the under current going.
You can run this system like a eco system stream all organic.

Nice flood table out side.
My worry is keeping the Rez water cool enough with this florida heat

 

[bpickell]

I must be ill informed about this as I thought they were the same.
They both Recirculate to a control bucket with a pump to keep the under current going.
You can run this system like a eco system stream all organic.

Nice flood table out side.
My worry is keeping the Rez water cool enough with this florida heat

Heat is a big problem. It is a bigger concern when using DWC and not that big of a deal when using ebb and flo. We had some 100+ days here and did not affect my peppers at all. Now my corn is another story. I had the corn in DWC and the heat was murder on them. My water temps were in the 90's and there wasn't anything I could do about it. For my flood table I used a 5 gallon bucket for my res, and in the heat the peppers were sucking down every bit of it every day. So I was adding fresh 65 degree water every day, which helped a lot.

 

[pepperlove]

If you really want to build ebb and flow you should go to a local hardware store and buy "concrete tubs" used for mixing concrete they are 15.00 to 20.00 vs the 80.00 specific tubs...Search ebb-and-flow concrete tub... IF this is your first hydro grow, I think you should try a simple DWC build. You can get lids for 10 gallon buckets pre-fabed with net pots or just build your own with rubbermaid containers. I would say you have a better outcome with a DWC system using nice cheap air-pumps from say HTG supply and the cost will be lower.

 

[bpickell]

If you really want to build ebb and flow you should go to a local hardware store and buy "concrete tubs" used for mixing concrete they are 15.00 to 20.00 vs the 80.00 specific tubs...Search ebb-and-flow concrete tub... IF this is your first hydro grow, I think you should try a simple DWC build. You can get lids for 10 gallon buckets pre-fabed with net pots or just build your own with rubbermaid containers. I would say you have a better outcome with a DWC system using nice cheap air-pumps from say HTG supply and the cost will be lower.

DWC is not a good option for an outdoor grow in FL.. Heat will cause the res temps to be too high and cause root rot.

 

[onefowl1]

DWC is not a good option for an outdoor grow in FL.. Heat will cause the res temps to be too high and cause root rot.

Well since Geosojda who started this thread and asked the questions is in Mason OH and not in Florida it is a viable choice for them.

Very nice flood table you have though it looks like the jalapenos have been swallowed up by the habs as I did not see them in the pic.lol...

 

[bpickell]

Well since Geosojda who started this thread and asked the questions is in Mason OH and not in Florida it is a viable choice for them.

Very nice flood table you have though it looks like the jalapenos have been swallowed up by the habs as I did not see them in the pic.lol...

Oh OK.. There was a guy in the post above yours asking about DWC in Florida.. I assumed that's who you were talking to.. Sorry.

The Jalapeño plants are on the far right. The three on the left are habanero, and the two on the right are jalapeño. But I have to say you can't see the jalapeño on the far right in this picture, because it was "special" from the get go. The leaves on it were extremely strange looking and didn't get very big. But in the last three or four weeks it has snapped out of its funk and is starting to get quite large. And the leaves are starting to look normal again.