Ebb and Flo garden guidelines
Once the table is supported to handle
the weight of the water, the table can be propped up slightly so that it
is on an angle toward the siphon valve(to ensure proper drainage) or leave
the table level. Make sure you have a strong enough pump to flood
and drain the table within ten to fifteen minutes. Trays are
usually filled until the rockwool cubes are sitting in approximately 1/2"-3/4"
of solution. The deeper the flood the more saturated the cubes will
become, influencing the number of floods required.
The depth that the tray is flooded
is adjustable. The height at which you put the half inch drain hose up
the siphon valve determines the height at which siphoning will start.
Alternatively, the drain hose can be inserted into the siphon valve as
high as possible and the solution will fill and drain through the pump
only. The other end of the drain hose is placed just above the water
level in the reservoir.
On average, during the vegetative
stage when plantsare small, one to two floods during the light “on” cycle
are sufficient. Nutrient solution strength should be gradually increased
to recommended
levels. When plants get larger they will require
more floods, two to four during the light “on” cycle and one to two floods
at night. The key to determining how many floods are required is to check
the rockwool
cubes just before the next scheduled flood. If
they are light and dry then add a flood. Conversely, if the cubes
are saturated then adjust flood cycle or delete a flood cycle.
The reservoir pH should be kept at
5.5-5.8 and the cubes around 6.0. The reservoir should be topped
up with regular pH balanced water every couple of days, and changed completely
at least every four to seven days. The reservoir should be big enough
so that only half the volume of the reservoir is used to fill the tray.
Use a reservoir that holds at least a gallon per plant. Reservoir
temperature should be 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Try to anticipate
the needs of your plants ahead of time!
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