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With more and more people in the UK now growing hydroponically using IWS flood and drain today we are here to provide some great tips for growers, with the ultimate intention of allowing as many readers as possible to get the absolute most out of their flood and drain systems.
Whether you are a flood and drain hydroponic grower or are looking to take up the innovative and impressive growing method, we advise that you continue reading for the greatest advice…
Flood & Drain Top Tips
Growing media – There are range of growing medias available to use, and it is really down to your own personal preference. You do however need to make sure that whichever growing media that you choose boards low-medium water holding capacity and high air filled porosity. If you are going to be flooding your flood and drain system regularly I would recommend that you use clay pebbles and if you aren’t going to be flooding so much you should consider mixing coco with you clay pebbles as coco holds great water-holding abilities. You should always keep 5-10 cm of clay pebbles in the bottom of each pot to prevent too much water being held at the bottom of each pot.
Pots – You should always make sure that you use the right pots for the plants that you are looking to grow. If you are even in doubt as to which pots, you should be using we highly recommend that you contact an online hydroponics equipment supplier such as Green Spirit Hydroponics whom are always delighted to provide the best hydroponics advice and guidance.
Flood cycles – In terms of flood cycles there are three aspects to consider, these are flood frequency, flood height and flood duration. Flood frequency refers to how often you flood your pots, and you should determine this by the growing media you are suing, your plant size, the climate and water demand. Flood height is how high the water level is able to rise in each pot, the maximum height should be no higher than that of your growing media. Finally flood duration refers to how long each individual flood lasts, which should never be longer than 1-0 minutes no matter what you are growing.
Nutrients – You must ensure that the strength of the nutrients that you are using matches your growing environments climate. A good tip is to lower your nutrient strength and flood your pots more regularly.
Cleaning – When growing in this way it is vital that you clean your entire growing system clean. To prevent issues from occurring cleaning tasks should include ensuring float switches in brain pots never become dirty or clogged, rinsing your reservoir between each refill and removing any sediment and debris which collects in the reservoir.
