The Oxy-Dripper/Brummie Bubbler utilises a 90 litre tank to accommodate the nutrient solution as well as the several air stones needed for aerating it, and on top of this sits a 15 litre sub-surface tray filled with pebbles and a drip ring that provides a constant flow of nutrient direct to the top of the root zone. Once the roots are established the bubbler aspect comes more into play and the oxygen rich environment inevitably leads to a massive increase in nutrient uptake and explosive growth and plant development.

	Code		Price	Qty
	1861	Oxy-Dripper System (Brummie Bubbler)	£49.95		Add to Basket

Setting up the Oxy-Dripper/Brummie Bubbler

From first impressions you might expect the system to be difficult to set up and use, but that’s certainly not the case! Putting it together takes less than an hour, even for the slightly slower, more considered and methodical grower.

Two plug sockets are required – one for the air pump and one for the nutrient pump. This is in addition to the outlets you will need for your light and extraction systems so ensure that you have enough available in the surrounding area. An extension lead is ideal here because it lets you place a group of four sockets exactly where you want them (like just outside your tent).

	Code		Price	Qty
	0599	Extension Lead	£6.95		Add to Basket

To start with you must drill some holes into the sub-surface tray that will eventually sit in the reservoir. These enable the watered-down feed flowing through the drip ring to easily return to the tank and later on allow the roots to grow into the highly aerated nutrient solution provided by the bubbler. The number of holes you choose to drill is a matter of personal preference, but we recommend a generous spread. Once the drilling has been completed, ensure any plastic burrs are removed and give the sub surface tray a quick clean.

The next stage is to prepare the drip ring. More than enough flexi pipe comes included with the kit for this process – measure out and cut the length you require and then pierce several holes for the nutrient to drip through.

	Code		Price	Qty
	0176	Hole Punch	£0.85		Add to Basket

You may also wish to use nipples to ensure the nutrient flows at a constant rate.

	Code		Price	Qty
	0722	Standard Nipple 4mm	£0.25		Add to Basket

Attach the pierced pipe to the Tee piece to make a loop, checking that the holes face downwards. To the remaining barbed outlet add a length of pipe capable of reaching the edge of the tank and then fix this to the barbed elbow.

	Code		Price	Qty
	0555	Greenblade Quality Trimming Scissors	£7.95		Add to Basket

Cut the remaining length of pipe to reach the pump (which will be submerged at the bottom of the tank) and attach it to the other end of the elbow. You now have the drip ring element of the system!

Installing the aeration kit couldn’t be easier. All that you do is cut the air pipe to the desired length, connect one end to the air pump and the other to the air stone (and repeat for the second air stone), place the air stones in the bottom of the tank and the pump somewhere out of the way of the reservoir, and finally plug in the pump.

At this point we recommend positioning the nutrient pump inside the reservoir, attaching the drip ring to it and putting the plug in the socket (still switched off for now).

As far as setting up the system goes, that is pretty much it. All that is required now is to fill the sub surface tray with some well washed clay pebbles and have it ready rest it on the top of the tank.

	Code		Price	Qty
	0082	Clay Pebbles - 45 Litres	£14.95		Add to Basket

Before putting everything in place you should definitely check that each of the system components works as intended – to do this for the pumps half fill the nutrient tank with de-chlorinated water. You won’t want the water level reaching the bottom of the sub surface tray and instead aim to have it falling just below. Once the tank has been filled, turn on the air pump and the nutrient pump to ensure they operate properly and look to see that a sufficient flow of nutrient solution flows through the drip ring.

There we have it! A functioning, ready-to-use Oxy-Dripper/Brummie Bubbler!

The final steps are to make up and pH-adjust the nutrient solution and add a rooted cutting or seedling to the sub surface tray. Unlike with other drip systems, there is no need to hand water the plant during the initial stages of growth as the drip ring will provide sufficient nutrient to develop the roots.

	Code		Price	Qty
	7520	Accuread pH Meter	£39.95		Add to Basket

We advise that you cover the exposed parts of the nutrient tank. In this example two pieces of correx from an NFT Gro-Tank 205 GTi have been used because it allows for quick and easy access to the tank, but you can also use Total Blackout sheeting.

	Code		Price	Qty
	0456	Correx Cover Gro-Tank 205 GTi	£2.50		Add to Basket

All you need to do now is maintain the nutrient solution and watch as the plant grows and develops into a monster!

	Code		Price	Qty
	1861	Oxy-Dripper System (Brummie Bubbler)	£49.95		Add to Basket

As always I adopt a methodical approach, initially making sure that all the required equipment is available and ready to use.

For the soil-based plant, I am following the procedure outlined in the soil-transplanting article (found here) by pre soaking the media with a Hygrozyme and Superthrive solution. Most soils come pre fertilised these days and the Canna Professional brand I’m using proves no different. However I have decided to add Hygrozyme because of the numerous beneficial enzymes contained inside that aid plant performance and help bring the soil to life, and Superthrive because of the stress relieving qualities that are invaluable to a plant adjusting to a new environment. Before introducing the plant, pre soak the medium for several hours – maybe even over night – to “wake it up” and avoid the subsidence associated with watering in dry soil.

I let the pre soaked soil stand for a few hours and returned my focus to the hydro grow. The bubbler system has already been set up and tested, so all I need to sort out is the nutrients. Considering that I’ve never demonstrated how to mix up a batch before, the next few steps document this process.

First of all I fill half the bucket with water and leave it standing for a few hours, allowing the chlorine to dissipate.

Then I bring in my choice of nutrients – Vita Link Max. I will start by consulting the guidelines on the bottles to create a half strength feed.

With the bucket about half full – probably equating to 12 litres of water or so – I refer to the bottles guidelines of 2-3ml per litre for young plants and add 25ml of part A and 25ml of part B, stirring thoroughly afterwards.

This is the ideal moment to add some Hygrozyme and Superthrive. Many of the advantages these stimulants bring about in soil also carry over to hydroponic methods.

Following another good stir, I check pH levels – the importance of which must never be overlooked. Optimum pH for feeds usually varies according to the type of plant your growing, but finding out the most effective target figure and hitting it will let you maximise the amount of nutrient absorbed by the plant, obviously leading to improved performance. I definitely suggest equipping yourself with a digital pH pen, one of those essential little items for any hydro grower.

The initial pH reading was 6.9, therefore necessitating a slight adjustment. To reduce the pH I concocted a weakened solution, recommended action given that pH Down comes in a very concentrated form. Protective gear such as vinyl gloves and goggles should also be worn and care taken during handling of the aggressive liquid. If I were to add two drops of neat pH down to my 12 litres of water the level could fall significantly, possibly beyond the pH 3 mark – meaning I’d need to throw everything away and begin again.

I squeezed a couple of drops of pH Down into a litre of water, and then introduced a few ml of this mixture to my nutrient solution. Adding 5ml of the weak solution dropped it to 6.6, and only a tiny amount more allowed me to achieve the desired pH level of 6.5.

Now the nutrient solution is good to go!

Next I fed the air line back through the hole cut at the top of the bucket, attached the airstones and finally placed them into the bucket. Just to double check everything was working I switched the pump back on and watched as the bubbles started.

I left the air pump running to aerate the nutrients before putting the plant in position. With the soil also prepared, everything appeared ready to finally move the plants into the systems, where they will spend the rest of their lives.

I selected the two healthiest looking plants for transplanting. Using my hands I scooped a hole in my pot of nicely watered soil, big enough to accommodate the first plant. I like to gently disturb the soil at the bottom of the hole to prevent it from compacting and give the roots an easier ride as they settle in to a new environment. Then I simply moved the plant from the small pot to a larger one. Carefully squeeze each side of the pot to loosen the soil inside and remove the plant by holding it firmly at the base of the stalk. If you encounter any difficulties, stop and give the pot another squeeze. The roots, as you would expect after a couple of extra weeks, are well developed - appearing white and healthy. You can manipulate the root zone to loosen the roots if desired, but be careful not to damage them. Place the plant into the hole and fill any gaps to secure it in the pot. Since the soil has been watered I prefer not to water the plant in at this point, instead allowing the roots to seek out the water already in the soil. A most, a little water around the outside of the pot is all you need.

The hydroponic plant was placed in a small pot of pebbles to keep the developing roots from suffering. I expected the roots to have grown into the pebbles, but first wanted to prepare the bubbler system. I placed a few well washed pebbles into the net pot and then attempted to remove the plant from its current pot. Again holding the base of the stem, I very carefully eased the plant out. As the roots had grown into the pebbles, I took extra care not to damage them. It came out quite easily, allowing the roots to be examined. They too looked white and healthy, if not as plentiful as those of the soil plant. I held the plant with the tips of the roots just touching the pebbles and poured more pebbles in until the net pot reached maximum capacity. I then adjusted the pebbles until the plant was stable and no obvious gaps showed up. As well as providing stability and space for the roots to grow, the pebbles also prevent any light from penetrating into the root zone.

At last both plants were securely in their new homes and settling in! It is well worth carrying out regular checks when you have transplanted plants into any system. The change of environment can be a shock for them, so keeping alert lets you catch any problems early on.

It's the hottest time of the year

For hydroponics and aeroponics set ups, root zones stand the best chance of staying disease-free when you aim to maintain nutrient temperature at or below 21^oC.

Pathogens often target weak and/or damaged roots. Consider using plant health products that combat these problems such as Guardian Angel and Liquid Silicon.

Aerating nutrient tanks with air pumps, air stones and air line maximises the amount of oxygen in your solution and also helps keep things moving around – two processes that stop roots from becoming exposed to stagnant water.

The positioning of grow room equipment can be important. When possible, place air pumps and nutrient tanks outside of the grow room and shield your nutrient solution from light and heat.

Root Rot Stop has been very popular with growers experiencing pythium problems

If your plants have pythium the roots will look brown and mushy, pull apart easily and smell rotten. Inspect them thoroughly – you don’t want to misread minor browning of the roots caused by dark organic products like Bloom Humate for something serious.

To treat an existing pythium infection and provide protection against any further issues, the quick, effective and 100% natural Root Rot Stop is highly recommended.

That’s enough from us for now because we want your input too! Have you got a top tip in terms of treating roots? Make a comment and let us know!

Introduction

Nowadays there’s so much choice available when searching for a main growing system that it’s not always clear what will satisfy your needs most effectively. Finding the right parts for your system has become increasingly challenging – especially if you’re a first time buyer – so we’ve highlighted the key factors to consider and recommended the best options open to different growers.

The three main components of a grow room are the light system, air exchange system and growing system (i.e. NFT, Flood & Drain, Pot-ponics etc) – this article focuses on the latter. Every method of growing has good points and bad points, the balance of which tends to be indicated by price. It goes without saying that the top end products are those that support and encourage maximum plant growth, more than justifying the extra costs incurred.

Here are a few things you may want to consider first:

Will it fit into my grow room?

The dimensions of all our systems are listed in the GroWell Catalogue and on the relevant product pages of this web site (simply click a link to find out more). Alternatively, you can always call our Technical Team for help on 0845 345 5176.

When determining what size of system is suitable for your grow room remember that you’ll probably want to leave some space free for getting around your tank(s) and for accessing your equipment and plants. Big plants often hang over the sides of systems so you should also be prepared to accommodate any unanticipated growth (within reason).

If you’re thinking about growing in a loft then we suggest looking at our range of NFT Gro-Tanks. All of these will fit through a loft hatch and sit low on the ground – an important attribute if your roof limits the growing height of plants.

Is a hydro-system quicker?

In a word, yes! Any hydroponic system (hydro meaning water-based instead of soil) will certainly get your plants through the vegetative stage quite a bit quicker than non-hydro alternatives, usually with better growth too! This is especially true in environments where there’s a high level of light and a ready supply of water and oxygen – the perfect example being the Oxy Dripper System. Younger plants in particular are able to control their body temperature and transpiration rate more comfortably, allowing them to focus all energy on vigorous, healthy growth. Compared to a hand watered pot system, the results produced by any of our hydro systems will astound you!

Do these hydro systems make much noise?

The main source of noise from a growing system is the pump. Small water pumps are used in our smaller systems to deliver nutrients and water to plants at the optimum rate – these generate a very low level of noise whilst operating. In larger systems more powerful pumps drive the water-flow so it’s understandable that these will be slightly louder.

The degree of noise won’t be your only consideration – pump ‘on time’ is also important. For example, you might be able to run a quite loud system when nobody is around or for brief amounts of time each day. NFT Systems should have the pump going 24 hours a day or as close to this duration as possible, whereas Flood & Drain Systems only need to function for a few minutes every couple of hours. The best way to judge how loud/quiet systems are is by visiting one of our stores for a demonstration.

Budget!

If cost is an issue then you’ll struggle to find a cheaper option than Pot-ponics. With this method you grow each of your plants in a pot using Bio-Bizz All-Mix (organics), or Canna Coco (hydro-organics). It’s just like traditional gardening – only turbo-charged! We recommend this as a starting point for new growers who only want to try a few plants first.

The natural step-up from Pot-ponics that also suits those on a budget are Wilma Systems. These still involve growing plants in pots with whatever medium you like, the main difference being that feeds are distributed via drip stakes. Wilma's are flexible in what and how they let you grow and also enable you to leave your plants for days at a time if required.

One of the most popular ranges of system also happens to be among the best value. Several of the smaller NFT Gro-Tanks offer beginners a chance to master the basics of hydroponics for a very attractive price. These are so good that you’ll probably not want to change system until you’re ready to grow a greater number of plants!

Do the Hydro-systems use much electric?

Most hydroponic systems use an electric water pump that generally consumes no more than a few Watts of energy for a few pence per day. A Nutrient Heater is usually needed in the winter months and requires around 200/300 Watt, but this will only have to be switched on for short periods of time. You should also consider the running costs of your lighting systems if you are going to grow under HID lights (recommended). For a rough guide to the costs involved, take a look at our Grow Room Running Costs article in the Learn section.

If I have a hydroponic system can I leave it for a few days at a time?

Unlike pot plants – which for the best part of their lives require watering every other day – those grown in hydro systems can be left unattended for much longer spells. Exactly how long depends on how large your nutrient reservoir is compared to how many plants you have and how big they are. If you have a wide array of big plants in your system growing under a lot of light then you should go for the largest reservoir possible – since they will drink heavily and at frequent intervals. On the flip side, smaller numbers of plants obviously then require smaller reservoirs. To set-up your system so that it turns on and off while you are away, you will need a reliable Timer.

In general your system solution will require changing every two weeks and topping up regularly in between - as often as every 4 days. pH adjustment can also be done at the same time.

Ongoing costs in time and manpower

The difference in time and effort required for growing in pots and growing in a hydroponic system is minimal, though the results you’ll get strongly favour the hydro method. Whichever system you decide to choose, a certain level of regular attention is necessary – whether it be transplanting into organic pots and watering every 2 or 3 days or changing your nutrient solution for a fresh batch every 2 weeks.

Will a hydroponic system give me more yield?

Without a doubt! Not only do you get bigger yields, you get healthier plants too – especially where there’s lots of light. And for most species and varieties of plant, you can also expect better quality! It’s Win-Win!

So what makes pots so popular?

Growing in pots has always been very popular, even more so now with the advent of so many good feeds and media. For example, the yields and quality of fruit obtainable from plants grown in pots containing coco is quite remarkable. Pot-based systems also give you the ability to treat each plant as an individual. This is especially useful to the hobby gardener who may have a small selection of plants which consist of different varieties, requiring differing feed strengths growing at different rates to different sizes. All it takes to create your own Pot-ponics system is enough Hydroponic Pots to house each of your plants, Work Trays for them to sit on and a growing medium for them to grow in. Easy!

System height

This can be an issue when using a High Output Light, as in addition to producing a lot of light they generate unwanted heat. Even with an Extractor/Air Exchange System in place, you need to make your grow room as tall as possible. If your grow room is height restricted (less than 180cm (6 feet)) you may wish to avoid tall systems and opt for NFT Gro-Tanks or Flood & Drain Systems, which will give your plants extra breathing room. You could also consider using a Light Rail to increase the size of your growing area, spread light further and avoid heat build up problems in the summer.

Here are a few growing system options:

Pot-ponics

Pot-ponics Hydro:

Use Cellmax rockwool in your pots and hand feed through the top with hydroponic pH adjusted nutrient solution at every watering. This system has all the advantages of using hydroponic solutions and all the flexibility of using pots, and it’s nice and low level. The cost of setting up a hydroponic pot system is relatively cheap. Things you might need include several Hydroponic Pots and Saucers, a bag of Cellmax Growing Cubes, Hydroponic Nutrient, a pH Test Kit and pH Adjustment Liquids. The only disadvantage to this system is that it doesn’t yield as much as an active hydroponic system.

Pot-ponics Organic:

Use Bio-Bizz Organic Compost in your pots and hand feed plants with Bio-Bizz Nutrient solutions for a natural growing experience. This method is popular – especially with beginners on a budget – as it is a great introduction to growing that’s cheap, easy (with no pH adjustment) and capable of producing strong, healthy plants. We also sell complete Pot-ponics Bio-Bizz Organic Kits, which come with everything you need to get growing.

Pot-ponics Coco:

Growing in coco is becoming increasingly popular as it offers excellent yields and high quality produce. Part of the reason behind its success is that it has very good structure, drainage and air content. When totally saturated it still holds a lot of air and consequently enhances growth rates over some of the other choices of media. The down side of this is that the pots may dry a bit quicker than other media resulting in the need for more frequent hand watering. Although itself organic, the coco is essentially a hydroponic medium in as much as it has no real feed in it and no biological components. Therefore it needs both parts of a hydroponic or Coco Nutrient package. We also sell complete Pot-ponics Coco Kits, which come with everything you need to get growing.

Drip Systems

Wilma Systems take the principles of Pot-ponics and improve upon them by using drippers to feed your potted plants - removing the hassle of having to remember to do so yourself each day. Popular amongst growers for being inexpensive, flexible and perfect for use with Pebbles, Rockwool, soil or coco.

NFT – Nutrient Film Technique

With this method a thin film of nutrient solution is continuously pumped from a main reservoir through a channel/gulley containing plant roots and back again. The lack of medium makes for easy maintenance and a quick turn around with minimum waste between crops. The most popular models are the NFT Gro-Tanks and the bigger multi-duct NFT channels. The Gro-Tanks are low level, low maintenance and low cost with high growth rates and high yields. These tanks also work well in very demanding ‘high light’ environments providing plenty of oxygen and water to the root zone. Whether you're a beginner or professional hobbyist, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get great returns straight from the off!

Root zones are quite exposed to the elements in NFT systems but this isn't normally a major problem. If your plants show any ongoing signs of being adversely affected by cold temperatures you could purchase a Nutrient Heater or convert the system to accomodate extra insulative Slabs. Alternatively you could grow in one of our Flood & Drain Systems, which offer root zones more protection from temperature extremes.

Flood & Drain

Offering many of the same benefits as NFT, Flood & Drain is an equally as good albeit completely different technique. With your plants in position, the growing tray sits on top of the reservoir where it is flooded and drained off at staggered intervals. Your system may flood and drain 2-10 times a day depending on the size of the plants, amount of light and growing medium used. In the top tray you can use pots full of your favourite medium – be it Clay Pebbles, Rockwool, coco etc. Alternatively you can fill the whole top tray full of medium rather than use individual pots. Like NFT, Flood & Drain Systems are usually low level – making them suitable for areas with restricted headroom. For the best results you should only use your medium for a maximum of one crop cycle. This does mean that there is more waste to dispose of after each crop than with NFT Systems.

The IWS Flood Systems are top-of-the-range, low-level flood and drain systems with individual, moveable plant sites. According to your preferred settings, the reservoir tank will regularly pump water into the feeder tank, where it is then distributed to each of the pots in the system – flooding them in the process. After the selected amount of time, the water from the feeder tank is pumped back into the reservoir tank allowing the pots to gently drain. User-friendly controls let you manage this process with no hassle so that you can fully concentrate on getting the most from your plants. The standard system includes individual sloped pot stands to guarantee full drainage, large 10 litre pots to house extensive root mass, all irrigation fittings and the necessary piping.

A range of complete grow kits combining each of the different sized systems with lights, extraction/filtration equipment, growing media, etc is also available. These include the 12 Pot IWS Complete Grow Kit, 24 Pot IWS Complete Grow Kit and 36 Pot IWS Complete Grow Kit.

The above methods and systems are some of the most popular with customers at GroWell, although we sell many other systems with different choices of medium and a large choice of good feeds. Come into the store or phone for advice on which system best suits your needs, budget and grow room.

You may also want to take a look at our article on choosing a light system which could be helpful in completing your grow room shopping list.

Before you build your grow room and start growing there are a few things you should keep in mind. Indoor gardening is easy - not even remotely difficult unless you make it hard for yourself. All you need to do is build a simple grow room with good light and air exchange, add some good healthy stock and look after your plants well. Excellent results are easily achievable however you decide to grow. Whichever method of growing you choose (Hydroponics, Soil or Coco), following some simple standard methods and practices will give you a good base to develop from and add more advanced skills as you progress. The best way to make your indoor garden as efficient and easy as possible is to put some thought into your grow room. A well thought out and constructed grow room will make your life so much easier – so where do you start?

Choosing a suitable space

Almost any space could be used for a grow room, from a small cupboard to a whole room, garage or attic space. You can either convert a whole room or cupboard into a grow room, or use a grow tent or chamber within a room to create an enclosed growing space.

An electrical supply source is also needed. For a one or two light set up a couple of normal double wall socket would be sufficient.

A nearby water supply is vital as your plants may get very thirsty under all that light. We recommend tap water over rain water as it gives you a much cleaner and safer base liquid on which to build. Rain Water will already contain many elements and could also carry diseases or fungi that could harm your plant.

Lights and pumps may be on at night creating a small amount of noise, so you need to consider the placement of your grow room in relation to bedrooms/neighbours etc that you do not want affected by your grow room.

Do not grow on carpeted floors as these can both hold moisture and harbour bugs and bacteria. Ideally remove any carpet and line the floor with thick black/white reflective sheeting or seal with pond liner if possible leaks would cause you a problem.

Even if you have a small window or natural light source in your growing area you may want to block it off or light trap the area with reflective sheeting. This is because you will want to seal in any light that may escape from your grow room and because natural light could affect your plants growth. Because of the cost of electricity, many growers decide to have their lights on during the night and their lights of (dark) period during the day. Any natural light that gets to your plants during this lights of period could confuse the plant and affect its growth.

The main consideration is that whatever area you choose you will have to give that area air exchange, provided usually by an extractor fan. The smaller extractor fans are very quiet, but the larger extractor fans can be noisy. As a general rule, the more lights you have the more air exchange you will require.

Extractor fans are normally on 24 hours a day when run with carbon filters. The extractor doesn’t have to be in the grow room, it can be placed outside the room and run in line with ducting.

To help avoid heat problems, especially in summer, try to make grow rooms at least 180cm (6”) tall. If your garden doesn’t have this headroom then you may want to consider using smaller lights or a light rail.

Most of our grow lights produce very high light levels. We supply 5 different types of reflective sheeting, including Total Blackout sheeting, Mylar and Orca to help lightproof an area, build reflective grow tents with, and make walls more reflective.

Extractor fans, ducting , clips, reducers, Ducting Y Pieces, tape, Rope Ratchets, and other accessories are also available at GroWell.

Build Options:

Converting a whole room

Generally it’s best to match the size of area to the amount of light. There would be no point using a 600 Watt light in a 20 foot x 10 foot room. You’d be better off using a BudBox Grow Tent to trap the light in and maximise growth/yield.

If you do have a small room and want to use the whole space, then use one 600 watt light every 5 or 6 feet, the more lights you have the bigger extractor fan you will need. There’s a nice chart in the blueprint section of our catalogue that can help you work out your extraction requirements, or call alternatively you can call our technical team on 0845 345 5176. Remember air needs to enter the room as well as leave, some air input holes and/or input fan should be used to bring new air into the growing room from a friendly temperature source like from inside the house. Hot air extracted from the top of the grow room should ideally leave the building. Your input fan should be a bit smaller than your output fan.

Converting small areas like walk in wardrobes, closets and cupboards

When in small spaces and closets try and have your grow room as tall as possible - at least 5 feet even with only 250 Watt lights. Ideally, you want even more headroom than this to prevent possible future heat problems. If you don’t have this sort of headroom then you may want to use a smaller light like the Bright-Wing high output fluorescent unit, or ideally find a bigger area to grow in.

In small areas with 250, 400 or 600 Watt lights it’s best to use an extractor fan to take the hot air from the top of the room and air input holes around the bottom of the area for new air to enter the area. Better still, an air input fan can also be used to force new air into the grow room and create a constant flow of new air in and old air out. This will keep the area as cool as possible enabling the use of nearer optimum light levels and better results. When using an input fan, keep the air input holes and use a smaller input fan than output fan.

When only using one or two lights ideally want to use input air from an indoor source at a friendly temperature. Your extracted hot grow room air should be ducted outside, or at least away from the plants into the rest of a larger room which is well ventilated. Your main concern is to get the hot used air away from the plant tops and out the growing area, it can be re-circulated with the air from the larger room as long as that room is well/regularly ventilated.

Grow room within a room

BudBox Grow Tents are very popular because they can be set up quickly in any space to create the perfect growing area without it infringing on the rest of the room. They are constructed of highly reflective, extra thick, flame retardent material to trap the light in and maximize yield. An extractor fan is then used to create some airflow through the tent, either taking the air completely out of the building or mixing it back into the rest of the larger room. BudBox tents are very popular and contain all the growing, light and environmental factors into one distinct area and therefore protecting the larger room from the heat and humidity. These tents are can be easily erected and taken down again many times making them often more practical than wooden structures.

Whether you decide to buy a grow-tent, build your own growing chamber or section off part of a room, we should have everything you need to create a good lightproof growing environment. The blueprint section of our catalogue contains a number of grow room set-up diagrams to get you started.

Along with a suitable size Grow-Tent, for a basic set up you would also need:

A suitable Light system

A suitable Contactor and timer system for the light

an extractor fan (for one 600 Watt light we recommend the RVK 125 fan)

Ducting and quick release duct clips

We also supply Budbox Basic Kits, which come with the Budbox tent, Proxima Euro Lighting System, & Budget Extraction/Filtration Kit.

That’s about it for the grow room, now you just need to choose a growing system for the plants. Hand watering in pots is very popular, especially in coir, but a small hydro system does make it easier for the plants to cope with intense light environments and heat.

Get The Right Light System

For most high light gardens we use high pressure sodium light systems. These come in 4 basic sizes:

250 Watt: very popular for a first time light, or for smaller areas like cupboards, still gives good yields

400 Watt: very popular, good for vegetative plants, small grow rooms or larger grow rooms with limited headroom

600 Watt: the most efficient and popular size. Gives optimum light and good depth over an area of 1.2 x 1.2 metres or more

1000 Watt: Extremely powerful light systems that are best utilized on light rails where they will cover an area of about 9 foot by 5 foot

If you’ve got a small closet type area a 250 watt sodium light will give great results from start to finish, although at least 5 feet grow room height should be used. If you want a small area to use purely for propagation and early vegetative growth, then a high output Bright-Wing fluorescent unit may be the answer, the minimum grow room height for this unit is at least 4 feet, preferably more.

If using a high pressure sodium light system you will need to use a contactor to protect your timer from blowing as the inductive current that fires the lamp up is very high and will cause the timer to fuse and stay on. Call our Technical Team on 0845 345 5176 if you need help getting the right Light or Timer system.

Air Exchange

As mentioned earlier, air exchange is a key ingredient to a successful grow room. The ideal air exchange rate will vary at different times of the year and from room to room depending on things like grow room height, etc. As rough guide about 30 air changes per hour is often recommended. Personally we like to also work on at least 200 cubic metres of movement per hour for one 600 Watt light, then 150m3/hr for each extra light. Then compare the two figures for each method and go for an average between the two and you won’t be far out. Adjust this figure slightly up or down for 1000 Watt or 400 Watt respectively.

Basic Grow Room Safety

Grow light systems are very safe. They use a few hundred watts - no more than many other household electrical items and like any of these items are perfectly safe if used with common sense and a healthy respect for electricity.

Run cables neatly and out of the way, position ballasts and any other electrical equipment where it will not come into contact with water unless specifically designed to do so like nutrient heaters and water pumps.

From time to time check all installations, connections and wiring.

Make sure equipment is not accessible to children or animals.

Read instructions and safety information where applicable, especially where aggressive liquids are concerned.

Introduction

The hot weather has arrived and with it come a few potential problems we need to protect ourselves from. Bugs - especially spider mites – are much more likely to invade our garden in warmer conditions - as if we haven’t got enough to worry about with the summer heat making it difficult to keep the temperature down in the grow room!

Keeping your grow room cool

The usual technique for keeping the room cool is to have a grow room with reasonable headroom ( 6 feet plus), and have good air exchange. The right amount of air exchange is roughly 200m3/hr for each light. If the room is still a little hot (27oC –28oC is what you should be aiming for) don’t worry too much as long as your plants are still healthy and growing. It’s often hard to get the temperature below ambient temperature, especially with all that light. When measuring temperatures do it in the shade well away from the light. Input fans become more popular in the summer as they do help cool the grow room. Check out the Blueprint in the back of our catalogue (request your copy here) to match up input and output fans. Oscillating fans and air circulators can also be used to cool the air in the room.

Keeping your hydro system cool

Active Hydroponic Systems

Growing in active hydro systems as opposed to passive pots always helps in the hot weather. All that water and oxygen around the root zone helps the plant control it’s body temperature better, avoiding over transpiration and the leaf damage associated with this. Use air pumps and airstones where possible in nutrient solutions. Keep nutrient tanks covered from all light and possibly try adding an extra cover or some thick reflective black white sheeting over your existing cover to help stop nutrients getting too warm. Water and nutrient temperatures should be kept to about 21oC if possible. Above this temperature, oxygen content in your nutrient solution will be reduced, and nutrient uptake by your plants. If it’s much over 21oC that then use Oxy-Plus to boost oxygen levels. Pointing an oscillating fan directly at your nutrient tank can also be used to help keep tanks cool and oxygen levels high.

Passive Hydro Pots

You may want to use Oxy-Plus to boost oxygen levels to the nutrient solution and root zone.

Be sure not to use Oxy-Plus with any biological products, beneficial microbe and bacteria product or in soil. An oscillating fan blowing on the sides of the pots should help keep the root zone a bit cooler. Don’t let nutrient solutions get too warm before using and always stir vigorously before application.

Keeping your plants cool

In summer most people have their lights a few inches higher – you won’t lose too much in terms of light and the slight drop in temperature can sometimes mean the difference between a good yield and a poor one. A healthy plant will perform better with slightly less light than a damaged or struggling one will with maximum light.

If the lamp height is too close then the plants leaves can over transpire causing large rusty marks on the leaves a few days later. Similarly oscillating fans can sometimes do more harm than good if positioned wrongly, causing wind burn (leaves curling up, dying back from the tip, turning a golden colour and going all crispy). To avoid this don’t blow hard on the tops of the plants or leaves where there is a lot of light as this just dries the leaf out. Instead use oscillating fans to gently blow through the plants from below and a small fan to blow directly at the lamp bulb to take the heat out at source.

Using an input fan will also help cool the air inside the grow room, use a slightly smaller input fan than output fan and pump the air in at the bottom of the room. For input air use air from inside a house if possible where temperatures are friendly, CO2 levels are high. Extracted air is best removed from the premises, or into the attic or another room.

Don’t have your lights too close, we recommend a 600watt light at least 4 foot from young plants and about 2 foot from bigger flowering plants. Lamp heights will vary from room to room, in passive pots lights may need to be a few inches higher.

Heat Shields are very useful, especially with multiple large light systems as they will help even out the light and heat over the whole garden. They also prevent hot spots directly under the lamp.

Light Rail 3.5. These comprise of a 6 foot rail and motor. The motor moves quite slowly, has an adjustable time delay at each end and can carry up to 50lbs in weight. The rail has adjustable motor return stops so you can move your light from a few inches to the whole 6 foot. These systems are very popular in summer especially with 600 and 1000 Watt light systems, not only will they increase the size of your garden and your yield, they will also spread the light and heat alleviating hot spots under the lamp and generally relieving heat problems a bit in the hot weather.

Air Cooled Lights

To really make a difference to your grow room temperature, you could consider upgrading your light for an air cooled reflector. This is not a cheap option as you will also need to invest in additional ventilation and extraction equipment, but for some people an air cooled reflector can be the only thing that allows them to grow at all over summer. We have a choice of two air cooled reflectors:

Budget Cool Shades are the cheapest option if you want install an air cooled light. They are great in terms of keeping temperatures low, but the light distribution that they offer is slightly less than other available reflectors.

Sputnik Air Cooled Grow Lights are much better in terms of light distribution and reflectivity and are still priced very competitively. They are supplied as a flat pack system, and some assembly is required. The only drawback with the Sputnik is that it is not a completely sealed unit and there is a slight possibility that grow room smells could escape via your reflector exhaust. This risk can be minimised or even removed entirely by blowing through your reflector rather than sucking and coincidentally this is also the most effective way of cooling the lamp.

Bugs

With the summer comes a greater chance of spider mite infection and other pest problems and the hotter it is the quicker they reproduce. Try not to draw air into your garden directly from outside, inside household air has a friendlier temperature and contains less bugs and if the house is lived in then much more CO2.

Spider mites are the most common and the most devastating of pests, for full information on how to deal with these nasties is on our fact sheet on spider mites. Don’t blame your mate who gave you that cutting straight away as they are outside everywhere! In peoples gardens, parks, pathways, and they can live on your clothes for 3 days, or they can just walk on in through the window. It’s good to have a regular Bug check every 5 days, to scan the plants for the first signs on infection (i.e. clusters of small white dots on the top of the leaf). Nite Nite Spider Mite is our favourite pest control spray. You might also want a look at our article on dealing with spider mites here or download our in depth pdf file here.

Fungus Gnat and other Scarid fly are just as common although breed a lot slower and are nowhere near as damaging as spider mites. Blow oscillating fans across the top of the root zone as they like to breed in the still air in the top of the pot, this will slow them right down. Also use yellow sticky traps to catch the flying adults. It’s hard to avoid the odd fly, if they become a problem talk to our technical team on 0845 345 5176 for current effective products and methods.

Springtails are another bug we see a lot of in summer wherever there is a lot of water. They are small and white-ish with a small hooked tail they use to spring and jump with. You often see them in the top of a pot or on the water surface in Aquafarms and other hydro systems. You know that these small white wriggly things aren’t a form of scarid fly lava because there are no flies around and they spring and jump. You can get natural predators to get rid of them but as they tend to come and go and do no real harm to the plant over a three month cycle, I won’t worry about them, they’ll probably just be gone one day. You can flush them away to a certain extent, and they don’t like Oxyplus.

In general

If you’ve not grown in the summer before, the main differences from winter growing are: the plants will drink a lot more and eat a bit more; you have to make sure your nutrient solution doesn’t get too warm, especially in the second half of the lights on cycle; you will need to top up and change the nutrient solution more often in re-circulating hydro systems, especially when the plants are bigger; your light will need to be a few inches higher than it was in winter; more air exchange means more yield, some people have one set off input/ extractor fans for winter use and a larger set for summer use; there is no doubt that an active hydro system will cope with the increase in heat better than a passive hand watered pot, giving you healthier plants that can cope with more light and give bigger yields.

If you find after all of this that you are still struggling with heat problems, please give our technical team a call on 0845 345 5176 and we'll be only too happy to try and help.

So many systems you’re spoilt for choice…

Nowadays there are loads of different ways to grow your plants - NFT, Flood & Drain, Aeroponics and so on! Of all our systems, the one that has most recently come to prominence is Deep Water Culture (DWC) – also commonly known as bubbler systems or bubbler buckets. When used correctly, the growth rates and yields that this technique can achieve are phenomenal. And that’s not all! DWC is very cheap in comparison to other options, offering a simple, DIY setup beginners and more established growers both appreciate.

How exactly does DWC work?

Deep Water Culture represents exactly what its name implies. Roots are literally submerged in “deep water” nutrient solution throughout your grow whilst an Air Infusion Pump generates a rich supply of bubbles around the root zone. Without vigorous aeration, submerged roots would rot and die – but when the bubbles are constantly present some surprising results often transpire!

What are the benefits of DWC?

Plants exposed to greater levels of oxygen in and around their roots will subsequently enjoy unparalleled root development and prolific overall plant growth. This is because aerating the root zone radically improves water absorption, nutrient uptake and cell growth/activity within your plants. It also helps stop water from becoming stagnant which can otherwise lead to root health problems such as pythium.

Is there a downside to DWC?

As with every growing system, there are a few drawbacks!

Your plants are literally growing in the reservoir meaning pH and cF of this relatively small amount of nutrients will vary greatly – even over the shortest periods of time.

Because the system is effectively just a bucket, the only way you can top up/pH adjust/test nutrients etc is to lift the whole plant up and out of the bucket. This sometimes proves difficult and hazardous to your plants when they are at full size.

As the reservoir is very small, it requires regular attention to ensure that you always have enough nutrient solution available to your plants.

If the air pump fails, your plants will die. Given that roots are completely submerged in DWC, when the aeration is not constant they inevitably deteriorate very quickly – ultimately threatening the life of your plants.

What DWC systems can I buy?

For a while we refused to stock any specific DWC systems because those available were either overpriced or poor quality. Then IWS came along with the Oxy-Pot – a tried and tested one plant bubbler system supplied complete with a 18 Litre pre-drilled bucket, lid and net pot combined, Budget Air Pump, airstone, airline and growing media. This gives a fantastic example of what is possible using the Deep Water Culture approach and repeatedly delivers outstanding yields.

If you’d rather make a bubbler system tailored to your own particular requirements the good news is that it’s not difficult! Normally built to accommodate individual plants, you’ll only need a few basic components…

What do I need to make my own DWC system?

The standard bubbler system consists of a bucket with a lid, a net pot, an Air Infusion Pump, Air Line and an Air Stone.

In general DIY bubbler systems have one bucket per plant, each with a volume of at least 10 Litres - preferably 15 Litres. You MUST use a light tight lid for your bucket and the plastic should be of food grade to prevent any light from contacting roots. We also recommend that you avoid black containers as these attract heat and can lead to pythium problems during your grow. If the only suitable container that you’re able to find is black, cover it with reflective sheeting – this will deflect heat away once growing.

How do I make my own DWC system?

Bubblers are incredibly easy to assemble – just follow our instructions below.

Cut a hole in the centre of your bucket lid that will accommodate the net pot without letting it fall through. If you use the 14.4cm Heavy Duty Net Pot – which we recommend – your hole should have a diameter of 132mm. This will support the pot securely and eliminate the possibility of it slipping through at a later date. If you are using a different size pot cut the hole to suit but make sure that this isn’t too big. As your plant grows, its weight will increase and the possibility of the pot falling through the hole increases.

Transplant a rooted cutting into the net pot using clay pebbles as your growing medium.

Fill your bucket approximately 2/3 full with pH adjusted ½ strength nutrient solution. Position your air stone on the base of your bucket and attach them to an Air Infusion Pump using air line.

Start your air pump. The right level of air infusion for successful DWC growing will cause your nutrient solution to grumble and churn with the volume of bubbles.

Replace the lid of your bucket and insert your net pot (containing your cutting) into the hole.

At this stage, the plant will need hand watering until its roots grow down into your nutrients. Once this has happened (usually within the first week) you will no longer need to hand water the plant.

Introduction

Highly regarded as an advanced approach to growing plants, Aeroponics genuinely does push at the boundaries of hydroponic performance. Main systems and propagators adopting this technology utilize mini sprinklers to create a constant mist of nutrient solution, which – in unison with a lack of growing medium – generates numerous significant benefits. These include:

• Increased oxygen supplies to the root zone
• Greater speed of plant growth
• Reduced risk of bacteria and disease
• Increased cleanliness
• More efficient use of nutrients
• Reduced physical effort
• Reduced impact on the environment
• Reduced costs in the long run

Whilst this all probably sounds good and well, we’d emphasize that the quality of equipment put in place plays an important role in determining whether full potential is realised. For many years our search to find reliable aeroponics systems bore no fruit because the choice of products available were either too unreliable, too expensive, or both! Thankfully perseverance eventually paid dividends!

The Amazon Trail

It was Nutriculture who hit upon an effective and affordable balance, introducing UK growers to Amazon Aeroponic Systems.

These 8, 16 and 32 plant models follow in the footsteps of Nutriculture’s popular and productive NFT Gro-Tanks, Hydro-Duct NFT Trays, and Flood & Drain tables – boasting the same unmistakable build quality and neat touches that established the supplier as one of our favourites.

Each Amazon System measures 80cm long x 75cm wide x 46cm tall, meaning you’ll be able to fit the desired model in any of our BudBox Grow Tents from the Large size up.

By being fully compatible with the net pots used in Aeroponic and Jumbo Aeroponic Propagators, these Amazon Systems represent the final piece of the jigsaw for a complete aeroponic grow room that spans from cutting to harvest.

Top of the Props

So what happens when you take the advantages of aeroponics and incorporate them into propagator design? We can honestly say that you won’t be disappointed!

The clever folks at Nutriculture won us over yet again with this one, unveiling their fantastic selection of Aeroponic Propagators – available heated or unheated in four different sizes: 12 plant, 20 plant, 36 plant and 105 plant.

These systems consist of a bottom tank, lid, pump, pipe, sprinklers, correx cover, net pots and neoprene clone collars. The sprinklers spray nutrient solution against the bottom of net pots suspended through holes in the extra thick white correx lid. Each propagator includes a clear plastic lid for completely enclosing your plants – but this should be removed once cuttings or seedlings start showing roots. That said, plants can easily be held back in a system if needed. Simple really.

Our tests confirm that this smart and sturdy range of innovative incubators rank a class above rival products when it comes to results (in terms of rooting times, root development, cutting to crop success rates, etc). We assessed the performance of the 12 Plant Aeroponic Propagators.

12 Plant Aeroponic Propagator

• Long- 600mm x wide- 500mm.
• Tank depth- 280mm.
• Total depth with lid- 420mm.
• Comes with MC420 pump, pipe and one sprayer.
• 12 net pots- 55mm diameter x 50mm deep.
• 12 Grodan Cuttings Seed Cubes

Setting Up

As we have found with all Nutriculture systems, these propagators have relatively few parts and take next to no time to set up. The only decisions you will need to make concerns choice of nutrients, medium and pH testing/adjusting equipment.

Feeds

To root cuttings and start seeds off use a weak feed (about one quarter normal strength) with your favourite boosters or additives. Any top quality hydroponic feed will do, like Vita Link Max. Adjust the pH of the solution to between 5.6 and 6.4.

Medium

The most obvious options that come to mind are either: Grodan Cuttings Seed Cubes with the pump on a timer while they root; Cellmax Rockwool Growing Cubes with the pump on continuously/or on a timer (some experimentation may be needed); Coco with the pump on a timer/continuous (some experimentation needed) or Clay Pebbles with the pump on continuously.

For some media such as Cuttings Seed Cubes, running the system on a timer to reduce wetness in the cube may work better than having the pump on indefinitely.

Whatever media you choose to use, the first signs of roots showing up on the outside of net pots indicates that it is time to run the pump 24 hours a day – thereby reducing the chances of root damage. This should be the protocol for any system where the roots are exposed. Whilst you’re doing so, we recommend removing the lid to help protect the top side of the plant.

Moving Plants On

Now that the lid is off and the cuttings or seedlings are up and running, you will soon see roots emerging from the net pots. Irrespective of what media you’ve selected, the pump and sprinklers must be on 24/7 for roots to flourish.

The plantlets are at last ready to be moved on into large pots or a main system. Cuttings and seedlings can be held back in the propagator for quite a while, but you will struggle to remove the net pot if they grow too much. Leaving net pots on shouldn’t cause any problems though so don’t worry!

The Test

Type: 12 Plant Aeroponic Propagator (unheated)

Manufacturer: Nutriculture

What you get

Black plastic tank, extra thick white correx, propagator lid, MC420 pump, pipe and one sprayer, 12 net pots.

What you need

Grow nutrients - We used Vita Link Max (1ml to 1 litre)

Additives - We used Superthrive ( 2 drop to 1 litre)

Pump timer - We used Grasslin Digital Timer

pH down and test kit - We used General Hydroponics test kit

Growing medium - We used Grodan Cuttings Seed Cubes

Misting Sprayer - We used 2 Litre Professional Pump-Up Sprayer (with water and weak Rhizotonic solution)

Grow Light - We used 2 Tube Exolux Bright-Wing Fluorescent Light (50cm (20 inches) from propagator lid)

What we did

For this test Grodan Cuttings Seed Cubes were used and due to their ability to retain moisture we used a timer on the pump to re-wet the cubes twice a day for one minute. Once the roots emerged the system was run 24/7 with amazing growth rates.

The propagator lid was removed every other day, to exchange the air and lightly mist the leaves. Remove any excess moisture off the inside lid and open the vents a bit more.

As the light we used had high output 55 Watt tubes, we positioned the light 50cm (20 inches) away from the propagator lid. If using one or two normal fluorescent tubes then position them 5-10cm (2-4 inches) away. A single tube can be placed directly on the lid.

Likes

This is a nice automated system that works very well and is ideal if your want an automated approach to the rooting process. The spinners and sprayers are a nice idea as they are cheap and easy to replace and don’t get blocked up as much as foggers or misters. Nice price. Easy to use. Good results.

Dislikes

None so far!!

Things to watch for

Careful not to damage the root zone when taking the mesh pot out of the hole.

If going into Grodan Transplanting Cubes, then be quick to catch the roots early or you won’t get them into the hole in the cube.

Once cuttings have rooted you can use Cannazym to help keep all pipe and fittings clear, and the roots healthy.

Verdict

Yes, once more Nutriculture have come up with a great product. We achieved great results with this system, all cuttings rooted healthily in 10 days without tweaking the system. We’re sure rooting times can be reduced considerably if playing around with the media choice and fine tuning growing techniques. The system was easy to set up and use and is a very good simple design keeping costs down, maintenance low and with very little waste to deal with!

In NFT (Nutrient Film Technique), a thin film of nutrient solution runs down a channel or gully and plants are placed into this flow of nutrient in rockwool cubes or net baskets. Once in the system the roots can grow in the open channel getting all the water, nutrients and oxygen they need. The nutrient is usually re-circulated from a main reservoir.

Commercial use of NFT is a major producer of staple food crops around the world for reasons varying from water conservation to a generally better quality end product. In the indoor hobby world and in greenhouses NFT is also very popular and there are a range of systems like the NFT Gro-Tank on the market suited to small scale set ups.

In a typical system the nutrient solution is pumped from a main nutrient reservoir, through a channel or gully where the plants are located and out the other end and back into the main reservoir. This is what is referred to as a re-circulating system. Plants are started in rockwool cubes or net pots and are then placed directly into the flow of nutrient in your gully or channel. Once in the system the roots can grow in the open channel getting all the water, nutrients and oxygen they need. The root zone should be covered to protect it from light and heat as well as encouraging good root growth into the channel. Spreader mat should be used one layer thick on all wide channels to help spread the water evenly across the whole channel.

The abundant amount of water and oxygen to the root zone makes this system very good for excellent growth rates and also helps the plants to cope with very demanding light conditions. Because of the semi-exposed root zone this makes room temperature and more importantly nutrient solution temperature much more crucial than in other types of system. Growth rates and even plant health can be seriously affected if the roots get too cool during lights off or too warm during lights on.

One big advantage with this type of system is the lack of media especially when it comes to clean up between crops.

Temperatures

The ideal nutrient solution temperature is about 21oC. At this temperature the water is warm enough to stimulate good growth rates but at the same time cool enough to carry maximum oxygen content. The warmer the solution gets the less oxygen it can carry, and under optimum light conditions it is essential that optimum oxygen content is also maintained. Try and keep this nutrient temperature constant day and night, winter and summer. Heavy Duty Hydor Nutrient solution heaters are available to help keep temperatures constant whilst thermometers are also available for regular monitoring.

Nutrient solution heaters have a temperature setting (set to 21oC), the heater will come on to ensure temperatures don’t drop below this figure. These heaters are submersible and have suckers to attach to the bottom of your tank or reservoir. It is important to ensure that your nutrient heaters are always fully submerged when turned on – they are likely to crack or break if turned on whilst not in liquid.

To help keep the nutrient solution going above this temperature when the light is on, try and maintain good grow room temperatures with a sensible air exchange system. Don’t let any light hit the solution. You may also want to provide extra protection from the light and heat on your reservoir by using reflective sheeting or blowing an oscillating fan to cool the sides of the reservoir. On NFT Gro-Tanks use an layer of black/white sheeting on top of the plastic correx cover for extra shielding, especially when plants are young and there is no canopy of leaves to protect the tank from getting too warm in summer or warmer conditions.

Aeration

As a system, NFT is good for providing the high levels of oxygen needed in and around the root zone. Good oxygenation is essential for nutrient mineral uptake by the roots and to aid other metabolic functions when in the plant. The more light and heat that your plants are exposed to, the more water and oxygen is needed. This is why plants will often be a lot healthier and do a lot better in an active hydroponic system (such as NFT) than in pot based systems when under high light conditions. Your system is only as good as the weakest link, and the constant recirculation in an NFT system will keep a good level of oxygenation in the nutrient solution. You can also use one of our NFT Aeration kits to further increase levels of oxygen in your system.

Airstones are often a good idea even in a well oxygenated system like NFT, especially when combating warm conditions to ensure the water has as much oxygen as possible. Airstones in your reservoir will also help to keep the solution stimulated and moving as well as helping to buffer the pH a little. It is also possible to boost the air content of your nutrient solution chemically by using Oxyplus but it is imperative that you don’t use this product with organic or biological boosters and additives.

Solution Changes

As a general rule you should always change your solution for a fresh batch once every 1 - 2 weeks, the theory being that the more often you do it the better the final results. With large nutrient reservoirs this rule of thumb works well, but with smaller reservoirs new solutions may be required every 3 to 5 days. A separate container is often useful for making up new solutions, which can then be poured or pumped into your empty reservoir.

When topping up reservoirs between batches of fresh solution, top up with a quarter strength hydroponic nutrient solution. Use this weak top up whatever stage of growth you are at. This weaker strength top up solution will work well on both small plants which are using weaker feeds, and with bigger plants on stronger solutions where the plants tend to drink more water. This weaker top up will prevent nutrient solutions from getting too strong between solution changes. (Note: if plants are quite dark green, then use just water when topping up reservoirs and/or use slightly weaker strength feed generally.)

pH adjustment

When making a fresh batch of nutrient solution, always add the feed to the water first and then adjust the pH of the solution to between 5.5 and 6.5 - ideally about 6. This will save you adjusting the pH twice as the feed may also affect the pH.

Your pH will change on a daily basis, usually going up every day. This is quite normal. It’s best not to adjust the pH daily as this can result in too much phosphoric acid in the nutrient and can lead to nutrient problems, it is much better to let the pH drift for two or three days after initial setting before re-adjusting.

If your tap water pH and cF is high you may need a hard water feed which will help reduce the pH and reduce the amount of pH Down needed. Nitric Acid is also available as an alternative pH Down in the leaf growth phase.

Irrigation

Assuming that you are using 7.5cm (3”) or 10cm (4”) Grodan Transplanting Cubes or small baskets of cellmax in high light conditions, we can split the irrigation into two basic stages:

Stage 1 – manual watering or pump on timer

Before the roots have emerged from the transplanting cube, either turn the pump on manually once a day just to re-wet the cube or put the pump on a timer to come on once a day for a few minutes, this will keep the bottom of the cube drier and encourage the roots to come out of the cube in search of water and food.

Stage 2 – pump on 24 hours

Once the roots are nicely out ofthe bottom of the transplanting cube it is best to run the nutrient solution all the time, night and day.

Assuming you are growing in a high light situation with healthy plants drinking every day, and that the solution is at the optimum temperature and is well oxygenated, running the solution all the time will give you the best results.

If you want to experiment with irrigation cycles then make sure that you never have the nutrient off for more than 15 minutes at a time day or night, as this will chill the roots through the cooling effect of evaporation of water. This leads to cellular damage to the surface of the root zone which will show up as a slight browning of the roots.

Boosters

All your plant needs to get a good result is a hydroponic grow and bloom nutrient package, although there are many good additives and boosters that improve nutrient uptake, contain natural enzymes and hormones, vitamins and beneficial bacteria. Check out the Growth Promoters & Nutrient Additives category on the left for our full range of boosters.