DWC newbie

[dang]

Just starting out with a few questions about this DWC system as the directions were not clear. #1 - Does the air pump stay on 24/7?. #2 - Does the water level have to be touching the bottom of the pebbles or is there some space between the two? I'm asking because I think I am overwatering as the bottoms leaves have shriveled and fallen off the plant and in general the plant doesn't look too healthy and not growing all that well. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[FlyingDutchPaddy]

hey dang,

welcome to dwc, its a fast, precise, rewarding way to grow...

1 - air pump always on, the more air the better.
2 - depends on the age of the plant.
a - if a seedling, yes water can bubble into the net pot.
b - if plant has developed roots that reach out of the netpot, leave about an inch for the air gap between (still - no bubbles) waterline and net pot.

how do the roots look like?

[Farmall]

dang Are you top feeding the seedlings? This is one of my most enjoyable YouTube videos on dwc ... watch the first few minutes

https://youtu.be/_1Eg-XesZGU

when I had used dwc, the water level was always about 1” from the bottom of the net pot and the air stone stirring up the bucket was enough to spray the base of the net pot like club soda tickling your nose when you take a sip from a full glass. My top feed was on a pump and timer that ran 15 minutes every hour. Eventually, the roots dropped into the nutrient solution and by harvest, filled the 5 gallon pail.

[DW2]

Howdy dang, The only things that I can add to the above advice is to keep the reservoir water temperature below 70° F (63°-70° F), change out the water EVERY week and top off the reservoir (at mid week) with fresh pH'ed (6.0) water. Also, keep the air moving around with an oscillating fan(s).

[BakedMoose]

Fairly new to it as well, but most of my issues have been root rot, pH, and ppm/EC in that order. Aerated worm casting tea worked for me on the first one. pH pen every couple of days for the second. And if your ppm drifts down, increase, and if drifts up, decrease your concentration for the last.

The first two things I'd check rewould be if your roots are white and healthy, and is your pH good (5.5-6.5)? Also, with DWC, I keep extra reservoirs ready for the next water change, which if I'm running into issues is one of my first troubleshooting steps. It's one of the benefits of DWC, you can replace an out of whack nutrient solution rather easily.

And one last thing, as long as you have proper aeration, you can't overwater it in the traditional sense.

[dang]

Many thanks for all your replies and helpful info. What I forgot to include is that my system has a round perforated tube that goes around the top surrounding the plant so when the pump is running the tube is dripping solution from the top and this is why I think the plant is being over watered and causing green algae on top of the pebbles. For now I've unplugged my air pump to let it dry out a bit then start it back up in a few days. Just to let you know this plant germinated Feb. 5th but is only 3 inches tall with one set of leaves on the top, the other two sets have since fallen off. If things don't start looking better I may have to unpot it and stick it in some tried and true dirt. At least then I'll know what I'm doing. I'm thinking I should've started practicing on a tomato seedling first! Oh well, live and learn. Thanks all again.

[RFheavy]

I'm taking a guess here but you might need to propagate your roots a little longer before transplanting into the bucket next time. I run a top feed on my hydro as well but if the roots aren't long enough, they could potentially drown. As for the algae on the clay pebbles, I just cut a paper plate in half and turn it upside down and cover the medium. This can aid in preventing bacterial growth but you must also monitor RH and temps in and out of bucket. You could also wrap foil over the plate if you want.

[dang]

Thanks for your input RFHeavy. My seed was started in a rock wool cube and once it germinated I placed it in the pebbles with the top of the cube level with the top of the pebbles. Are you saying I should've waited until some of the roots are showing out of the cube before placing it in the pebbles? Would it be advisable to remove most of the pebbles and then place the cube so it's closer to the top of the water then add to the pebbles as the plant gets bigger? This whole thing is a lot more complicated than I thought. For now I'm letting it dry out then carefully remove my baby and try it again after removing a lot of the pebbles. I'm a firm believer in Miracle Grow and will try foliar feeding once it dries out a bit. Keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks

[RFheavy]

You want to let the roots grow out of the rockwool cube a bit before placing it in the pebbles. I usually let them grow out an inch or two before throwing it in. I would also leave the plant where it is in your netted pot. Turn off the top feed like you had planned but you will have to manually water the top every so often to keep everything moist. This will prevent your plant from being overwatered and will get the roots growing. If this solves the problem, your plant will start flourishing and you can turn the top feed back on. Roots will shoot out from the netted pot in an explosion of growth. When that happens, you are back on track, baby! What does your plant look like now? Sad hanging leaves? Is it on the darker or lighter side of the green spectrum?