Ebb & Flow Questions

[IslandColas]

Aloha guys,

This is my first post so first I’ll state that this is my first grow. I do a lot of research and understand basically anything you’ll need to explain, so don’t feel as though you need to dumb it down to beginners terms. I have past horticultural experience and the only thing I’m really new to is Cannabis cultivation and using Ebb and Flow Tables.

Before I get to my questions I’ll list the equipment I’m running.
for veg I’m using 4 double bulbed 48w LED Shop lights. (Seems to be plenty)
I am vegging in a homemade 1 1/2’ x 3’ ebb and flow table using red solo cups and pure Hydroton (other than the RW cube the clone/seed started in) on a 3 hour flood gap.
I have a single mother COOKIE MONSTER in a 5 gallon DWC setup that’s doing awesome and is not the topic of discussion but is included in photos.

For flower I don’t play around with anything homemade.

I have a 4x4x7 flower tent by Melon Farm
3x3 Botanicare Flood Table
40 Gallon Botanicare reservoir
4 air stone air pump by EcoPlus
1000w dimmable Lumatek ballast
1000w A/C tube hood w/ reflector
I have both 600w & 1000w bulbs Im going to play with to find the max heat I produce.
6 inch 440 CFM Vivosun in-line fan
6 inch carbon filter

this whole tent is in a sealed room with a/c and dehumidification.

NOW!

Finally to the question at hand! Lol

As my seedlings and clones in my veg table grow their roots begin to show coming out of the drain holes on the cups. My natural response to roots protruding from drain holes is to transplant to a larger vessel. Well that is okay while in veg because the plants are still mobile and aren’t scroged and twisted into a light-proof canopy. But what about when they are in the tent? When they’re all twisted and tied together? You cannot transplant them... The root of the question (no pun intended) is, once installed into the tent, is it okay if my roots grow and protrude out of the pots and into the table for a prolonged period of time (like a 2 month flower cycle)? If not what must I do to protect those exposed roots?

 

[9fingerleafs]

My hero and favorite breeder called Vader og uses flood and drain and has talk about that in the past. He uses coco as a medium but he puts little pieces of a different kind of coco. A dry mat that looks like a loofa. Just little pieces in the holes of the pots making sure they fit snuggly and block the whole hole hahaha kinda like a plug. It will let water trough but no roots

 

[9fingerleafs]

theyre called coco liners, its a pot made of coco, just pieces of that clogging the holes of the pot is enough

 

[IslandColas]

My hero and favorite breeder called Vader og uses flood and drain and has talk about that in the past. He uses coco as a medium but he puts little pieces of a different kind of coco. A dry mat that looks like a loofa. Just little pieces in the holes of the pots making sure they fit snuggly and block the whole hole hahaha kinda like a plug. It will let water trough but no roots

So will that create any problem for the roots as in crowding/suffocating by the end of the flower cycle? I was thinking about a lid for the table with holes for the stalks possibly. To protect them from drying out and also reduce light exposure.

 

[IslandColas]

Much appreciated. Hoping for a great first crop!

 

[9fingerleafs]

you will be kinda turning your food and drain into deep water culture. if you use the right pot size that wont be a problem, roots get out of the pot way before the pot is filled. just like with any pot with any medium, you dont want your roots to get out of the pot, and if you want them to grow unrestricted them go full DWC, just my opinion, ive been wanting to try flood and drain for a while now mainly cause all the air exchange it causes inside the pot, restricting it may not be beneficial