Ebb and Flow issue

Grow Mediums Hydroponics
1

Hello all,

I would like to say that this site and shop is the best in the world! I know this sounds a little exaggerated but I have ordered from many sites and no other company looks after their customers like Robert does. I think he really cares!. This support site is also amazing and has saved my crops on three separate occasions. I have never posted anything before but I read everything on this site.
A problem I have had the last couple of weeks with my grow and didn’t see anything similar on the sight I thought I would share with you.
My girls started to look very droopy just after I switched them to 12/12. I turned to my beloved site and found several things that it could be: Over/under watering, and too much nitrogen. Some of my fan leaves started to get “the claw” appearance. I immediately eliminated nutrients as the problem because I have grow this strain (WW) many times and I use the same nutes (botinicare pro series) every time and have never had this issue. As I have recently switched from a DWC system to a 4’x4’ ebb and flow system I felt strongly that it could be and over/under watering problem. I watched my flood times and monitored everything from length of flood to how often flooding took place and no matter what I changed the girls continued to get worse. A couple of nights ago I went to check the girls and behold, they were floating in a massive pool of water which was not going away. Roots from one of the girls had grown into the drain and completely clogged it. I felt really stupid but relieved I had found the problem, thought I was losing my mind before this trying to figure this out. I suppose before I discovered the clog it was still draining but at a reduced rate causing my flood to be a much higher level and drowning the Rockwool and as I was only really checking the clay balls to see how wet things were I missed the fact that the cubes were still drenched. I have dried out my grow area and things are returning to normal again and the girls are happy happy and I am too.
Thanks from Canada for such a great site and keep up the great work! The two guys in the states (Lakewood and MacGiver) you guys are amazing and I love reading your responses.
Martin

2 Likes
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Thank You for being such a god member :smile:

What I do with my ebb and flow is to block the drain with a bag of hydroton. I cut a piece of pump strainer material, and sew the hydroton into it. Perlite would works as well. Lava rocks, etc. Water will still flow freely through this bag. Place it in fornt of and around the drain.

I also slightly elevate the side away from the drain to make sure I get complete drainage.

Happy Growing, Peace :slight_smile:

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Thanks for the kind comments and the update, it may help someone else decide to check to make sure roots haven’t clogged up their drain holes if they are having a similar issue.

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Great advice latewood, I will implement immediately. Thanks for all the great work.