Flood + Drain how many times?

[madfreek]

Just a quick question. I'm looking to grow 2 plants under a 250w HPS light using flood and drain. I am debatinging whether or not to set up a automatic pump system or just flood and drain manually.

How many times a day do you have to flood and drain for just two plant? Is it easier and best to set up a pump?

Cheers

[wallhofen]

A lot depends on the kind of media you use and its retention of water. I use ebb and flow in conjunction with a mixture of vermiculite and perlite and flood about 6 times over 24 hrs. If you use hydroton you would probably water more, if you used rockwool you would water less.

wallhofen

[Garden Knowm]

Yeah what he said...

Plus room temperature and the plants age...
A large plant drinks a lot more water than a small plant.

a pump on a timer is the way to go..

: )

[djcleme]

whatever system you go for flood and drain 3 times a day and you cant go wrong and a pump is a must unless you are going to remember and b about to do this every day

[yaarea41510]

definitely use pump..If you're going to handfeed it might as well go soil..haha