I'm trying to make a timed, measured watering system, to better regulate my grow. I don't have the money for a commercial drip system. Does anyone know how or where I can find/buy the components? :bonghit:
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I'm trying to make a timed, measured watering system, to better regulate my grow. I don't have the money for a commercial drip system. Does anyone know how or where I can find/buy the components? :bonghit:
Ah advanced system
1 buy a few books
2 read post in the non advanced boards
Well as a plug and play simple system.
1 use a gravity ebb and flow system, the normal 80-120 gallon supply. My first system was a 100 gallon system. Thats good for a start
2 start out with 20-30 bucket system , then move up to a medium system.
3 use the donut buckets , and normal 1/2 in garden hose
4 plant the tank in the ground , for the drainage after filling
5 make sure to use mag drive pumps , no problems with oil leakage from pump
6 stay with the 1000 watt bulbs a MH works through the full cycle of growing
Or you could get a 5 gallon bucket , cut a hole in it to fit a beach sand bucket with hole in it. fill with 3/8 gravel , a aqua. pump and air stone, some tomato growing ferts, some bloom ferts. and 3 gallon of drinking water. This is a bubbbler system, but not shown in the advanced section.
Heya- put one together for AFOAF last week
You'll need-
Pump 15
Poly tube 1/2" 20ish
Poly tube 1/4" 10ish
1/2 gph drip emitters .50 per plant
Timer (digital) 20
Resivior(whatever you have) 10
Barbed 1/4" tees(1per 2 plants).35 ea.
Make a manifold from 1/2" tube(you'll have to block 1 end). Insert tees to match plant setup. Run 1/4" tube to each pot, and attach dripper. Mount pump to manifold. Place pump in res, fill w/ nute solution of choice. Set timer to turn on pump for, say, 5 min (1/24th gallon)per hour lights on- no water when lights off. You can adjust watering cycle by adjusting timer on/off intervals.
System assumes that you can drain to waste.
System assumes that your media will drain well enough to allow good leach-thru- coco, cocoperl, RW in a proper tray, Promix/perlite 50/50%.
I like at least 10% run-thru in drip.
Top off res w/ fullstrength nute as needed. Check and adjust pH at each top-off.
You can skip the emitters, but they make water delivery MUCH more consistant- I'd go the $.50 cents.
You can get all of this at any good hydro shop, or Home DePot, Agway, etc- I like the Raindrop brand stuff. Res can be anything that'll hold water- Pickle barrels are the bomb, but you gotta CLEAN them or ph'll be funky and your room will reek of pickles. No metal drums.
Hope this helps
Hey thanks, rhizome. I'm gonna respond to this tommorow morning, when I'm not so baked. I' d make an ass of myself right now.
Sorry its been a bit late to respond. Finals suck for ed majors...Thanks for the suggestions. Once I get back in town on the 15th, I'll be trying some stuff out. Thanks again for the time.
Kitty`