Quote Originally Posted by rhizome
15 minutes three times a day is a rule of thumb that may not apply to you at all.
You're looking to irrigate often enough, at a great enough volume, to provide an appropriate average level of moisture in your root zone. Prob gonna be a whole lot less, esp for young plants which don't have a lot of leaf area transpiring water.
Fer instance, my rockwool drip gets irrigated for 27 seconds every hour and 15 minutes that the lights are on. ( I have cool timers).
If you're using a cycle timer to control the pump, just plug it into the same power strip as the lighting system- it'll cycle on first.
I don't like standard timers for drip systems- the granularity is too coarse. I'm a " lots of small feeds instead of waterlogging with a few big ones" type of guy. YMMV

Basically, you have to play with it until you get a pattern that keeps your media moist but not too wet, by adjusting how long and how often pump is on. Easier with a quicker draining medium.

You may or may not need to irrigate a little while lights are off, depending on night humidity- I never have. YMMV

Your lights are only on six hours a day?
This is basically how we do it in the commercial greenhouse.

At home I find that if you use commercial drip equipment, 1/2 tubing and say...2gph or 4gph emitters (trial & error), you can use 15 minute on times and not flood plants, + you can also water more often, also.
Everyone doesn't have this option or understand drip as more experienced growers here. Anyway. Great answer. Might be too complicated for those who don't have multi zone digital timers. I love it. :thumbsup:

Now I know a few people have good success dripping non stop using hydroton and only while lights on. I think maybe one watering during lights off will suffice, unless using rockwool, then you cut back a bit, because that tends to hold more dense moisture, than other mediums.

And finally whooo...long winded as usual...
The point here being. The basic answer is: Water enough to keep your medium moist (as mentioned above). You have to dial in the timings yourself by addressing the nuances of your system, and choice of medium; Through trial and error. Good luck. Look likes if you have a problem we have a few worthy "new" Or "returned" members here to guide you this Spring. And: Of course the "old guard" :smokin: Peace
latewood Reviewed by latewood on . Eurogrowers and Drip system help with planing when to drip Hi everyone its been a while since I have posted but I really need help. Its not some repeatative question on how long to keep the timer on for a drip system. I have been reading all over the boards searching and couldnt find what I was looking for so I thought I would ask. I know that you have to have your drip system on for 15 mins for 3 times a day but in everyones opinion what times during the daylight cycle do you schedule your drips to come on since my lights start at 6am and turn off at Rating: 5