Quote Originally Posted by piglet420
What are your suggestions for a DIY ebb and flow? I have an 18 gallon res and a 14 gallon grow tank. I can cut out 4 holes in top if the grow tank and place 4 4 to 5 inch net pots in the holes and they will dangle in the solution. My reading here suggests that the tank may be too small but I've seen smaller with good success. My goal is to keep the plants no taller than 3 foot in height and I have a feeling I will need to learn how to top them.

Lastly, and my biggest issue, let's say I can actually get about 12 plants to start. My goal is four females. I'm not going to be able to sex anything until I'm well into my veg stage ......correct? Can I take my 4 strongest looking plants and place them in the hydro garden and take the remaining 8 and place them in regular pots under those T5 lights just to keep them alive long enough to swap out any males?
There are many examples of DIY construction on the net. Choose the one that looks best for your situation and modify or improvise as needed.

You can sex plants within 3 weeks from sprouting using the presexing technique. Search this if you are interested. You can put a paper bag over one branch, changing it daily to simulate flowering light schedules. Within a week or two you will be able to sex it. I never do that. I sex after going to bud. I toss the males and keep the best females for mothers.

Yes you can separate the plants like that. I don't see a reason why not. I would grow them all the same under some fluoros for three weeks, then go to bud just long enough to get rid of the males. Bud the rest or keep out a couple to revert to veg for mothers. You can also bud all the females and revert them to veg after harvest.
Opie Yutts Reviewed by Opie Yutts on . New Grow. 1st Grow. Ebb and Flow I'm about to begin my first grow. Like any n00b I have questions and hopefully I can get these sorted out before I move out of germination stage. This grow is dedicated to my Father-In-Law. The seeds were from him about 9 months ago in a plastic baggy. He passed in July from Lung Cancer but I know he really wanted me to give this a try. According to him this was some really good herb, something about being purple. If I can get anything to grow and it makes it to bud then I'll post the pics Rating: 5