# DWC ??'s



## CaptianKush (Jun 26, 2009)

Okay, so I have done hours of research on Hydro, there is one question I have.

How do you keep a the roots of the plants from growing together and becoming too tangled to remove from the net pot in a multi site DWC setup?

DWC does appeal to me, but I can imagine the problems you could have trying to de tangle a mass of roots.

Thanks in advance.

CK


----------



## pcduck (Jun 26, 2009)

I don't really think you can. That is why my DWC is a 1 plant to a 5 gallon bucket. The only time I would try a muti-site would be if they were all clones from the same strain.


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (Jun 26, 2009)

I veg in a multi pot res sometimes.  If I do this, I lift the top of the res and gently separate the roots twice a week to keep them from getting too tangled.  As pcduck mentioned, if you are growing clones of the same strain, this is less a problem.


----------



## Super Silver Haze (Jun 26, 2009)

CaptianKush, i wish i had that much foresight before starting my dwc with 2 plants in the same res b/c the roots completely tangeled together.

the roots also encased both of my airstones b/c i didnt glue them to the bottom of the tub.  

lessons for next time. 

if you want flexibility with your grow for a continual harvest then do as PCDuck suggested and go with 5 gal buckets.  

if you do DWC the keep the nute res temp below 70 F.


----------



## CaptianKush (Jun 26, 2009)

pcduck said:
			
		

> I don't really think you can. That is why my DWC is a 1 plant to a 5 gallon bucket. The only time I would try a muti-site would be if they were all clones from the same strain.



I understand using clones because, obviously, trying to detangle a single male from your system would be a major PITA and forgive my ignorance but why does strain make a difference? 

I have been thinking about using individual buckets but fear I wont have enough room for more than four in my area. With an E & F setup, say, 3X3 tray, I could flower 6 easily at one time.

In case your wondering why 6 is such a magic number, it is because that is what I am allowed to have in flower at one time by my local laws. I am attracted to hydro because it produces very nice plants when dialed in. I have seen some straight up monsters come out of a 5 gal bucket. I can do the same in soil but it will take much longer. I am not trying to start a soil vs hydro debate just rambling on cause I just sampled some GDP...grand daddy is NICE

CK


----------



## ishnish (Jun 26, 2009)

CaptianKush said:
			
		

> I understand using clones because, obviously, trying to detangle a single male from your system would be a major PITA and forgive my ignorance but why does strain make a difference?



having them the same strain they will grow more evenly together and when finished, will be about the same level of maturity.  whereas if your doing different strains, one's done in 7/8 weeks and another in 11/12 weeks...


and what's this about gluing the airstones down, SSH?  i haven't done that because they don't float...   am I in for a surprise??
I'm still in beginner stage...


----------



## CaptianKush (Jun 27, 2009)

Super Silver Haze said:
			
		

> CaptianKush, i wish i had that much foresight before starting my dwc with 2 plants in the same res b/c the roots completely tangeled together.
> 
> the roots also encased both of my airstones b/c i didnt glue them to the bottom of the tub.
> 
> ...



I have been warned about making sure to either glue or weigh down the airstones, actually from a vid I found on this site a while back.

I am worried about nute temps with the summer...I have a feeling its gonna be long and hot, exactly what I woulda been hoping for if I was still growing outdoors...but alas, this wasnt in the cards this season.


----------



## King Bud (Jun 27, 2009)

> i haven't done that because they don't float... am I in for a surprise??


I think you'll want to glue it down anyways so that when the air pump is running and there is water circulating in the reservoir there is no chance of air stone movement. They could also move when you change the reservoir, however it is you'll be doing that.


----------



## ishnish (Jun 27, 2009)

King Bud said:
			
		

> I think you'll want to glue it down anyways so that when the air pump is running and there is water circulating in the reservoir there is no chance of air stone movement. They could also move when you change the reservoir, however it is you'll be doing that.



.... don't have circulation...  just water with two airstones...
and I change the res by draining 19/20(roughly) then add new waters.


----------



## pcduck (Jun 27, 2009)

CaptainKush said:
			
		

> I understand using clones because, obviously, trying to detangle a single male from your system would be a major PITA and forgive my ignorance but why does strain make a difference?




Different strains, different finishing times, different nute amounts. Example: a 8 week strain would not get fed the same as a 12 week strain.

I have tried doing my air stones both ways. For me not gluing them to the bottom is way better.  When I change rez, I remove plant, bucket net pot and air stone all in 1 motion and place it in another bucket, that is sitting there ready.


----------



## Shockeclipse (Jun 27, 2009)

I did not glue mine down either, My biggest is like close to five feet and my root mass is so big you can see the bucket shape towards the bottom of the mass.  I have still not had any problems with roots becoming tangled with the stones.  I fill up seperate buckets and then swap each plant out.  My one recomendation from doing DWC although its my first time is to do like I did and buy a big tote, a small airstone, and throw a nozzle on it.  I mix all my nutes, do my ph adjustments before hand, let sit for a day or two and then just fill em up.  I started with 8 plants and am flowering 5 currently and this mixing station saves me an hour+ come res change.  I have pics of what I pu together in my gj.  Mine is on a stand sitting at an angle and cost me around 40 bucks to put together.


----------



## King Bud (Jun 28, 2009)

> .... don't have circulation... just water with two airstones...


I meant, with the airstones bubbling, the water will move around, possibly moving the airstones into the corners.


----------



## Pepper (Jun 28, 2009)

CaptianKush said:
			
		

> Okay, so I have done hours of research on Hydro, there is one question I have.
> 
> How do you keep a the roots of the plants from growing together and becoming too tangled to remove from the net pot in a multi site DWC setup?
> 
> ...


 




To me dwc is the best hydro symtem known to man. 
I have a 27 galon storage bin (yellow cover) bought at home depot for 10 bucks 30"x20"x14" I have it file with 20 galons, two 12" airstones, six 5" baskets, Fox Farm nutes, change nutes and water every 2 wk's.

I flower 6 plants with no problems the ph is so stable that I only adjust the ph 1 or 2 in a two wk time frame its great, and I dont get root tangles because I rotate my baskets 180% once every day.


----------



## pcduck (Jun 29, 2009)

Pepper said:
			
		

> To me dwc is the best hydro symtem known to man.
> I have a 27 galon storage bin (yellow cover) bought at home depot for 10 bucks 30"x20"x14" I have it file with 20 galons, two 12" airstones, six 5" baskets, Fox Farm nutes, change nutes and water every 2 wk's.
> 
> I flower 6 plants with no problems the ph is so stable that I only adjust the ph 1 or 2 in a two wk time frame its great, and I dont get root tangles because I rotate my baskets 180% once every day.




Pepper I am confused :confused2::confused2: How does rotating the plants keep the plant roots from getting tangles?


----------



## Pepper (Jun 29, 2009)

pcduck said:
			
		

> Pepper I am confused :confused2::confused2: How does rotating the plants keep the plant roots from getting tangles?


 




 
If the container is large enouth, deep enouth, plants 10 to 12" appart by rotating the baskets/plants the roots sort of form a braid/rope within themselves. Try it it works for me.


----------



## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (Jun 29, 2009)

CaptianKush said:
			
		

> Okay, so I have done hours of research on Hydro, there is one question I have.
> 
> How do you keep a the roots of the plants from growing together and becoming too tangled to remove from the net pot in a multi site DWC setup?


 
I love DWC, by far my favorite way to grow.  I have a sticky in my signature on how to design your own DWC system.  I glue my airstones to the bottom of the res, if not they would float and become entangled in the roots.  Make sure your res is at least 10 (preferably 12) inches deep.  The roots WILL become entangled in the res, this is just the nature of a multi-site DWC.  It does not matter though, as long as you are growing clones of the same size from the same strain and all at the same point in flowering.  This way the nute requirements will be the same for all.  I prefer this to multi-res DWC systems, because then you have to mix nutes for each plant specific to that plant's needs according to it's size, strain, and point of time in flowering.  If you design your system like the way I did mine in the sticky, you never have to remove the net cups, you can just lift the lid, plants, cups, roots and all, and place them in an empty or new res.  This will have to be done once a week to every 10 days in order to mix new nutes and clean the res.  The comments about res temps are correct, though I have run my res up to 73 degrees on a regular basis with no negative effects or loss of yield.  
  Here are some pics of my DWC:
The first shows the plants in fower (a SOG style gone wild), these still have roughly 4 weeks to go.  The second shows the res they are growing in (six plants total in the res which is 3.5 square feet and holes 10-12 gallons).  The last pic shows the root mass in the res.  The roots show brown because of the nute mixture stain, it is a very dark mix.


----------

