# Questions about drip systems...



## bigbudz (Mar 29, 2006)

A couple of my plants are now showing alternating nodes, and I'm wanting to move them over to the flowering closet at the beginning of next week. Right now i am using a bubbler system for my vegetation stage, but I have a drip system for my flowering. I know I'm going to have to transplant my girls into the bigger pots, one question is... should i just put the whole pot into the bigger pot (both are net pots) or should i take out the plant and rockwool and put them in the bigger pot? Next question, the roots on these things are enormous, I need to just leave them alone right? I don't need to do anything to my roots, is that correct? OK Final question, do i run my drip 24/7 or do i go so many hours on, so many hours off? I just don't wanna mess things up, wanna get a heads up on what to do. Any help will be *greatly *appreciated!


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## Stoney Bud (Mar 29, 2006)

bigbudz said:
			
		

> A couple of my plants are now showing alternating nodes, and I'm wanting to move them over to the flowering closet at the beginning of next week. Right now i am using a bubbler system for my vegetation stage, but I have a drip system for my flowering. I know I'm going to have to transplant my girls into the bigger pots,
> 
> I just don't wanna mess things up, wanna get a heads up on what to do. Any help will be *greatly *appreciated!


1. should i just put the whole pot into the bigger pot (both are net pots) or should i take out the plant and rockwool and put them in the bigger pot? 

If the net pot you're currently using has openings of at least a half inch, then yes, you can just put one inside the other. If no, then carefully increase the size of the holes by snipping through every other one if you can see what you're doing. If the roots are completely enclosing the pot, then just leave it be. You'll have to chance it. Either way, the roots do have to have the ability to expand to 1/4 inch or so. Many variables come into play that would affect the root diameter. I've seen aeroponic roots that were like hairs and I've seen drip systems where the roots have grown large enough to burst a container.

2. Next question, the roots on these things are enormous, I need to just leave them alone right? 

Do you mean the quantity of roots, or the size of each root? If you mean the plant has a lot of roots then that's great. The drawback is that you have to arrange those roots in your drip system and arrange enough drip heads to cover the area. I've never seen anyone go to a drip system in mid grow. To do it perfectly, you would have a rockwool bag large enough to fit the existing roots into safely. Using loose media, the drip coverage will be difficult to provide. I would advise you to leave the plants in the bubbler and flower them. Next time, if you want to use two kinds of systems, use the drip and then the bubbler or the drip and then Ebb and Flow. 

If you could post a pic of that root system without hurting your plant, it would help.

3. I don't need to do anything to my roots, is that correct? 

You are correct in saying that you should not try to modify the roots of the plant. Root cloning can be done if you wanted to clone in that manner, but to transplant, no, do not modify the roots.

4. do i run my drip 24/7 or do i go so many hours on, so many hours off? 

First, let me explain what the drip emitters are supposed to be doing. When your pump comes on, the drip emitters should be creating enough flow so as to thoroughly wet the root mass and the media the roots are in. Then, when the pump shuts off, the media should drain slowly to barely moist when the pump comes on again. With rockwool slab, four times a day at full vegetative growth should be enough. Just make sure to follow the explanation above. If the media remains too wet or soggy all the time, the roots and the plant will suffer and perhaps die. If the root mass is allowed to completely dry out and remain dry for more than an hour, the plant will suffer and perhaps die. That's one of the difficulties of using a drip system. If an entire chain of emitters quit for any reason for even a half day, it can kill your plants. I strongly suggest dual pumps with back-flow preventers. Then you can alternate the pumps with timers and if one fails, the other will keep the plant alive until you get home. You should always observe the flow of a drip system several times each day. Many a crop has died from loss of water in a drip system. 

So, if you do transplant into the drip system, you'll want to give serious consideration to what I've suggested.


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## bigbudz (Mar 29, 2006)

I'm definitely not opposed to just leaving them in the bubbler system to flower, my problem is 1/2 are just about ready to be flowered, while the other 1/2 still need another week or two. I'm starting to doubt starting with 12 plants, the 6 bigger ones are covering the smaller ones, making it hard for them to get any light. That's my only concern with leaving it in the bubbler system to flower. My original theory was if i had 12 seedlings, i was sure to get a few females out of the bunch. Now 12 is just too many, but i don't wanna kill my small plants either. I'll get you a pic of the roots tonight, along with what both my systems look like.


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## bigbudz (Mar 29, 2006)

By the way, thanks so much stoney, you've helped me out quite a bit so far, you're knowledge and willingness to help is really appreciated and is probably what has helped my girls get so big in the first place. This tokes for you!


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## Stoney Bud (Mar 29, 2006)

bigbudz said:
			
		

> This tokes for you!


Ok, ok, oh yeah, yeah ok, ok man, I got a hit....

Damn! That was good!

Yeah man, I'd leave em in the bubbler till they're done. That would be best.

Next crop, even better.

Smoke this one till then.


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## Stoney Bud (Mar 29, 2006)

bigbudz said:
			
		

> By the way, thanks so much stoney, you've helped me out quite a bit so far, you're knowledge and willingness to help is really appreciated and is probably what has helped my girls get so big in the first place. This tokes for you!


Other than the fact that I re-evaluate what I've said above. Don't even try to put one mesh pot into another after rootings have developed. Ha. The problem is obvious to anyone except me in my last post. Ok, I was high. At least I re-read it. Ha

I can just see everyone trying to get them roots thru that other pot...

Oh my!

Hahahahahahahaa

I crack me up.


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## sicnarf (Mar 29, 2006)

> Other than the fact that I re-evaluate what I've said above. Don't even try to put one mesh pot into another after rootings have developed. Ha. The problem is obvious to anyone except me in my last post. Ok, I was high. At least I re-read it. Ha
> 
> I can just see everyone trying to get them roots thru that other pot...
> 
> ...



Stoney, I'm laughing with you.  

I have a similar quesion with my ebb and flow. I heard and read many ways to run  a pump. You run yours 2 hours on and 1 hours off. Would that be the ideal way I should go with my ebb and flow?


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## Stoney Bud (Mar 30, 2006)

sicnarf said:
			
		

> Stoney, I'm laughing with you.
> 
> I have a similar quesion with my ebb and flow. I heard and read many ways to run a pump. You run yours 2 hours on and 1 hours off. Would that be the ideal way I should go with my ebb and flow?


I run mine 1 hour on, two off. Prior to that, I tried 1 on 6 off and 1 on 4 off. I'm going to stick with the current method. The growth rate was improved noticably.

Good luck!


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## bigbudz (Mar 30, 2006)

OK fixed that problem, my husband just went out and bought a different pump, that way we have the bubbler going in both the veg stage and the flowering stage. Seems like my biggest plants grew 3 inches over night, they're towering over my lil ones.


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