NFT

[Slowflow]

Hi All,

I am growing a very small inexpensive NFT set up that cost less than 70 bucks all from the hardware store except nutes. I am on a budget and wanted to see results. So far it’s growing. My question is anyone grow NFT style. I understand the concept and seen different set ups. Any info would be great

 

[WeedHopper]

 

[Slowflow]

View attachment 286210

Hi All,

I am growing a very small inexpensive NFT set up that cost less than 70 bucks all from the hardware store except nutes. I am on a budget and wanted to see results. So far it’s growing. My question is anyone grow NFT style. I understand the concept and seen different set ups. Any info would be great

Thank you. This exactly what I have set up here is pics. My question is for the roots they are growing like crazy. I just want to know would it be ok for the roots to kind of be exposed in air as well as in the solution. And one more question notice the roots turn a little light brown. Is I from nutes. I am using the pure blend botanicare. The color of the nutrients is brown. Also is it normal for the top leaves to get wet. I notice sometimes I see perspiration on top of leaves. Thanks

 

[Bugus_Monkey]

I ran NFT back when I was single, been 8 years or so. Far enough back that "Yellow Bottles" was the new thing. Cant find them anymore. Anyhoo, It is excellent for sea of green setting. (SOG). I had a mother plant in soil under 24 light. Chopping pieces off of it everywhere. Clones, as soon as I could get them rooted they went into a NFT, it was three, 4 inch pipes 6 foot long. I did not do an individual drip though. My end caps were cut like a half moon and I kept them loose for cleaning and adjusting solution level with in the main pipes. The slant to the setup wasn't major either. I guess it would have been a combo of NFT and Ebb & Flow sort of. Kind of set up in an E shape. Res at one end such as you have with a pond boss type pump going to the other end to the center of the E. 4 x 8 x 8 box I built set at 12/12. I want to say my baskets were only about 2 or 3 inches across at the top. Your cross tube / pipe / main is going to have to be exceptionally huge if you started from seed. With my SOG my plants did not finish much bigger than what you have going in those pictures. I was getting around 1 to 1.25 ozs per plant which doesn't seem like a lot unless your NFT is set up for 36 plants. Was running around 45 days per run. Had a 1000 HPS on a rail type light mover.

 

[Bugus_Monkey]

It's a little misleading in that every week or 2 I was cutting an hour off my 12/12 - Otherwise things would have got too big before my calyxes swelled enough. Used to finish around 8/16. Feed pump on timer.

 

[Airbone]

The roots exposed to air is ok.
I had a hydro set up almost like the nft set up hopper posted.
It worked great! Only difference is my set up had a feed line to each individual plant instead of one at the beginning.
I had air stones in the solution tank and the pvc root tubes.
This system was amazing…
My problem was I used only 4” root tubes.
The plants got huge and tubes got packed. Leak problems and plants started to die.
I should have went with 8” pvc.
I think I may try again though.

 

[Bugus_Monkey]

AB, what is the outer material over your wood frame? I was told and read that it had to be special stuff or it would block UV rays responsible for adequate trichome production or something along those lines.

 

[Airbone]

AB, what is the outer material over your wood frame? I was told and read that it had to be special stuff or it would block UV rays responsible for adequate trichome production or something along those lines.

It’s just a standard greenhouse. The hydro set up I had probably would be better for a indoor set up. Those were in veg for over 4 months and got huge. If I controlled the light cycle I could have pulled it off.

 

[user 60570]

The roots exposed to air is ok.
I had a hydro set up almost like the nft set up hopper posted.
It worked great! Only difference is my set up had a feed line to each individual plant instead of one at the beginning.
I had air stones in the solution tank and the pvc root tubes.
This system was amazing…
My problem was I used only 4” root tubes.
The plants got huge and tubes got packed. Leak problems and plants started to die.
I should have went with 8” pvc.
I think I may try again though.View attachment 286290View attachment 286291View attachment 286292View attachment 286293

nice setup!

 

[Slowflow]

It’s just a standard greenhouse. The hydro set up I had probably would be better for a indoor set up. Those were in veg for over 4 months and got huge. If I controlled the light cycle I could have pulled it off.

Thank you very much. Very nice set up.

 

[Slowflow]

It’s just a standard greenhouse. The hydro set up I had probably would be better for a indoor set up. Those were in veg for over 4 months and got huge. If I controlled the light cycle I could have pulled it off.

Airbone very nice plants. My question is for the pvc piping the roots do they wrap up with all other roots from the next next to each other. So my question is they are getting there oxygen from the water and getting enough from the air pump. So you really never see your roots just let them be covered all the time in dark.

 

[Slowflow]

I ran NFT back when I was single, been 8 years or so. Far enough back that "Yellow Bottles" was the new thing. Cant find them anymore. Anyhoo, It is excellent for sea of green setting. (SOG). I had a mother plant in soil under 24 light. Chopping pieces off of it everywhere. Clones, as soon as I could get them rooted they went into a NFT, it was three, 4 inch pipes 6 foot long. I did not do an individual drip though. My end caps were cut like a half moon and I kept them loose for cleaning and adjusting solution level with in the main pipes. The slant to the setup wasn't major either. I guess it would have been a combo of NFT and Ebb & Flow sort of. Kind of set up in an E shape. Res at one end such as you have with a pond boss type pump going to the other end to the center of the E. 4 x 8 x 8 box I built set at 12/12. I want to say my baskets were only about 2 or 3 inches across at the top. Your cross tube / pipe / main is going to have to be exceptionally huge if you started from seed. With my SOG my plants did not finish much bigger than what you have going in those pictures. I was getting around 1 to 1.25 ozs per plant which doesn't seem like a lot unless your NFT is set up for 36 plants. Was running around 45 days per run. Had a 1000 HPS on a rail type light mover.

I ran NFT back when I was single, been 8 years or so. Far enough back that "Yellow Bottles" was the new thing. Cant find them anymore. Anyhoo, It is excellent for sea of green setting. (SOG). I had a mother plant in soil under 24 light. Chopping pieces off of it everywhere. Clones, as soon as I could get them rooted they went into a NFT, it was three, 4 inch pipes 6 foot long. I did not do an individual drip though. My end caps were cut like a half moon and I kept them loose for cleaning and adjusting solution level with in the main pipes. The slant to the setup wasn't major either. I guess it would have been a combo of NFT and Ebb & Flow sort of. Kind of set up in an E shape. Res at one end such as you have with a pond boss type pump going to the other end to the center of the E. 4 x 8 x 8 box I built set at 12/12. I want to say my baskets were only about 2 or 3 inches across at the top. Your cross tube / pipe / main is going to have to be exceptionally huge if you started from seed. With my SOG my plants did not finish much bigger than what you have going in those pictures. I was getting around 1 to 1.25 ozs per plant which doesn't seem like a lot unless your NFT is set up for 36 plants. Was running around 45 days per run. Had a 1000 HPS on a rail type light mover.

I ran NFT back when I was single, been 8 years or so. Far enough back that "Yellow Bottles" was the new thing. Cant find them anymore. Anyhoo, It is excellent for sea of green setting. (SOG). I had a mother plant in soil under 24 light. Chopping pieces off of it everywhere. Clones, as soon as I could get them rooted they went into a NFT, it was three, 4 inch pipes 6 foot long. I did not do an individual drip though. My end caps were cut like a half moon and I kept them loose for cleaning and adjusting solution level with in the main pipes. The slant to the setup wasn't major either. I guess it would have been a combo of NFT and Ebb & Flow sort of. Kind of set up in an E shape. Res at one end such as you have with a pond boss type pump going to the other end to the center of the E. 4 x 8 x 8 box I built set at 12/12. I want to say my baskets were only about 2 or 3 inches across at the top. Your cross tube / pipe / main is going to have to be exceptionally huge if you started from seed. With my SOG my plants did not finish much bigger than what you have going in those pictures. I was getting around 1 to 1.25 ozs per plant which doesn't seem like a lot unless your NFT is set up for 36 plants. Was running around 45 days per run. Had a 1000 HPS on a rail type light mover.

Thank you Bugus_Monkey for the this great information

 

[Airbone]

Airbone very nice plants. My question is for the pvc piping the roots do they wrap up with all other roots from the next next to each other. So my question is they are getting there oxygen from the water and getting enough from the air pump. So you really never see your roots just let them be covered all the time in dark.

Correct..
I had it piped so the tubes would only fill about half way.
constant flow from feed tubes. So everything was wet but only half the root tubes were actually submerged.

 

[Slowflow]

Hi All,

I am growing a very small inexpensive NFT set up that cost less than 70 bucks all from the hardware store except nutes. I am on a budget and wanted to see results. So far it’s growing. My question is anyone grow NFT style. I understand the concept and seen different set ups. Any info would be great

nice setup!

Hi everyone
I am growing with rock wool and I notice on the top of the medium rock wool I see some fuzzy looking growth. What causes this and what best to keep it under control

 

[Airbone]

Hi everyone
I am growing with rock wool and I notice on the top of the medium rock wool I see some fuzzy looking growth. What causes this and what best to keep it under control

Is it green?
Possibly algae?

 

[Slowflow]

Is it green?
Possibly algae?

 

[Slowflow]

It was green but looks white
Is this mold.

 

[Slowflow]

Just some more info. I was just seeing trial and error. I just have 2 plants that I dont know what strain mixed bag. I did read like you all say and picked out important needs. I am trying with this silly looking setup. Pic 1 to 3. Nov15 , Dec15, Jan 15. Any more information would help me.

 

[Bugus_Monkey]

I read in one of the bazillion threads here to not worry about the top of the rockwool turning green. But mine are just the little 1 V 1's not the 3-4 inch cubes. I try and keep my nutrient solution in the dark as much as possible. Looks like you are too. Is your set up with continuous pumping or is it timed? Looking great BTW.

 

[Slowflow]

Ok good to know not to worry. Thank you! In the beginning I was running pump off and on. Then I was cutting it back one hour and progressing to now off 4 hours. Should be running it continuously? Thanks