Top drip perlite/vermiculite 50/50 mix recirculating setup

[MidnightSun72]

My idea is I'd like to do a recirculating top drip tray. I want to use cloth pots filled with a 50/50 mix of perlite and vermiculite. I want to irrigate for a set period of time out of a resevoir underneath the tray and have it drain back into the same resevoir.

Thinking of fitting 30 X 1 gallon cloth pot in a 4x4 tray in SOG style small plants.

what's the best way to cover the top of the cloth pots from light (panda with X's cut)?? to prevent algae form growing in the perlite? Floracaps?? They seems pricy

What's a cheap/reliable drip setup? Is there a larger size tubing less prone to blockage? Will I need to worry about the vermiculite filtering through the cloth pot and eventually clogging up the res pump? Is there another better media? Would stake emitters work in the 50/50 mix?

I'd consider hydroton as wel just don't really fancy cleaning up a red brick mess all the time, but I do like perlite for the weight and the cost.

many obvious problems? Someone please guide me.

 

[rkymtnman]

unless you are dead set on recirc, i'd bet drain to waste would work much better

 

[BobThe420Builder]

Sounds like a Hempy Grow

But in cloth pots, no moisture will be retained

Not sure I've seen anyone do that before,in cloth

 

[MidnightSun72]

Sounds like a Hempy Grow

But in cloth pots, no moisture will be retained

Not sure I've seen anyone do that before,in cloth

I was gonna go perlite only. But Vermiculite is supposed to help hold onto some water. Plus I figured I can "flood" or drip as long or often as needed for the girls to get a good drink.

 

[MidnightSun72]

unless you are dead set on recirc, i'd bet drain to waste would work much better

I appreciate that. Can you elaborate on some of the benefits to DTW vs recirc in this situation?

I wanted to avoid DTW for a few reasons, but one being I don't wanna deal with a bunch of drain lines from each tray (doing 6 trays). I'll need to add additional pumps to pump the waste out of the room because I don't have a drain.

Trying to automate the room a little so I could get away with just watching on video came for 2-3 days here and there for weekends away and having a life.

 

[BobThe420Builder]

I just don't see it working, my opinion

But ya never know

 

[rkymtnman]

I appreciate that. Can you elaborate on some of the benefits to DTW vs recirc in this situation?

I wanted to avoid DTW for a few reasons, but one being I don't wanna deal with a bunch of drain lines from each tray (doing 6 trays). I'll need to add additional pumps to pump the waste out of the room because I don't have a drain.

Trying to automate the room a little so I could get away with just watching on video came for 2-3 days here and there for weekends away and having a life.

i would do kinda what bob is suggesting: get 30 1 gallon plastic containers, make a drain hole like a hempy and then set them up to be auto fed. that's how i ran my hempys.

dtw: pH is constant, EC is constant, nute ratio is always in balance.

 

[Gemtree]

Sounds like captains style. Probably work better with mini rockwool cubes

 

[emepher]

Ever get anywhere with this @MidnightSun72?
Late to the party, but I've done some similar things. I did a little SOG hempy run, 2 liter soda bottles with perlite and vermiculite, top drip recirculating. I was pretty satisfied with it, though I think I prefer fewer, larger plants

After that I tried 3-gallon fabric pots with straight perlite, also recirc top drip. As pointed out, perlite is terrible at holding water, and the fabric pots don't help in that regard, but I just set the pump to turn on every few hours (don't remember exact frequency, duration, or the drip emitters, but until there was runoff.) I liked this better, maybe because I just like perlite for it's cost, light weight and aeration, relative cleanliness (once you rinse it), and inert nature.

Anyway, it worked fine, and the automation suited me. I let one Tomahawk veg way too long and ended up pulling nearly a pound off of it (wish I had kept a clone). If I ever stop changing methods and gear out of curiosity and really try to get dialed in this might be what I go with.

 

[MidnightSun72]

Ever get anywhere with this @MidnightSun72?
Late to the party, but I've done some similar things. I did a little SOG hempy run, 2 liter soda bottles with perlite and vermiculite, top drip recirculating. I was pretty satisfied with it, though I think I prefer fewer, larger plants

After that I tried 3-gallon fabric pots with straight perlite, also recirc top drip. As pointed out, perlite is terrible at holding water, and the fabric pots don't help in that regard, but I just set the pump to turn on every few hours (don't remember exact frequency, duration, or the drip emitters, but until there was runoff.) I liked this better, maybe because I just like perlite for it's cost, light weight and aeration, relative cleanliness (once you rinse it), and inert nature.

Anyway, it worked fine, and the automation suited me. I let one Tomahawk veg way too long and ended up pulling nearly a pound off of it (wish I had kept a clone). If I ever stop changing methods and gear out of curiosity and really try to get dialed in this might be what I go with.

Ended up going coco and perlite. But will def run some experiments with perlite only and 50/50 P/V too. Just set up my drip system. So swapping medium should be easy for next runs.

any problem with roots popping out of the perlite or does she hold together pretty good once the first start growing. ?One worry I had was that plants would just topple.

 

[Star Dog]

I have tried a 50/50 mix of perlite and Vermiculite in a drain to waste with ionic and worked out quite well, I remember some minor issues but I was short on experience, I also remember it being green with algae which indicates its good at holding nutrient/water.

A ten litre paint tub with holes drilled in it then sat inside another 10ltr paint tub to collect the run off, it wasn't high tech but it was everything I needed.

@MidnightSun72 in my situation the Vermiculite held enough nutrient to keep me oblivious to mediums drying out, I soon discovered it is an issue with 100% perlite.

 

[emepher]

any problem with roots popping out of the perlite or does she hold together pretty good once the first start growing. ?One worry I had was that plants would just topple.

I've had some that needed external support in just perlite, for sure. I train larger plants as a matter of habit anyway, so it doesn't bother me, but yes, they can have some trouble standing up straight on their own. Not as much of a problem with smaller plants. Haven't seen roots popping out per se, just plants that want to fall over sometimes.

 

[emepher]

in my situation the Vermiculite held enough nutrient to keep me oblivious to mediums drying out, I soon discovered it is an issue with 100% perlite.

Absolutely right that perlite doesn't hold much water, so hand watering is a no go unless you're crazy and have a lot of time on your hands. But if you are automating the process you can adjust your pump timer however you like, making it a non-factor.