• Here is a link to the full explanation: https://rollitup.org/t/welcome-back-did-you-try-turning-it-off-and-on-again.1104810/

Before I spend cash what do ya think???

Advice/guidance please!
I am a legal grower growing indoors. I do not like anybody seeing anything to do with my grow room. I will not take my plants outside for any work or maintainence. This has created one problem for my grow.
I should start by telling you that I grow in soil in 5 gallon buckets. I feel that to adequately water my plants I need to have at least 10% drainage come from my pots after a good feeding. This helps prevent nutrient build ups. I also believe in letting my roots get nice and dry between waterings. My problem is that watering indoors does not give me many options for proper irrigation of my babies. I use 5 gallon pots and 10 percent runoff is half a gallon each plant. I do not like using a saucer under my pots to collect runoff water for several reasons: My main problem is that the saucer won't hold half a gallon of runoff water and needs to be dumped or turkey basted to prevent my plants from sitting in stagnant water until the excess evaporates. I always make a mess attempting to move my pots from a saucer full of water to a dry saucer AND I am good at spilling the saucer full of dirty water on it's way to the dump bucket. All of this gray water in my basement cannot be good for anything.
I have thought about this all day after mopping my floor twice and my best solution is something like this...
I am going to buy a simple Ebb and Flow table. I am considering the American Hydroponics Bigfoot Hydro Garden Complete Package. This comes with an Ebb and Flow table with a 45" X 26" tray, A 30 or 38 gallon reservoir (websites are conflicting that detail) and a pump to move the water back to the top after it's drained. My theory is that I can set 3 or 4 plants in 5 gal pots on the table and water them as much as I feel necessary. The water will fill the table and drip into the res. I will use the included pump to get the water from the res into a bucket which I can carry to a drain one room away.
My concerns are these: Will the table I am looking at hold at least three 5 gallon pots full of soil and water? Does this even make sense? Is there an easier/better/cheaper way to do this?
I am open to suggestions but please stay on topic. I need to be able to effeciently water AND leach my garden in a small space indoors. I will not switch from soil. I won't use smaller pots. I just need to drain them more! All help is appreciated!
RASTAFARI LOVE AND GUIDANCE!!!
 

tip top toker

Well-Known Member
I just use drip trays. Once water starts coming through the drainage holes of the pots, the medium is saturarted so i stop watering and the excess will runoff, the drip trays have high sides depending on what style you buy, and can hold the runoff easily. To get past the sitting water issue, i just sit the pot on small stilts (just small mosaic tiles towered up) which keeps it outta the water. At the same time though, these drip trays are super aesy to move and empty without incident.
 

SensiStan

Well-Known Member
Advice/guidance please!
I am a legal grower growing indoors. I do not like anybody seeing anything to do with my grow room. I will not take my plants outside for any work or maintainence. This has created one problem for my grow.
I should start by telling you that I grow in soil in 5 gallon buckets. I feel that to adequately water my plants I need to have at least 10% drainage come from my pots after a good feeding. This helps prevent nutrient build ups. I also believe in letting my roots get nice and dry between waterings. My problem is that watering indoors does not give me many options for proper irrigation of my babies. I use 5 gallon pots and 10 percent runoff is half a gallon each plant. I do not like using a saucer under my pots to collect runoff water for several reasons: My main problem is that the saucer won't hold half a gallon of runoff water and needs to be dumped or turkey basted to prevent my plants from sitting in stagnant water until the excess evaporates. I always make a mess attempting to move my pots from a saucer full of water to a dry saucer AND I am good at spilling the saucer full of dirty water on it's way to the dump bucket. All of this gray water in my basement cannot be good for anything.
I have thought about this all day after mopping my floor twice and my best solution is something like this...
I am going to buy a simple Ebb and Flow table. I am considering the American Hydroponics Bigfoot Hydro Garden Complete Package. This comes with an Ebb and Flow table with a 45" X 26" tray, A 30 or 38 gallon reservoir (websites are conflicting that detail) and a pump to move the water back to the top after it's drained. My theory is that I can set 3 or 4 plants in 5 gal pots on the table and water them as much as I feel necessary. The water will fill the table and drip into the res. I will use the included pump to get the water from the res into a bucket which I can carry to a drain one room away.
My concerns are these: Will the table I am looking at hold at least three 5 gallon pots full of soil and water? Does this even make sense? Is there an easier/better/cheaper way to do this?
I am open to suggestions but please stay on topic. I need to be able to effeciently water AND leach my garden in a small space indoors. I will not switch from soil. I won't use smaller pots. I just need to drain them more! All help is appreciated!
RASTAFARI LOVE AND GUIDANCE!!!
If you're going to go buy a really good looking Ebb and Flood system (which it seems you are) why not use it as it was intended and grow hydro ?

If you just want drainage for your plants dont go off and buy a hydro system ,do the following :

1) go and get a large planter from your local nursurey, attatch a pipe from the bottom of planter to a bucket
2) put your plants in the planter water and see what happens :bigjoint:

i honestly think a bucket a pipe and a planter will be cheaper than a whole hydro system as i do 100% support soil growing :D
 

Little Tommy

Well-Known Member
I feel your pain, I have been doing the turkey baster thing for a couple years. I ended up buying Clay Catchers at the pottery store. I got a perfect size for 5 gal buckets and they hold plenty of runoff. I have been pondering a small pump that I can use to empty the clay catchers after they are done leeching out. Until I get the pump idea sorted out it will be me and my turkey baster on water/feed days.
 
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