Regarding grow container size & root mass...

Currently designing my next flood & drain system, and planning to grow much larger plants this time around. Regarding individual bucket size, is a larger root mass always more beneficial that a smaller one? If so, would it be fair to assume that larger buckets would be better than smaller ones? I used 5 gallon buckets in my last system, and am considering using much larger containers this time. Does anyone have any experience that would help me with this decision? Thanks in advance!

From what Ive seen, the main thing if you want larger plant is longer veg times. The longer you veg, the larger the plants will get AND the more time the root mass has to grow. That in turn means you need more space for the roots to grow into.

I filled a 56 gallon root chamber with the roots from a single C99 plant by veging for a little over 4 months. These aero roots are 24" in diameter x 29" tall.



You can still grow large plants without more space for the roots, but you are creating more chances for root problems as a result of the over packed space. That can cause poor oxygenation, and make root rot more likely.

Roots continue to grow well into flower - at least through the stretch and a bit longer from what I have seen.

mwallace said:

Currently designing my next flood & drain system, and planning to grow much larger plants this time around. Regarding individual bucket size, is a larger root mass always more beneficial that a smaller one? If so, would it be fair to assume that larger buckets would be better than smaller ones? I used 5 gallon buckets in my last system, and am considering using much larger containers this time. Does anyone have any experience that would help me with this decision? Thanks in advance!

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Not sure how much the size of the root masses has to do with the size of the plants, but larger containers do mean more water. More water is better for maintaining temps, pH, etc...

The best upgrade for buckets, IMO, is the 27-gallon HDX totes with the yellow lids. One of those can replace 2 5 gallon buckets and still hold more water. See the first couple pages of my grow room thread below to see what going from buckets to totes looks like.

JSB99 said:

Not sure how much the size of the root masses has to do with the size of the plants,

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Definitely can be a limiting factor. I used to grow out in 5 gallon buckets and did well at 2.5 - 3# per plant but when I switched to 10 gallon the yields went up to 3.5 - 4# per plant.

mwallace said:

is a larger root mass always more beneficial that a smaller one

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big roots=big fruits

With hydro the larger you can make your reservoir the better off you are. Large reservoirs make the pH and PPM more stable and less maintenance is required. With flood and drain I typically run my nutrients for the whole flowering cycle with just top offs and addbacks. This makes for a lot less work.

Larger sites for more roots and larger res for more nutes.

IMO you want to find a good balance, yes the bigger reservoir is more stable but it also requires more nutrients, which can make a grow cost more. I run 8 gallon square buckets in an under current system connected with 3" pvc and my roots are big enough. They grow with the flow of the under current and you can see them in the buckets next to them, buckets are space 2 feet apart on center. I don't have a root pic right now. Total system is 20 gallons for 4 plants.

zacuriah said:

IMO you want to find a good balance, yes the bigger reservoir is more stable but it also requires more nutrients, which can make a grow cost more.

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I wouldn't say that. I may add a whole bunch of nutes at once (I start at around a cup or two for my sixty gallons), but I can go much, much longer before adding more. Now, if you flush every week, then yeah. But, once you get some experience and tune your system, you'll learn that flushing isn't necessary during the grow at all. My pH, temps, and nutrients is always stable. Even adding nutes doesn't offset my pH, after the initial balance.

zacuriah said:

IMO you want to find a good balance, yes the bigger reservoir is more stable but it also requires more nutrients, which can make a grow cost more. I run 8 gallon square buckets in an under current system connected with 3" pvc and my roots are big enough. They grow with the flow of the under current and you can see them in the buckets next to them, buckets are space 2 feet apart on center. I don't have a root pic right now. Total system is 20 gallons for 4 plants.

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Nice setup BTW

Larry, do you keep any space between the bottom of the basket and the water.? And Zac, same question for you..

I dont currently do DWC. Im an AA aero guy, but there is a reason for the gap.

The hydroton can stay too wet if the bottom of the net pot is touching the water. That can cause root issues in some cases, but its mainly a question of O2 levels. The hydroton will stay at just about the perfect level of wetness - as far as giving the roots the max O2 - just from the tiny splashes caused by the bubbling in the buckets.

The roots above the water level will actually have better oxygenation, and work more efficiently, than the roots that are submerged. Its because of the way water interacts with air and the flow of oxygen.

So I dont have to re-type it all, check my reply in this recent thread:

I agree that submerging roots in hydroton can be a bad thing.. There may be an exception, if its drip feed on hydroton . A Waterfarm type drip ring, will pass 5 gal of highly oxygenated water an hour over any hydroton submerged roots.. I ran these Waterfarms a couple inches deep in water.. No air stones or electric water pumps involved. A Waterfarm set up can move 120 gal. of water a day through the dripring.. Plumbed correctly, using a standing water column in the grow bucket, that dripring water can be drawn from a remote reservoir, gravity return..
Mixed Hydro - Water Culture - Coco/Perlite | 420 Magazine ®

mytwhyt said:

I agree that submerging roots in hydroton can be a bad thing.. There may be an exception, if its drip feed on hydroton . A Waterfarm type drip ring, will pass 5 gal of highly oxygenated water an hour over any hydroton submerged roots.. I ran these Waterfarms a couple inches deep in water.. No air stones or electric water pumps involved. A Waterfarm set up can move 120 gal. of water a day through the dripring.. Plumbed correctly, using a standing water column in the grow bucket, that dripring water can be drawn from a remote reservoir, gravity return..
Mixed Hydro - Water Culture - Coco/Perlite | 420 Magazine ®

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I always got root rot with waterfarms unless I put the drip on a repeat cycle timer.

mytwhyt said:

Larry, do you keep any space between the bottom of the basket and the water.? And Zac, same question for you..

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I was in 5 gallon buddlers and I leave about 2" from bottom of net pot to water. This is what I was getting in just the 5 gallon bubblers, this is my first run in the new rdwc system, I would think it will work very similar.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate all your advice.