WICKS system

i hear these systems have a nylon cord that is frayed where it dips into the water, and runs up through the medium. through capillary action they feed off of the water. Anyone know how well these work? I'm having my first look into hydro and like this idea because I wouldn't have to worry about any misters getting clogged. Thanks

I hear these systems are used widely in Europe. Not real sure why they are not more popular here in the US...kinda like soccer I guess. Wick systems work great though. They are near noob proof as it's impossible to overwater. They are the ultimate in low maintenance too. The wick does all the work. You will have to keep an eye on your light height, pH level and nute strength, but if you're new to hydro or are not sure if you're disciplined enough to maintain a more "needy" system, then a wick set up might be just the ticket. One thing though; be sure to use a synthetic fiber like nylon as a wick. Natural fibers like cotton kite string or cullinary twine can harbor bacteria. This is the same reason tooth brushes are no longer made of horse and boar bristle.

very nice ! any links to DIY? i was thinking a wick system for nuts, with either airstones or maybe a mini aero rig inside of it. I only saw a picture of wicks once and think it'd be cool to make

I have used a wick system for a long time, although I use a different type of wick. I found the nylon doesn't work as well as I wanted. It's just basically a bucket in a bucket, the lower one for the rez. The top one has a netpot cutout in the bottom which is filled with chunky vermiculite as a wick.

happy growin

Sorry, I don't have a DIY link on hand to share, but wick system construction couldn't be simpler. Plants grown in wick systems aren't transplanted, so you'll need to start with a good size bucket filled with a good soilless mix. Then, drill 4 holes around the base of the bucket 1/2 or so up from the bottom. Run your wicks and fill the buckets with medium. Place the bucket in a tray sufficiently deep to hold two inches or so of nute solution then wet it down. Rewater when all the nute solution is used up. Wick systems are passive so nothing gets wasted and there are no moving parts.

The 5 gallon black nursery pots I get from my hydro lady fits perfectly into a 5 gallon bucket like the ones at home depot. feed your wick thru the holes, just 4 let the other be empty (in your nursery pot) fill with dirt as for your wick to be in the middle or a little above middle of soil leaving about 6 inches hanging from each hole. If you use synthetics or cotton or even hemp rope it really doesn't matter if you change them out between grows. I use a Coir/Organic mix so I fill the 5 gallon bucket up about 4"'s with nothing but really good water or so and then place my pot inside my bucket and there I go! Just check water every so often bigger they get the more water they suck up. I know it all complicated and all but try it, dirt cheap!