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Thread: Unstoppable roots!

  1. #1

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    Default Unstoppable roots!

    Since going to hydro 4 years ago I've been on a quest to build something that runs a whole cycle with out the fear of roots clogging something and its still going lol. I've shutdown the grow for the summer and moved outdoors where the lights free so got a bit of time. Just looking for some ideals. Im running a LPS setup now and while nothing cloggs I get a massive root ball hanging in the lower res., the drain is a 3.5" fine screen mesh that I thought would stop em but nope lol. Was actually thinking copper screen but worried about leaching. Again any help would be appreciated. FYI I've tried a lot of setups and they all seem to have root issues of varying degree.

  2. #2

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    Wink

    I hesitate because I do lights, and barely understand most of the rest.

    One thing I did notice when trying for consistent harvests under varying lights, there is a ratio between the surface area of the roots and the surface area of the leaves.
    Trim too much off the plant and root growth stops until the plant catches up. Vice versa as well, trim the root ball when transplanting and main plant stops growing until the roots catch up. I dug up all the rootballs from both vegging and harvested plants for a couple of years finding the effects of various damage and time to recover.

    I never tried extensive pruning to control root growth but it should function that way, although at the expense of rapid growth. A plant with fewer but well chosen bud sites should have a smaller rootball than a plant with a plethora of nodes all over the plant. Yields should be similar for both plants, but I did not crosscheck yield to rootball, only leaf mass to rootball.
    And the labor to nip all errant growth at first green is time consuming and must be done almost daily.

    Then the rootball may end up so close to the same as to not matter, again, I have not tried this to control rootball size, only to check growth patterns.

  3. #3

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    Ya I dont really want to cut off any roots or leaves for that matter. Just want the roots to stay where their supposed to lol.

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    Have a look at Jesse Pinkmans diary's, his root masses are mental!

    Here's a pic of one...

    It's Not What You Know, It's What You Can Prove

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  6. #5

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    That was an amazing plant and roots to go with it! I get an amazing amount of roots as well, thats the issue lol. The bastards seem to go everywhere I dont want them. Im thinking I'm going to go back to deep water nft I guess you'd call it. Kind looks like what Jesse has but an upper tray that floods continuously and an ebb and flow fitting to adjust water depth. I still may try the copper screen though and see if it stops the roots from hitting the lower res. Should I be worried about the copper leaching though?

  7. #6

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    IWS uses copper discs for this very reason, works well. I can't see copper contaminating the water where it would have any significant effect on the plants after all most of the water in you house comes via copper pipes.

    Regards BL

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  9. #7

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    Thanks bud I didnt realize that there was a system that used them. Thats it then I'll get some copper screening and try that. Also cut the numbers down in the trays as well just to many plants for proper growth. Again Bud thanks thats the answer I was after!!

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  11. #8

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    Waterdawg why not try a PPK grow mate.. i would if i could get hold of the medium.. turface its called..

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    Thanks Upton, ya had a look but think I'll just try the copper for now, that seems to be the only issue with my setup and really its hasnt actually caused a problem just thinking it could. The aero seems for me the best setup I have run so far but they're all based on lower res with upper try. I cant believe Jesse's pump was still pumping lol

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