THE WATERFARM THREAD..
an excellent, easy introduction to hydroponic farming for all..
due to increasing popularity, amount of new waterfarm grows and questions popping up, and the amount of PM's im getting (!) i think it best to have an official waterfarm thread.
please feel free to dicuss all things WATERFARM related in here.. questions, tips, modifications, techniques etc..
first off.. what's a waterfarm?
Aqua & WaterFarm
An excellent introduction to hydroponics
The AquaFarm is the first hydroponic “home unit”, created more than 25 years ago by Lawrence Brooke, in California. Since 1975, thousands of these remarkable units have been sold worldwide, bringing satisfaction to their owners and growing thousands of beautiful, healthy plants.
These pots have several applications: in nurseries or indoor gardens for mother plants and collectibles, in the house for decorative or culinary plants of all sizes, or in the kitchen for aromatic herbs to use fresh while cooking.
They are used in research laboratories and universities and even in schools where studying plants growing hydroponically fills children and adults with wonder
You can place them everywhere, in a sitting room, an office, a veranda or a greenhouse.
Technically similar to the AquaFarm, the WaterFarm differs only in size and price. Plants are grown within a chamber filled with clay pebbles. The growing chamber is suspended above a reservoir filled with nutrient-enriched water. An air pump drives the nutrient solution up through the “pumping column”, to the drip-ring, where it then drips down through clay pebbles. This infuses the nutrient with oxygen and constantly bathes the roots, stimulating the plant to grow like you have never seen before.
Often copied but never equalled, these 2 systems provide top performance while being also reliable, easy to use and inexpensive.
Will grow 1 to 6 plants per pot, depending on the size of your plants.
For each AquaFarm, WaterFarm or AeroFarm bought you are entitled to the Tripack at an ultra-promotional price (-70%). Enquire with your supplier.
AquaFarm
L = 45,5 cm – W = 45,5 cm – H = 43 cm
Effective capacity = 35 Litres
WaterFarm
L = 30,5 cm – W = 30,5 cm – H = 37 cm
Effective capacity = 12 Litres
you'll notice it doesnt mention above you can grow HUGE 10oz + plants in them very quickly...
like this.. (my own work, 5 weeks veg- pictured at 6weeks 12/12)
and this.. (my own work, 5 weeks veg- pictured at 6 weeks 12/12)
and this.. (not mine, just before harvest)
convinced?
to acheive these kind of results, you need to modify your 'farm..
the farm originaly works means of dripper system. but we can make it into a DWC (deep water culture system) too!
by adding an airstone to the reservior.. another air pump like the one included with the 'farm along with an airstone (from a pet shop dealing with fish and aquariums) will be added to the reserviour to oxygenate the solution even more.
120mm airstone..
air pump..
next up.. you need to dirll more holes in the top pot.. twice as many as there are when it comes new. we want to encourgage the roots to grow through the top bucket into the oxygenated res below! expect explosive growth once the roots get in there!!
your shopping list..
waterfarm. (only 1 'farm per square meter!)
2nd air pump
air line
airstone (flat disc like above works better, see pet shops)
clay pebbles
nutes.. GHE 3 part- micro, grow and bloom 500ml each
ec meter, blue lab truncheon works well..doesnt need calibrated, just plonk and read.
ph testing kit (i use drops, £3 a bottle)
ph up
ph down
obviously you also need a suitable space, enviroment and lamp.. i have 1 'farm per square meter and a 400w hps above each 'farm during flowering.
cuttings or seedlings can go in the 'farm, 1 plant per farm only. i have put rooted seedlings (in rockwool) in the farms and vegged for 5 weeks before going 12/12.. i wouldnt recommend veggging any longer.. the plants grow HUGE and will double in size when you go 12/12!
some farm top tips before you gro....
*drill twice as many holes in the top bucket, for the roots to go through.
*put an airstone disc in the bottom bucket with another air pump.
*soak your clay pebbles in ph5 solution (in the bath) for at least 24hrs before using them. this will help stabilise the ph of the nute solution.. if you dont (like i did 1st time), the ph in the res will rise to 7 overnight and daily...until they finally stabilise in 5weeks or so.. best to soak them before use, otherwise you'll be adjusting ph daily..
*start in rockwool with seedlings or cuttings, when you transplant to the farm, you'll have to hand water a couple of times a day until the roots reach far enough out to get to the nute solution around them.
*maintain constant ph of around 6 (piss yellow when using ph drops), check and adjust daily.
*check ec daily. ..seedling/cuttings 0.8-1.2ec, vegging 1.2-1.6ec, full bloom 1.6-2.0ec
*PUMPS
*airstone pump on 24/7 throughout whole grow.
*dripper pump..
-when seedlings...on constant during lights on, off at lights out..
-from small plants to final size...on for 15mins per hour during lights on. you could even switch the dripper pump off completley once the roots are in the bottom bucket.
*CHANGE RES
-seedling/cuttings.. every 4 or 5 days (check and adjust daily)
-vegging..every 2/3 days (check and adjust daily)
-flowering..(very, very thirsty now) eg, fresh res with ec of 1.8 and ph of 6.0. next day check and adjust, next day fresh res, next day check and adjust, next day fresh res...and so on and on and so on.
excellent waterfarm dairy's, full of information to whet your appetite..
shark's waterfarm diary (that's me lol)
the doctors waterfarm diary
i hope to see many more 'farm diaries soon!
best of luck.. any discussion below!
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