Official Wilma thread

[The G is Stoned]

Here on THCtalk.com many of us choose to grow using the Wilma system, whether in hydro, coco or even sometimes soil.

There are a few threads nocking about on the subject but I feel as though we should have somewhere to consolidate all our knowledge, somewhere for people to post their questions and somewhere to share any modifications.

A few of us here have been customizing and modifying our systems in an attempt to push the plants into producing more faster and also just to make life easier.
The standard Wilma system is an easy to use and versatile grow system that can
produce very large, healthy plants using only a single MaxiJet 490 pump.

However, to be able to keep up with recirculating systems, waterfarms and alike the Wilma has to have a few changes made to allow the plants to do their thing.

What's needed is more DO (dissolved oxygen) in the reservoir and the roots will also need access to that oxygen rich water. Allowing the roots into the bottom reservoir not only supplies the plant with plenty of DO but it also enables the plant to grow a much larger root mass and a larger root mass means a larger plant.

So to kick start the wealth of information that hopefully this thread will become, here is my guide to modifying the Wilma 4 pot as seen on the popular THCtalk grow diaries "I Feel Like Ice Cream" , "DelaHaze! 1050w Screen-Of-Green" and also coming soon "Mazar, something something something"

Ok first of all I have noticed that it is extremely difficult to empty and flush this system especially when using a scrog, my solution is to fit an IWS bucket intake connecter or similar available from greens horticulture to the underneath of the bottom tank. This of course means that the tank needs to be raised off the floor, which in my opinion helps with vibrations anyway.

Next move is to start drilling some holes in the top tray to let those roots into the res, I suggest as many as possible without affecting the strength of the tray. I would also recommend switching to ten liter airpots as not only will this relinquish the need to drill out the pots (as the base of airpots is made up of roughly a 1cm plastic grid) but they're supposed to be bloody good as well. Only down side being you will need to modify the centre of the top tray. As you can see I've done this by removing the corners allowing the airpots to fit in the tray
Here is a standard tray

Here is my tray drilled out and with the corners of the center piece removed


Ok so now your system should look like this (notice the 8 outlet manifold on top of the air pumps, giving you two drippers per pot

Right now before you fill her up you'll need to get that DO in there, You can also see that Im using two water pumps which are MJ490's but one MJ1000 would be better.
Im using two air pumps; a 4 port and a 2 port giving me a total of 6 air inlets. I went for Elite Air Curtains because as you can see they distribute the air rather well.

If your successful in getting your roots into your reservoir them it should look something like this from the front

This res is packet full of healthy roots.

The final modification unfortunately I don't have a picture of but it was a 4000ltr/h wave machine which I placed between the two water pumps and created a current of oxygen rich water flowing towards the back of the res, I am thinking of connecting two Wilma4's into one recirculating system. If it happens I'll post it up here.

This system has so far given me a harvest of 24oz, my mate a harvest of 24oz and hopefully in a few weeks another good one for me

I will post up any other information about the Wilma system as and when I get it and please everybody use this thread to discuss any aspect of growing in these system and any modifications you have made or thought of.

It will be nice to see some irrigation schedules for the various mediums posted up here and anything else you all can think of.

Thanks to everyone who helped me get the knowledge I have on the system (you probably don't know who you are so I wont name you)

Enjoy, I'm off to have a nice bong of Wilma home grown.

G

[Denzil]

Love it! I know you've done some impressive diaries with your Wilma.

So in a way it becomes a DWC set up once the roots have gone through the drilled holes. I can see how this boosts the set up. Recirculating it sounds really good too, to the point you could leave it for ages an barely have to touch it if you add on a top up res around 100L or so.

I assume this converted system is best suited for clones as they will have the same traits etc

[sqydro]

Nice thread, nice mods also mate

[The G is Stoned]

Love it! I know you've done some impressive diaries with your Wilma.

So in a way it becomes a DWC set up once the roots have gone through the drilled holes. I can see how this boosts the set up. Recirculating it sounds really good too, to the point you could leave it for ages an barely have to touch it if you add on a top up res around 100L or so.

I assume this converted system is best suited for clones as they will have the same traits etc

Thats exactly it, a bubbler DWC but with the addition of being a normal drip feed system as well. The water level must be kept overly high to achieve this properly but this would all be much easier if it was connected to a controller res. Should I do this I will be creating a waterfall effect in the controller tub by setting the return pipe around 30cm above the water level, this will boost the DO something stupid!

I do actually use a 100lt water butt so connecting like you said with a floating ball valve or something would be great, it could be left for more than a week.
I grow from seed and so far have been lucky in the sense that they have all shared the same pheno but clones would be better.

Nice thread, nice mods also mate

Cheers pal, good to get it up here

G

[The G is Stoned]

Here are those three grows I mentioned:

In order of appearance;

First, my Ice Cream. 1.2m tent, 5-6 weeks veg under a 400w M/H and PlantMagic hydro nutes. Two days before harvest, flower under a 600w HPS

Next up my mates Jacky White around 4 weeks from harvest. 1m tent, PlantMagic hydro nutes, around 7 weeks veg under a 400w M/H, flower under 1x 400w HPS + 1x 600w HPS

Finally my current De La Haze, 1.2m tent, around 4-5 weeks from harvest, 6 weeks veg under a 400w M/H, GHE flora series nutes, flower under 2x 400w HPS + 1x 250w HPS


So the system works. The Jacky White only had one air line into the res and didn't have any holes drilled in the top tray, the roots still found their way in there some how and filled up the res a fair bit. The grow went very well and produced a bloody good yield, he abused the shit out of them in terms of PH and EC levels. Just shows what a great system it is.

G

[up2nogood]

good stuff..you had a excellent harvest using that.. I have a few ice cream seeds to pop soon and going to use a 20 litre air pot but going to use coco so can't wait..

[sqydro]

Wish i hadent seen this now lol making me want to abandon my rdwc idea and now do wilma airpots lol basicly what ive done with my current grow minus the airpots and drip feed, i have a whole load of irrigation stuff there 19mm 13mm 4mm tubing elbows stakes the lot, might try rig something up, do you run the drippers 24/7 mate? I have the blue fellows, im going for a tent home
Made as i can do it for a 1/3 of the price, prob use my 60L nft tank and drill it out so roots can hit the bottom res, pack it with air discs. Would it in theory work, say 8 air pots? Seems very effective in your pics mate lovely fat solid nugz

[sqydro]

P.s what was the yield on the delahaze im on my i phone it takes 3 days to get through a diary, il have a look when im on my p.c tomorow!! Very nicely done mate

[The G is Stoned]

good stuff..you had a excellent harvest using that.. I have a few ice cream seeds to pop soon and going to use a 20 litre air pot but going to use coco so can't wait..

Thanks mate, Ice Creams a nice nuggety strain. I reckon 20lt airpots with coco should give you some pretty big plants, look forward to it

Wish i hadent seen this now lol making me want to abandon my rdwc idea and now do wilma airpots lol basicly what ive done with my current grow minus the airpots and drip feed, i have a whole load of irrigation stuff there 19mm 13mm 4mm tubing elbows stakes the lot, might try rig something up, do you run the drippers 24/7 mate? I have the blue fellows, im going for a tent home
Made as i can do it for a 1/3 of the price, prob use my 60L nft tank and drill it out so roots can hit the bottom res, pack it with air discs. Would it in theory work, say 8 air pots? Seems very effective in your pics mate lovely fat solid nugz

Yeah mate that should work nicely, its basically the same concept isn't it. How many pots will you fit on your tray? 8 perhaps?
I'm also using blue flood drippers and for my Ice Cream the pumps were on from lights on to lights off, this time with the Delahaze they come on for 15 minutes ever hour during lights on.

P.s what was the yield on the delahaze im on my i phone it takes 3 days to get through a diary, il have a look when im on my p.c tomorow!! Very nicely done mate

The De La Haze is still going and now approaching week 9 of flower. I may start flushing next week or the week after.

G

[sqydro]

Yeah i jumped over to your diary mate, stunning, i recon i could fit 8 on mate, 2 weeks veg and then flip, i wish i had a factory were i could test all the different grows i want to do, not fair is it mate? This thread should be stickied!!