A TALE OF TWO SYSTEMS
With ebb and flow, as long as the tray or table
isn’t too wide to allow reaching for plant
access, maintenance is not an issue. Just pick
the plant up and move it, then return it or not.
With non-modular drip systems, removing
one or two plants can be enough of a hassle
to discourage you from doing the maintenance (at least temporarily) because of the
connections issue. The drip systems that
utilize special modular connections that make
disconnect and re-connect easy make this
aspect nearly as easy as with ebb and flow.
Ebb and flow has the edge versus the more
typical non-modular drip system.
The difference in root disease risk is
substantial between these two systems. With
ebb and flow, the reservoir water is recycled
and mixed between each plant, so if one
plant gets phytophthera (root rot) they are
all likely to get it. Chilling the water for an
ebb and flow system is often recommended
to minimize bacterial and fungal growth.
With drip systems, there is no recycling or
mixing. In the case of both systems, the water
reservoir should be cleaned routinely in order
to keep diseases at a minimum.
CHILLING THE water for an
ebb and flow system is often
recommended to minimize
bacterial and fungal growth.”
The verdict? There isn’t a clear winner. When it comes
to choosing the best hydroponic system on the market,
make sure to consider all the parameters that will affect
your success before you leave the planning stage and
begin building. Enjoy!
For additional tips
on grow media
and material
replacement for
these systems,
and to review the
reference information and pages
for this article, scan the QR code.
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Maximum Yield USA | December 2016