Are you planning to create an ebb and flow system? Did you know that there are different types of ebb and flow system that you can create? Find out more about them by reading the information below.
One of the home hydroponic systems that are gaining more and more popularity is the ebb and flow systems. Another reason why they are becoming popular is that they are very easy to build.
The reason behind this is because almost all materials can be used to create them and the ability of them to fit in both outdoors and indoors. You can design them the way you want them to be without worrying about their outcome. Lastly, they are also easy to build and very inexpensive, so you don’t have to worry about anything at all.
How To Create Different Ebb And Flow Systems
How Does An Ebb And Flow System Works
Ebb and flow system work simple, wherein the main part of the system will hold all the containers of the plants that you are growing. You can grow one plant or different plants all at the same time, for as long your container can handle it.
A pump’s timer will then be turned on, and the nutrient solution will be pumped through the tubing through the reservoir up until the system’s main part using a pond pump or a submersible fountain. The solution will continuously flow until it gets to the height of the tube for it to be able to soak the roots of the plants.
Here are the different ways on how you can create an ebb and flow system:
#Step 1: Creating A Flooding Tray Ebb And Flow System
If you are going to place some plants in your system temporarily, then the flooding tray ebb and flow system are ideal. This is a system where you are only going to flood just one container.
Typically, you will only need just one container for the plants, which is usually a rectangle or a shallow square container that can be set up on top of the table. The system’s reservoir, on the other hand, will directly sit underneath.
Water Pumped In A Flooding Tray System
The water will be pumped from the system’s reservoir to the flooding tray on just one side, while the water will overflow onto the one side of the tray. This will ensure that the water is freely circulating from the tray’s sides. During the cycle of flooding, the height of the overflow tube will be the one to set the height of the water. You can freely adjust this depending on your needs.
Growing Plants In Flooding Tray System
The plants in a flooding tray system are all grown in a regular pot that is made out of plastic, or they are grown in baskets. They will then be place din the tray just like any other types of plants. Once you have noticed the plants that are growing in size, then it is the time that you can transfer them to a hydroponic system that is permanent.
#Step 2: Creating Plant Containers Ebb And Flow System
This type of ebb and flow system is used commonly whenever there are a lot of containers with growing plants. Always remember that the containers of the plants that need to be flooded should be placed right above the system’s reservoir, as this will also help the system to drain correctly.
How To Make Plant Containers Ebb And Flow System Work?
Typically the first few containers will be connecting through a tubing, for them to be able to heavily flood at the same time. Only one tube for the overflow is used to practice simplicity, wherein it will connect to the system, which is at the base of all of the containers.
Once is starts to overflow, the water will fall through the reservoir, which will them be pumped again. The tube’s height will set the level of water of the containers. If you want to adjust the height of the water, then you can easily adjust the tub’s height.
#Step 3: Creating Serge Tank Ebb And Flow System
If vertical space is needed, then the serge tank ebb and flow system are useful. In this system, the reservoir will always be lower than the system for the water to drain out and go back to the reservoir using the overflow. But you will still have the option to set up an ebb and flow system even if the tank is higher than the system itself.
Creating The Serge Tank
Before creating the tank, you should know that this type of system will be costly because it will need more parts. The first thing that you need to do is to ensure that the water in each of the container will be the same once they are connected to the water line below. The serge tank will always serve as a reservoir that is temporary, wherein it will be the one to control the height of the water in all of the containers. The reservoir should only be full during the cycle of flooding.
Making The Serge Tank Work
For the serge tank to work, you need to ensure that the system is pumping water from a reservoir that is larger into the tank itself. As the level of water rises in the reservoir the water level in each of the containers will rise as well. A pump will then be turned on in the serge tank to ensure that once the water overflows, it will go back to the reservoir itself.
Additional Tips On Creating An Ebb And Flow System
After doing the above advice on how you can create different types of ebb and flow systems, it would be best to check the pH of the water. Typically, you can check this by purchasing a test kit. The pH level of the water of your system should be between 6 to 6.5 pH. You can do the testing by dropping a few drops of fluid from the kit. The color of the water will help you determine the pH level.
Of course, it would also be best to add in some nutrients for your plants. There are two kinds of fertilizers that are specially made for plants that are grown in hydroponic gardens. You will usually need each of the fertilizer or less of both depending on what stage your plants are currently growing. As the plants are starting to grow and produce vegetables and fruits, they will need less and less fertilizer.
Just remember to start adding some flower and fruit concentrate once the plants start to bloom. This will help the energy to go through the flower and fruit and not in their stems and leaves. To ensure that you are applying the right amount, it would always be best to follow the directions that are written on the label of your fertilizer.
Conclusion
These are all the information that you need when it comes to creating the different ebb and flow system that you can build your home or even outdoors. Just make sure to choose the one that best suits your preferences. In this way, you will be assured that you can maintain the system that you will choose the plants that you are going to grow in the future.
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