I am an organic soil grower and i have had troubles with over watering plants....i want to begin using a hydro system and i was just wondering if the roots of the plants are, in most systems, always underwater how are the plants never overwatered..... how do you control how much water they get....

thanks
music

I don't think that it will be the presence of water in your organic pots that will be the problem...more the lack of oxygen around the roots if your plants are continually waterlogged.

As far as I understand it...and I'm a compost grower, in a hydro set up there will always be a "dry"period in which the plant will then absorb O2 thru their roots. If the plants roots are in the water, as in DWC then this "dry" period is not necessary as although your roots are in water, it is highly oxygenated from the air pump which is feeding an airstone(s).

Somebody more involved with Hydro will be along tho

there are several different methods-

Flood and drain/ ebb and flow- a resevoir full of nutrient solution feeds the plants in a tray above it via a water pump. the plants drink a few minutes at a time then the tray is drained and they begin to absorb th O2. (roots are typically in coco or clay pebbles.

Nutrient film technique (NFT)- plants usually grow in a rockwool medium, in a tray which stands at a slight tilt. nutrient solution is constantly pumped into the tray (slowly) to feed the plants; the runoff can be re-collected and reused or it can be thrown away.

Deep water culture (DWC) aka bubblers- Plants are suspended in a large container of nutrient solution with the roots floating in the water through a net cup. there are airstones in the resevoir which keep the roots oxygenated.


there are other methods but these are the big 3. for more info look in the hydro section

GNF

the reason that you dont have problems with overwatering in hydro is because the water is oxygenated, so it doesnt suffocate the roots. most res. systems independant of the type of hydro have some kind of bubbler attached so that they dont have stagnent water. aeroponic systems dont really need them because of the drippes or whatever... but there is always a means for the water to pic up loads of oxygen. however this is also a weakness because the plants will die off more easily if that is not maintained hope that clears a few things up..


from what i have observed, dwc is the easyest method of hydro...


shadow

thanks guys.....i preciate all the info....it makes sense now....