EBB & Flow (Flood & Drain)
Ebb and Flow, often referred to as Flood and Drain, is by far the preferred method used by commercial hydroponic growers to obtain healthy vibrant uniform seedlings. Water/fertiliser loss is minimal as the closed system drains back to a tank, to be pH corrected and re-dosed with fertiliser, ready for the next cycle.
Bottom watering offers great uniformity and the opportunity to water in the heat of the day, without wetting the foliage. Dry foliage also helps prevent against many fungal diseases.As the media is flooded all the waste gases the plant exudes are expelled from the air space, upon draining there is fresh air drawn into these spaces, making for optimal root health, the media is in effect "breathing”.
Automatically watering/feeding your young plants can be done based on elapsed time or by quantity of solar radiation (with a solar integrator) meaning no one has to remember to water the seedlings, or in the case of solar integration the plants will be fed more often on a bright sunny day, and less often if the weather is dull, meaning they are not over watered and kept too wet.
Systems can be provided from a single tray of a couple of square meters, up to a whole greenhouse full of trays available in varying sizes. An irrigation/station controller can be added to break the unit into manageable sections/zones, removing the need for a tank large enough to carry the water required to flood all the trays at once, and also allowing different watering frequencies to different zones if required. The solution can be kept warm so as to maintain the root zone temperature, and heat-pads are often placed under the trays if needed.
PGO Horticulture has built commercial and hobby Flood and Drain systems all over New Zealand, and in several overseas countries. Contact us with your requirements and we will offer a cost effective practical
Bottom watering offers great uniformity and the opportunity to water in the heat of the day, without wetting the foliage. Dry foliage also helps prevent against many fungal diseases.As the media is flooded all the waste gases the plant exudes are expelled from the air space, upon draining there is fresh air drawn into these spaces, making for optimal root health, the media is in effect "breathing”.
Automatically watering/feeding your young plants can be done based on elapsed time or by quantity of solar radiation (with a solar integrator) meaning no one has to remember to water the seedlings, or in the case of solar integration the plants will be fed more often on a bright sunny day, and less often if the weather is dull, meaning they are not over watered and kept too wet.
Systems can be provided from a single tray of a couple of square meters, up to a whole greenhouse full of trays available in varying sizes. An irrigation/station controller can be added to break the unit into manageable sections/zones, removing the need for a tank large enough to carry the water required to flood all the trays at once, and also allowing different watering frequencies to different zones if required. The solution can be kept warm so as to maintain the root zone temperature, and heat-pads are often placed under the trays if needed.
PGO Horticulture has built commercial and hobby Flood and Drain systems all over New Zealand, and in several overseas countries. Contact us with your requirements and we will offer a cost effective practical
