Setting up an NEF Ebb and Flow / Flood and Drain system with Pablo Beetroot 05/05/08

I have chosen to grow a variety of beetroot called Pablo for its uniform shape, smooth skin, great taste and high yield. As you can see i have germinated the seeds in jiffy peat pellets. I like these because they retain moisture well and contain slow releasing nutrients that are vital for early growth. I have brought them on until they are well established and about 10 - 15cm in height. Their leaves are weighty so i have used sandwich bag ties to hold them up by tying a loop around the stem and sticking the other end in the peat pellet.

Sit the 45 litre nutrient reservoir on a level surface and place the flood tray on top so that it sits in the grooves. position the tank so the gap faces the front. This is where you check and fill the nutrient solution. There are two tubes that stick upright from the flood tray. The smaller of the two nearest the front is attatched to a microjet mc 450 pump and allows for the nutrient solution to flood the medium in the tray.


The second larger upright tube is an overflow drain so that the flood tray can never overspill into the grow room. Handy when theres electrics about. There are also small holes in the grooves of the tray which are for drainage too.
I have added a thin layer of large 8-12mm clay pebbles to allow for better drainage.


I have filled the rest of the tank with seramis that are smaller than the clay pebbles i have used and they also hold onto more water to prevent drying out between floods.
I dug a space in the seramis to fit the peat pellet, in a staggered arrangement for maximum growth space and covered it back up with the seramis.


After transplanting the plants look lifeless and limp. This can be normal as there are stress factors such as a sudden drop in humidity and temperature from coming out of the propagator. Also because the seramis was dry when i transplanted i felt that it sucked some of the moisture out of the roots and peat pellet by process of osmosis.


I took a jug and scooped the nutrient solution i pre-mixed from the nutrient reservoir and poured it over the medium. I then made a black and white cover to prevent loss of moisture from the medium, i cut holes in the right place and pulled the plants through.


After a few days when the plants had rooted in and become established i began to flood the table once a day using a grasslin segmental timer set to 15mins on at mid day.
After nearly two weeks the beets are showing rapid signs of growth.