Setting up my Rockwool Drip System Pt 2- 05/02/08

Setting up the pipe work for the drip system is fairly quick and easy. Make sure you have a kettle on standby as every barbed fitting you push over rigid plastic pipe needs to be heated in hot water first. This makes the pipe hot and so expands allowing the barbed fitting easily slide over, when the pipe cools it sets around the barbs making it a good water tight fitting. With the compression fittings the blue insert is barbed and is then tightened by screwing the sheath to the cap. I start the pipe work at the far end with the stop end. The piping in then cable tied to the support bar all the way along. From the support bar the the supply tubes goes through 3 elbows and up to the filter set in the 220L reservoir.

Once the supply tube is in place and attached to the filter set I can start to install the drippers. Using the hole punch I cut out the holes carefully.






Once the hole is cut get the pre assembled dripper and insert it into the tube. You should hear a 'click' as it goes in. Once in pull the compensator back while squeezing the supply tube. This will help form a tight seal. I use 1 dripper per plant some growers use 2 or more but this is not necessary.


Now all the pipe work and drippers are in place I now position the plants on the trays. I am using 2 plants per tray in the middle and 3 plants per tray on each end. Last year I put 3 plants in every tray and I found the plants in the middle of the system did not do well as the were mostly in the shade.

Once I get the spacing and positioning right on the upside down slabs I mark out with a permanent pen on the slab bag where the drainage slits will be cut. I also mark on the aqua tray where the plants will get placed.

When I cut the drainage slight I'm careful not to cut into the rockwool slab. The drainage slits need to be diagonal and between plants not underneath them.




Once the drianage slits are cut its time to flip over the slab. You may notice I have cut the slit to fill the slab at the top of the tray instead the bottom. This is not a big mistake, all I have to do is flip the slab round so the horizontal slit is at the drainage end. Once the slab is flipped it will drain some more.




When the slab stops dripping its time to plant on. I cut an X on the slab and lift up the flaps. The plant is then placed on the slab and about 200ml of nutrient solution is poured through each block. This will be the last irrigation they get for 3-4 days as the slabs and blocks hold all the solution they need.




Over the next 3-4 days the roots will find their way into the slab and a light twist of the block will show you how well the plant is rooted in. In 1 week it will fell very solid on the slab and the drippers will go in to start irrigating the slabs. I will also make a cover for the catchment tank to prevent algae growth.

Hanging above the drip system is 2 x 400w metal halide lamps. The lighting system I am using is the 'Aurora Gemini' with 'Rising sun' reflectors. This system has 2 ballasting units in one case. The unit also has a built in contact relay so all I do is set the timer on the ballast and plug it in using 1 plug. Save on valuable plug points and is neat and tidy. The lighting extends the day length to 14 hours of light coming on at 7:00am and off at 21:00pm

Setting up my Rockwool Drip System Pt 1- 05/02/08

Now my 'Cedrico' tomato plants are up to size and have a good root system showing out the bottom of the block is time to set up my high pressure drip system where I'll be growing the plants on 1m rockwool slabs. I have 20 healthy 'Cedrico' plants all of which I'll be choosing the best 14 for the system.





To start with I have placed the 1m grodan 'expert' slabs in their plastic trays (know as aqua trays). I insert the slabs upside down and place the trays on top of the catchment tank which is just over 2m in length. I have also made a support bar which is 2.3m in length which you can see behind the tank. I also turn the drainage tubes at the end of the tray to face up so any excess solution stays in the tray.

Now the slabs are on a flat surface I cut a slit at the drainage end of the tray and fill a 100L tank with nutrient solution at a strength similar to what the plants have been getting feed over the last few days, EC 2.2 with a pH of 5.5 using the Vita-Link 'Easy grow' 1 part nutrient . I also add in to the solution some Beneficial Bio-Link plus which will help establish a good root system. From the storage tank I fill a watering can and pour the nutrient solution into the slabs through the slit until the slab is fully saturated throughout. The slabs are then left to pre-soak for around 12 hours.

While the slabs are soaking I get the pipe work ready. For high pressure drip systems I use 3/4" supply tube with 3/4" compression fittings. For this system I need 4m of supply tube, 1 compression 'stop end' and 4 compression elbows. The tubing will be attached to the support bar at the top end of the slabs running up the the blue 220L nutrient reservoir.

In the reservoir I have a 4000lph WGP55 little giant pump attached by 3/4" tricoflex hose to a high pressure filter set. The filter will help the drippers from clogging and also can be used to regulate flow and mix the solution in the reservoir.

This picture show the fittings needed to join the pipe work together. Cable ties come in handy to attach the pipe work to the support bar keeping it off the floor.



The drippers I will be using are called know as high pressure self compensating drippers. These drippers have a small brow compensator that plugs into the supply tube and is held with a barb to stop any leaks. These compensator's have a small diaphragm inside which makes them only open under pressure when the pump is on. When the pump goes off the pressure drops in the supply tube and the diaphragm closes. This means that each dripper acts like an anti-siphon valve stopping any through flow of water. The green tool is a hole cutter to make a hole in the supply tube to insert the compensator into.

Now the slabs have been soaked for over 12 hours i turn the drainage tubes down and position the slabs so one end is on the support while the other end is draining into the catchment tank. The catchment tank is weighted with bricks to stop it from turning up under the weight of the slab.

Once the slab stops dripping I remove them from the stand and turn up the drains up again so the trays can be placed on the floor so I can start attaching the pipe work. The support bar is about 1.5cm higher than the catchment tank to give around a 1:100 gradient to the slab to allow the solution to drain out. Some slab trays come with an inbuilt gradient, like the 1.3m aqua tray. This drainage gradient is important as too steep will give a wet end and a dry top while too shallow will keep the whole slab too wet.