By the urban gardener

Australia's online hydroponics supplies & indoor grow shop

The ebb and flow system, also commonly known as the flood and drain system, belongs to those often chosen by the beginners of the hydroponics. It is very easy and convenient to use and it requires minimum maintenance and only the basic supplies. This system nourishes the roots of the plants with nutrient solution several times per day by flooding the grow tray for a definite period of time, and draining the solution back into the reservoir to be reused later. The frequency of flooding may be adjusted to meet the needs of the peculiar plants you are growing.

Here is a list of hydroponics supplies you should have at hand:

Ebb and Flow Tray – Preferably made of heavy plastic to properly hold the growing medium, nutrient solution, and the plants. A gardener should check whether the tray becomes absolutely dry after the solution is drained. If some liquid is left at the bottom, roots may start rotting.

Buckets or Modules – These may be used as alternatives to a tray, where you can put separate plants. They give a good opportunity to easily enlarge your hydroponic system.

Support Structure – This is a device to ensure the proper fixing of the tray with plants, as reservoir with solution is a poor option to use in this case.

Reservoir – This is a tank for the nutrient solution. It is highly recommended to thoroughly disinfect it prior to use and minimize the possibility for the algae to grow. Black color and protection from light is a must here.

Fittings and Pipes – These are the supplies necessary for pumping nutrient solution into the tray and letting it drain back into the reservoir. Place the overflow drain at the highest point of the supposed water level to prevent your grow room from flooding with the solution. 

Containers - Plastic containers are most commonly used to keep the plants in.

Growing Medium – This is a source of support to the plants roots. The most common mediums are rockwool, coconut coir, and perlite.

Pump and Timer – The timer will activate the pump according to your settings; and the pump will flood the plants tray with nutrient solution. 

To install the hydroponic system supplies, you should first fix the fill fitting and the overflow drain into the grow tray. Then arrange the tray on the support structure and the reservoir underneath. Next place the submersible pump in the reservoir and attach it to the fill fitting on the tray. The next step is to connect the timer and the pump. Now that everything is ready, check the system for leaks and ensure that overflow drain is placed correctly.

For the whole system to start working, the timer must be set in order to timely and with equal intervals flood the tray. Although, timing and frequency depends on the plants types and sizes, the general recommendation is three or four times a day. Each flooding a pump should deliver a 1/3 more solution than the tray can contain. The duration of each flood cycle will be defined by the type of the pump and its operation factors. Nutrient solution should be renewed every two weeks and checked every day for its pH level, which should be about 5.6 for the majority of plants.