Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, unless you're keeping your grow room between 65-68°F at all times- which is colder than we would recommend.

The nutrient solution temperature should be maintained between 66-69 °F (19-20 °C) to discourage pathogenic bacteria and fungi while maximizing oxygenation.

The V-SYSTEM pots have a fill indicator line inside each pot that shows the optimal nutrient solution level. When first placing small plants without dangling roots into the system, the nutrient solution level should be kept slightly higher for a few days to keep the roots wet while they grow down into the pot- simply inspect the roots with the handy inspection lids on the V-POT to know when your plants are ready to take off.

Yes, the pump should be kept running at all times when plants are in the system, except when completely draining the system for a nutrient change-out. Never run the pump when dry- this damages the pump in the long term.

In the event of a power failure, the ultra-oxygenated liquid around the plants' roots in the V-Pots provides a safe buffer for a relatively long time; depending on the plants' size (larger plants are thirstier for nutrients and oxygen) you have many hours to a day or more before other measures are required to keep the plants happy without the water flowing. Compared to other media-less hydroponic methodss, recirculating deep water culture (RDWC) systems, as used in the V-SYSTEM, are the most resiliant to power-failure situations.

To keep the plants in the freshest, optimally-balanced nutrient solution, change-outs should happen every 7-10 days, or more frequently if pH levels are drifting significantly from from day to day.

No; many growers change out only half the nutrient solution each time. If you're having issues with pathogens in your system, a complete drain and replacement is beneficial.

5.8 to 6.0 is generally ideal, but it is usually best to follow the recommendations of your fertilizer manufacturer- they are usually designing their nutrients for an optimal absorption rate at a specific pH value.

Don't pour concentrated pH-up or pH-down solutions directly into the header pot as this can shock plants in the system. We recommend diluting the pH-adjustment solution in water (about 30ml / 2 Tablespoons per gallon of water) before slowly adding it to the header pot. Wait 4-5 minutes for it to distribute through the system (with the V-SYSTEM, distribution is much faster than with other RDWC systems!) and test and re-test the pH; once it has stabilized, you can add more adjustment solution if needed and repeat the procedure until the optimal pH has been achieved.

Connect a hose- or a pump and hose for even faster drainage- to the convenient drain barbs on the V-SYSTEM's elbows. With the sloped-base V-Pots and patent-pending Dual-Flow™ fittings, all of the nutrient solution in the entire system can be drained.

While everything about the V-SYSTEM is designed to prevent clogging, organic nutrients, sugars and bacterial additives tend to cause build-up and eventual clogging in the distribution pipes. Mineral or "salt-based" nutrients are recommended over "organic" nutrients for the V-SYSTEM.

Yes, additional pots and rows can be added later. The solvent-free (glue-free) connections allow the V-SYSTEM to be disassembled and re-assembled in a different configuration, or with additional pots. As the run of pots down each row gets longer, the pump may need to be upgraded and nutrient distribution pipe may need to get larger to handle the additional flow- contact us for more information.

We estimate that RDWC systems will be available in early 2024. If you would like a system sooner than that, contact us to express interest and we will work with you to get what you want.

Yes, unless you're keeping your grow room between 65-68°F at all times- which is colder than we would recommend for most crops- you' need a chiller to keep the nutrient solution at the proper 66-69 °F temperature.

Nutrient solution temperature should be kept between 66-69 °F (19-20 °C) to maximize oxygenation and discourage pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

Yes, the pumps should be kept running at all times when plants are in the system, except the water pump when completely draining the system for a nutrient change-out. Never run the water pump when dry- this will damage the pump over the long term.

In the event of a power failure, the ultra-oxygenated liquid around the plants' roots provides a safe buffer for a fairly long time. Depending on the plants' size- larger plants are thirstier for nutrients and oxygen- you have several hours to a day or more before other measures are required to keep the roots happy. Compared to other minimal-media hydroponic methods, RDWC (Recirculating Deep Water Culture), as used in V-SYSTEM and RDWC systems, are the most resiliant to power-failure situations.

To keep the plants in the most optimally-balanced nutrient solution, change-outs should be performed every 7-10 days, or more frequently if pH levels are drifting significantly from day to day.

No- many growers drain and replace only half the nutrient solution each time. If you're seeing any issues with bacteria or fungi on roots in your system, a complete drain and replacement is beneficial.

5.8 to 6.0 is generally ideal, but follow the recommendations of your fertilizer manufacturer.

Do not pour concentrated pH-up or pH-down solutions directly into the header pot as this can shock plants in the system. It is recommended to dilute the pH-adjustment solution in water (about 30ml / 2 tablespoons per gallon of water) before slowly adding it to the header pot. Wait 20-30 minutes for it to distribute through the system and test the pH; once it has stabilized, you can add more adjustment solution if needed.

Unfortunately, organic nutrients, sugars and bacterial additives tend to cause clogging in hydroponic systems. Mineral or "salt-based" fertilizers are recommended over "organic" fertilizers to prevent pathogens and clogging issues.

Yes, additional pots and rows can be added later. The solvent-free (glue-free) connections allow the RDWC to be disassembled and re-assembled in a different configuration, or with additional pots..

We estimate that EasyFeed systems will be available in early 2024. If you would like a system sooner than that, contact us to express interest and we will work with you to get what you want.

Soil, coco, 60/40 are the preferred choices, although any medium of your choice can be used in your hydroponic system as long as it wicks water up.

The timer enables or halts delivery of the nutrient solution to your automatic watering system and allows the growing medium to partially dry, increasing oxygen to the root zone of your plants and encourging them to grow an ever-stronger root system.

This depends on many factors: plant size, air temperature, the medium used, and even wind. Generally, an established plant in soil with a room temperature of 75°F would be watered once every 24 hours but every crop is different and environmental factors greatly effect necessary watering frequency.

It's difficult to over-saturate the medium as the EasyFeed system creates a low flood level, meaning that most of the medium isn't submerged, but you should select a run time that allows each tray to fill completely.. Providing the medium has had some time to soak up nutrient solution, you can select a higher run-time setting to ensure each pot is fully-watered, before allowing them to dry out before the next feeding.

Probably not- as long as the nutrient reseirvoir / tank is kept clean a chiller is not usually required for EasyFeed systems. If attempting to use organic nutrients (which we do not recommend) a chiller may be required.

Yes and no- it is not advisable to do this as it can starve roots of oxygen uptake and encourage root disease. It is possible to operate your EasyFeed hydroponic system without the timer by installing an air pump with an air stone at the bottom of each tray to aerate the nutrient solution, but using the timer to control dry-out is always preferable.

The system will flood the trays when the tank is half-filled, although the higher the level in the tank, the faster the system will fill the individual trays/pots, so it's always best to fill the tank to the top. Raising the tank will help provide better pressure.

Yes, as the plants grow and becomes larger, they will use more nutrient solution. When using soil or coco, a small plant with established roots may require watering every 48-72 hours and a large plant every 24 hours or even more frequently. Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and wind can also factor into how frequently plants need to be watered..

Yes, the trays can be at completely different heights providing the nutrient solution supply tank is higher than all of the trays.

The EasyFeed systems have a 5/8" / 16mm diameter distribution pipe, designed to prevent clogging with most nutrient brands.

In the event of a mains power failure, the battery-operated EasyFeed system keeps working, as long as the batteries are charged. We do recommend replacing the batteries every couple months to ensure reliability.

While EasyFeed systems have a 5/8" / 16mm diameter distribution pipe designed to prevent clogging, organic nutrients, sugars and bacterial additives tend to cause clogging in the distribution pipes. Mineral or "salt-based" fertilizers are recommended over "organic" fertilizers.

Yes, additional trays and pots can be added later. The solvent-free (glue-free) connections allow EasyFeed to be disassembled and re-assembled in a different configuration, or with additional pots..