Deep Water Culture (DWC) Hydroponics System Tutorial

[@jasetgarcia5824]

Ive been a subscriber for a while but im coming all the way back to your first video to make sure I i don't miss any of your shared knowledge! Thank you for posting so much good info!

[@epicgardening]

Hey - good question - you're right! The whole point of the air pump is to basically splash water on the growing media, and the roots to then take up that water. It works pretty well if you're using starter plugs or rockwool. You just want to make sure the water line is high enough so that the bubbles actually hit the bottom of the net pots!

[@xavierbreath2227]

I would strongly recommend a check valve on a dry portion of the air line between pump and stone. During power outages or if the pump dies it prevents back flow of water into the pump, which shorts out the pump and floods your floor It is a cheap safe guard. Worth the peace of mind. Love the videos!

[@vigigamehacker123]

Another option is to raise the air pump above the maximum water line, that way the water can never flow into the air pump.

[@matmalette]

I would also recommend the most simple thing to do have a water container placed above your culture and that way you have a risk free auto top off. You could get Tunze Nano or any other electrical. Those have multiple fail points over time when gravity and a flexible opaque tubing at the water level mark you decide won't ever fail. Gravity was here yesterday and will be tomorrow!

[@ZachReifsnider]

@@vigigamehacker123 slow down, speed racer

[@Jmacx9]

7yrs old and still the best way explanation of how hydro works...hello from 2021

[@morganflaherty9552]

Finally someone explained the whole thing as opposed to just skipping certain aspects mainly the water cycle change nobody likes to mention those not sure why thank you for explaining

[@MAMAlbertaGirl]

This was the best freaking explanation of EVERYTHING! Made even more rad by it being a short, to the point video! Loved it! Thank you

[@devinpowers4368]

2024 still showing love. Thanks for the knowledge.

[@epicgardening]

You can do either one. Check out my videos on starting seeds for hydroponics if you want to learn more!

[@epicgardening]

Definitely a good idea! That's called aquaponics and is a really awesome setup. This vid is all about hydro and not aqua though, but you're right - you can add fish into the mix.

[@alanroberts7916]

This was a great video. Everything was presented professionally and no extra bs. Here are some hints that may seem obvious but they have been important... 1. There are lots of nutrients out there but whatever you use use very little. I had a tendency to overdo it since I thought the more i used the faster and bigger the plants would get. Very little nutrients will do the job. They can get fairly big using nothing but water. 2. Use large seed pots. As large as you can fit on the top of your reservoir. 3. Have a way to support the plants. They get big and heavy. Especially when it flowers. They take a long time to grow and there's nothing worse than a lost branch of bud in an instant. 4. I put a twenty dollar pump in the bottom of the reservoir that makes draining easy and fast. If it's easy to do something it gets done more often.

[@zaarinsubah5151]

scrolled all the way down because i was so curious about your first video on the channel. xPonics was a pretty cool name :D

[@nucmong]

A great tute. I'm new to hydro but have long been an indoor grower. I've also kept aquariums and I'd like to point out some things. One, the Rubbermaid tubs are fine, but they do not move/transport well with water in them. I would suggest that you buy a small water pump from the pet store for each tub to pump water out into a 5gal water bottle. Avoid moving the tub lid and damaging the delicate roots by leaving the pump in the tub. Also, pH test kits are available at pet stores also.

[@epicgardening]

Yo Shawn! I would make sure the water level is no more than an inch or two below the bottom of the net pots - if you're starting seed in the system, the closer the better. You want bubbles to pop and hit the bottom of the net pots -> moisturizing the growing media. The faster the roots hit the water after germination, the better.

[@epicgardening]

Hey, you're right about this, you can kratky w/o an air pump.

[@DrWho2008t101]

can you submerge the seed ? will it die?

[@jkkkoodidodiej3996]

@@DrWho2008t101 don't submerged in the water it will rot usually I germinate it on soil then transfer to hydroponic sponge

[@kubabalou]

I thought i would announce at his newest video and oldest video that kevin from epic gardening or xponics 😂 that he has inspired me to start my own gardening channel i will begin in 1 week

[@chrisg4745]

great vid! with all the different lingo and methods out there, its nice having a rather down to earth explanation like this.

[@epicgardening]

Appreciate it dude!

[@alanroberts5056]

A couple of tips. Make sure the roots make it out of the net pots easily. 1.Cut out as many of the little plastic pieces on the sides and bottom of the net pot as you can so the roots have no problems. 2. Keep your organic nutrients ( the only way to go. No miracle grow) as weak as possible or they will clog up everything. 3. Youll need a timer for the vegatation phase. Also i like to line the resavoir with a garbage bag so i can cleanup easy. Also black to keep light from getting to roots.

[@420GIRL]

This video just answered all my DWC questions. Thanks for sharing.

[@epicgardening]

So glad to hear. You're welcome!

[@epicgardening]

Cyber Savvy I like to keep it around 78 degrees, but the better your air flow is the higher it can go, as well as the amount of CO2 in the room (higher = plants can stand higher heat in my experience).

[@jayJay-cm1zg]

Epic Gardening should be no higher temp than 25

[@andreamitchell4758]

how do the roots get water and nutrients before they grow deep enough to reach the water? i have seen DWC systems that have a dual pump and a lift tube connected to a drip ring isn't that better? is it 100% necessary ? i like idea of having the drip ring on tope especially when the play is just put in

[@TheCompanyVideoLog]

Thanks for the succinct primer. I'm currently working on making a greenhouse aeroponics system completely powered by solar energy and I found this to be informative and awesome. The plan is to build a system that will grow food all year and eventually even make it modular so that one can buy a simple starter setup and then add as needed to the desired output. That way the start up cost is low and one can slowly build on it when they have money to spend. Eventually, the cost to maintain should equalize (and hopefully overcome) with the amount of food one produces along with eating a better product that you can control without any terrible additives that may impact health in the long run. The idea is to also make it mobile so that if you move, it isn't so much of a hassle or if you rent or are in an apartment, you can still use the system to a smaller degree. Maybe even develop micro gardens. Any thoughts or suggestions on your experiences you could give would be appreciated.

[@edwinbarredo4484]

The BEST SO FAR.... IN TERMS OF EXPLANATION AND ILLUSTRATIONS.... ✅✅✅

[@carrindarobinson9431]

trash

[@thedinardi]

This video was great and definitely help. One question. How high should the water level be? Just barely touching the bottom of the cups? Slightly under? Want to make sure they get enough water without drowning them. Thanks

[@alanroberts7916]

Really important issue...where is the best water level??? I read somewhere to keep the level even with the bottom of the seed cup. That gives the roots room for air.

[@Eli-dl2tw]

On this day, a legend was born!

[@kubabalou]

Yes

[@Maitreyiology]

Where it all began!!

[@epicgardening]

I try not to use rockwool - currently using coco coir as it's more sustainable.

[@CleverNameTBD]

I like drilling a hole at the bottom of the reservoir and adding a grommet or bulkhead, attach a 90° elbow and then a see-through blue tube going up as a water level. That way you can know when to refill but also the blue filters out the spectrum that aids in algae growth. But the airline tubing is black, yeah.

[@ObiWanCannabi]

good simple tutorial, i will be sure to spread this with those who need to know

[@CharlesReedPi]

I'd suggest transparent tubing as it can show if there's any issue in the tubing.

[@moseslam4660]

Hi. I'm new to hydro but been doing a lot of research so a few quick Qs to Epic and the hydro community: 1. Raft/no raft - Some DWC systems require a raft system. This one (which seems to be quite popular) does not. I'm assuming that by topping up the water, you achieve the same effect. Is there a significant difference between the 2 setups (raft / non-raft)? 2. Water top-up. Some sites say that by topping up the reservoir with nutrient mixed solution will damage the plants. The reasoning is that the plants draw up water from the reservoir faster then it draws the nutrients causing the reservoir solution to be more and more concentrated (since water is being taken out). By refilling with nutrient-mixed solution, won't this cause over-concentration of the solution? 3. Last - reservoir size. I've been trying to find out if I can do DWC with a shallow container with no luck. Few sites talk about the size of reservoir necessary. What I have found (online) is a general rule of 1 gallon of water /plant (I am planing lettuce). With the proper aeration and top-up of fluids, is depth of the reservoir an issue? I would love to set up multiple DWC on a shelf but it will require shallower containers although I can monitor consistently and keep topping up . Any responses/help would be much appreciated! M

[@HeyKelso75]

Super helpful video! Thank you for the time and effort you put into this

[@martysgarden]

Great breakdown, I was looking for something like this. Time to subscribe Happy Gardening Marty Ware

[@comptonfarmer3021]

Simple easy can't go wrong

[@adibasiddiqui4387]

So this is your first video 🌻🌻🌻🌻

[@CohlTrain]

You guys know that dwc yellow bin on Amazon it's cheap but I got it for 10 dollars on sale just so I could test out dwc see if I like it, thank you for the crash course

[@epicgardening]

Anytime!

[@prepstepper7286]

Don't worry about getting an opaque tube because you really shouldn't have light inside of your dwc system at all roots and light do not go together well! And I highly recommend not getting the cheapest pump that they have specifically do to the reliability of the cheap ones and the output of air from the cheap ones you don't need a whole lot of air but you definitely don't want to go skimpy on the amount of air you pump into the nutrient solution because that will negatively affect your plants health and yield. Been growing with dwc and several other methods 4 over 15 years now, dwc is definitely one of my favorites and then my next favorite would be flood and drain. I'm not down in your video or you're advice this is actually a great tutorial very easy to understand, one of the better ones I've seen here on KZbin. I gave you a thumbs-up and subscribed as well as shared it with a buddy of mine that is looking into starting so I wanted to give him something that was worth watching and this was it so thank you very much for saving me the hassle of explaining to him.

[@epicgardening]

True, but light on tubing in outside always makes me go with opaque tubing just in case. thanks for subscribing and sharing my friend!

[@khatzeye]

Lol 10 years later and still helpful ❤

[@MendyUSA]

You obviously put a lot of work into that thank you.

[@guylat]

One of the best videos on here. Great job. My question is about lighting. If you're using fluorescent light, can you use a warm and cool light together or do you have to use the different lighting for blooming then growing?

[@epicgardening]

Wow, thanks for the kind words! If I were you, I'd use both warm and cool for both phases, but I'd weight the lighting heavier towards cool during vegetative phase, and more towards warm during bloom phase. It gets more complex than this, but that should work as a basic approach!

[@scotttaylor8811]

Well done! I am a newbie but that helped a lot.

[@christamclane2334]

Great video. Do you use grow lights and what do you want recommend? What temperature do you need your room to be?

[@alphonsjose8539]

Should the sunrays reach the plants

[@mclovin2232]

Stephen from Nature is Always Right sent me here, Kevin...lol Enjoyed seeing you guys together and talkin' story.

[@epicgardening]

Hahaha, wait this isn't the video. Dont' watch the 1st one LOL

[@mclovin2232]

@@epicgardening Lol thanks for being a good sport and good luck on the apocalypse challenge! I'll be following along from South Florida. Mark, from Self-sufficent Me gave you a shout out today too! You're over the target! Keep grinding!!

[@pedropablodelgadomartell5514]

The schema is interesting, however, you don't mention if you have to keep a constant water level. Or if you set the plants in the net pots already with roots. I'm trying to test this hydroponic technique but kind of don't have that kind of knowledge. Thanks for your video.

[@ZanesFacebook]

When I made my first hydroponic setup I used some left over pieces of spongy Styrofoam type material (think pool noodles) and empty plastic 40 bottles instead of net cups. I cut the top off of the bottle, cut the foam to fit, then cut the foam so it looked like pac man. Then I pinched the plant stem in the foam right above the roots and wedged it in the bottle mouth. I still have those same first pots I started in, still growing 😂

[@epicgardening]

Let me know how it goes for you Mark!

[@jayjay2637]

So i bought, a 5 gallon DWC bucket from amazon and also purchased the general organics starter kit and started with a 6 inch cannabis plant, established healthy roots already, pH tested my water and added the recommended amount of "Thrive" and Ca Mag and Bio Root witch they all compliment each other and work hand in hand. So a close estimate of how much i was putting in, it showed to put 5ml for every gallon so I added 20ml total cause it wasn't completely 5 gallons and i figured wouldn't make much of a difference. And 5ml a gallon was recommended for all 3 of the nights i put in. So, the following day i noticed it was bubbling up through the net pot so i simply emptied a little out and then noticed my water was dirty and murky and smelled a bit. ( I'm aware nutrients don't smell the best) but it was a noticeable smell from a good way away. Anyways long story short, my plant ended up dying about a month after that. I changed water every 2 weeks, and added even less notes the second time. Did i shock the root system? What you think happened.

[@brandonsabrina2541]

Jake Jay If your a beginner, and it kinda sounds like you are, you only really need to add R/O water, some Algae Extract, and a little bit of nutrients. Depending on how old your plants were, you should probably start with using 1/4 - 1/2 the recommended nutrient dose and build it up as needed (weekly) . . When dealing with Cannabis, I would highly recommend you change your water (Completely), Once every 7 days, adding fresh Nutrients, etc. . If you are using tap (City) water you should't have to add any Cal-Mag, it's meant to be used with R/O (Reverse Osmosis) water. What I think your biggest problem is, is that your using General Hydroponic Nutrients ?? If your growing Cannabis, I highly recommend Advanced Nutrients. They are the only company who's Nutrients are designed specifically for Cannabis. Hope that helps out a bit (a year later) . .

[@markubana5833]

hello sir is the air pump 24hrs open?

[@whittneyprice173]

Thank you soooooo much. You broke it down and explained it so well. Thank you

[@AussieBabe]

i find best results when i leave a few inches from bottom of net pots even before the roots start to come out the humidity in the bucket should be high enough for them to grow down and touch the water. try not to open to bucket lid often. I see a lot of people growing DWC with the water touching the bottom of net pots it works but not as good as leaving large amounts of exposed roots to the air. But for starting it off it doesn't hurt

[@MrDanrn999]

Thank you Kevin!

[@infinity.1111]

Great video! Why do you have to drain and replace the water every month if you are adding new oxygen and nutrients?

[@roberthaney9212]

There are two ways I wanted to do this. One is to build a wooden box with 3 layers similar to this set up where the water would flow from layer to layer. The 2nd is to grow like this tutorial but I was wondering if I could put fish in the water? What would be the proper way to have, say, guppies and still grow tomato and bell peppers? Would the plant roots cause a problem for the fish?

[@whyamigreen]

Awesome video, thanks. I'll be building mine today!

[@epicgardening]

Hell yeah! Excited for you!

[@ETDMP]

Very straight forward and simply explained. Thanks Bro I appreciate it.

[@epicgardening]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@ucmeytsc7302]

do the little plant need to be in the water until the roots get long enough or is it enough just to moisten the grow media with bubbles?

[@Megamare1]

Great nubie video for me! Question: would you add a nutrient mix as the water level drops or just water before the complete nute change? Also how do you determine the initial water level? Roots from my rapid rooters are still on the sides but not hanging below yet. Also I'm using a 3 1/2 gallon pale with 8 inch net pot that fits the cover. Thx in advance!!

[@epicgardening]

+mycosic I would usually just do a reservoir refresh once a week depending on how much the plants drank / ate. For water level, I usually go about 1-3" below the bottom of the net pot. The airstone will bubble up bits of water and almost act as a wicking style system.

[@epicgardening]

You're right about this - good call, thanks for the addition :)

[@annieclore9443]

what is a good water level - how much of the net pot needs to be submerged in the water?

[@amysemanek8326]

I am new to hydroponics. How does the water stay clean? Does it also need a filter?

[@austinfoley1733]

I have 4 5 gallon pots and 1 5 gallon Reservoir do I account for all 5 pots or just the 4 pots with plants when adding nutrients?

[@NIGHTSKYE1]

should the net pots touch the water level, or should the bottom of the net pot be an inch or so higher up?

[@andreasmuhlbauer7072]

Air lines don’t need to be black. There’s no water/nutrient solution in the air line and hence no problem with algae. The air pump should be positioned above the water line to avoid water back flowing…

[@pcdFadeD]

what about keeping the water sterile ? what's a safe nutrient and micro to use? or is there a safe organic feed like bio bizz?

[@epicgardening]

If you go organic, the water won't be sterile. If you go inorganic, it can be. Either way, so long as the organic matter / organisms aren't negatively affecting your plants, you're fine either way.

[@pierremorissette]

Great tutorial very helpful and well done.

[@amjadhani8929]

Thanks for the video Kevin. I was wondering if you have an idea whether this system works for growing Alfalfa?

[@Nishitth]

Hey, what about the nutrient mix ? Are they to be used or not. Kindly revert. Thks a ton.

[@Goghahahahahaeej]

Wow your videos were pro videos from the start!

[@danieldeelite]

Thank you Eric. Gobless

[@lukasmarx5264]

Great video, thank you!

[@mrtechie6810]

Thanks! Do all vegetables need a root medium or can some hang directly in the nutrient solution with minimal or no Hydroton?

[@Shredneck84]

The clay pellets provide the plant support and stability. They are pretty necessary.

[@helenawright1127]

Fabulous. Great tutorial.👍

[@bradpans]

my first video to watch from you...thanks

[@pcdFadeD]

so is it best to still get whatever air pump? or do i need a certain amount of air a minute? like 2l a minute or more or less per 5 gallons of water?

[@epicgardening]

For small systems, a simple aquarium air pump will do the job!

[@FreeBless]

Hi Can i put plant apart after to 2 bucket roots its together in bucket can I splitt them?

[@luciamamta]

I love how hydrophonics is effecient, but is it healthy for plants in general to fully grow under this method only, especially for the roots?

[@josea2156]

hey ,if anyone else wants to discover aquaponics courses try Panlarko Expert Aquaponics Planner (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some awesome things about it and my partner got cool success with it.

[@josephrikers1111]

Do you need a traditional 6 inch duct with a carbon filter and dehumidifier with this type of grow?

[@Fred-eg9sx]

So can the net pots sit in the water? or does it have to be suspended from the surface of the water?

[@freehugs9223]

Great video, thanx

[@alexandrabousia8431]

do you have to put the nutrients to the reservoir and how often?

[@epicgardening]

Yes you do, I usually recommend doing a full change once a week

[@arahant69]

Recommend Hygrozyme conconcentrate (x5 strength of normal hygrozyme so only need 0.5ml per Litre) which works with silver bullet roots as it is inert, not like other enzyme type products. Not taken plunge into dwc yet as still trying wilma dripper with 4 x 12L cloth pots full with hydroton (expanded clay pebbles). I guess as the plant gets biggers you can let the water level drop half way and it will all be okay? Guess the ladies get thirsty anyway at this point. Hydro definetly is so much easier and get masssive veg as compared to coco or soil and there is no worry about over watering. Just got to keep an eye on it like I have turned of the water pump for 24 hours and nearly killed of 1 plant.

[@bryceoconnor9640]

Do you top feed for the first few weeks until the roots touch the DWC ?

[@TheMillionDollarDropout]

I just thought of a good probably efficient way to cut holes without a somewhat expensive hole saw or whatever. If you have a drill and some metal drill bits, you can just draw your circle and then drill many holes really close to each other over that circle (kinda like certain products have pre-made) til you've gone all the way around and then you just carefully punch out the hole with a hammer or something!

[@epicgardening]

Yup, that's actually how I did it the first time. Not a hammer, but scissors once you can get them in the hole.

[@TheMillionDollarDropout]

Haha! Badass! I was honestly thinking "Omg how am I gonna make a perfect (for the most part) hole in my buckets/containers to set my Hydro baskets in! plzzzzzz don't tell me a hole saw is 100% required cause I don't have the money for that right now!" so I instantly thought of that method. Anyways, so you just drilled one hole in and then cut it with a good pair of scissors and it worked? Nice!

[@202fan]

Warning! Position your air pump so that it is above the water level in the reservoir or use a check valve. If you don't and your pump fails or you loose power the water could be siphoned into the pump. Use a GFI outlet whenever you have water near electricity, it could save your life.

[@Rider19Ih]

Make sure you wash your hydroton really good when you first use it. They can leak clay all over your hydro loop and that is annoying to cleen. Killed my first Ebb Flow setup with poorly washed hydroton.

[@epicgardening]

Good point - I liked to wash it at least 4-5x when I get a fresh bag :)

[@wullienixon4828]

Epic Gardening wow how things have moved on. I did hdro twenty years ago. n gonna try Bubble pots. cheers for all the info

[@epicgardening]

Wullie Nixon thanks for the kind words my friend! Let me know how it goes for you!

[@swankwilliams]

Can you provide a basic feed chart for beginners? I happen to have Flora DUO

[@wsgardena]

Hey I had a few questions I hope you can help. How would I go about changing the water every month? Do I simply need to refill whenever level drops or completely drain and refill every month if so how would I without damaging the roots? Also I’m looking to use this model to grow cannabis indoors what lighting/fan cycles/materials should I be using? Can I keep this in the open in my room or would an enclosed tent work better? Also what brands do you recommend on nutrients and how do I achieve proper PH levels? Sorry lots of a questions from a beginner I’m grateful if you can help tho!

[@epicgardening]

I'd try to go once a week if possible. As far as ventilation and tents, here are some links for you from my site: www.epicgardening.com/grow-room-ventilation-101/

[@epicgardening]

For nutrients, I recommend General Hydroponics Flora Series :)

[@johnronel7980]

As always, great video. Thanks for all the effort. Please do video with this format explaining nutrient solution. :)

[@TahirAmeenGaming]

Can we top up with water? and change with new nutrients biweekly?

[@anthonycordero5733]

They sell black air tubing I got some for my pump works great..yes lyca balls or hydration you will need to clean them well and then p.h them with Cal mag to 6.5 p.h

[@ozzyosbourne9900]

always place your air pump higher than your nutrient res. i lost power for a short time in a thunderstorm and with the pump being lower than the fluid level it worked as a siphon. made a mess and ruined the pump.

[@evangeline1303]

Which nutrients are used in solution or are there specific chemicals that are used in dwc?

[@clo500]

Ok I have so many questions....This is the method that I am using indoors. I am planning to set it up inside of a closet is there a certain temperature the closet needs to be keep at ? I also was curious on how long should I run the light and the pump?

[@jooshzilb5652]

If u are using hydroton do u still need a grow cube?

[@jakekimds]

For lettuce, spinach and tomato, should I get 3 inch net pots or 2 inch net pots? I plan on using the same spacing either way, just a matter of price.

[@epicgardening]

Honestly, doesn't matter too much!

[@nordarican]

I have read that using a clear reservoir can lead to algae growth. So how can you tell what your water level is like without letting any light in? As a follow up, how do you add more water/nutrients to it and check the pH without compromising it? Thanks! I love your channel

[@epicgardening]

That small a light opening doesn't cause too much algae growth in my opinion...and you don't need tow orry about opening to check pH / nutrients...not long enough

[@nordarican]

@@epicgardening awesome thanks! Algae is cool and all, but not in this setting 😝

[@luisbaltazar1]

a question: once your plant is tall enough, won't it flip over? and what should be doen to avoid it?

[@epicgardening]

It could flip sure, but usually the root mass is deep enough to counterbalance. You can combat this by using ties to keep it secure, or even a classic stake setup.

[@deanjones3817]

Hey I'm a total beginner. I do understand that the water needs to be changed about every month or so I would like to kno how to tell when the water is due for a changing?

[@epicgardening]

+dean jones You monitor your pH, ppm / ec, and water level and adjust accordingly!

[@nabeelz4977]

Excellent explanation,thank you so much!

[@mr.beatnskeet6876]

Nice guide. I started up a 4x8 grow tent as a brand new grower because why not. Lowe's has those blue 5 gallon buckets for like $5 including the lid. Hell, if I had any idea my midlife crisis was going to hit like this ahead of time, I'd have just bummed other people's leftover buckets over time for free. I use a 3" hole saw attachment on the lid for the net pot and a 1/4" bit to screw a hole near the top of the bucket itself for the air stone tube. I do spend a couple extra bucks on white primer / spray paint to add another layer and to reduce light absorption, but it probably isn't necessary. Got a 52W air pump I can attach 8 tubes to, so for all 8 buckets, *maybe* ~$100? Could probably shave that down to close to $80 / $10 a piece if I ditched the paint. Crazy seeing the pre-built hydro kits going for like $25 - $30 per reservoir. All my friends hate me when they see chile plants growing inside of it instead of MJ.

[@epicgardening]

Yeah, it's funny because no one ever thinks I'm growing food either haha