Why choose Flood & Drain systems?
Often these types of systems are called Ebb & Flood. The plants are usually grown in pots with their roots supported by an inert medium ( usually expanded clay pebbles) the pots sit in a plastic tray which in turn sits above a reservoir filled with nutrient solution. A pump in the reservoir is connected to the bottom of the tray. When the pump turns on, the tray fills with water. When the water level reaches a pre-determined height, through the use of the overflow fitting, the water falls back into the reservoir. When the pump turns off, the water runs back down through the pump into the reservoir. Most growers choose to control irrigation with a timer. A typical schedule would involve several short one-hour water cycles per day, but the duration and frequencies of watering cycles varies from one system to another and is dependent on the crop, the plant size and environmental conditions. This growing technique is generally favored by gardeners that wish to grow high density medium size
