DIY DTW

[iShatterBladderz]

I grow in coco/perlite, feeding drain to waste. Final container is a 3 gallon radicle bag. What I have been doing, is putting a 13” pot elevator in a 14” saucer, and this works great. The problem is that a 3 gal radicle bag is only 10” diameter, but I can’t find the pot elevator in smaller than 13”, so the extra 3” adds up, making it hard to fit more than 2 plants in my 2x4 tents or 4 in my 4x4.

in my 4x4 tent, I plan on getting a 3x3 grow tray. my question for you guys, is there anything you can think of that is one piece I can just set into the tray, that will create a raised surface, at least 2 inches, across the entire tray? We have little meatloaf inserts that raise the meatloaf above the surface of the pan for grease to drip below, I’m basically looking for a 3 foot version of this. Any ideas?

here’s an example of what I’m currently doing

 

[Punisher84]

You lost me at letting the grease drip out of the meatloaf

This stuff is kinda handy. I just cut it with wire side cuts.
link

Could lay it on top of a couple pieces of pvc pipe or something to space it up off the bottom.

 

[Turpman]

Some use roofing panel for a flat sloped area to drain off of. Even run a small gutter. Then you only have one pail to empty.You could put some florescent light square mesh under your bag I think they are 1/2” thick. To help drain. Just spitballing some ideas.
Or do you want a saucer of nutes for the roots to hang in.

 

[Cob_nUt]

line the tray with1-1.5" of hydroton. I'm about to put my 3x3 tray back into my 4x4 tent.
Running Coco/Permits in "dirt bags" (fabric pots) also.
Usually I run them right on the tray,want to try something different this time around.
Will you be handwatering or automated? Another thing I've been pondering.

 

[Punisher84]

line the tray with1-1.5" of hydroton. I'm about to put my 3x3 tray back into my 4x4 tent.
Running Coco/Permits in "dirt bags" (fabric pots) also.
Usually I run them right on the tray,want to try something different this time around.
Will you be handwatering or automated? Another thing I've been pondering.

Big Perm posted something on another forum about his auto setup. Was not expensive at all $50 or so.

 

[Turpman]

I’m just using a flood table. On short legs enough to catch runoff at one end. Going to hand water first run to see how it goes.

 

[iShatterBladderz]

line the tray with1-1.5" of hydroton. I'm about to put my 3x3 tray back into my 4x4 tent.
Running Coco/Permits in "dirt bags" (fabric pots) also.
Usually I run them right on the tray,want to try something different this time around.
Will you be handwatering or automated? Another thing I've been pondering.

Hand watering. I’m already doing dtw, My problem is that the smallest pot elevator I could find was 13”, and I like to leave a little bit of room between the side of the saucer and elevator, so so I’m using 14” saucers for a 10” diameter pot, limiting plant count in a 48x48 tent. Basically just looking for a way to fit more plants.

I’ve got friends that use auto systems, and I’ve probably got all the components for a drip system, I just really enjoy the hand-watering aspect. If I was growing more than I am, I would probably go auto. But as is, I usually don’t have anymore than 10 plants at a time, probably 12 after changing out my runoff setup. I don’t have a drain nearby so I just have a giant wetvac I use to get runoff and I empty it into the flower bed every so often LOL.

 

[Cob_nUt]

Hand watering. I’m already doing dtw, My problem is that the smallest pot elevator I could find was 13”, and I like to leave a little bit of room between the side of the saucer and elevator, so so I’m using 14” saucers for a 10” diameter pot, limiting plant count in a 48x48 tent. Basically just looking for a way to fit more plants.

I’ve got friends that use auto systems, and I’ve probably got all the components for a drip system, I just really enjoy the hand-watering aspect. If I was growing more than I am, I would probably go auto. But as is, I usually don’t have anymore than 10 plants at a time, probably 12 after changing out my runoff setup. I don’t have a drain nearby so I just have a giant wetvac I use to get runoff and I empty it into the flower bed every so often LOL.

I too enjoy and are handwatering. I have a 5gal bucket top setback for soaking up the run off also.
Was just wondering.

 

[iShatterBladderz]

So I ended up just turning some clear plastic saucers upside down, drilling holes through them, and putting them into a sterilite tub. Able to free up some extra room for at least two more 3 gal radicle bags. Plants pictured are still in their one gals, and then I threw some more seeds into plugs on the left, for both this tent and another tent of mine.