Ebb and Flow System

...also known as Flood and Drain System

E&F is may be the most popular hydroponic system due to its simplicity and versatility. The plant is grown in the medium where it develops its roots, and, at intervals nutrient solution is pumped in from a reservoir, flooding the table or bucket; when the pump turns off, the nutrient solution is drained back in the reservoir.

A timer is attached to the pump and is used to set the frequency of the flood and drain periods, which is 3 to 5 times a day (depending of the medium used, the size and type of plants, temperature and humidity) for about 5-10 minutes each . Between the periodic flooding, the roots are exposed to more oxygen. This increased exposure to oxygen increases the plant’s use of the available nutrients, and therefore, promotes faster growth.

In the Flood and Drain technique the plants are placed in a large container called grow bed, which contains the growing medium (rockwool cubes, perlite,  hydroton or some other medium). The container should have two holes – inlet – where the water tubes bring the solution, and outlet, which flows the water back in the reservoir. The outlet has an overflow set at a predefined hight, which will allow the water level to reach a level that will cover the entire roots of the plants.