Here's a little growing advice to get you started with both our flood and drain or dripper systems.

To see how the IWS system is setup see our setting up page.

If you want more advice on growing in general, please contact your local growshop.

Flood & Drain System

Your choice of growing medium should be based on your personal preference as all IWS systems will grow great plants in almost every growing medium on the market today. Your chosen growing medium should have a good air to moisture ratio and be as ph stable as possible.

We have recently run tests of the best growing medium to use and found expanded clay pebbles the best with the benefit of many feeds through out the light cycle. 60% clay / 40% coco was a close runner up with less feeds but using the benefits of coco fibre as a buffer against root diseases.

When using only expanded clay pebbles, always wash pebbles and, where possible, leave to soak in ph balancedwater. When feeding use a hydro based feed and set your timer to feed every 5-6 hours on 18 hours and every 4-5 hours on 12 hours. Never let the root zone dry out or be over saturated as this could damage it.This is only a guide line and we would suggest that you feed your plants when your medium dries out to about 20% moisture.

When using coco/pebble mix, add a good layer of straight pebbles to the bottom of each inner pot (the ones with loads of holes in the bottom) and then top up the pots with your mixed growing medium. When feeding, saturate your growing medium and allow to almost dry out until feeding again.

When feeding, use a coco based nutrient and as a rule feed once or twice a day on 18 hours and up to 3 times a day on 12 hours. Never let your growing medium dry out as this could cause damage to the root zone. Check with your local retail outlet for instructions on your chosen growing medium.

Remember you don't need to feed in the dark period!

Dripper System

Your choice of growing medium should be based on your personal preference as all IWS systems will grow great plants in almost every growing medium on the market today. Your chosen growing medium should have a good air to moisture ratio and be as ph stable as possible. We have recently run tests of the best growing medium to use and found coco fibre a very good medium.

As with all dripper systems a 10 to 20 percent run off is advised, depending on the growing medium being used. Always let your growing medium dry out slightly before delivering your next feed. Never let your growing medium dry out too much as this could cause damage to the root zone. Check with your local retail outlet for instructions on your chosen growing medium.

Remember you don't need to feed in the dark period!