Do I Need to Top Feed With Dwc
Cloning with Aeroponics for DWC
A friend of mine that grows for a craft cannabis producer sent me a photo of the aeroponics cloner they use for commercial production. 10 days from cutting he had MASSIVE healthy roots with no rockwool. I had to recreate this at home.
Aeroponics is the process of growing plants in a mist environment. Often cited as the most efficient method of nutrient uptake by NASA experiments that researched growing high protein beans in space. Aeroponics is new to me as DWC has worked so well I have not had to look into atomizing the nutrient solution. If roots can sit in the nutrient solution 24/7 why bother with water pumps and misting nozzles. For mature plants I still believe aeroponics is not necessary. DWC is so much easier.
For clones and seedlings – aeroponics makes sense. I tried cloning in DWC with limited success. The cuttings would get waterlogged and rot away before the roots had a chance to develop.
Low-Pressure VS High-Pressure Aeroponics
Aeroponics can be divided into two categories.
Low Pressure Aeroponics – is usually done with a submersible pump. The water/nutrient solution is sprayed rather than being atomized into a fine mist. You can use a regular garden sprinkler/sprayer or misting nozzles as pictured below.
High Pressure Aeroponics – uses 60+ PSI and misting nozzles to create a fine, atomized mist of water/nutrient solution. High-pressure Aeroponics requires a diaphragm pump and accumulator tank to generate the necessary pressure.
This guide focuses on Low-Pressure Aeroponics because it works fine for cloning/propagation and is a much easier & cheaper build.
This method of cloning falls directly in line with my low maintenance philosophy. No need to mist a humidity dome. The foam cuffs are re-useable. There is no rockwool that serves as a home for algae and other pathogens.
The Build
Part List for the Build:
- 400 GPH Submersible Pump
- Timer with Cycle feature
- Foam Collars
- Airtight Bucket Lid
- 2 or 3 Gallon Black Bucket (you can paint it black but it's much better to start with a black bucket)
- Misting Nozzles
- 2x 1/2″ PVC caps
- 1x 1/2″ PVC Tee
- 1/2″ PVC Pipe
- 1/2″ PVC Threaded Adapter
- 1 3/4″ Hole saw
- Airstone
- Tea Strainer (to use as pump filter)
- FloraMicro 3 Part Series
- Rapid Start
Drill Holes for Foam Collars
If you drill 1 3/4″ holes it will be a perfect tight fit for 2″ collars. Avoid using net cups in the cloner unless you want to deal with untangling the roots out of them later.
Foam Vs Neoprene Collars
If you look for 2″ foam cuffs on amazon you can choose between neoprene and foam. My local hydro store only had neoprene so I ordered some foam online to compare. The foam cuff is much better. It holds no moisture, unlike the neoprene which felt soggy and soft after a few days.
Wire/Airline Routing
The foam collars work well to route the cable out of your bucket. I used to run the cable out of the lid but that made it impossible to remove the lid fully without unplugging the pump. Drill a 1/4″ hole for standard airline tubing.
Pump Timing Cycles
- Cloning: 1 minute on, 20 minutes off
- Germination: 1 minute on, 60 minutes off
Cloning Temperatures and Humidity
- Water Temp: 68-80F (I prefer 68-72F)
- Air Temp: 55-80F (ideal range is 70F)
- Humidity: 45% – 80% (Yes I have cloned down to 45% humidity with this method, just make sure you remove all fan leaves)
Running the sub-pump on a timer also helps lower water temperatures. Any more than this and I find the sub-pump increases my water temperatures beyond what I consider an acceptable range. People on Reddit have mentioned they like to go up to 80F for cloning but that exponentially increases your risk of infection. I like to keep water temps under 72F.
Modifying the Pump: Misting Nozzles / Sprayer & Filter
Drill appropriately sized holes for the misting nozzles. The drill size for my nozzles was 1/8″.
I use a tea strainer hot glued to my sub-pump to prevent small bits of roots from getting inside the pump and impeding the motor. You can get away without it but it's a cheap insurance policy to keep the nozzles from clogging. The tea strainer is easy to clean and can be found online for $10.
You could likely save a few bucks by using a sprinkler head rigged up to the sub pump with a small 6″ riser. I went with PVC since I already had some around from my SCROG build.
Don't forget to put an airstone in your bucket. Although you may think the water is being aerated by the sub-pump, it is not. The system needs fresh oxygen from outside the bucket.
Lightproof Air Exhaust.
The air pump will create positive pressure in the bucket which can create water leaks when the sub-pump kicks on. In a typical DWC reservoir, the hydroton will allow air to escape, so these exhausts are not necessary.
To create an air exhaust drill a hole in the bucket lid and cover it with a flap of double-sided duct tape to prevent light leaks.
LPT: If using a large tote you can just drill a few tiny 1/16″ holes near the top side wall for air exhaust. With small enough holes you will not get any leaking.
Sterilization
Sterilizing the pump, container and foam pucks is very important. Cloning creates an open wound on the plant, making it susceptible to infection. Luckily sterilization is very easy since the pump does all the work for you. Fill the bucket with 1 gallon of Star San solution (6mL of Star San/Gallon) and run the pump for 5 minutes.
Star San is a food-safe non-rinse sanitizer that is commonly used in homebrewing. You don't need to rinse the remaining foam after sterilization. This is because it is an acid-based sanitizer, so any remaining foam is rendered inert when diluted by water. Dump out as much sanitizer as possible and proceed to the next step.
Aeroponics Cloning Nutrient Solution
- 1 Gallon Water
- pH down (Target pH 5.5)
- FloraMicro 3 Part Series (1 mL each Micro, Gro & Bloom)
- 1.2 mL of Rapid Start
A few drops of pH Down gets me down to 5.5
Unlike soil (which has trace nutrients) cloning/germination in hydroponics requires immediate additions of nutrients. Once you get the pH to 5.5 add:
- 1.2 mL GH Rapid Start
- 1 mL of FloraGro
- 1 mL of FloraMicro
- 1 mL of FloraBloom
My starting ppm was 100 and the final ppm was around 300.
The result
This is what we're going for. Healthy white roots ready to be thrown into a 3″ or 6″ net pot with hydroton.
Scaling It up
I have also scaled this method up without issue. When using tall 10+ gallon totes I have not have any issues with leaking. Just make sure to spray paint the lid black and then white to prevent light leaks, as in the DWC Reservoir tek.
Aeroponics Seed Germination
Seeds can also be germinated using these cloning buckets. Check out my guide on using cloning collars to germinate for DWC.
Black Bucket Vs Painted Bucket
If you can find a black bucket I strongly recommend it. Or at the very least get a black lid. Spray paint likes to chip off the plastic and will find its way into your water. Give your local aquarium supply store a call and see if the have any extra coral salt buckets.
Water Leaks In Aeroponics Cloner
As I was getting ready for work one morning I checked on the ladies to find my plywood grow box was flooded. The pump had slowly sprayed a substantial amount of water out of the tote. The cause of my problem was not having an air exhaust to vent out positive pressure in the cloner. I also now use buckets and deeper totes to reduce the risk of water leaking during the mist cycle.
My Experience using Rockwool with DWC
Rockwool and humidity domes have always been synonymous with cloning plants. Although I have had success with using rockwool, there are a number of problems with it in DWC grows. Rockwool holds water, which can become stale and unoxygenated. Traditional humidity domes run at 100% humidity which is an invitation for mold and bacteria to develop. This mold/bacteria can spread quickly in DWC systems.
Sidebar: Do Not use an ultrasonic fogger for cloning
My first attempt at aeroponics involved the use of a $17 ultrasonic fogger. These are often used in cool mist humidifiers or reptile foggers. An oscillating ceramic plate atomizes water into particles that are 3-5 microns in size.
The cuttings were killed by the fogger in a matter of 24 hours. Because the mist is so fine it blankets the cuttings, not allowing air to get to them. I had the fogger on a cycle timer running for 3 minutes on and 15 minutes off. I could have tried to introduce air into the box but this would be too much hassle. In addition, I have read that people were having problems with the oscillating plate clogging up and having difficulty atomizing nutrient solutions which have ions 40-50 microns in size. For $17 it was a worthy experiment, but this fogger ended up going back to amazon. Save the ultrasonic misters for the DIY Humidifier build.
I did have a reddit user message me saying that he uses ultrasonic foggers without issue for cloning. His setup seemed similar to mine. If you have any experience using foggers shoot me a message on reddit.
Store Bought Aeroponincs Cloners
There are a number of cloners available for purchase via amazon or your local hydroponics store. Be warned that some of them are DWC cloners, and not true Aeroponics cloners (e.g. Psycloner, Oxyclone). DO NOT BUY THESE. They are overpriced and I have found them to be rather ineffective. The stem sits in water making the chances of getting rot very high.
The only good store bought Aeronponics cloners I have found are:
- TurboKlone (24, 48, 144 site units available)
- Clone King 36 site (need to add bubbler)
- Aeroponic Clone Machine 48 Site
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Source: https://growdoctorguides.com/dwc/
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