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jackblasto

outdoor hydro and water temperature?

jackblasto
9 years ago

Guy at the hydro store today told me that if I did hydro outside there would be massive problems with water that was too hot. Any have any experience with this? I am wanting to move my tomato deep water culture buckets outdoors. Guy at the store said sunlight shining on the bucket would make the water so hot that it wouldn't be good. Any ideas on how to make this work? I have seen people on here doing outdoor light with hydroponic... wondering what you're doing to make this element correct OR does it really matter that much? Thanks for any advice.

Comments (6)

  • hex2006
    9 years ago

    Depends on how the water is delivered, recirculating it through hot beds of media makes it very hard to control the temp. I use aero outdoors in full sun with no problem, i run cool nutes drain to waste and collect the runoff so no warm nutes make it back to heat up the res.
    Burying the buckets and lines would help, insulating them is the next best thing.

  • beauto
    9 years ago

    The higher the temp of the water the lower the dissolved oxygen content. Your roots are completely submerged in DWC and really need DO. Pathogens thrive in those conditions as well.

    Not to say it can't be done, but it seems likely that they are right.

  • grizzman
    9 years ago

    Where do you live and how hot are you talking?
    I've only ever grown hydroponically outdoors in north carolina. I found that using aluminum foil on any surface that receives direct sunlight works wonders at limiting radiant heat gain.
    If your weather is anything like ours, that should get you through everything except the very worst couple of days in summer.

  • beauto
    9 years ago

    Once it gets over 85 degrees here DWC is not an option. Mid-June through August is always in the upper 90's with almost immeasurable humidity.

  • robert_1943
    9 years ago

    I live in the tropics of Australia and I grow 12 months a year outside without any cooling etc with
    Drip System
    Vertical System
    Ebb and Flow system
    DWC system
    Understandably I try to keep the reservoirs cool but nothing special our hottest day this summer was 107F and I did not loose a plant, oh I forgot we have high humidity in the tropics. Just plan to have your reservoirs like mine under a tree close by, as for the DWC under the roof eaves allowing only some time of the day in full blaring sun.
    In other words tongue in cheek I am saying be sensible where you set up and give some forward thinking to these points.

  • ykerzner
    9 years ago

    I'm currently aiming for as close to 1 watt/gallon as possible. This helps with the lower dissolved oxygen that occurs at higher temperatures (now reaching 90 F).

    In the picture, I have:

    3 Mortgage Lifters and one Black Krim (tomatoes) in a 14-gallon tote getting about 13 watts
    2 eggplants getting 6.6 watts in a 14-gallon container
    basil getting about 2 watts
    five cucumber plants and an eggplant getting about 13 watts
    One enormous sungold cherry tomato getting about 5 watts
    Two sorrel plants and a dwarf basil plant getting about one watt combined in a NFT-type container.

    Everything is doing well, with the only problems being related to pH.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Current plant growth