Flood & Drain

Flood and Drain, also called Ebb and Flow, is a hydroponic method that involves regular, periodic flooding and draining of a nutrient solution to the plants. Plants are placed in a grow tray. Water is pumped out of a reservoir periodically to flood the tray with the nutrient solution, flowing over the plants’ roots. After it floods, gravity enables the water to drain back to the reservoir (Ebb) for it to be reused. These two actions repeat together regularly.

In a more sophisticated system, grow sites are connected to a water level control bucket which is connected to a central reservoir. Water is automatically pumped from the reservoir to the water control bucket until all the connected grow sites are full. The water level is maintained for a period while the plant roots and media are soaked with the nutrient solution. Water is then pumped back to the reservoir until all the grow sites are empty. This provides time for the roots and media to absorb oxygen. The cycle repeats automatically, ensuring the roots and media never dry out. There is even distribution of nutrient solution to each grow site. This system requires a Flood and Drain Controller.

Did you know?

• A Flood and Drain system is easy to use and manage because it doesn’t require much technical knowledge to keep it running. Once set up, it requires minimal supervision and maintenance.
• Unlike Deep Water Culture, Flood and Drain systems do not keep a plant’s roots permanently suspended in the nutrient solution. Plants in their flowering and fruit-bearing stages respond exceptionally well to letting the roots dry out between irrigation cycles.
• Flood and Drain is a flexible system because you can easily take plants out of it and transplant them into deep water culture, soil, or any other system you’d like.