Grow Mediums Calling all Wilma-ites, need advice!

[Sage]

So here's my plan:

I've got a 1m x1m tent which I'm currently running a Green Man system in (basically an aqua farm). This is working great, gives me massive plants with big yields but....I prefer variety, so I'd rather grow four smaller plants like I used to when I used blumats. But I want to keep using clay pebbles, don't want to go back to coco. Which is where the Wilma comes in, I would love to run four different strains at once, which I'm gambling on Megacrop being able to achive (I've noticed the plants I've grown with it can handle low ppms, really high ppm's and everything in between without trouble, so I'm hoping that will mean different strains will be ok on a uniform feed level).

What I can't decide on is if I should get the Large Wilma (75cmx75cm) or the Small (60cmx60cm). I think the pots look too close together on the small, but not sure if the large will be too big for my tent? Maybe running the large Wilma but with 6l pots would be best? Or am I mad???

@sanguine @Eclectic Elle @Duckster and any other Wilma users, any advice greatfully received!

 

[Eclectic Elle]

What I can't decide on is if I should get the Large Wilma (75cmx75cm) or the Small (60cmx60cm). I think the pots look too close together on the small, but not sure if the large will be too big for my tent? Maybe running the large Wilma but with 6l pots would be best? Or am I mad???

I have a small, and it's in my 120 x 80 tent. I haven't run 4x 11 litre pots in it yet, although I have them. My yields have not been brilliant so far although my last run in my 120 x 60 mid-tent netted me just over a gram a watt as I was running a cob and a small LED panel in there. I'm a lazy grower and I can't be bothered changing the res every week so I expect lower yields.

Having said that, I also like variety and I've never grown all four of the same in the Wilma. This time round I have two full-size (to me) plants and my 2 litre bottle grows all on the Wilma with MegaCrop and they're looking sweet. I do very little training with mine, I'll occasionally top but sometimes just leave them completely natural and supercrop if they get too tall.

You can run smaller pots on the small one too, 6 or 8 litres work just as well as the 11s, but of course are likely to make a difference to yield. Although my plants' roots always end up in the res anyway! In your shoes I would go for the small, to leave yourself more room around to train your plants outwards and get plenty of air circulating.

Hope this helps you @Sage but I'll also tag @Wile e Peyote (who used to use a Wilma) and @Itisi in case they want to add anything. Hopefully Sanguine will be along soon too. His grows are pretty much always fabulous!

 

[woody]

8 litre pots in the 75 x 75 should work well. I use 11litre pots in that size wilma and fill a 1.2m tent no problem.
I also prefer the pot spacing on the bigger size wilma

 

[Sage]

Thanks both...though I was hoping for a consensus so I didn't have to think!

@Eclectic Elle did you drill holes for the roots to end up in the res, or do they find their way their on their own? I really like the idea of being able to move the pots during the grow if needed, maybe if I put some autopot copper cloth at the bottom of the pots it would stop dem roots running wild.

 

[Eclectic Elle]

Thanks both...though I was hoping for a consensus so I didn't have to think!

@Eclectic Elle did you drill holes for the roots to end up in the res, or do they find their way their on their own? I really like the idea of being able to move the pots during the grow if needed, maybe if I put some autopot copper cloth at the bottom of the pots it would stop dem roots running wild.

Sanguine has more experience than me, so I'll defer.

No they did it themselves, but luckily I didn't have to move them once they'd got themselves rooted. The copper cloth might work.

 

[woody]

@Sage you cant go wrong with either option. Both will fill your tent with bud

 

[Duckster]

I use the 75 x 75 Wilma with the big pots - 18L I think in a 4 x 4 tent. I have only used it for 1 grow. I used landscaping weed barrier cloth in the bottom of the pots but the roots still managed to work their way into the res.