I'm super new at not only growing but hydroponic growing. I wanted to start a DWC system but need to get cleared up on the germination process, I guess I'm sort of a slow learner...blame the pot lol but I was wondering, after soaking the rockwool cube in 5.5 ph water and inserting the sprouted seed, do i directly take the rockwool cube and put it a bigger 3" cube and wait for roots to sprout out of that and then transfer it to the bubbler or do I wait for the roots to sprout out of the 1st cube, then place in bigger cube, (with the hydroton) directly in the bubbler? most of the threads and tutorials I've read start from the cloning stage. I just want to get this down pact before actually starting, I know it'll take a few trials but I still want to produce the best bud I can even on the first try. Thanks in advance, all tips and comments are welcome.
You can start the seed with the paper towel method , then place sprout into a cup with perlite in it and let it start growning in that ...then after seedling is about 4 inches in hieght, rinse the perlite off the roots as much as possible being very careful with those young roots & place straight into the hydroton, but be careful not to smash the stem during the transplanting process in the hydroton. this has worked for me several times...there is never a wrong or right way... it is what works for you. Trial and Error seems to work best for me...good luck.
thanks so much! Do you rinse or do anything to your hydroton? different people say it gets in the water and messes with the balance.
Yes! Wash your hydroton GOOD before putting it into a DWC system especially! The dry clay has massive amounts of dust buildup on it when you buy it from the store, this will rinse off in YOUR SYSTEM and clog pumps and stain everything if not washed before use. I put it in my net pots, and put it in the sink and spray it with the sprayer then put it under the bathtub faucet and blast it good. Works good for me. -HPS
also... soak it in a ph balanced water for a day ... balance your waters' ph to around 5.5 and soak the hydroton in the water after cleaning. You could run into PH problems if you do not soak it first before introducing your plant to it. I clean mine by poking holes in the bottom of the bag with a small screwdriver and cut a hole in the top of the bag and run a hose in the top and let it drain out the bottom into the yard...
Great tips, thanks yall I appreciate it. Another question- I've seen some use big reservoir buckets in addition to the main bucket and some don't. Which do you prefer?
Good tip. I wash the hydroton in the dishwasher. Once i pot the plant,,i just set it in tub of ph corrected RO water up to the rim of the pot and it soaks to a proper PH,,but your way sounds just as good to get the pellets at proper PH. PEACE