Hey everyone - could use your input! I'm prep'n to start my grow (doing research first, trying to grow tomatoes first, etc). I'm curious about your exact methods when using seed and rockwool. Setup: 400w HPS Flood/Drain hydro Medium: Rockwool Average Temp: 80F I can either germ in a papertowel or the RW cube - makes no matter. Once the seed pops and I get a little growth... what do you guys do at this point? Plant in rockwool cube and put under the HPS at that time? I'm worried about killing the plants with too much light (call it dumb paranoia) and was tempted to just place the cups near a window until they got about 2inches tall. Do you just feed using 5.5pH water and no nutes at all (even in hydro)? Not sure if I should go with 1/4 recommended nutes or just use plain water for the first couple weeks to prevent burn. Also - how often do you flood these little seedlings? I've read on flooding 2 times per day, others 4 and others yet just do 1 because it's rockwool and holds moisture pretty well. Guess I'm just looking for when most of you actually start using the hydro and HPS lights. My first attempt caused everything to die (found out it was heat related, but still left me with paranoia about when to put the plants under the HPS and in the hydro.) If the answer is as soon as ya see a stem throw it under the light and get the flood/drain schedule going - that would rock! Thanks again! -Slyp
Dont use rockwool. It totally messes with your pH levels. You can go to the grow store and youll find these brownish circle rocks. I completely forget the name of them but they will knwo what you are talking about. If youre using a drain n fill setup, after the seeds pop and get a lil root to them you can put them into the rocks and start up the system.
Thanks Dmcalways! However, I thought if the rockwool was soaked in 5.5pH water for a few hours - it would no longer cause the pH to fluctuate... ?? For nutes I have the Veg and Bloom ones (from hydro store) but havent bothered buying any of the micro nutes (wasn't sure if I would need them or not). I also am using the red rocks (I too forgot the name which is why I didn't list them). I put the rockwool cubes in the red rocks (similar to most layouts I've seen). I didn't think it would be a good idea to put the plant in the rocks without any rockwool (since the rocks float they tend to move around when the system floods).
bro.. I'm really not trying to contradict anyone else.. but I would use nothing but rockwool.. it retains water the longest.. maintains ph levels perfectly.. and is extrememly versatile.. if your gone bro.. and your pump doesn't come on that day.. if your using hydroton rocks.. they will dry up and your plant will dehydrate.. trust me get 4" rockwool cubes and sprout the little beaners in the little starter cubes.. then as soon as they are sprouted throw them under the 400 in the other cubes and flood it with botanicare's pure blend pro veg 1/4 of a tsp per ounce, it's the strength on the back for seedlings and cuttings.. use it.. I would probly get some CAl Mag made by them too.. and add 1 tsp per gal of that too.. of course this is just what I do for all my clones and seedlings and they all Love me alot.. flood and drain you will find to be the most productive/ for effort put in. you can get some buckets systems but bro the power goes off and those airpumps don't run for half the day and your plants all drown.. I've done it.. it's HORRIBLE.. so ya.. rockwool.. sprout.. throw them under there... and whaw.. watch how FAST they grow.. you'll be amazed..
and honestly bro one more thing .. I wouldn't put those hydroton rocks with the rockwool.. if anything fill it in with those little rockwool chunks.. those hydroton rocks will encourage the root growth to go mainly into them and then if anything ever happened you would probly come near dehydration levels.. I just know how hydro is and try to watch out for that .. "I caused them all to die" sydrome.. you will find that with plants .. it is not so much important of how large you get the root system if you are constantly bringing nutes to the main root ball.. there really, in fact, is no reason for the plant to concentrate on finding nutes with searching long ass roots.. when we are delivering the food to the front door.. the reason I say all this is my yeilds when I took great care to allow them to grow throughout the table was nearly the same as when I just used the 4" cube and that was all the room the root system had.. Yet I've done 4 bushes per 1000watter and still that small rootball was able to provide for 7-8 ounces on each bush.. rockwool is something I thank God for
I agree. I love my ebb and flo system. I started with hydroton rocks and they were very effective until I did my clones and put them together. Rockwool cubes are one of the highest qualities for a medium. Rockwool cubes work very well because they do maintain ph levels perfectly. On your ebb and flo system just make sure to do a weekly flushing and then a 2 week flush before harvesting. You will be very satisfied with the system either way you go but rockwool takes away alot of the little things you have to do. Not nearly as much work.
You can always start the little babies in soil... wait till they get a few sets of leaves then throw them right into the rocks(hydroton i think is what they are called) the little volcanic round things... but anyways you can do that or yea soak the rockwool for a couple days to balance its pH then throw the seed in there and just grow... i would say use the light all the time... but have it to its like highest point if u start it in the hydro... other then that if u grow with the soil first then throw in the rocks u can have the HPS runnin right when u throw the baby in