Pythium Nightmare

As any professional grower or gardener will tell you, Pythium root rot is a nasty pest that, if left untreated, can cause failure of an entire crop in very short order. Formerly classified as a fungus, scientists have learned much more about the varying “strains” of Pythium and have changed its classification to a pathogen. Regardless of the type of pathogen involved, the mechanism of action for the Pythium genus remains the same. Oftentimes Pythium root rot is referred to as “damping off.”

These pathogens directly attack the root system of the plant, causing normally healthy white roots to change color to brown or gray. This typically happens within just a few days of the initial infection of the system. This is followed by a “sliming off” of the roots. (The general texture of healthy roots is somewhat rigid, with “fishbone” style feeder roots emanating from a centrally located tap root.) Rather than feeling rigid and appearing white, they develop the appearance and feel of mush, oftentimes falling off to be circulated in the system. This presents multiple problems, the most obvious of which leaves a plant attempting to grow with no root system to provide sustenance. This infected root mass that is circulating through the system will in fact contaminate the other plants that reside in that system.

There is no doubt that Pythium is much more devastating in a hydroponic application when compared to a soil application. This is due in large part to the fact that Pythium has adapted very well to live in water. Certain varieties of Pythium will produce what are known as zoospores (small, flagellated spores) that are extremely small, motile spores able to move in water. These spores are able to move from plant to plant via the water in the system, colonizing and infecting along the way. They even have the ability to remain viable for long periods of time in soil and in the nooks and crannies of a hydroponic system.

Ok, now that we know what I am dealing with, it's a nightmare for me. I can't afford Hygrozyme. I have been growing in DWC for a few years now & I have never had THIS much trouble. I'm using tap city water as usual and I have read that the pythium can lurk in the water supply!

I'm about ready to just switch to soil or coco or whatever lol. Once a plant gets this 'pyth' you may as well kiss it good bye, unless you go get H2O2 and douch/ flush the hell out of em with that & pony up 100's of clams for Hygozyme enzyms,,,what a bunch of bolony !

I'm gonna throw away about over 12 plants & bleach wash everything from pumps to floors & walls & idk, ,,,,switch to dirt lol, what to hell but that's one hell of alot of dirt for the amounts I'm tryin to grow.

I'm flowering under 2 1000's . Plant seem to 'lock' late in the flowering because the root ball just gets to the point that its not taking O2 anymore.

I'm getting good yields, just not the kind that I should or could. NOt useing RO water is an obvious no no I know that.

screw it, I'm gonna switch to dirt or organic gardening, less pyth involved in roots in soil.

 

No, I have not tried pythoff(monochloramine) Water temps ave. 65 degrees F. I want to start a RDWC. I have the stuff, pump, pipe grommet's ect.

Thanks for the replys. I have so many containers on the go, RDWC would be a plummers nitemare to hook up.

I have tried H2o2 in the past with a couple plant & it worked. Problem with that is cost. I think it was 30 bucks for a little half pint of 32% H2o2 at the health food store! So , lol, at that cost I can't go there again.

Any organic stuff that I try seems to just no work at all (mycorzial fungi? sp.) I assume that the clorine in my city water prevents this good bacteria to grow?

Right now I'm just spraying it off with a garden pressure hose & running 're-gen-aroot' an Austrailian product. I don' t see it helping that much.

 

Thanks! I have tried a microbe tea before & I don't know if it's my non-RO water? I'll give it a shot again & see.

I just came up from my room & was looking and the roots won't shake this slime~!@~! I switched from Hydroton to some new rock medium call "Hygromite". Seems like all this 'pyth' started when I introduce this rock. I washed the piss out of it & cleaned it but that don't mean diddly. I read that pythium can live through almost anything including attaching itself to this new rock.

I have battled pyth before in a few plants here & there for this reason or that but c'mon, I have this shit in almost all of my 40 plants~! I'm now almost certain that this new rock has infected all of these and I don't know what to hell to do now?

I wondering how to sterilize this grow rock/ medium. I don't think sending it through the dishwasher is enough. I read that some folks preasure cook their used hydroton or 'rock' to kill bacteria?

I don't know wtf to do. I been scratchin my head for days & mumbling to myself. I'm a basket case washing these roots & changing solution every other day.

I'm almost certain that this new rock that I decided to use is infecting these plants. It's really f'n with my so called mind.

I been growing for 35 years and I have not seen anything like this type of pythium or whatever.

Thanks for suggestions, i need every tip I can get right now.