Help I can't manage to get beyond seedlings!!!

[cronik182]

Can anyone tell me what im doing wrong and give me some pointers. Three times now ive managed to germinate my seeds in tissue and transplant them into rockwool and once they reach about an inch tall they stop growing and eventually die. The first lot dried out the second lot look like there about to die from OD on nutrients.

If I tell you what ive been doing perhaps someone could give me some pointers. Ive Ph balanced about 2 litres of water to 5.6 added about a teaspoon of superthrive. Germinate them in a little water on some tissue, I then let the Rockwool soak in the water for a while and then squeeze the excess water out. I then put the seeds in root pointing down. Leave them a couple of days in a normal heated propergator. Once they break the surface I put them on my window sill and let them get some light. After about a week I mix up some more water with 1/4 strength nutes im using advanced nutrients. Ive used the table on the web site to make sure I get it right.

Then I put them in my grow cabinet with two 125w fluro's about 6 inches above them and I water them morning and night. They dont seem to be growing, all I need is a little bit of root so as I can put them in my Oxy pots.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

cronik182 Reviewed by cronik182 on 07-22-2005. Help I can't manage to get beyond seedlings!!! Can anyone tell me what im doing wrong and give me some pointers. Three times now ive managed to germinate my seeds in tissue and transplant them into rockwool and once they reach about an inch tall they stop growing and eventually die. The first lot dried out the second lot look like there about to die from OD on nutrients. If I tell you what ive been doing perhaps someone could give me some pointers. Ive Ph balanced about 2 litres of water to 5.6 added about a teaspoon of superthrive. Rating: 5

[Zandor]

First you soak the Rockwool (if you insist on using it) in Ph adjusted RO water to 5.5 for 24 hours before you need it.

While you are soaking the Rockwool you germinate the seeds using the Paper Towel method. No superthrive or nutrients, just RO Ph adjusted water.

Once the seed is showing a taproot, place it into the grow medium. Place the grow medium under the light, not in the window. Use the 125w light 24/7 and keep the temperature no higher then 85f and place a humidity dome over the seedling. When the seedling reaches for the light and you see the first set of true leaves you can remove the humidity dome. Watch the temperature now, you need to get it below 80 and add a gentle air movement.

No nutrients should be given to the seedling at all. (Only very experienced growers feed nutrients to seedlings, and most of them still don't do it and play it safe).

Once you see roots sticking out from the bottom of the Rockwool you should have 3 or 4 sets of true leaves. You can now move your seedling into its grow pot and start with 1/4 strength nutrients the first week. Bump them up to normal after that. If you are going to use Miracle Grow soil (not advised) you don't feed any nutrients at all.

That should get you started and on your way.

[cronik182]

Thanks Zandor, you say that if I insist on using RW. Is there a better way that I can start them off? Im only using the RW as thats what the guy in my local grow shop suggested.

[Zandor]

Peat moss pellets work just fine.
If you are going to grow in Hydroponics they wash off the plant with easy and not get any dirt or anything in your reservoir.
You can then plant just the seeding in the grow rocks and not have to worry about Rockwool retaining water and soaking the root ball, or holding nutrients around the root ball.
It will save you Ph problems as well as the chance for toxic salt buildup & nutrient imbalance around the root ball due to excessive water build up.

Rockwool is the #1 grow medium sold at grow stores (so they say). Itâ??s just not my favorite thing to use for the reasons I stated above.

[latewood]

tsp superthrive,way too muchfor 2 liters...1/2 cap-capful per gallon for such young plants...
some people say no nutes yet, some say 25-33% nutes solution...
Zandor as always is right...being a rockwool user I might add; that if you are growing in soil, never use rockwool...the peat pellets are great...roots go crazy in that stuff,
but in my personal experience, side by side the plants I cleaned off peat pellets and placed them in netpots with just hydroton for DWChydro were not as successful as my rockwool plants(in a DWC setup), but if you are using a technique where you have rockwool sitting in solution constantly, you can experience all the problems Zandor mentioned...one more thing as Zandor mentioned above, you must soak the rockwool in ph adjusted water overnight, then give it a good shake or 2 like shaking out a paintbrush... never (using dwc) pour water or nutes through netpot and rockwool it will rinse your semi-dry rockwool into res and your ph will go crazy, always add your solution thru a filler tube, pump it from a main reservoir, or pull up the top and pour it directly in the res...hope this helps...latewood

[Zandor]

Youâ??re right latewood I should have said drip type systems, or even ebb & flow but in a DWC system or an Aeroponics system where you water from the bottom Rockwool works fine.

[cronik182]

Thanks guys this is harder than I thought im begining to think I might switch to soil. They just dont seem to grow in the RW. I did 6 months of research ive spent a fortune on building a cabinet and I get even get passed the first stage.

[Zandor]

Nobody said it was easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is.

[trippruss]

my personal opinion is that after initial prep work that hydro is much easier when it comes to d&f or dwc. r

[cronik182]

OK well, guess I will try again. Thanks for the input.