I’ve read so many conflicting methods regarding this on the web… I need to hear the best method from the Pro’s!!
I’ll be growing 2 auto’s in bubbler buckets & the seller sent me 2 rockwool cubes with them (no outer wrapper). His instructions and lots more across web say; soak rockwool for 2 to 24 hours, gently shake off excess water and place seeds in cubes…than place rockwool containing the seeds directly in net pots in the buckets with clay pebbles (keeping H2o level slightly above net level) until they germinate.
I’ve also been told to make an X-cut in bottom of my net cups to make it easier for roots to break through??
Is this the correct manner in which to proceed? If not, please advise.
Thanks so much in advance for helping.
This is a key part, don’t forget to do this, and don’t bombard them with a ton of water, it makes it where they can’t breathe, that’s the purpose of the shake is to introduce oxygen into the cubes. Keep this mindset until your roots poke out. Always keep it moist but never soaked
I’ve never had to do this but I can’t see out hurting.
If your using any kind of top feed once you place the cubes into your bubbler bucket system make sure you turn it off when your roots hit the water
I’m with @TDubWilly I don’t think the cuts in the net pots is necessary. Your process is pretty much like mine, except I use rapid rooters. Until the seedling has roots in your reservoir you just need to top feed the plants. You might have roots outside the rockwool and into your clay pellets. Your clay pellets may be damp from the bubbling water in the bucket… that doesn’t mean your plant is getting enough water. I had this happen on my current grow and ended up having to top feed. When you actually see roots down into the water in your bucket, then I think you can stop top feeding.
@TDubWilly@Bogleg Thank you gentlemen for helping me out. I don’t have a top feed with my system but will make certain the infants are getting enough water through the top till roots are safely in the water. I’ve also been told “no nutes till 4th true node appears”. My first grow in DWC and I’m determined to succeed!!!
I use rockrool soaked in ph,d water i put the seed in the hole and use a knife to gently cover it up with thin layer of rockwool and a week later i put them in the netpot with a single layer of clay Pebbles underneath the rock wool . I put my water level to where it touches the bottom of the net pot and I just use pH water with no nutrients and my roots usually come out of the net pot within 2 weeks with no top feed
It’s funny because I have been told repeatedly to not raise my water level to the bottom of the net pot and to always keep it at least an inch from the bottom… and I don’t really understand why. If I would’ve done this early in my current grow it would’ve saved me a ton of headaches.
The reason for us telling you to keep that one inch air gap is because your rapid rooter or your rockwool will stay to wet and will lead to problems… it’s alot easier to just top feed twice a day rather then take the chance of killing your baby’s…
Right but when you are putting your little seedling in its rapid rooter or whatever into a 6" or 8" net pot, chances are you aren’t anywhere near the bottom of the net pot with the rooter/rockwool.
I mean this all is basic common sense but clearly I don’t have any because I definitely screwed it up on my current grow. Heh.
This makes complete sense to me. The only thing that concerns me is dropping the water level an inch once roots are growing… seems to me your bubbler would have to work harder verses adjusting its intensity so the water covers all… just my opinion tho. Are you doing auto’s in the buckets? A few peeps said they’ve had no luck with them in DWC but that’s what I’ve got and going to nurse them all the way!!
@Mush4kush how big are your net pots? I’ve been using 6" net pots and if I do a single layer of hydrocorn under the pot I have 3-4" from the top of the rooter/cube to the edge of the lid, which makes for very little room under the plant if I place my rooter that far down into the net pot:
Im using 6inch pots i put enough rocks to cover rockwool and as plant grows i add rocks until pot is full im not sure if its the proper way but it works for me
It’s the proper way for you and that’s what matters and I like the sound of your method… except that 1" water gap. See, my buckets are the 1 gallon (3" nets) Bumble Bee brand touted by & given awards from HighTimes mag. I put them together last night, expecting a stronger bubbler effect…but if I allowed the 1" gap it would not allow the water to reach the netpots at all.
Oh, one more thing’ you mentioned placing seeds in rockwool and moving them into netpots about a week later… where are they during that wait time? Asking because people say to drop the seed in damp cube and place directly into netpot/buckets??
I’ll be starting a new grow in a week or two and will document how I do it (not saying it’s the right way or that I will even succeed on the first try, but I will document it anyway).
I’m going to use rapid rooters and follow these steps:
Put seed in shot glass with a little H2O2 and tap water
Wait for seed to sink and give it 24 hours
Soak rapid rooters in PH 5.8 water and squeeze out excess moisture
Place seeds in rapid rooters
Place rapid rooters in seedling tray on top of heating mat
When seedlings emerge, turn on 125w CFL fixture
Grow seedlings under 125w CFL fixture until roots are out of the rapid rooter
Place rapid rooters in my DWC system and top feed with PH’d water until I see roots down into the reservoir taking up water
That’s my plan to avoid moving the plants around very much and try to keep it as simple as possible.
Do you mind if I copycat your steps? If you don’t than I’m going to start working on my seeds today!! My Meizhi 450 LED is arriving today & tent comes Monday. I don’t have a proper tray for the seedling stage but can find something in my canna kitchen to suffice. And you’re placing seeds in straight hydrogen peroxide, correct? I thought about using the ‘descarment’ method of knicking the outer shell of seed for faster germination…but decided not on 1st grow. I’m excited for you, for me and for everyone growing
It’s not like I have a patent on it so go for it! And document it and tag me as you go through it so I can follow.
As far as straight into H2O2, no… I add a few drops of H2O2 to the shot glass and fill the rest with water. I will tell you that the first couple of times I germinated seeds I just did it with straight water. I’ve never had an ILGM seed fail to germinate. I have screwed it up and lost a couple of seeds but it was grower error and not an issue with the seeds.
