I took the plastic off - mostly because the cubes were square (duh!) and they were going in 4" net pots so I had to cut off the corners to make them fit. I didn't figure I really needed the plastic anyway. I had read to soak the cubes in pH'ed water for 24 hrs before putting them in but I didn't know it was a necessity. I called tech support at Advanced Nutrients yesterday and told him what was happening and he said it is really important to soak your cubes in pH'ed water because the rock wool is alkaline and will shock your plants. Soooooo... This morning they still look like hell so I'm changing the water again (changed it three days ago). The rock wool doesn't hold up very well under the slight weight of the hydroton clay pellets; even the 3" ones are like a gooey mess now.
Just for anyone else's info - there was white foam on top of the water yesterday and I asked the tech about it. He said it's no big deal at all; it's there because I must have used an antibacterial product like Piranha and the foam is just a sign they are happy and have fully colonized the roots and res. Foam is basically "beneficial poop" - beneficials are the good microbes that kill off any bad ones.
Thanks for the advice guys. If my plants survive my stupidity I will have learned some good lessons. I know it sounds lame but I do read and research a LOT, trying to find out how to do what seems on the surface as a simple process but there is a lot more to it than it appears.
Well, time to make up some more pH'ed water, nute it (to 800 ppm) and change the babies out and hope they don't die on me.
Mehhh
Potpimp, please find and read nongreenthumb and Drizzle's journals! NGT is a pro at growing in RW and you will learn a lot if you follow it carefully. I"m growing in RW too after saving my plants from a stealth hydro plant killer unit.
It's VERY VERY simple, I don't understand why you're having so much trouble.
Here's what you do in a few easy steps:
1) Germinate the seeds
2) Once you see a tap root, place in 1" rockwool cube which you soak in a 5.5 pH solution, don't add any nutrients at this point until the plants are at least a week old.
3) Once they sprout, place under light,
DO NOT EVER place your plants close to an HID or HPS lights, it will surely kill them. CFL's are the only light which allow you to do that.
4) Once you see a root just starting to emerge from the bottom of a 1" rw cube, get a
SIX INCH rockwool block which you soak for 30 min in 5.5 pH solution as well.
5) Water the plants with clean water, EC < .5 and pH at 5.8. Do you have a water meter?
6) Cover the tops of the six inch cubes with 3 mil black poly or anything that won't let the light penetrate the top of the cube.
7) Drain excess water and water every 2-3 days by dunking the cube in water with solution. This procedure can later be automated.
Good luck, i'm starting a new grow too, so feel free to check my journal, have plants of various sizes at a young age.
