Root rot?

rayb73

rayb73

Member
no problem,FFOF is a great soil just not for seedlings.i use pro mix its ph neutrel and doesnt have no nutes added.i like to be able to control whatever goes into my soil that way i can tell if the plant has had to much or to little of anything.
 
BustedParaphernalia

BustedParaphernalia

Well-Known Member
I have two seedlings in OF... if I pick up some seedling mix tomorrow, could I successfully transplant them? Or just leave them and see how it goes...

@rayb73 thanks for the guide, nice find
 
BustedParaphernalia

BustedParaphernalia

Well-Known Member
kbo ca said:
never had any problems planting seedlings straight into ocean forest. Best soil i've ever used. It's been a goof-proof nobrainer from day one.
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One of the seeds I planted in the OF sprang up a couple days ago... but the other seems to have died...? It doesn't look like it even grew much. Could it have been too far down in the soil? Maybe when I watered it it sank down farther or something...?
 
kbo ca

kbo ca

Active Member
it could have been a lot of things. When i start seeds i germ them, then i put them into grodan rockwool cubes. I place these in a small dixie cups and then put them on a heat mat until they pop out of the cube and the leaves open up. Soon after this you will see some roots coming out of the cube, this means time to put in soil. Been doin it for years never had any type of problem. Sometimes you will start a seed that just doesn't grow properly. It doesn't matter how much knowlege or experience you have. Some seeds just don't make it. you made a good choice with FFOF. Respect
 
BustedParaphernalia

BustedParaphernalia

Well-Known Member
kbo ca said:
it could have been a lot of things. When i start seeds i germ them, then i put them into grodan rockwool cubes. I place these in a small dixie cups and then put them on a heat mat until they pop out of the cube and the leaves open up. Soon after this you will see some roots coming out of the cube, this means time to put in soil. Been doin it for years never had any type of problem. Sometimes you will start a seed that just doesn't grow properly. It doesn't matter how much knowlege or experience you have. Some seeds just don't make it. you made a good choice with FFOF. Respect
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Planted three more seeds in FFOF a few minutes ago. Hopefully they do as good as my first one. Maybe once I have some more money to put into this I can do a more complicated process like you explained. I guess the only thing holding me back from that is I just need to understand exactly what all those steps do..
 
kbo ca

kbo ca

Active Member
You don't need much money for what im talking about. germinating seeds is just the process of finding out if your seed is alive before you put it in soil. The way I do this is by placing my seeds in a moist paper towel. I keep it warm and moist for about three days or until the seeds show the tap root coming out. Once the taproot is visible, i put each seed into a rockwool cube, which are very cheap. Then you place the cube in a paper cup underneath your light source and just keep that cube moist and warm until it pops up and roots start to emerge from the bottom of the cube. I only do this so that i don't waste soil on a seed that isn't going to grow. you can put the germinated seed directly into soil, but it's hard to keep a large container of soil warm. it is very easy to keep a rockwool cube warm with the use of a heat mat, which are easy to find and cheap as well. Warmth and moisture are very important for young seeds beginning life.
 
BustedParaphernalia

BustedParaphernalia

Well-Known Member
kbo ca said:
You don't need much money for what im talking about. germinating seeds is just the process of finding out if your seed is alive before you put it in soil. The way I do this is by placing my seeds in a moist paper towel. I keep it warm and moist for about three days or until the seeds show the tap root coming out. Once the taproot is visible, i put each seed into a rockwool cube, which are very cheap. Then you place the cube in a paper cup underneath your light source and just keep that cube moist and warm until it pops up and roots start to emerge from the bottom of the cube. I only do this so that i don't waste soil on a seed that isn't going to grow. you can put the germinated seed directly into soil, but it's hard to keep a large container of soil warm. it is very easy to keep a rockwool cube warm with the use of a heat mat, which are easy to find and cheap as well. Warmth and moisture are very important for young seeds beginning life.
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I germinate my seeds as well, I'm aware of the process. I also use the paper towel method. I have not artificially introduced warmth to the seeds but usually the area they are in is around 80F during the day and 60-70F at night, and they seem to always do fine. Last seeds I germinated took only two days to produce roots that were actually clinging to the paper towel.

I will try the rockwool cube method next time. I do not have a heat pad, do you have any other ideas on how best to warm a seedling in rockwool?
 
kbo ca

kbo ca

Active Member
they sell these heat pads that you shake up and put in your gloves or boots in snowy weather. They are available at wal-mart. They last around 8 hours so that should do the trick. They are pretty cheap, but you will need a new one every night. They come in packs of 5 i think. The heat pad is king though, a must for all growers, they are great for germination, young seedlings, and clones. A very good investment.
 
BustedParaphernalia

BustedParaphernalia

Well-Known Member
kbo ca said:
they sell these heat pads that you shake up and put in your gloves or boots in snowy weather. They are available at wal-mart. They last around 8 hours so that should do the trick. They are pretty cheap, but you will need a new one every night. They come in packs of 5 i think. The heat pad is king though, a must for all growers, they are great for germination, young seedlings, and clones. A very good investment.
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Oh those things, right. I can help but think there must be a more conservative/efficient option. Like using an aquarium heater or something.

How should those heat pads be applied to seedlings?
 
kbo ca

kbo ca

Active Member
I would just shake it up, put it on top of a washcloth for insulation, and place the dixie cup on top of that.
 
BustedParaphernalia

BustedParaphernalia

Well-Known Member
That's a good idea. Is heat really that necessary? It's 81 degrees constant here, at night when the light's off it's about 60-70... they should be fine, right?
 
kbo ca

kbo ca

Active Member
heat is critical. Your plants might do ok without, but thats a maybe. They will do their better, and be more likely to florish with heat at the root zone. Every aspect of growth seems to pick up speed when the plant is living in the proper conditions.
 
BustedParaphernalia

BustedParaphernalia

Well-Known Member
I just thought of a way to use my aquarium heater to do what you're talking about. I set the temp to 85 and I'm going to submerge it in water in a plastic box, and put an equally sized plastic box on top of that sitting on the [heated] water, with the seedlings in that box.

Good idea? Bad idea?
 
kbo ca

kbo ca

Active Member
that'll doo! thats how restaraunts keep food warm, should work for plants too. Just make sure the upper container is secure and not bobbing around in the water. smart thinking
 
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