Blu,
Awesome Journals, thanks for the detail and your time!! ++rep I do NOT want to hijack your thread but you are the only guy I have found that has my problem and fixed it. (feel free to delete this post otherwise or tell me to shorten it to just (how did you fix..)
In any case, I am having the same trouble as you in your first grow, roots that are short, spagetti like and brown/yellow. I find that they go down to the water and then stop and basically die at the tip, just like yours did. I have raised/lowered the levels to no end with little to mostly no results. What I have already done is suck all the water out of the rockwool (surrounded by hydroton) in the pots after flushing and changed the resevoir to 1/4 nute solution, I was running it really hot with the recommended dose for formulex from about day 15-20 from seed(this morning changed res) while I wait for my GH 3-part nutes (don't have a PPM meter yet, damn store was out - on the way) but the "tomato" plants are REALLY perfect looking, lush, green, etc. just kind of lacking in growth speed for DWC (IE mostly 4/5 nodes and 3-5 inches tall) and a little N def on a couple plants which I attribute to root def because the plants around it.... but my point is I started 1/4 strength but they looked like they handled it which the plants did so I kept upping it every few days I didn't just poor the bottle in there without research lol.
Now in the beginning I had some PH issues before I had a meter, really high for first 10 days leading to purpling of the stems P def (ph 7.5+ purpling of seedling stems/veins makes me uneasy while most say its ok), and also some slim issues (h2o2 didn't work, so now I use bleach but go for about 5ppm dose or .5ml/L which works great when any smell is coming along). Also had a light issue in the res at first which I fixed the day after I got everything going.
After reading through your first journal, ++more rep, I know I will add another pump probably for a total of about 8 watts and a couple air stones tomorrow (even though I only have a 5 gallon tot with a 3 watt pump on there running two 10 inch round air-stone things <where I am there are no hydro stores>).
Info: (I do not want to post pictures of my heirloom "tomatoes" without making another user account/proxy etc. but if you look at your first grow during veg, the roots look exactly the same or worse than your worst roots)
ph: 5.8-6 (tap water 7 downed with GH PH v)
ppm: unknown (currently running about 1/4 recommended formulex, no other additives 2.5ml/l but was HOT before<waiting on meter>)
temps: 75-82
hum: 35-40
lights: Cool (5500) floros - 6 4ftx36w - 2-5 in from plants
bubbles: 3wt with 2 - 10in round bubble things (about half the surface area is agitated - working this tomorrow, at-least double watts double stones as you did)
res: temp 68-73, much like yours just a bit smaller and clear plastic sealed from the light with pot covers, tin-foil, electrical tap (will be using rdwc and will have stable res temps later in veg)
strains: mostly greenhouse "tomato" company but this issue is not strain specific
Now my question(s) are what do you think caused your problem exactly? What fixed your problem exactly?
-Lack of DO (bubbles/surface area enhancement)
-Nutrients too hot (that didn't burn the plant but burned/stressed the roots < this is my theory as the roots in the hydroton/rockwool have some buffer to the nutes and continued uptaking obviously from looking inside the pot but the roots growing into the water burned)
-Water level (to me i think we should be able to be just at the bottom of the pot or higher the whole grow <w/o saturing rockwool, etc.>)
-Saturated/top-fed rockwool/starters (causing weak roots or happy roots that didn't want to fish for food)
-Water issue (was it the tap water/did you change it)
-Bleach (now I think the chlorine rocks the smell/slime but on your current grows did the 1ml/l of bleach ever burn your shit<roots>)
Thanks in advance any advice would be greatly appreciated and again sorry to thread jack you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
z
(ps don't mistake my post count for a lack of intellect
)
(ps^2 as to your envelope getting opened on 3 sides without anything being taken. I do not want to freak you out but if you are in the states I am 100% positive it was the post office searching your envelope, I am surprised because if they caught it at customs they more than likely would toss it. View this thread:
https://www.rollitup.org/michigan-patients/494910-police-followed-me-home-post.html - keep in mind that is not enough evidence or even close for any officer to enter your house but bear in mind you do not have to answer a door for a knock-and-talk <surely don't let them in> if god-for-bid the post office ever did forward such info to your local 5-0)
(ps^3 hope you get/got a couple 5 points this season)
