What's wrong with these seedlings in Rockwool? Pics Included.

3lusive

3lusive

Member
Hey there, I have usually started seeds in my soiless mix with great success. My friend recently told me to try Rockwool because you can't over water them and I would see MUCH improvement. So I decided to try it.

As you see they are droopy and one even has a little dark spot starting on it.

What's wrong with them and what can I do to salvage them?

P.S I soaked them in PH 5.5 for a few hours as directed. Then I was told after let sit for a few days to dry out, as I did. Then I watered them with 6.4PH water as I was told to after they have started to grow, instead of continuing with 5.5 ph.

The Black spot only showed up yesterday, and they have been droopy looking the whole time. Temps at night get to about 65f and during light periods about 75-77f. RH stays around 55-60% but highest it has reached is 77%

Is that too cold or too high of humidity?
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Regards,
 
S

SSHZ

Well-Known Member
You're supposed to initially soak the cubes with water at maybe 4.5 to offset the high pH of the cube. Then ALL water in (with or without ferts) should be around 5.6-5.8. So, it looks like your problems are pH related.
 
3lusive

3lusive

Member
Says right on the direction attached to the package, soak in 5.5 PH for 30 mins. So I actually did a little longer. Then asked my local Hydro man and he said it was fine to continue to water between 6.3 - 6.5.

So what should I so now? Water immediately with 5.6 - 5.8? And PH would make them droopy like that? Or since I've watered with 6.4ph, should I go lower then 5.6-5.8 to compensate for higher ph levels?
 
3lusive

3lusive

Member
Woah, definately not freaking out Stewart. Just curious is all and I would like to understand these ladies a little more, sorry for all the questions but I am here to learn :)

Very poor attitude to have brotha.
 
3lusive

3lusive

Member
Definately understand. But no, I would definately disagree. I come to these forums amongst others for advice and information. When problems arise I read up, and when I am not satisfied I ask my own. I do this so I can not make these mistakes in the future.

Really crappy attitude to have, if you have no advice then don't give any. But to say give up on something and saying just let them die is prob the worst advice you can give, noted not even giving a reason on why to give up, or telling me what I may have done wrong.

In the end if they die they die, but not to learn from my mistakes would be the stupidiest thing to do.

Regards,
 
S

SSHZ

Well-Known Member
I told you what to do already.........I've been doing this for a long time, although I haven't done hydro for a while. But everything I've said can be verified by doing some additional research. Your pH is TOO HIGH for hydro- 6.3-6.5 is for soil, 5.6-5.8 is for hydro. That's why your plants are suffering. You are getting BAD advice from the store- I would shop elsewhere. Here's some proof I know something about this:

http://www.medicalmarijuanastrains.com/weeditor-sshz/


Click around some and look at the pictures.
 
patlpp

patlpp

New Member
You CAN overwater in rockwool, especially in your case when they're very young. People tend to leave them in a pool of water and the plants display exactly as yours.
Those babies look like classic overwatering. If they were in soil and looked like that, would you not suspect overwatering?
Let the cube get slightly wet, but not dry, and see if it perks up. But like the previous poster, they don't look all THAT bad.
 
kryptoniteglo

kryptoniteglo

Well-Known Member
I've started a couple of grows in rockwool. Someone with more experience may come in, but this is what I found out. First you don't need to PH the water if you're not feeding nutes. That's because all the nutrition the plant needs in internal. The PHing is necessary when the plants are trying to take nutrients from the water. Since that's not happening, you don't need to worry about it.

They actually look pretty healthy to me -- how old are they?
 
kryptoniteglo

kryptoniteglo

Well-Known Member
You can overwater in rockwool. One problem that comes up is damping off disease, but that happens at the base of the stem at the soil level and I don't see it there.

What I do is immerse the cube in water until I see the water creep about halfway up the cube. It feels a little heavy. Then I leave it alone, picking up the cube a couple of times a day until I feel the cube getting light and then I dip again.
 
3lusive

3lusive

Member
Hey SS I wasn't refering to you :) I was talking about the other two guys that told me to just let them die and give up, without saying why. I should have been more specific and I apologize for that.

I very much appreciate your feed back brotha!

They actually look better today since I put a lil fan on them. As for over watering that is what I suspected but, read up that it's impossible to do. Obviously they were wrong. And to boot, I let the rockwool get dry, very dry before re-watering. As for how I was watering I guess I was doing it allllllll wrong. Was watering from the top rather let them sit in water from the bottom. There is no water on the bottom of the tray, and never has been.

In the end, I should continue watering with PH 6.3 but from the bottom? I do intend on switching to my soiless mix very soon.

Oh and what is with the black spot, is it mold - overwatering or a PH problem you think?

Thanks for all the feed back guys :)
 
3lusive

3lusive

Member
I wouldn't say they look like, omg wow these are amazing looking seedlings, but they look more "perky today". Less droopy then in the pics anyways.

Just want to know if I should spray the lil seedling with the black spot for mold or if it is something else.
 
VX420

VX420

Active Member
Seedling dont care about PH at all, it makes no differance until the plant is about 2 weeks old. The seedling are growing on there own, they are not useing Nuts so PH is not a factor. They look fine.. let them grow for a week or so.
 
3lusive

3lusive

Member
kryptoniteglo said:
You can overwater in rockwool. One problem that comes up is damping off disease, but that happens at the base of the stem at the soil level and I don't see it there.

What I do is immerse the cube in water until I see the water creep about halfway up the cube. It feels a little heavy. Then I leave it alone, picking up the cube a couple of times a day until I feel the cube getting light and then I dip again.
Click to expand...
When you dipped, how often would you have to do this, and what PH level was the water?
 
3lusive

3lusive

Member
kryptoniteglo said:
I've started a couple of grows in rockwool. Someone with more experience may come in, but this is what I found out. First you don't need to PH the water if you're not feeding nutes. That's because all the nutrition the plant needs in internal. The PHing is necessary when the plants are trying to take nutrients from the water. Since that's not happening, you don't need to worry about it.

They actually look pretty healthy to me -- how old are they?
Click to expand...
They look healthy hmmm wouldn't go that far but that's MHO :P

They are 2 weeks old.
 
ru4r34l

ru4r34l

Well-Known Member
3lusive said:
Hey there, I have usually started seeds in my soiless mix with great success. My friend recently told me to try Rockwool because you can't over water them and I would see MUCH improvement. So I decided to try it.

As you see they are droopy and one even has a little dark spot starting on it.

What's wrong with them and what can I do to salvage them?

P.S I soaked them in PH 5.5 for a few hours as directed. Then I was told after let sit for a few days to dry out, as I did. Then I watered them with 6.4PH water as I was told to after they have started to grow, instead of continuing with 5.5 ph.

The Black spot only showed up yesterday, and they have been droopy looking the whole time. Temps at night get to about 65f and during light periods about 75-77f. RH stays around 55-60% but highest it has reached is 77%

Is that too cold or too high of humidity?
View attachment 2451114View attachment 2451115View attachment 2451116View attachment 2451117View attachment 2451118View attachment 2451120
Regards,
Click to expand...
Your rock wool cubes looks to be water logged, let them dry out almost completely before watering again. The idea is to make the roots search for water, when the cube starts to dry the roots will elongate in search of water.

Once you have enough root mass underneath the vegetative growth up top will start to flourish.

regards,
 
3lusive

3lusive

Member
ru4r34l said:
Your rock wool cubes looks to be water logged, let them dry out almost completely before watering again. The idea is to make the roots search for water, when the cube starts to dry the roots will elongate in search of water.

Once you have enough root mass underneath the vegetative growth up top will start to flourish.

regards,
Click to expand...
I actually did that last time I watered. But I will try the dipping into bowl with PH of 5.8 and fill you guys in on how it turns out.

Thanks again for all the tips guys!
 
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