DWC Root Slime Cure aka How to Breed Beneficial Microbes
- Thread starter Heisenberg
- Start date
Mr Crew
New Member
That would depend whether you had a suitable filter.
just water and h202 so the slime doesn't come back before the brew is done.
I added my first application last night and this morning I added my nutes, this is the first time in 2 weeks that my plants have drank any water thank you Heis. we'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks.
I added my first application last night and this morning I added my nutes, this is the first time in 2 weeks that my plants have drank any water thank you Heis. we'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks.
lol maaaan 179 pages too much to read through when theres an emergency lol
rh2050
Active Member
Can someone please confirm this is an acceptable current recipe? I know there are variations on the recipe that have been reposted in other forums. I just want to ensure the recipe I am using is a good one.
- 1 gal ro water (if tap, let sit 24 hours or aerate)
- 1 tsp (5mL) Mycogrow soluble
- 1 tsp (5mL) ZHO powder
- 3/4 tbsp (11.25 mL) unsulfured molasses
- 1/8 cup (30 mL) Ancient Forest EWC
brew for 48 hrs.
It is my understanding that the MycoGrow Hydro is no longer available so using Heisenberg's most updated recipe is not an option correct?
Thank you in advance. Peace.
- 1 gal ro water (if tap, let sit 24 hours or aerate)
- 1 tsp (5mL) Mycogrow soluble
- 1 tsp (5mL) ZHO powder
- 3/4 tbsp (11.25 mL) unsulfured molasses
- 1/8 cup (30 mL) Ancient Forest EWC
brew for 48 hrs.
It is my understanding that the MycoGrow Hydro is no longer available so using Heisenberg's most updated recipe is not an option correct?
Thank you in advance. Peace.
just added tea to res and waiting to add nutes. have a few questions
1. when do i ph? b4 adding nutes. after? not at all??
2. im using this in an aero setup and it was always said there would be no need for airstone as the 1 min on 5 min off pump times were enough to oxy the water. does this still remain true with the tea added or do i need to add airstones now.
3. once i start this tea regimen does this have to be the life of the plants or am i able to stop and start whenever i want
1. when do i ph? b4 adding nutes. after? not at all??
2. im using this in an aero setup and it was always said there would be no need for airstone as the 1 min on 5 min off pump times were enough to oxy the water. does this still remain true with the tea added or do i need to add airstones now.
3. once i start this tea regimen does this have to be the life of the plants or am i able to stop and start whenever i want
Sounds right, but it's advisable to add ZHO when the tea is brewed or mixed in right before being added.
I found it best to pH before adding tea, although sometimes I did it after. What you want to avoid is sudden pH jumps caused by adding concentrated acid/base straight into your res.
You can stop the tea whenever you want.
BenFranklin
Well-Known Member
You know how I prevent slime??
Fill the DWC buckets to nearly over flow, get a much stronger air pump. REMOVE ALL LIGHT LEAKS into bucket. Slime doesn't grow well in highly oxygenated water. IT grows great in the air pocket between the water and the lid though... So eliminate the pocket.
Most importantly, eliminate ANY light leaks into the bucket.
I've not had any issues with slime since doing this.
Fill the DWC buckets to nearly over flow, get a much stronger air pump. REMOVE ALL LIGHT LEAKS into bucket. Slime doesn't grow well in highly oxygenated water. IT grows great in the air pocket between the water and the lid though... So eliminate the pocket.
Most importantly, eliminate ANY light leaks into the bucket.
I've not had any issues with slime since doing this.
duudical
Well-Known Member
I run 5 gal buckets converted to waterfarms with 10" net pot lids. I struggled for a looooong time with slime, root rot and all that. Almost completely left hydro altogether after months of blah. But decided to do some research and really look into what was causing it and here is what I landed on - for months now I have used this methodology and haven't had a single root slime issue....not one after having nothing but it previously. I don't use water chillers and I know for a fact my water temps get well into the 70s, but still have had no issues:
As far as nutrients go, here is what I use:
Veg
Heavy 16 Veg A+B
Black Label Root Enhance
Heavy 16 Finish
House & Garden Magic Green (Foliar)
Heavy 16 Foliar (used in conjunction with Magic Green)
House & Garden Drip Clean
Z7 Water Conditioner
Progress Earth Compost Tea
Growtastic EPG (mycorrhizae)
Heavy 16 Prime
Bloom
Heavy 16 Bud A+B
Black Label Root Enhance
Heavy 16 Finish
House & Garden BudXL (want to go to H16 Fire once done with this bottle)
Dutch Master Zone
Z7 Water Conditioner
House & Garden Drip Clean
So, in veg, I began to focus almost solely on good root zone development. Everything that I read in my research suggested that the bacteria that causes the slime and rotting issues is present in your reservoir likely no matter what you do - however, they are only able to take hold and colonize the roots if they are sufficiently healthy enough to fight off the attack. So, there were really two options: Just work on obliterating everything you can as much s possible using root cleansers and conditioners (I do this in bloom, I'll get to that), or use beneficial bacteria and fungus in order to create a kind of immune system against the bad shit while also promoting root functioning and development. I decided to split the two and use beneficials through veg, but then not at all in flower. I chose to do this because in flower the roots are really where they are going to be for the most part, especially after week 3 or so of the bloom cycle, so maintaining what you have is essential and I didn't want any opportunity for a nice healthy plant to get sidetracked by root issues, stressing them out and all that.
I actually started by just adding Orca (liquid mycorrhizae) which made a huge improvement. I use Growtastic EPG and a weekly compost tea application to do this now, but the Orca is really great inoculant made especially for DWC. Good stuff and it made a big difference. I noticed root development and growth increase within days. I also used H&G Roots Excelurator early on. It works as well, but in my experience the Root Enhance is just as good and 50% the cost. And it isn't hormone based so doesn't pose a threat of going bad or causing some bacterial or organic issue in the res. But, some people swear by RE and if that's you, go for it, it works. By using a combination of the root stimulant and the compost tea with all its microbes and fungal friends, I have literally erased my root issues. Either one will work great with beneficials.
I don't even look in the buckets between changes for the most part unless I have to do some maintenance on the waterfarm system. I don't check pH, I don't check temps. I set a new bucket to 5.8 (the H16/H&G nutes are super stable so you really don't see a lot of drift), ice it down and that is really all it takes. Once a week a brew a 5 gallon bucket of compost tea and pour a full 16oz solo cup full in each waterfarm (this is stronger than the dilution they suggest, but it can't hurt your plants and seems to be working great). Nothing but thick, white, hairy roots.
In bloom, I stop the organics, sterilize the buckets, and use Dutch Master Zone (root conditioner) which is amazing stuff that goes a long way. It will kill the bacteria (good and bad) and keep things nice and clean. I still use the Root Enhance because it seems to make a difference and it goes right along with the zone no problem. If you have a plant with some root slime issues, you can also prepare a bucket with Zone and let the plant sit in it for a few hours and you will see the slime fall off and be broken down in the res.
If you use tap water, you will need to take some steps in order to use the microbes and inoculants. You may have heard you can bubble tap water for a few hours (I do it overnight) to get the chlorine out of the water. This is absolutely true, however most tap water will still have chloramines which don't escape as gas from the water. These molecules are fatal to microbial life. I add a dechlorinator+ made for hydroponics (your local grow store has it probably, or online for sure) - it instantly removes chlorine and destroys the chloramines. I also add the Z7. I swear by this stuff. I received a free sample and skeptically started using it. If you use tap water or well water or some other non-RO source, this stuff helps make it easier to work with. If you experience wild ph swings and whatnot, this stuff will help you out. It also works right alongside beneficials and is totally safe.
And, finally, the Magic Green + H16 Foliar twice a week has done wonders for my plants in general. For one thing, this is where the CalMag is in H16's line. But it also delivers a lot of other micronutrients that you would need bottles of stuff to supply otherwise. And if you have a plant that is all pythium'd up and slimy, feeding them with this while you get the roots back in shape will significantly reduce the stress and growth slowdown. The plant has mechanisms on its leaves to take in food, so you can feed them a different way until their roots are functioning better. Great stuff, but turns into a nightmare if you leave it in the bottle for more than a couple of hours
Anyway, thought I would pass along my my experience as I feel people on root issues and have had some success in getting past them and keeping them at bay using compost tea as well.
Awesome thread.
As far as nutrients go, here is what I use:
Veg
Heavy 16 Veg A+B
Black Label Root Enhance
Heavy 16 Finish
House & Garden Magic Green (Foliar)
Heavy 16 Foliar (used in conjunction with Magic Green)
House & Garden Drip Clean
Z7 Water Conditioner
Progress Earth Compost Tea
Growtastic EPG (mycorrhizae)
Heavy 16 Prime
Bloom
Heavy 16 Bud A+B
Black Label Root Enhance
Heavy 16 Finish
House & Garden BudXL (want to go to H16 Fire once done with this bottle)
Dutch Master Zone
Z7 Water Conditioner
House & Garden Drip Clean
So, in veg, I began to focus almost solely on good root zone development. Everything that I read in my research suggested that the bacteria that causes the slime and rotting issues is present in your reservoir likely no matter what you do - however, they are only able to take hold and colonize the roots if they are sufficiently healthy enough to fight off the attack. So, there were really two options: Just work on obliterating everything you can as much s possible using root cleansers and conditioners (I do this in bloom, I'll get to that), or use beneficial bacteria and fungus in order to create a kind of immune system against the bad shit while also promoting root functioning and development. I decided to split the two and use beneficials through veg, but then not at all in flower. I chose to do this because in flower the roots are really where they are going to be for the most part, especially after week 3 or so of the bloom cycle, so maintaining what you have is essential and I didn't want any opportunity for a nice healthy plant to get sidetracked by root issues, stressing them out and all that.
I actually started by just adding Orca (liquid mycorrhizae) which made a huge improvement. I use Growtastic EPG and a weekly compost tea application to do this now, but the Orca is really great inoculant made especially for DWC. Good stuff and it made a big difference. I noticed root development and growth increase within days. I also used H&G Roots Excelurator early on. It works as well, but in my experience the Root Enhance is just as good and 50% the cost. And it isn't hormone based so doesn't pose a threat of going bad or causing some bacterial or organic issue in the res. But, some people swear by RE and if that's you, go for it, it works. By using a combination of the root stimulant and the compost tea with all its microbes and fungal friends, I have literally erased my root issues. Either one will work great with beneficials.
I don't even look in the buckets between changes for the most part unless I have to do some maintenance on the waterfarm system. I don't check pH, I don't check temps. I set a new bucket to 5.8 (the H16/H&G nutes are super stable so you really don't see a lot of drift), ice it down and that is really all it takes. Once a week a brew a 5 gallon bucket of compost tea and pour a full 16oz solo cup full in each waterfarm (this is stronger than the dilution they suggest, but it can't hurt your plants and seems to be working great). Nothing but thick, white, hairy roots.
In bloom, I stop the organics, sterilize the buckets, and use Dutch Master Zone (root conditioner) which is amazing stuff that goes a long way. It will kill the bacteria (good and bad) and keep things nice and clean. I still use the Root Enhance because it seems to make a difference and it goes right along with the zone no problem. If you have a plant with some root slime issues, you can also prepare a bucket with Zone and let the plant sit in it for a few hours and you will see the slime fall off and be broken down in the res.
If you use tap water, you will need to take some steps in order to use the microbes and inoculants. You may have heard you can bubble tap water for a few hours (I do it overnight) to get the chlorine out of the water. This is absolutely true, however most tap water will still have chloramines which don't escape as gas from the water. These molecules are fatal to microbial life. I add a dechlorinator+ made for hydroponics (your local grow store has it probably, or online for sure) - it instantly removes chlorine and destroys the chloramines. I also add the Z7. I swear by this stuff. I received a free sample and skeptically started using it. If you use tap water or well water or some other non-RO source, this stuff helps make it easier to work with. If you experience wild ph swings and whatnot, this stuff will help you out. It also works right alongside beneficials and is totally safe.
And, finally, the Magic Green + H16 Foliar twice a week has done wonders for my plants in general. For one thing, this is where the CalMag is in H16's line. But it also delivers a lot of other micronutrients that you would need bottles of stuff to supply otherwise. And if you have a plant that is all pythium'd up and slimy, feeding them with this while you get the roots back in shape will significantly reduce the stress and growth slowdown. The plant has mechanisms on its leaves to take in food, so you can feed them a different way until their roots are functioning better. Great stuff, but turns into a nightmare if you leave it in the bottle for more than a couple of hours
Anyway, thought I would pass along my my experience as I feel people on root issues and have had some success in getting past them and keeping them at bay using compost tea as well.
Awesome thread.
mickfanning
Active Member
Heisenberg, I just got some Mycogrow Soluble and was wondering if these amounts would be good, or if you would make any changes?
- 3 gallons Reverse Osmosis water
3 tsp MycoGrow Soluble
1.5 tbsp CarboLoad
3/4 cup Ancient Forest
Also, does Molasses work better than CarboLoad? I'm using the WaterFarm drip systems if that makes any difference regarding molasses vs CarboLoad and your recommendations on amounts of each ingredient.
Do I need the ZHO?
Thanks