First time aeroponic grow journal

Tracker

Well-Known Member
I started this thread in the newbie area but it seems that this area fits better. To see the past few posts look here https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/168012-1st-time-grow-please-comment.html.I changed the original setup to aero with sprayers and PVC pipe about a week ago and it started to explode. Im very happy with the results. My latest addition is the six pot system on the left of the pic.Check the attached pics and let me know what you think.I appreciate any suggestions.
 

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Tracker

Well-Known Member
Well, the clones I tried to start in the second aero system I made still haven't rooted. I researched and found that I should not have stuck them in rockwool. I didn't realize the rockwool can keep the stem too moist, and roots won't develop unless they have to grow to find nourishment. I have since changed the timer from 15 min on/ 15 min off to 15 min on/ 4 hrs off. I hope they will root with that time change.

Everything else is making good progress. I clipped down the top of the seed start clone, and I noticed those little pistils sticking out around the nodes. I'm fairly certain its female. Also, the one that started flowering a little more than one week ago is showing beautiful buds.

If you have any suggestions please respond. I will greatly appreciate any help.
 

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blueybong

Well-Known Member
I've never cloned, so I'm no help there. Everything looks good to me. Lower the light as low as possible. May be some others can see what's lacking, if any.

Peace!
 

LionsRoor

Well-Known Member
Nice! Way to aero it up! Yeah - follow your own advice - rockwool is not a good aeroponic medium. I caught you on Stink's thread - so I'm sure you have read about the 100% success rate his system has if you follow it exactly... pump timing is probably the single most important aspect of his method (though this is common timing for hydro systems - or 4/1). Cycling the pumps 1 on 5 off, keeps the pump from heating the water - and more importantly allows for oxygen. While it is hard to drown them with constant watering in an aero system, you aren't really reaping the benefits of the AERO part of AEROponics (working with air). Just my humble opinions and a couple thoughts. Your setup looks great! I like that WaterFarm your Mom is in! Those are cool!
 

Tracker

Well-Known Member
Nice! Way to aero it up! Yeah - follow your own advice - rockwool is not a good aeroponic medium. I caught you on Stink's thread - so I'm sure you have read about the 100% success rate his system has if you follow it exactly... pump timing is probably the single most important aspect of his method (though this is common timing for hydro systems - or 4/1). Cycling the pumps 1 on 5 off, keeps the pump from heating the water - and more importantly allows for oxygen. While it is hard to drown them with constant watering in an aero system, you aren't really reaping the benefits of the AERO part of AEROponics (working with air). Just my humble opinions and a couple thoughts. Your setup looks great! I like that WaterFarm your Mom is in! Those are cool!
Thanks for the reply, all help is much appreciated.
 

Demosthenese

Well-Known Member
if i were rockwool cloning then i would get 1-2 inch cubes depending on clone size. Then, soak them in water ph'd to 5.8 and sterilized with 1ml/l 30% h202. Then use a salad spinner to get cubes moist but no soaking; squeezing them ruins all the little air pockets in the rockwool. Then get ur clone, add a rooting agent if you have it, otherwise stick it into the cube. If the premade hole looks too big to hug the stem then turn it upside down, make a new hole with something and stick the clone in that. You want a snug fit on at least half an inch to an inch of stem in the cube. Then take your cubes and put them in some sort of propagator with a humidity dome. I use the jiffy pellet one, its just a thin plastic thing with a clear lid. The clones need the humidity. Put all your clones in cubes in this and mist once-thrice a day to keep them moist, but not wet. Some people put them into 12/24 hours of darkness on the first day with excellent effect, but after that 24/7 with fluoresents as close aas you can get them to the plants is fine. Once roots begin to show, then put them into your aero setup in a netpot with hydroton at the bottom to prevent the cube from being watered. The cube should be moistened by the hydroton wicking water up, but shouldn't directly be misted to avoid oversaturation. I use a 30on/1hr off during veg and it works well for my roots. They don't die and they don't get air pruned. If any roots are turning brown and shriveled increase your watering to 30 on/off. I do this once my rootmass hits the res water because i find the mass is large enough to dry too much in an hour. If you have the $ to get a 1 min on 5 mins off timer, get it and use it for all stages of growth; the stinkbud system is well proven and endorsed, even if i personally have found success with different methods.

watever method works for you you can use :) this is hardly set in stone, but it is the collection of most of the tricks i have found online. good luck with clones :) I have found that my clones take almost 30 days in bubbler dwc, and only about 17-20 days in a bubbler aero system. In soil they take 6-9. As long as they are green and the stems aren't covered in slime or black/green algea then your clones will root. After 30 days you might want to look at some new ones.
 

Tracker

Well-Known Member
if i were rockwool cloning then i would get 1-2 inch cubes depending on clone size. Then, soak them in water ph'd to 5.8 and sterilized with 1ml/l 30% h202. Then use a salad spinner to get cubes moist but no soaking; squeezing them ruins all the little air pockets in the rockwool. Then get ur clone, add a rooting agent if you have it, otherwise stick it into the cube. If the premade hole looks too big to hug the stem then turn it upside down, make a new hole with something and stick the clone in that. You want a snug fit on at least half an inch to an inch of stem in the cube. Then take your cubes and put them in some sort of propagator with a humidity dome. I use the jiffy pellet one, its just a thin plastic thing with a clear lid. The clones need the humidity. Put all your clones in cubes in this and mist once-thrice a day to keep them moist, but not wet. Some people put them into 12/24 hours of darkness on the first day with excellent effect, but after that 24/7 with fluoresents as close aas you can get them to the plants is fine. Once roots begin to show, then put them into your aero setup in a netpot with hydroton at the bottom to prevent the cube from being watered. The cube should be moistened by the hydroton wicking water up, but shouldn't directly be misted to avoid oversaturation. I use a 30on/1hr off during veg and it works well for my roots. They don't die and they don't get air pruned. If any roots are turning brown and shriveled increase your watering to 30 on/off. I do this once my rootmass hits the res water because i find the mass is large enough to dry too much in an hour. If you have the $ to get a 1 min on 5 mins off timer, get it and use it for all stages of growth; the stinkbud system is well proven and endorsed, even if i personally have found success with different methods.

watever method works for you you can use :) this is hardly set in stone, but it is the collection of most of the tricks i have found online. good luck with clones :) I have found that my clones take almost 30 days in bubbler dwc, and only about 17-20 days in a bubbler aero system. In soil they take 6-9. As long as they are green and the stems aren't covered in slime or black/green algea then your clones will root. After 30 days you might want to look at some new ones.
Thanks for the input. I am going to try my next clones without rockwool. I am anxious to see some roots grow. I don't want to invest in more dispensary clones or any more of a system until I can prove I know how to make it work.
 

Demosthenese

Well-Known Member
if you want to experiment then you can try putting clones directly into hydroton and running your cloning cycle with the pump. I'm doing clones directly in hyroton bubbler dwc and it has worked swimmingly
 

Tracker

Well-Known Member
if you want to experiment then you can try putting clones directly into hydroton and running your cloning cycle with the pump. I'm doing clones directly in hyroton bubbler dwc and it has worked swimmingly
I originally started with the Stealth Hydro DWC/bubble system with drippers, and the clones I made in it rooted well. Eventually I converted it to aero and the babies started growing much faster so I didn't want to go back. In the two seperate systems I have several clones with rockwool and a few without just stuck into the hydroton with the bottom of the stem exposed past the net cup. Once I learn how to make them come out right it'll be all good.
 
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