Problems germing in Rockwool

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Slyclyde1991

Active Member
Hey y'all, so this is my first DWC run, switched from soil and I'm running into issues germinating in the rockwool cubes. I initially had 4 seeds in 4 cubes and only 1 popped, so I planted 3 more and it's been 5 days now and still nothing. The rockwool also has a faint but distinct smell of something like mold or mildew??? I was under the impression that because there's not organic matter in the gorgon to break down and decay that it wasnt possible or at least very unlikely?? Keeping them on heating pad under humidity dome and water ph'd 5.5-6
 
S

Slyclyde1991

Active Member
rkymtnman said:
oh yeah. you can put them in everything: dwc, soil, coco, etc
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Even if it's a sterile system? I guess I should have mentioned that before lol because the rooters have beneficial microbes and shit in them I'd think that wouldn't constitute as 'sterile' ? Idk like I said first time DWC and I'm really just confused as to why my cubes smell mildewy and what I'm doing wrong
 
myke

myke

Well-Known Member
Should be no problem ,did u pre soak the seeds? Remove excess water from rockwool? Been using rockwool for a long time. Perfect for hydro. The RR of peat are ok too but rockwool works just as good and no worries of organic matter.
 
kingromano

kingromano

Well-Known Member
rkymtnman said:
even sterile.
rockwool sucks IMO. either too wet or too dry which both causes problems. rooters are more forgiving
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rockwool is more tricky than rapid rooters
but also superior if well used

prepare a solution of 0.8mS at ph 6
innoculate with beneficials
ghe trikologic s etc ...

soak excess water from the plugs with a shake or two before putting your seed/clone in
then place them in the dome (with heat mat if it's winter)
temps around 26 degree C
you want the rockwool plugs to dryout fast

never totally dry but light

3 days after you normally want to water again, the plugs are light
the mistake is to drown the plugs
you want to immerse the rockwool plugs trays in a tray with a layer of solution inside, just 2 seconds no more
like ebb flood
the plugs will drink water but not at saturation

never water the plugs at saturation

0.3-0.5 mS worth of nutrients at ph 6 is usually fine.

repeat until roots start to form/seeds germinate
 
Kdoggy

Kdoggy

Well-Known Member
I always germinate in rockwool in hydro and honestly ive never had a seed not germinate. How i do it is dunk the cube in water chuck seed not in bottom of hole just kinda at the start of the hole unless its like a pepper or cuc plant then i put down the hole but weed germinates in less that 2 days usually cracks in less than 24 hours. The cube is 2” above water surface and only gets the eventual bubble popping from from airstone breaking surface to keep it not super soaking. Water temp is usually about 68. 6A90E45C-C418-4DBA-98F7-35456242A3DB.jpeg783CE20D-38B4-4EE5-96F1-466AE82FD0FE.jpeg3E6442FD-6054-4D49-BCAD-5D291AAEB2BA.jpeg
 
S

Slyclyde1991

Active Member
kingromano said:
rockwool is more tricky than rapid rooters
but also superior if well used

prepare a solution of 0.8mS at ph 6
innoculate with beneficials
ghe trikologic s etc ...

soak excess water from the plugs with a shake or two before putting your seed/clone in
then place them in the dome (with heat mat if it's winter)
temps around 26 degree C
you want the rockwool plugs to dryout fast

never totally dry but light

3 days after you normally want to water again, the plugs are light
the mistake is to drown the plugs
you want to immerse the rockwool plugs trays in a tray with a layer of solution inside, just 2 seconds no more
like ebb flood
the plugs will drink water but not at saturation

never water the plugs at saturation

0.3-0.5 mS worth of nutrients at ph 6 is usually fine.

repeat until roots start to form/seeds germinate
Click to expand...

Alright well I guess I found my problem! I've been keeping them very well saturated not wanting the seeds to dry put while still germinating
 
S

Slyclyde1991

Active Member
Kdoggy said:
I always germinate in rockwool in hydro and honestly ive never had a seed not germinate. How i do it is dunk the cube in water chuck seed not in bottom of hole just kinda at the start of the hole unless its like a pepper or cuc plant then i put down the hole but weed germinates in less that 2 days usually cracks in less than 24 hours. The cube is 2” above water surface and only gets the eventual bubble popping from from airstone breaking surface to keep it not super soaking. Water temp is usually about 68. View attachment 4788472View attachment 4788473View attachment 4788474
Click to expand...
Thanks man! So you germ right in net pot in the rez not on heating pad? It's not too cold?
 
Kdoggy

Kdoggy

Well-Known Member
Slyclyde1991 said:
Thanks man! So you germ right in net pot in the rez not on heating pad? It's not too cold?
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Ya right in net pot. Ive showed 2 other guys this way and now their 100% germ rate, i do this for every vegetable i grow and weed. Most seeds germ in 24 hrs but ive done this last 4 years and havent once had even 1 seed not germ. My room temps are about 72. Water 68 Lights on 18 hours just flourescent but i just cover seed in net pot loosly with neoprene rockwool round disc thing you buy at hydro store and as soon as seed cracks i cut a hole in the neoprene so it can grow through the hole if that makes sense.
 
S

Slyclyde1991

Active Member
Kdoggy said:
Ya right in net pot. Ive showed 2 other guys this way and now their 100% germ rate, i do this for every vegetable i grow and weed. Most seeds germ in 24 hrs but ive done this last 4 years and havent once had even 1 seed not germ. My room temps are about 72. Water 68 Lights on 18 hours just flourescent but i just cover seed in net pot loosly with neoprene rockwool round disc thing you buy at hydro store and as soon as seed cracks i cut a hole in the neoprene so it can grow through the hole if that makes sense.
Click to expand...

Alright cool I'll try that, also I said you grow veggies too and I see you have lettuce in the same rez as the weed, I've been wanting to do veggies too get the most out of my light and electric usage, but do different veggies need different nutes at different times ect?
 
Kdoggy

Kdoggy

Well-Known Member
Slyclyde1991 said:
Alright cool I'll try that, also I said you grow veggies too and I see you have lettuce in the same rez as the weed, I've been wanting to do veggies too get the most out of my light and electric usage, but do different veggies need different nutes at different times ect?
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No i just run flora series. I run my ratios for say a vegetable thats green only like herbs, lettuce, swiss chard etc 3,2,1 ratio gro,micro,bloom. If its a heavy flowering like tomatoes, cucs, peppers i do equal like 5ml/of each per gallon. Love the veggies and you get the best crispiest veggies outa hydro. Its way simpler than even doing weed. And your peppers are ever producing, cucumbers are really easy to clone just in water glass (run a feminized cuc like carman f1) so u dont have to pollinate every flower is a cucumber. Peppers u pollinate the flowers once a week with toothbrush same with tomatoes cause there like hermies just need the bumble bee action of electric toothbrush but under hydro u can easily grow more than u can use. A67F21E7-6F85-4893-8590-1EA04815611D.jpegF3FF0041-F3B8-4F20-9BAB-7DAE8551210C.jpeg
 
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