First Fatality

This one seed wasn't above the rock wool yesterday. This morning it looked good and by the end of the day it fell over. It grew an inch in one day. I'm guessing it's dead or dieing. The stem is thinner in the middle than the end.

Is this just bad genetics or bad method? Could I have not planted it deep enough in the cube and that's what caused this to fall over?

Its called dampening off. Most likely due to the wet medium. But sometimes its bad genetics. Most of the time bad environment.

That rockwool looks soaked.

It is dead though, no coming back.

Why do you have a dead seed on a pillow in a cup of cocoa pebbles. That's not good germination technique.

Thanks. Yes it is soaked, isn't that the way it's supposed to be? I have the drip feeder tube running into the rockwool. Should it be below in the hydrotron instead?

I didn't think you could over water a DWC I guess is the reason I have been flooding them. Now I know.

I just went and pulled all those drip tubes and yes all the cubes are soaked.

I may have killed all of them. I did pull them from the DWC tub and am letting them dry with a fan blowing on the cubes.

I found a post on another site that said" I always put the rockwool in the DWC soon as I see the taproot grow out of the bottom of the cube.

However.... I keep the water level at the bottom of the net pot, keeping the rockwool dry. I then just scoop up some of the dwc water and pour over the top of the seedling.... I continue to water from above until I can pickup the net pot and see a taproot growing out of the bottom of that... then, just let it go!

This prevents the rockwool from getting too wet, dampening off, etc...and allows the dwc to work its magic once the roots can reach it. Works like a champ."

Well the thing with rockwool is if its soaked entirely it wont have any room for air.

You only need about 20ml of water to properly wet a rockwool cube.

I used to water the bottom to encourage roots to grow toward the water. And I only move the rockwool cube into the bucket once the bottom of the cube is like 80 percent covered in roots.

I honestly hate rockwool and use an aero cloner for seeds.

Rockwool is garbage compared to rapid rooter or any other of the foam type plugs. You need to look into a better method to germinate your seeds. Use drip rings instead drip feeders. The drip rings will get the hyroton wet but won't completely soak your rockwool.

firsttimeARE said:

Well the thing with rockwool is if its soaked entirely it wont have any room for air.

You only need about 20ml of water to properly wet a rockwool cube.

I used to water the bottom to encourage roots to grow toward the water. And I only move the rockwool cube into the bucket once the bottom of the cube is like 80 percent covered in roots.

I honestly hate rockwool and use an aero cloner for seeds.

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Thanks for that 20ml number. I'm not sure what I will do next time but it may not be rockwool for seeds. I germed these seeds and the day they cracked I put them in the cubes and started a continues water system. I won't make that mistake again.

I think I've decided to take "Me" out of the growing equation as much as possible. I think I'm going to plant the remaining cubes in Coco and do hempy buckets rather than full blown watery grave bubbleponics that I obviously I don't know how to do. I updated my other thread this morning with new pics of what survived yesterday along with a major rant.

Thanks for weighing in.

Honestly DWC is very easy once you learn a few basics.

I made a cheaper low pressure aero system that can be used for seeds or clones out of:
5 gal bucket and lid.
(6) 2" net cups with the "net" part cut out so roots don't tangle
(6) 2" neoprene sleeves 1/4" thick
(1) http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-AAPW250-250-GPH-Active-Submersible/dp/B002JPGID2

Under $30 you will have a 6 site cloner, I only use 5 sites and use one site for the plug.

I then germinate the seeds by soaking them in a glass of water overnight and then into moist paper towels and put into a ziplock bag sealed and on top of a few plates that are sitting on a heatpad I used to use when I used rockwool. http://www.amazon.com/Seedling-Heat-Mat-19-Black/dp/B005M8EOQG/ref=sr_1_6?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1427641529&sr=1-6&keywords=heat mat hydrofarm

But anything that will keep them about 70 degrees is fine. I use the heat mat cause my house is usually 60 in the winter. I also use plates to separate the heat pad from the bag of seeds. They act as insulation since air is the best insulator.

Oh and once they germinate and put off f a root tail about 1 inch this is what I do with them:

firsttimeARE said:

Oh and once they germinate and put off f a root tail about 1 inch this is what I do with them:

View attachment 3383289 View attachment 3383290 View attachment 3383291 View attachment 3383292 View attachment 3383293 View attachment 3383294

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Wow, really nicely done. I didn't wait until my tap root got long. As soon as they cracked, they were pushed down in the cube and I drowned them. Dumb move, I know. Thanks for post your pics and providing the links.

firsttimeARE said:

Oh and once they germinate and put off f a root tail about 1 inch this is what I do with them:

View attachment 3383289 View attachment 3383290 View attachment 3383291 View attachment 3383292 View attachment 3383293 View attachment 3383294

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How do you get the shells off? I had to use tweezers and killed one.

Dwc is the best! Im on my second grow with amazing success and yeah I just wt a paper towel and insert dry seed. Place it between 2 foam plates like a clam shell. Place it in a dark room amd blow a space heater on it, 24-48 hours later, taproot! Place taproot in rock wool in hydro dome and put oh water in the dome about 1/4 full so the bottom 1/4 of rock wool is wet! Week later ready for the buckets!

Johnxnyg said:

How do you get the shells off? I had to use tweezers and killed one.

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Carefully with tweezers if i need to. I have killed some in the past. I usually dont intervene unless its been long. It looks like im going to have to on these.

All the plants that were with this one are done. The growth rate is slowed to a crawl. Basically zero. They are not going to make it.

The one plant that I did in Pro-mix HP looks great next to the others I put in rockwool and placed in my top feed DWC at the same time. I made huge mistake doing hydro when I didn't know what I was doing. It cost me 6 plants, 6 weeks and $150 in seeds, tools and shipping.

Just do what I said to germinate them! Walmart has hydrodomes for like 3 bucks amd grow stores have the rock wool for about 5 bucks. Dont give up on dwc

k_elliott99 said:

Just do what I said to germinate them! Walmart has hydrodomes for like 3 bucks amd grow stores have the rock wool for about 5 bucks. Dont give up on dwc

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HI. I looked at walmart and didn't see any for 3 bucks. Would you provide me with a link to exactly the product? Is this it?
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Humidity-Dome-2-in./20594683

Shoot I never looked online. I just swung in and looked in the gsrden stuff. Its like a 20 site seedling starter maybe?? Lol ill look online amd see but whayever u do dont give up on dwc this is what u have to look forward too. Exactly how I said to germ them works for me 100% never fails

Heres a pic at day 35 man