2Hearts
Well-Known Member
Wow i just didn't expect growing in rockwool would have so many complexities, some make it look way easier than ive found it but i reckon im finally breaking the code! Pre soaking and ph'ing are a given, damn nearly must be a million tinternet guides on just the easy basic any fool can follow stuff which neglect the real important you need to know finer points. So if i touch on a couple maybe get some expert feedback as to where im at as its been mind bendingly frustrating to get this rockwool concept right....
"WATERING"
At first i kept cubes saturated at all times, led to overwatering. Then i saturated cubes with runoff but allowed to dry till just moist/lightweight, which was better but still looked overwatered. Next i fed each cube 12-15ml of water top fed with a syringe when moist/lightweight, much better but slow brownish roots and looked a touch overwatered but improved foliage growth. What the god dang, felt cursed and read every grow for weeks on end. Finally the one thing i havent tried was bottom watering, even though it seemed insignificant, but changed anyway. Wow new roots lovely and white, top half of the cube stays airy moist and bottom half has all the water and growth vigorous at all stages.
So here i am measuring between 10 and 13ml of ph adjusted tapwater for each 1.5" rockwool starter cubes with seedlings. I measure it out in a bowl, 10ml if cube retains some water at bottom and upto 13ml if cube feels almost dry on the outside.
Heat and time seem to be the two main factors whereby at around 25°c with adequate ventilation my cubes seem to loose about 1ml of water an hour i.e. every 12 hours i water approx 12ml giving each cube a total of 24ml a day.
This is all very complex for a soil grower plus most of this i had to learn from myself, the internet helped a little (stupid computer!), but i am hoping this routine is what the pros do, or at least bottom water by dipping the edge of the cube in water for a second like Al-b-Fuct and his clones, why i ever thought a seedling would be different (stupid me...!).
So recent development made me order up some new seeds and its day 3, pulled one out had an inch long root already.
"PLANTING"
Although smaller seed like tom, pepper, lettuce etc can germinate on top of the cube and root into the nearest crevace available ive found weed seeds do best with 24hour soak till split and then just pop them pointy side down in the hole barely 1mm below top of cube. They fit snuggly in there and easy to germinate out of, had a few mishaps putting seeds deep and covered as they couldnt force up through the wool.
Watching seeds getminate on the top of the cube was amazing to watch (like one of them nature programs where they show a speeded up germination of a seed root except only slowed down to a 5 day speed) and insightfull. The root only needs yo get the very end tip lodged into a tiny hole, fold or crevice and it sends out hundreds of tiny hairs which anchor on and hence the root can protrude futher into the cube.
I use the hole for bigger seeds like weed as the initial root is larger in diameter and ideal size with nothing to stop it easily expanding, filling the gap and anchoring on. I never cover the hole as it is nicely sealed by the top of the shell. Also had 100% results at pre germing till small root then sealing this root in the hole and germing the seed on top of the cube next to the hole so the root naturally drops doen into it before again sealing it.
-------------------------------
Mainly id like to hear back about how im watering, great its working but really any deviation from this and seedlings take a nose dive KABOOOOOM!
Thank good people of RiU
"WATERING"
At first i kept cubes saturated at all times, led to overwatering. Then i saturated cubes with runoff but allowed to dry till just moist/lightweight, which was better but still looked overwatered. Next i fed each cube 12-15ml of water top fed with a syringe when moist/lightweight, much better but slow brownish roots and looked a touch overwatered but improved foliage growth. What the god dang, felt cursed and read every grow for weeks on end. Finally the one thing i havent tried was bottom watering, even though it seemed insignificant, but changed anyway. Wow new roots lovely and white, top half of the cube stays airy moist and bottom half has all the water and growth vigorous at all stages.
So here i am measuring between 10 and 13ml of ph adjusted tapwater for each 1.5" rockwool starter cubes with seedlings. I measure it out in a bowl, 10ml if cube retains some water at bottom and upto 13ml if cube feels almost dry on the outside.
Heat and time seem to be the two main factors whereby at around 25°c with adequate ventilation my cubes seem to loose about 1ml of water an hour i.e. every 12 hours i water approx 12ml giving each cube a total of 24ml a day.
This is all very complex for a soil grower plus most of this i had to learn from myself, the internet helped a little (stupid computer!), but i am hoping this routine is what the pros do, or at least bottom water by dipping the edge of the cube in water for a second like Al-b-Fuct and his clones, why i ever thought a seedling would be different (stupid me...!).
So recent development made me order up some new seeds and its day 3, pulled one out had an inch long root already.
"PLANTING"
Although smaller seed like tom, pepper, lettuce etc can germinate on top of the cube and root into the nearest crevace available ive found weed seeds do best with 24hour soak till split and then just pop them pointy side down in the hole barely 1mm below top of cube. They fit snuggly in there and easy to germinate out of, had a few mishaps putting seeds deep and covered as they couldnt force up through the wool.
Watching seeds getminate on the top of the cube was amazing to watch (like one of them nature programs where they show a speeded up germination of a seed root except only slowed down to a 5 day speed) and insightfull. The root only needs yo get the very end tip lodged into a tiny hole, fold or crevice and it sends out hundreds of tiny hairs which anchor on and hence the root can protrude futher into the cube.
I use the hole for bigger seeds like weed as the initial root is larger in diameter and ideal size with nothing to stop it easily expanding, filling the gap and anchoring on. I never cover the hole as it is nicely sealed by the top of the shell. Also had 100% results at pre germing till small root then sealing this root in the hole and germing the seed on top of the cube next to the hole so the root naturally drops doen into it before again sealing it.
-------------------------------
Mainly id like to hear back about how im watering, great its working but really any deviation from this and seedlings take a nose dive KABOOOOOM!
Thank good people of RiU
