Starting seed in hydroton w/o rockwool?

I've managed to just root basil clones in water and transplant into hydroton without using rockwool cubes or any other medium.

How likely would I be to succeed if I germinated seeds until roots were about an inch or so long and then gently put them into moist, gently-bubbling hydroton, without using rockwool? I'm betting if I left that container undisturbed for a week or so, the seedling would wrap roots around some hydroton and fix itself in place just like my basil clones have done.

I wouldn't try it, wouldn't want something stupid to happen for any reason and not notice it in time. Why dont you just pick up some rockwool cubes in the AM?

Well, thankfully this is why I have some bagseed left over that I'm not particularly attached to.

i know of someone who puts seeds directly into hydrotone just drops em in and turns on the aeroponics system and success rate is about 95%

I put all my seeds straight into hydroton. Its fine.

The only danger is new hydroton has the tendency to raise ph and ec. So u have to monitor your res and change it if it starts getting dangerously high

I germinate my seeds in fine vermiculite. When they establish enough roots, usually by the second set of leafs,let the vermiculite dry out, then you can pretty much just pour out the vermiculite leaving just bare roots. Anything still left on the roots will just wash out and sink in your bucket. Just be careful with them as they are just seedlings.

heres one i just started straight in hydroton





easy as pie

Why not? Some folks have done it with just lava rocks. i guess it could work

Old ass thread but I'll ask here instead of starting a new one. I've dabbled in dwc a bit but always from clones. I wanna throw some seeds this time and see no reason why straight into hydroton will be an issue. Here's my question tho. Since the hydroton doesn't hold water I assume I'll have to hand water til roots reach water? How often will this have to happen?

6 hours should be fine

Ive never done this method though. I start seeds in neoprene collars in 2" netpots. Works wonders. Transfer to buckets after a week or two. Spiral the root mass at the bottom of pot, fill hydroton over the roots. Take off!

firsttimeARE said:

6 hours should be fine

Ive never done this method though. I start seeds in neoprene collars in 2" netpots. Works wonders. Transfer to buckets after a week or two. Spiral the root mass at the bottom of pot, fill hydroton over the roots. Take off!

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I do the same thing. The roots love being spiraled around the bottom of the final 6" netpot/lid.... Get some crazy roots off of that method

That's how I do it. I've been doing rockwool before, but had nothing but trouble with it (rockwool had a tendency to become too wet and become an infection site).

I've started testing with some bad genetics seeds and noticed it's very easy going straight into hydroton.
I soak my seeds in RO water for 24 hours and then put them between wet paper towels for a few days. When they show about 2 cm of roots, I put them into a netpot full of hydroton (well washed and soaked in pH-ed RO water for a day), and that's it. I water it daily untill roots start poking from the bottom, then move the netpot into a bucket and I'm ready to go. I was afraid seedling would fall through the hydroton, but it turned out that's not happening if you don't transplant right away when a root starts poking from the seed, but let it grow for a few days in the paper towel. If you have very large hydroton, you can even take some, smash it to smaller bits and put those on top where your seedlings will be put.

Got 6 beans straight into htdrotone and everything looks great. Let the sprout a good bit in a paper towel first. Easy peasy.

I may be doing this method. I was curious about just using hydroton.

I have never grown in hydroton before and am new to hydro altogether but Im thinking of giving DWC a shot my next time around. I have a question, I made a DWC system out of a 5 gallon bucket and the net pot that I am using is 6 inches. If I fill the net pot with hydroton, how deep do I plant the seed? Will it be able to grow up and around the rocks if planted to deep? Also how do the roots stay wet in the hydroton later on when you are no longer watering from the top anymore?

The bubbles bursting underneath the net pot is enough to keep everything moist as long as there are some shoots coming out the bottom. I leave about an inch air gap between water and pot. As for depth, I usually do about a 2 inch layer then the seed.

If you want the best hydro set up get the waterfarm bucket system by general hydroponics. It uses only air pumps to circulate the water. Do it yourself are fails, they always use water pumps that create massive amounts of heat then add water chillers to cool it off then air stones and it's all overkill.

That's simply not true.

Whilst the waterfarm is a simple, reliable drip system, it cannot compete with a well designed DIY RDWC as far as production and price is concerned.

dirty larry said:

That's simply not true.

Whilst the waterfarm is a simple, reliable drip system, it cannot compete with a well designed DIY RDWC as far as production and price is concerned.

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Have you grown with one? It is not a drip system. Get your facts right. It's a dwc recirculating system just a better design. So it is a drip and RDWC, even better. And like I said no water pumps so no hot water issues. The water recirculates and is aerated just in a better way. You should keep an open mind. You also need to research facts. Have you used or seen a waterfarm in action? Have you talked to someone that's been growing for over 20 years about them? You can build a DIY waterfarm kit too if you know how they work. I guess I should of expected someone to argue. You can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink.

purplelicious said:

Have you grown with one? It is not a drip system. Get your facts right. It's a dwc recirculating system just a better design. So it is a drip and RDWC, even better. And like I said no water pumps so no hot water issues. The water recirculates and is aerated just in a better way. You should keep an open mind. You also need to research facts. Have you used or seen a waterfarm in action? Have you talked to someone that's been growing for over 20 years about them? You can build a DIY waterfarm kit too if you know how they work. I guess I should of expected someone to argue. You can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink.

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Waterfarm has a small reservoir and thus a Ph that isn't as stable. Unless you plan to check every waterfarm every day or two AND constantly tune your Ph meter/stick go ahead. I'll keep my RDWC