when can I put a seedling into my aeroflow??

Hi, the more I read the more confused I get! I have an aeroflow60 that I just setup...I have a 1000 watt mh/hps....Also have 4' 6 tube T5, and a 400 watt MH. What should I do for germinating? Should I put in paper towel, then move them to a rockwell cube and go straight into my aeroflow? And what light should I use? Because right now I already have my 1000 hung over the aeroflow. I am just really confused how I start a seed then get it into my aeroflow. Do I just use hydroton around the rockwell? Someone PLEASE shed some light on this because I'm ready to get started

Theoretically, you can put the seed directly into a net cup filled with hydroton, but I'd be worried about it staying in place. That's the nice thing about the rockwool, it holds the seed. I had a problem with white powder(mildew?) growing on the rockwool at one time, but I sprayed it with some sort of organic fungicide that took care of it.

I stopped using the paper towel because you then have to handle the little root when transferring to the rockwool. They are so delicate at this stage. Its easy to destroy them.

If you germinate in rockwool, you can put it in the cup surrounded by hydroton. Get the small cubes or plugs so they will fit in the 3" net pots easily.

If you are going to start it in the aeroflo2, get a cycling timer and tweak it until the rockwool just about dries out before the mister comes on, and stays on just long enough to dampen it (not soak it).

You'll want adequate light to prevent stretching, but just keep it far enough away that your hand doesn't get hot if it's the same distance away from the light as the plants are. The 60 is a pretty big system, I think the t5 would not cover it all. I'd go with the 400 about 2-3 feet away, or the 100 at about 4'.

(Just my opinion, I'm no expert...)

I have a couple ?s too, if you don't mind:
Are you planning on adding a 2nd 1000w?
I came very close to getting the 60 site, but I'd figured you'd need 2 1000w or 4 600w to really take advantage of it, and I didn't want that kind of power consumption.
Are you going for the "stacked on one side" setup, or the staggered on both sides?
I'm worried about space in the smaller system I have. I like the idea that you can stagger the tubes and get a little more space between plants, but then you have a lot of area to light.

hey thanks for the info....They are in a paper towel right now...I am then planning on putting them in the rockwools, and then putting that in the lil plastic greenhouse that I got with them. I figure they can stay in there for a short time and I will light it up with the T5....when they move to the aeroflow they are getting the full 1000 because I'm not gonna take it down lol......Oh yeah I am only starting with 16 seeds so it's gonna be awhile till the aeroflo2 is at full capacity......is it possible to put my seedlings into my ez cloner somehow after they sprout???

Now for your questions...I do plan on adding another light.....I think it would be sufficient with one as long as you have the tubes all next to eachother. I am planning on at least buying a light track until I can buy another light. Ideally I am going to put all the tubes staggered and run 2 lights because it gives the plants much more room that way it looks? Plus I'm going to buy the 60 site extension at some point...I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was wondering the same thing about the seedlings so I sprouted them in rockwool plugs. I sexed them in 4" rw cubes and then put those in a 6" pot w/hydroton and set them up on a flood/drain table and use them as mothers.....
If you sprout them in the tiny rw cubes you can then put that on/into your 3" net baskets of hydroton----you should only have to hand water them a few times to help the roots find thier way----and keep your water level high to where it just touches the basket barely; you dont want to let the rw touch the water so make sure it's as high as possible in the hydroton(the misting and humidity is all the dampness it needs). Lower the water level as the roots grow down----a few days is all........

That sure would be nice to have a 60 site!! I have a 20 site so I really need to be efficient with it. I keep it in my 12/12 room. I clone in a dwc cloner and then veg in the hydroton filled 3" baskets in another dwc for roughly 2 weeks, then they're ready for the AreoFlo........

What nutes do you plan to use?? I am running all Canna right now in my AreoFlo and flood/drain tables and I use the GH 3 part series in my dwc's....
It would be great to see some pics of your set-up. Do you plan to start a journel??

AreoKing:what system do you run?? Are you happy with it? What do you not like about it? Got any pics??

Great Growing to you!!
growinman

I could probably start throwin some pics on but I'm kinda nervous if it's safe to do something like that on the internet??? I went and bought a 100' roll of that reflective material and outlined the whole entire room with it today. Things are really coming together well. I will be using Advanced Nutrients sensi 2 part nutrients. I also got a couple other little goodies like turantula and pirhanna......As for the mothers, I think I will be forced to keep them in soil under a 400w MH. I am tapped out from everything I bought so I can't really afford a flood system to hold any right now. I would also like to see a pic of yours

You can build a cheap flood/drain table like this for $30-$40....... It's a MacCourt tote from Lowes(in the concrete section) is 2'x3' and very stout($13), get a 'though-hull' fitting with the barb for hose to your pump, cycle-timer if you dont have one, or digi timer w/6 settings($12)<----you really need more settings if only in hydroton.....
It's just amazing how these exploded when I put them in here.......
Moms


after 14 days............


and my AF20, cleaned and ready to rock!


AN are great nutes from all that I 've heard---just be careful and start easy.......

Have a great night!

growinman

Hey there, tokin!! So how's it coming along?? What did you decide on doing??

hey whats up! My lil babies are in rockwools inside a mini greenhouse underneath my T5's....All of them sprouted in the paper towel and now are starting to show their face in through the rockwool!!! Awesome!!! haha.... what kind of experience do you have with your aeroflow? Please share!!! What light did you use, what strain, yield etc.???? So anyways hopefully in a couple weeks the blueberry and white widow can hit the aeroflow!!! Oh yeah also Growinman can you include more pics so I can see exactly how that tray is built? I may just do that!!!

Great Weekend to you there, tokin!
I dont have much experience with my AeroFlo yet........ I 've been in soil for a number of years and just now switching over to hydro. I have had great success with my flood and drain table and then again with the dwc's I am running. I have 20 clones in 24/0 in 3" baskets of hydroton in a dwc that goes to 12/12 in the AF on the 20thish(the roots are already out of the baskets a couple of inches)......I have to finish this last run of soil and it's almost done. Then, in goes the AF first and 2 weeks later the other half of my soil grow will be finished and in will go a 3' x 6' flood/drain table or 3 of those tables in the pics...... I am thinking to keep my veg in "my" bathroom(it's in a 1/2bath off the side of our laundry room).

I dont think you necessarily want to keep those kids under a dome. Once they are rooted they should do fine and I think the air factor is more important.......imo..... The only time I ever use a dome is if the rh is way low or its not 75+degrees.

Now I just use a bubble cloner with no dome, water at 80 and no hormones or nutes. I get about 90% within 10-14 days. They will move from there to 3'' hydroton filled baskets and into the dwc vegger for the AF or 1/2 gal baskets for the tables...

Here's my current veg set-up:
kind of dark(sorry) <----a couple of new samples(THC Bomb and Mazar x Afghan) that I am going to try-- I 've been vegging the plants(5 of ea.) for over two months and just now starting to show sex under 24/0.

The table is so easy!!

It's a 2'x3' as I said in the earlier post.....I just bought 3 more of the trays; I will get some pics when I put them together. You basically need to get a hole in the bottom with a "through hull" fitting(your hydro shop) some hose and a pump(mine is a eco264, or something like that--doesn't really matter) to put in the resivor(mine is like an 12 gallon or something). When the pump shuts off the water drains back through that hole and hose, through the pump by way of gravity. If your using rockwool you'll only have to flood it 2-3 times a day, depending on a number of factors, of course. I do hydroton for the most part so I 've been flooding every hour and will probobly have to up that.........which is GOOD!!

So you want a current bud shot(budzzzzzzz)?


haha


Man, I 'd better go put this shit in my own journel........making one out of YOURS

Anyway, would like to hear how your coming a long---you get them in the AF yet?? And it would be great to see some pics too......

Have a great weekend!!

growinman

Hi, I wish you would replied a day sooner cause I never took the dome off and I burned 2 of the white widows!!! It's ok though thats to be expected....I put my rockwools in hydroton and moved them to the aeroflo last nite. I have them under my 400 watt mh right now till they get bigger....I'm really nervous about this aeroflo...only time will tell I guess!!! Should I leave them under 24 hr light or go to a 18/6 at this point???? will try to get pics very soon

The 24/0 to 18/6 is all a matter of opinion, imo Some people even leave them in darkness for 48 hrs before going 12/12........it may help the plant switch over to flower mode, or...? I go straight from 24/0 to 12/12 and always have. I may lose a day or two...? Who knows. I have great bud set and have been happy with how it's worked for me.
Your going to want to keep the water level up in the channels until your roots are out of the nets(may even have to hand water) and reaching the solution, then lower it every day until they are down in there all the way(the roots and the slide tubes).
Is your AF new? With as close together as the sites are, if your going to fill them all, you'll want to go 12/12 as soon you have roots showing good out of the nets---then you may want to lolly pop them?? I dont think these systems were built for trees.........although.........hmmmmmmmm. I will be building one of these here real soon(Jan) as per StinkBud......that will be much nicer than the GH ones---the one I 've got atleast.....

Let me know how it's going!