Thundercat
Well-Known Member
Yep don't let it completely dry out but you don't want it wet either. Ideally the roots will reach down and the rock wool will serve no purpose in a couple weeks.
Res aeration... how much?
- Thread starter Gquebed
- Start date
Gquebed
Well-Known Member
Ya...
Rock wool.
My nemesis... i can seem to get it right with that stuff...lol
Crossing my fingers...
Gquebed
Well-Known Member
@HydroRed
@Thundercat
@Renfro
Say... right now i am flooding every 4 hours for 20 mins + 10 min drain time. Im thinking that might be too much... as the clone roots wont be that urgent about going in search of moisture.
So i wonder... maybe go every 6 hours? Would i be in danger of the roots drying out too much?
So far i have had the clones going for only one light cycle and i have top fed twice. Once when i put them in the pots and once before lights out...
Sorry guys... feeling my way in the dark here... lol
@Thundercat
@Renfro
Say... right now i am flooding every 4 hours for 20 mins + 10 min drain time. Im thinking that might be too much... as the clone roots wont be that urgent about going in search of moisture.
So i wonder... maybe go every 6 hours? Would i be in danger of the roots drying out too much?
So far i have had the clones going for only one light cycle and i have top fed twice. Once when i put them in the pots and once before lights out...
Sorry guys... feeling my way in the dark here... lol
Last edited:
Renfro
Well-Known Member
Totally something you have to watch. Look for the plants to get a touch wilty and you know you went too far.
I used hydroton when I did flood and drain. I ran 20 minutes floods because thats about how long it took for the tray to get filled to the overflow tube level.
I waited 4 hours because 5 showed me signs of wilt. Plant size and environment (heat, light, humidity, co2 levels) determine how often they need a flood. I never flooded during lights out. Hope that helps.
Gquebed
Well-Known Member
Thats the trick. Knowing what to watch for and knowing what it means...
I used to do promix and would see some wilt after 6 hours or so, but it was just that some plants sag "mid day." Siesta time. Then theyd perk back up later.
With hydro things happen much faster, ive read, and need quicker reactions... and that scares me...lol
Thundercat
Well-Known Member
Renfro nailed it. You'll just have to make some adjustments to fit your plants and room. Are your lights on veg mode still?
Don't be freaked out. I have forgotten to plug my pump back in after res changes, and didn't find it till the next day. The plants had wilted, but were just fine. The root zone isn't gonna get dangerously dry that fast.
I'm currently only feeding 3 times during lights on (about every4.5 hours) because my room is colder then I want and they aren't drinking much. I just got more heaters going in there today, and hopefully that will help things get back to normal. This cold snap really dropped my temps this past week.
Don't be freaked out. I have forgotten to plug my pump back in after res changes, and didn't find it till the next day. The plants had wilted, but were just fine. The root zone isn't gonna get dangerously dry that fast.
I'm currently only feeding 3 times during lights on (about every4.5 hours) because my room is colder then I want and they aren't drinking much. I just got more heaters going in there today, and hopefully that will help things get back to normal. This cold snap really dropped my temps this past week.
Gquebed
Well-Known Member
Running cobs... they have a dimmer so i have them at half intensity and about 30 inches above. Now that theyve had a full day i may drop them a tad or turn up the intensity a bit tonight...
Thundercat
Well-Known Member
I meant veg timing. personally, I would give them a week or 2 to settle in and get some good roots going before you switch to flower is all.
Gquebed
Well-Known Member
Oh...lol
Ya... vegging for roots.... dont want them too tall though.
Crazy weather here... +10 on mon afternoon, -14 by midnight, now its 0 and theyre calling for -30 for friday....
Fuck me...lol
HydroRed
Well-Known Member
Good advice so far. 4 hrs for flood times has always been my default flood time. As mentioned above, I too have had a pump go out on me (mid flower) and didnt catch it for a day and came in to wilty, unhappy plants:
An hour after replacing the pump and flooding its like nothing ever happened.
An hour after replacing the pump and flooding its like nothing ever happened.
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
nice shrubs you got there Red!
did you ever get the shit resolved with cannaventure? i almost put in a big order until the shit hit the fan on that thread. glad i waited.
Gquebed
Well-Known Member
I guess 4ish is the number then. Didnt mean to doubt anybody... just want them roots going... lol
Guess my anxiousness is showing. Spent 3 weeks building and a week searching for clones... just want this show on the road...lol
And a whole day without flooding? Wow... thats good know... takes some of the worry away... lol
Gquebed
Well-Known Member
Good to know that others are getting some benefit from my OCD and noobness. Lol
Gquebed
Well-Known Member
Is it common to see end of veg light cycle sag or droopiness with flood and drain?
I didnt get a lot of that in promix. The odd strain would do it.
Just asking cause... im seeing some of that this morning. 2 hours before lights out and got some sad looking plants, but all conditions are spot on. Water is a bit warm at 71f though.
Last night, about 5 hours after lights came on, they all looked really good except one was droopy. I top fed it and... before i finished checking pH and temp and such the little fucker perked right up. Like 5 mins. I was AMAZED at how fast that happened. Very exciting for an ex promix guy.
Anyway, the whole gang is looking sad right now. Top fed em all and they didnt seem to care much... hoping theyre just tired from a long day under the light? I dunno...
I didnt get a lot of that in promix. The odd strain would do it.
Just asking cause... im seeing some of that this morning. 2 hours before lights out and got some sad looking plants, but all conditions are spot on. Water is a bit warm at 71f though.
Last night, about 5 hours after lights came on, they all looked really good except one was droopy. I top fed it and... before i finished checking pH and temp and such the little fucker perked right up. Like 5 mins. I was AMAZED at how fast that happened. Very exciting for an ex promix guy.
Anyway, the whole gang is looking sad right now. Top fed em all and they didnt seem to care much... hoping theyre just tired from a long day under the light? I dunno...
Thundercat
Well-Known Member
I'm sure to some extent they are just trying to get settled in. They have been through a good amount of stress the last week 
.
Just let them adapt, make sure the rock wool isn't staying wet so the roots can reach and breathe.
My plants get huge attitude swings throughout the day. The leaves will perk and droop at different times. I'm sure related to watering times. I'm always astonished how droopy my leaves get during lights out, then they wake right up during the day.
. Just let them adapt, make sure the rock wool isn't staying wet so the roots can reach and breathe.
My plants get huge attitude swings throughout the day. The leaves will perk and droop at different times. I'm sure related to watering times. I'm always astonished how droopy my leaves get during lights out, then they wake right up during the day.
Gquebed
Well-Known Member
I ran roluman twice in promix. Both runs they would droop so bad they looked like a person standing with their hands in their pockets. Straight down. Then lights on they would pray all day.I'm sure to some extent they are just trying to get settled in. They have been through a good amount of stress the last week
Just let them adapt, make sure the rock wool isn't staying wet so the roots can reach and breathe.
My plants get huge attitude swings throughout the day. The leaves will perk and droop at different times. I'm sure related to watering times. I'm always astonished how droopy my leaves get during lights out, then they wake right up during the day.
Drove me nuts... thought it was something i was doing, but i ran them the same as i always did with other strains...
Gquebed
Well-Known Member
Well that rockwool sure sucks. I pulled one plant to check the roots because they all look so sad ... And there was hardly any development after 4 days. The rockwool was really saturated. So Took a chance and stripped all the rockwool off of every plant. See what happens...
HydroRed
Well-Known Member
Thats the deal with rockwool. It holds water like crazy, so if the roots are too wet they wont "search" for food...no need to since its all right there all the time.
Thundercat
Well-Known Member
How many times have you top fed them in the last 4 days? I would really think once when you first put them in should be all they needed. Maybe after a few days one more time if the rock wool started to actually feel dry. But like we've been saying rock wool holds tons of water for a long time. Most people that use rock wool just have drip feeders giving small measured waterings.
Is any of the rock wool touching rocks that get wet? Hydroton doesn't wick a lot of water but it will wick some.
I was looking at my veg tray last night and noticed the hydroton was wet about 1/2-3/4 of an inch above the water. I was surprised that I could see moisture at the top and checked my timer. I realized when I set things back up a couple weeks ago that I used a timer with 30 minute increments instead of 15 oops.
Is any of the rock wool touching rocks that get wet? Hydroton doesn't wick a lot of water but it will wick some.
I was looking at my veg tray last night and noticed the hydroton was wet about 1/2-3/4 of an inch above the water. I was surprised that I could see moisture at the top and checked my timer. I realized when I set things back up a couple weeks ago that I used a timer with 30 minute increments instead of 15 oops.
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