First Aquafarm Hydro Grow

[Fenderbender]

OHOH!!! discoloration in the roots

what to do?

 

[Fenderbender]

Should I do something about that? leave them dry for a while? add something to the res? cut the dark patch out?

 

[Tead]

I'm not the one to answer that question so much, but I think it's VERY bad. I'll round up some hydro growing buddies and see if they have some input. Try to grab some better photos of the bad roots.

 

[Fenderbender]

Yeah I don't think it's good either

Gonna be difficult, I can't hold up the plant and take pictures at the same time, but I'll try some better shots when the light goes on again..

I've been reading around today.
I got some h202 3% although It's not the preferred treatment if any treatment at all.. but it's what I can get down the street, I thought if I cut out the dark bits, then rinse the roots with water with h202, clean out the res, and then put them back in a light feeding solution or maybe just even water?

 

[Tead]

Really, before you address the symptoms, I think you need to get your finger on the cause first or it will just continue. Finding the cause may lead to different solutions.
Folks will be along soon enough. I sent up a bat-signal or two.

 

[Fenderbender]

Thanks Tead!

Well I guess the cause is most likely that I used the water too long.. I don't have it setup up with an airstone, I ordered one today though.. and I was in the habit of changing my res weekly, but because the plant was getting bigger, I decided to top up.. so normally they would have gotten a whole fresh res sooner, and have 15-20 minutes of roots in the air.. now they were wet for two weeks and only got fresh water added not completely refilled.. I'll just get on with baking some bread in the meantime

 

[Tead]

Yum! Fresh warm bread on a cool fall day. In my neck of the woods, I'd pair it up with some Beans and Rice (it's Monday after all) and enjoy one wonderful feast.

Anyway, give us all the data on the res and nute mix. Everyone will need the facts at hand to provide advice.
PH, ppm, feeding schedule, nutes, temps, etc...

 

[Tead]

Oh... another thought... as your plant head deeper into bloom, they will generally stress the res more pulling larger amounts of nutrients from the water. Instead of backing off your normal routine by just topping them off, you kind of need to make extra sure all the t's are crossed and i's are dotted when in later bloom. Things can be much less forgiving as well.

 

[Fenderbender]

Euhm okay..

well pH I always go for 5,8
EC is at 1,1
Nutes are Canna Aqua Flores A+B, bit or Rhizotonic
I did have a week of added PK13/14 but now I changed back to normal flowering nutes
I don't know the temp of the water, but I'd say it's cold.
Temps in the tent are 23°C light on.. and a bit too cold with the light of +-17°C
Feeding schedule, well I use the Canna example

And well it's that my regular feeding would not include topping up but changing the whole nute soup.. it's the first time I tried topping up and look where it got me...

 

[Tead]

What!?!? Don't know about Beans and Rice??? What a shame.
It's an incredibly popular local dish. Traditionally done every Monday. Awesome stuff.
Come on down... we'll set you up with a fresh plate of Crawfish too!

 

[Fenderbender]

haha
I know about dirty rice and gumbo

but it's a sensitive area.. .

 

[Tead]

I see a strange story on the horizon.... perhaps some day it will come better into view.

 

[Rifleman]

Sorry it took so long to get here today, the geese and snapping turtles were having the last rumble of the year and I was pressed into being the ref. Turtles won again, although the champion gander kept hopping on one leg screaming, "Tis but a scratch, come back and fight like a man !"

Are you growing dwc where the roots float in about 3 or 4 gallons of solution all the time? The reason I ask is your bucket looks kind of empty. And your bucket appears to let light through it. (Can't really tell from the photo on either of those points) I've never experienced root rot, but i dose heavy with Hydroguard AND keep my buckets very well aerated and light proof.

If the above is the case I would #1 wrap my buckets with a couple layers of dark duct tape. You want to keep light away from the roots and solution. #2 I would up my aeration as much as possible IF in dwc.

I'll look for your answers to those and we'll go from there. As for the already brown roots.....I can't advise, but I'd be searching the forums to see if cutting the nasty ends is feasible.

 

[Fenderbender]

Tead, yep it sure is a story, sigh..

Rifleman, no the yellow bucket it's in for the picture is not the one it's in under the lights. I use a GHE aquafarm, you can see it in earlier pictures.. no light there..

And well here's the thing, I'm not growing DWC I have a root system in clay pebbles that gets dripped, but well the root system expanded beyond that and grew into the reservoir so it's kinda DWC but I don't have the extra air in there with a pump and stone to the reservoir.. this is how they usually mod the aquafarm for DWC
So I guess that's the main culprit not enough oxygen to the roots in the nutrients?

 

[Rifleman]

If those roots are sitting in a nearly stagnant solution, only getting moved or aerated when your pumping nutrients to the top and it flows downward, then I'd say that's the cause of the rot. I just watched a video on the aquafarm with an attractive young lady putting it together to educate myself on what you have. So the theory is the roots stay in the clay pellets and get drip fed. BUT your roots have grown into the water? Does your system have to blue hose coming up the side for checking solution levels? If so one fix might be another air pump and pump air down through there to aerate your solution. That is how my buckets work. It uses a plug in top of the blue hose, and the air hose is pushed into that. To check levels I just pull the air hose out. Photos attached.

I've read about a lot of fixes, h2o2, different manufacturer's stuff, and cutting out the rot. I wish I could give you some better advise on that, but wouldn't want to steer you the wrong way. ****IF it were me***** I'd look at modding the farm for more O2, cut the bad out...gently, dose with some h2o2, watch temps closely, and get some beneficials in there, even if it's just Hydroguard. And change the reservoir at least every seven days.

 

[Fenderbender]

well... after a night of the new solution.. the deep dark patch has faded to it's still a bit yellowish but looks much better

 

[Rifleman]

Could be staining also. Should have asked if the roots smelled or had any slime on them. I'm slipping in my old age. Glad it's looking better.

 

[Fenderbender]

hmm yesterday I didn't smell them.. just now well not really, just like roots, maybe bit of decay as white roots smelled better, I just pulled them out, they came loose like nothing, a tad slimy maybe.. I gave them the h202 bath.. and now I let them sit dry for a bit and am making a new nute solution.. upload pictures later on..

 

[Rifleman]

hmm yesterday I didn't smell them.. just now well not really, just like roots, maybe bit of decay as white roots smelled better, I just pulled them out, they came loose like nothing, a tad slimy maybe.. I gave them the h202 bath.. and now I let them sit dry for a bit and am making a new nute solution.. upload pictures later on..

Wipe the reservoir down with h2o2 while you have it empty. Just in case any bacteria lingers.

 

[Fenderbender]

hmm thanks people, just gotta keep the roots checked.. see if it keeps coming or gets better..
nothing too terrible has gone down yet I think.
as soon as the pump gets in there it will be safer as well.

But isn't that gonna screw with my pH levels in my res?