Rapid Rooter ... just leaving the grow room & need help!

[thinkGREEN]

Has anyone here heard of the "Rapid Rooter" medium for seedlings? I have a waterfarm hydro system and am just trying to figure out what exactly the next step is after the seeds have sprouted & grown about an inch in height. Should I take the Rapid Rooter medium w/ seeds inside and put each directly into the hydroton in the waterfarm? Or should I take the rapid rooters, put them in rockwool, and THEN put them in the hydroton? As you all know...the waterfarm uses a drip ring so how will these tiny things get the water they need??? im sorry for the noob questions....any help is much appreciated.





"Smoke Somethin BITCH"

 

[Damagoman]

Make sure your medium makes contact with your drip,
I don't have problems like that in dirt

Roor is around here somewhere

 

[thinkGREEN]

hmm.....so if i just put one of the rapid rooter plugs w/ in the middle of each waterfarm unit, the drip from the ring wont reach the plant?


or should i place the seedlings as close to the drip as possible?

 

[Stix]

I just stick the rooter plug into the hydroton and bury it a couple inches. "prime" it by pouring some water over the media wich will hasten the drip action, the hydroton acts like a wick effect to water the plant. Remember that the drip ring really never touches the plant at least when its young.

What he said. I've been using rapid rooters since the beginning right along with hydroton. No need for rockwool at all when using rapid rooter. And make sure your drip doesn't touch your plants. When your nutrient mix gets stronger as time goes on it can and will burn your foilage when it comes in direct contact. Good Luck!

 

[thinkGREEN]

i'm at the point now where i can see some rooting showing through the rapid rooters (which are sitting in the waterfarm) ....the rooters themselves are really dry though....should I keep those moist? or should i just leave it alone since the roots are beginning to show & water should now be able to reach them via the hydroton......just want to make sure im not supposed to be keeping these things moist all the time...

 

[Stix]

You really don't want the rooters getting to dry. If the rooters are dry there's a chance the roots are dry. If the roots stay dry for too long they will be damaged or even dead. Once your roots are filling the pot of hydroton keeping the rooters moist isn't as much of a concern. But when the roots are barely sticking out I would most definately not be letting those rooters get dry. At this stage of the game I usually keep my drip systems on 24-7.

 

[thinkGREEN]

24/7 huh.....how long do you keep it going for 24/7 until you start cycling the drip? and what type of cycle do you use? I just want to make sure i'm not overwatering; I see so many people on this forum say they do it for 15 on/15 off but im not too clear on what that means....is that on a per hour basis?