So I started growing again and I need help

[MattCarnage]

I have a couple of questions. I started some plants 27 days ago from seed. I have a 4 pot 4 gallon tub I believe I may be mistaken check the pictures. I changed out the water a week ago and the plants got shocked some how. However they have picked up with new roots and growth . My question is how do I change the water without shocking the plants as well as should I trim the old dying roots?


Strain -Random
# of Plants - 4
Grow Type - Hydro
Grow Stage - 12/12
Setup - DWC
Light - 6 100W CFL
Nutrients - Technaflora
Medium - Grodan Rockwool
PH - 6.3
Room Temperature -70 to 80
Solution Temperature -65 to 69
Pests - None Known


The roots

Before

After

Other Plant

All comments will be helpful Thanks Again

 

[PrairiePoet]

Well a four gallon tub for four plants is in my opinion way too small. Transfer them a least to a 10 gallon, better yet, to two 10 gallon tubs. Five gallons per plant is good. You want more space for roots to grow, and less changes per day to the nutrient level. When in late veg and early flowering, a plant can drink up to a gallon of water per day.

 

[MattCarnage]

Thanks PrairiePoet for stopping by I know that this system wont grow monsters I was aiming for a small personal yield around 1 - 2 ounces per plant. Is this system capable of doing this for me?

 

[Bassman59]

Yes it will give you that.

Plan your res changes before hand. Make up all your nute mix, let it sit for a few hours, THEN ph adjust. Once you have it right, drain & clean your tub, fill with new mix. The 20 mins the roots are out of water is fine. Hell they even like it.

I strongly suggest you use as much water as you can in that tub. If it's a pre built system, I know what one it is and you will want to bring the water level up to the baskets almost. Also keep that water cool! and NO ICE IN THE TUB! Root will die and break off with contact to ice buckets.

When you clean your tub, wipe it down dry with a little vinegar (evaporates fast) or rubbing alcohol. Either will make it sterile.

 

[MattCarnage]

Thanks Bassman I leave the water about half an inch from the pots the plants are thriving. So when I drain I just leave the plants in an empty bucket? Here are some pics taken yesterday

 

[Bassman59]

ya man empty bucket is fine. 20 mins of air is refreshing to them even.

 

[farmerb]

Hey Matt! Nice looking babies u got there. I have the exact same dwc system. (stealth hydro?) I've only grown in soil before and thought this would be a good intro to hydro. I currently am only using 2 of the sites for basil. But the roots don't really seem to be shooting down, growing long like yours are. At 1st I had the water too low, now I have it just touching the bottom of the pots. And the hydroton surrounding each plant/rockwool are moist. I wasn't sure about germ'n with this system, so I had the rockwool in a humidity dome for the 1st 2 wks, trying to get the roots going, even used a lil superthrive the 2nd week. That seemed to help grow up, just not down. I have several more seeds in paper towels in a ziploc now, and was hoping to get the tap roots longer before putting them into the rockwool. (I'm also considering using my rapid rooters for this, then just plopping them into the net pots, as all my prior use of them have produced great roots) I also need to make some covers like u did with yours. Is that plastic you cut up to cover em with?

Thanks for any insight/advice, and best of luck with your garden!

 

[Bassman59]

I use the root riot cubes (same as rapid rooter) from germination all the way through into net pots and harvest. Works great. I prefer them to rockwool.

 

[farmerb]

That's good to know bman. I wasn't sure bout the degradation of the rooters and dwc. As far as pests/molds, etc. Thx.