Virgin here!

[DukeO]

Once I put the Rapid Rooter into the hydroton I will pour rez water over the hydroton twice a day for two or three days.(it stays wet down in the hydroton.)
I am really more flushing high o2 water into the RR's. They will not dry out if they are cover by hydroton and you are pumping air into stones in the rez below. All that wet air comes up through the hydroton.

In my DWC rez I will have 1/4 strength nutes/ z7 water treatment(protects the roots and keeps everything clean) and 180ppm tap water PH'd to about 6.

I like to have my RR's covered by the Hydroton.

That stops it from being a wick and makes sure the RR's don't get mold.

 

[DemonicAngel]

You should give Rapid Rooters a try.

They are much easier to work with and they really take off in them.

I pop a seed then put into a Raped Rooter and under a dome(you could put right into hydroton at that point) for three to four days(hardening the last day.

Then into the hydroton with the raped rooter covered and off she will go 99.99% of the time.

I lost many back in the days when I was using RW and I can't remember ever losing one in RR's.

I'm not fussy on rw either.... not good for the environment. I find with autos you increase your chance of a small yield as well. Seems like it takes forever for the roots to get established

 

[LurchVegas]

I have plenty rw left. . . But I will not be using them . . . Maybe my ol lady can use them for her dwc vegetable grow experience she keeps talking about?!. . . I 've got 3 seeds just out of soak and into paper towels/paper plates tucked away in a warm cozy spot! 1x super og kush and a 2nd go on 1x diesel auto and 1 more white widow auto. . I Def. Using the plugs on those. . . Also I want to say thank you to everyone who has chimed in, for your help. I really do appreciate it.

 

[LurchVegas]

My WW has fallen again. . . Why is it doing this? Cali snow seems to be coming along great... ?????

 

[Planter420]

Now that you have it buried in hydroton it may stop. That the one that got pulled out a little? Don't have a fan on her directly or she may keep falling over let her find her feet first.

 

[LurchVegas]

Now that you have it buried in hydroton it may stop. That the one that got pulled out a little? Don't have a fan on her directly or she may keep falling over let her find her feet first.

No. That one died on me. . . This one was one that took forever to germ/sprout from the seed. . . I hit with a lil water Cal mag n grow mix like before and once again she has seemed to bounce back. These pics were taking at 225 today soon as I got home from work.

 

[LurchVegas]

I'm in love with the starter seedling plug I picked up from my local hydro store. . . All 3 seeds germed in 2 days after following advice from GrowchyzGardenOfGreen. . . Thanks bro. . . Popped them in the plugs and put the plugs in small solo cups and sat them on a heating pad with my soda bottle cut offs for a diy humidity dome(worked great btw). . . Barely 2days later all three were stretching and peeking up searching for light.... . I had them out side of the tent covered by a clip on desk light I got from Wal-Mart which I put a grow light bulb in that I also found in Wal-Mart . . . I had planned on doing only 4 buckets but since all 3 germed I just added another so I'm doing 5 in total. . . I hope the light is enough. . . I'm wondering if I should turn the dimmable ballast to 75% power or leave it at 50% and move it down a bit????? Also I added the 5th bucket and dropped an airstone I picked up from Wal-Mart but saw that it was a bit weaker than the ones I got with the dwc kit from htg.... . . So I unplugged the stone and saw that the hose blowing air into the water with no stone bubbled the water 5x more than with the airstone. . . .So I left it like that. . . I hope that doesnt cause a problem. . . I'll upload s9me better pics once the new girls take off. . . Also please excuse my dirty tent. . . I've been a bit busy with lass and work but will def get her tidyed up. . . . Thanks again for all the feedback and help yall!!

Also my ph pen is still acting crazy. . . Is there a ph meter out there that's highly accurate but not going to run me 100 dollars? I know you get what you pay for but I can't pay 3 digits for a meter. . . Maybe after a few grows my situation a be a bit better . . . But I def. Need to keep an eye on my ph and this pos meter is only accurate at frustrating me.

 

[LurchVegas]

Please. . . Need some help. . . My girls leaves are looking bad. . . Smaller one is the WW auto and the bigger 1 is the Cali Snow auto. . . The leaves just stared looking this way . . . Ima kinda freaked out how fast things can change. . . . Anybody got any suggestions. . . Is it the cal mag water spritzing I've been doing?

 

[Planter420]

The only things you should have In your water is bubbles and beneficial bacteria, no nutes. She will feed off her cotyledons for the first two weeks and after you see her start to fade a little like a lime green color in the newest growth then add light light nutes. Most likely your nutrients are burning them and they could die. I suggest dumping res and adding straight phed water with Benny's at most, no nutes.

 

[DukeO]

Is that one in RW or a plug?

To me it is not good to be spraying anything on them.

They should be getting what they need from their roots and not their leaves.

That makes them weak.

I would take that one out from under that big light and just use the little grow bulb you have until she comes back.

It does not need a lot of light at this point.

Then pour water out of the rez over the hydroton and stop spaying water on it.

You could put something over some of the hydroton to slow down it drying out so fast up top.

I am talking about the top pic one.

The one in the bottom pic I would say she is not doing to bad.

Just stop spraying on her and pour water over the hydroton at least twice a day for two or three days and she should start to take off.

They do not show signs of needing more light.

Most of the issues most of us have in the beginning come from over doing/loving them.

Like to much light and to much water/nutes or spaying water on them.

Less is more.

Back off on the light until you see them stretch for more instead of trying to give as much as possible and then having to back off when they are getting cooked.

Hope that helps...

 

[LurchVegas]

The only things you should have In your water is bubbles and beneficial bacteria, no nutes. She will feed off her cotyledons for the first two weeks and after you see her start to fade a little like a lime green color in the newest growth then add light light nutes. Most likely your nutrients are burning them and they could die. I suggest dumping res and adding straight phed water with Benny's at most, no nutes.

I hadn't put anything in the water. . . I did the cal mag in the water spray bottle and have been misting the girls with it. . . I dumped it out and cleaned it and did just ph'd water I hope she bounces back

 

[LurchVegas]

Is that one in RW or a plug?

To me it is not good to be spraying anything on them.

They should be getting what they need from their roots and not their leaves.

That makes them weak.

I would take that one out from under that big light and just use the little grow bulb you have until she comes back.

It does not need a lot of light at this point.

Then pour water out of the rez over the hydroton and stop spaying water on it.

You could put something over some of the hydroton to slow down it drying out so fast up top.

I am talking about the top pic one.

The one in the bottom pic I would say she is not doing to bad.

Just stop spraying on her and pour water over the hydroton at least twice a day for two or three days and she should start to take off.

They do not show signs of needing more light.

Most of the issues most of us have in the beginning come from over doing/loving them.

Like to much light and to much water/nutes or spaying water on them.

Less is more.

Back off on the light until you see them stretch for more instead of trying to give as much as possible and then having to back off when they are getting cooked.

Hope that helps...

So the top pic one is the WW that has been growing sooo slow. . . Compared to the other one. . . They were both germed and put into the net pots at the same time. . . But the Cali Snow took off good and the WW girls didn't. . . .They both are in RW cubes. . . Should I not even spray them with water??

 

[LurchVegas]

Got the others in the buckets.. . . . My Cali snow seems droopy . . . Could I be over watering her?

 

[Planter420]

Looks to me she's just heading toward the light. That look okay from here, no need to spray but when your roots emerge from your net pot u can stop top watering and just rely on the bubbles to keep roots moist and when they hit the water fully it's on bro!

 

[LurchVegas]

I'm def. Ready to see them take off. . . When is a good time to start let? . . . Few fresh pics from today. . . Also I'm running 18/6 should I go 20/4(would that yield more). . . I just look at these little frail girls and can't help but to think that my 4oz goal might not be met. . . Even with multiple plants. . . . Btw I did lower lights down to 24" from 34". . . I did it last night . . . Hopefully it won't hurt anything. . . Also I'm still on 50% power from the ballast. . . Should I still be there or should I go up to 75 or 100 %???

 

[LurchVegas]

Any idea why she has those spots on her leaves???. . . . And what's up with the other smaller one. . . Seems a bit deformed or something???

 

[DukeO]

Most likely it is what is call lacing.

The happens you the humidity drops to fast.

Like when you you put humidity domes over a small plant and you remove it them before hardening or slowing bringing the humidity down.

The plant ws takening a lot of water through the leaves instead of from the roots.

That opens the pours on the leaves. They need a day or two to close their pours slowing and start taking more of their water through their roots.

You should of gone more slowly from dome to no dome. Like first open the dome a little in some way to reduce the humidity slower.

They should recover and be fine in a day or so.

They are hardened no and the next set of leaves should be fine.

Of coarse I am pretty much buzzed out of me mind right now and maybe I don't know what I am taking about.LoL

But I bet that is right and they will be fine in a few days.

 

[DukeO]

Also, If it was me I would cover that plug with hydroton. That plug will act as a wick and could build up salts.

 

[Planter420]

What's the humidity in there without the domes? I hate domes lol is your ph meter calibrated? I worry about the little spots on your leaves and hope it's a ph or wind burn problem than mites... but I don't like the little spots on that one leaf. Might be nothing, but it doesn't hurt to have a REALLY CLOSE look at the underside of the leaf.

 

[LurchVegas]

Thanks for replying guys. . . The meter read 35% humidity at 81 degrees lastnight. Could it have anything to do with being in rw? She the only one not in a plug. . . No that POS meter is still not calibrated and still declining when getting a reading. . . I'm waiting to buy a better meter. . . I may just grab some litmus test strips or something today. . . I'll check under the leaves but wht am I looking for?

I'll cover the plugs up as well.