DWC Bucket Will. Not. Root.

[bakershredhead]

How often you watering? If your using rockwool for your starts I would only water for 15 to 20 minutes every 4 to five hours. I use an aerocloner and then go straight to hydroton and only water every 4 hours for 20 minutes. I than up the watering according to plant growth until its on 24/7. Your first pictures look like overwatering to me, which can happen in hydroton especially if you are using rockwool. Try backing off on the watering you'll be able to tell if they need more water.

 

[sedate]

Your first pictures look like overwatering to me,

Yea I mean I sort of thought clones going into a DWC were bound to look like that a bit. Most pics I see of plants in DWC systems look perpetually overwatered - a least a bit.

I thought once the roots got going it'd work itself out - but they don't appear to be going at all.

When I split open the rockwool to check the roots, the ones I could see still looked okay - but that doesn't mean all that much.

So I added a second air pump with an open end stuffed into the bottom of the net pot to bubble the water directly there - but that didn't seem to do anything one way or the other.

I'll post another pic of it.

 

[redneck1]

r u getting any water and nutes to the roots themself?Im not sure what your system is but dont look like you have anything sending nutes to the top of the pot(drip ring or line)until your roots r out of your rockwool cube and down in the nutes in the bottom of your basket?if theres nuthin sending nutes to the rockwool cube it needs to be hand watered until the roots drop down to the nutes?maybe im confused?

 

[sedate]

if theres nuthin sending nutes to the rockwool cube it needs to be hand watered until the roots drop down to the nutes?maybe im confused?

Naww dude you're right on - I've kept the cube wet and nuted through this process.

I still dunno wtf.

I hand watered it for the first four days or so - then I raised the water level to one inch below the bottom of the netpot - then I stuck a airline in there to blow the water around the bottom inches of rockwool, about where the fledging rootmass was.

It's just been like that since.

The clone looks just the same as it did two weeks ago. It isn't growing, isn't dying, and generally looks miserable to be alive.

I dropped the nutes and dropped the pH, but, meh. Nuthin.

Once again, I find myself . . .

:headbang

 

[Cygnus]

Just quit the top watering and let the bubbles do there magic.

 

[lollipopman]

Take the hydroton out, let us see the roots...

 

[buckwheat]

solution to rise in PH

I am also in my first grow in Bubble buckets something that solve my same issue with the PH was to first set water being use combo of tap and RO out for 1 day to allow for chlorine evaporation . Next mix chemicals with water and let it set for another day . 3rd day a.m. check your ph and make adjustments. p.m. check the solution if it is stablize in the range of what your wanting to attain ,then add to plant. Since starting this regimen during the fourth week of veg, I now hardly have to do any daily adjustments to the ph.
Now I can say don't worry be happy

 

[powerplant]

the only way it will work is to sit the pot on top of the substrate and let it grow new hydro roots.

That's it right there. I had the same problem, I also opened the block as you did, seen some good roots, but none where coming thru the block. Why? The conclusion I came to is, the Rockwool cube is to wet. The roots are not searching for water, most of my roots where growing away from the water (kinda like when you over water in soil, or have poor drainage in a soil pot).

Fixes: You can either lower the rez's and top feed til the new roots drop, or you can pull the plant out. (This is what I did) Still in the net pot, set it on top of the rez and top feed. I only fed 3-5 ml of nutrient solution out the rez. When the pot was getting light in weight, which meant it was almost dry. Keyword "almost" do not let it dry out completely. This will make the roots search for water. In a couple days some sooner you will see new thick white roots come thru the pot. Then Bubble away!!

Noone88 post was also right on the money! Bigger roots imo= easier transplant.

 

[THC Toker]

They need a wet and dry period in order for the roots to look to grow. If the block is constantly wet then the roots won't look to grow anywhere. With the method I described earlier in the post I would normally water them every 2 or 3 days but a lot depends on the time of year and temps. If they felt light in weight when I checked them then then would get a quick water.
Make sure that the temps are ok in the area in which you are growing them in, if it is cold in there at all then this will slow the roots down, they like to be kept at the right temps.

 

[boshuter]

Just quit the top watering and let the bubbles do there magic.

That's it right there. Just keep the water level touching bottom of net pots until you see roots coming out of the pots then drop water level 2". If you water from the top the roots don't have to grow down to find water.