Nft grow help!

Deforced · Dec 5, 2021

Right guys, does anyone on here grow nft (nutrient film technique)? I'd love to go back to using nft individual trays with a pump which I've had many successful grows in but I am having one problem. The problem is at the start when introducing them to the trays, ill make sure there are roots bursting out the bottom of the 4inch rockwool cubes before putting them in the tray but as soon as they go in they just droop like crazy and never bounce back. I literally just throw every batch!!! It's getting quite frustrating because I've done many grows this way and never had a problem before. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks

GNick55 · Dec 5, 2021

Deforced said:
Right guys, does anyone on here grow nft (nutrient film technique)? I'd love to go back to using nft individual trays with a pump which I've had many successful grows in but I am having one problem. The problem is at the start when introducing them to the trays, ill make sure there are roots bursting out the bottom of the 4inch rockwool cubes before putting them in the tray but as soon as they go in they just droop like crazy and never bounce back. I literally just throw every batch!!! It's getting quite frustrating because I've done many grows this way and never had a problem before. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks

help is on its way, just wait for a grower who uses the same method as you..
welcome to the farm!
the best helpful site on growing..,

Deforced · Dec 5, 2021

GNick55 said:
help is on its way, just wait for a grower who uses the same method as you..
welcome to the farm!
the best helpful site on growing..,

Cheers pal appreciate it

freezeland2 · Dec 5, 2021

What’s the temperature of the solution, EC value and PH. I am assuming the system is clean and there is sufficient flow in the channels.

Deforced · Dec 6, 2021

freezeland2 said:
What’s the temperature of the solution, EC value and PH. I am assuming the system is clean and there is sufficient flow in the channels.

Temprature is kept at 20c clean system and ph is 5.8. I just can't understand the problem hence why I've changed to coco growing. I must admit nft is an awesome big yeilding way to grow by far.

freezeland2 · Dec 6, 2021

Deforced said:
Temprature is kept at 20c clean system and ph is 5.8. I just can't understand the problem hence why I've changed to coco growing. I must admit nft is an awesome big yeilding way to grow by far.

Temp is optimal. Are you using a two part nutrient solution and mixing properly or just a one part?

Deforced · Dec 6, 2021

freezeland2 said:
Temp is optimal. Are you using a two part nutrient solution and mixing properly or just a one part?

A two part nutrient pal, its vitalink a and b grow then adding vitalink root stim and calmag all vitalink feed. Its very strange I get drooping issues and they just never seem to recover so have to be thrown away. I would love go back to this system but I loose too much time with having to keep throwing them away. Cheers

Deforced · Dec 6, 2021

Deforced said:
A two part nutrient pal, its vitalink a and b grow then adding vitalink root stim and calmag all vitalink feed. Its very strange I get drooping issues and they just never seem to recover so have to be thrown away. I would love go back to this system but I loose too much time with having to keep throwing them away. Cheers

Also just to add, at one point I got told to build plenty of roots in the rockwool block before introducing to the trays but then they would still droop. Then got told to use golf tees to prop the rockwool up out of the water so only the roots are in the channel of water but still no luck. I never use to have to prop the rockwool out of the water etc and it's not advised in the NFT Manuel so I'm really stuck on what to do. Maybe just stick with coco

freezeland2 · Dec 6, 2021

Deforced said:
Also just to add, at one point I got told to build plenty of roots in the rockwool block before introducing to the trays but then they would still droop. Then got told to use golf tees to prop the rockwool up out of the water so only the roots are in the channel of water but still no luck. I never use to have to prop the rockwool out of the water etc and it's not advised in the NFT Manuel so I'm really stuck on what to do. Maybe just stick with coco

And everything is the same as before when you had success. It is odd you are having these issues. The room temp and rh are consistent? No change there are either?

PK1 · Dec 6, 2021

I just started growing in rockwool and the first thing to mind is if you are pre soaking the rockwool and preparing it for seed or transplant? @Dirtbag and @tobh any ideas?

Deforced · Dec 6, 2021

freezeland2 said:
And everything is the same as before when you had success. It is odd you are having these issues. The room temp and rh are consistent? No change there are either?

No change what so ever dude, literally in the same room. I can't wrap my head around it but I can understand how hard it is for you to try help me here without being the grower yourself. Really do appreciate it though.

Deforced · Dec 6, 2021

PK1 said:
I just started growing in rockwool and the first thing to mind is if you are pre soaking the rockwool and preparing it for seed or transplant? @Dirtbag and @tobh any ideas?

Yes I always presoak in PhD water for 24hr, it's a difficult one really

Dirtbag · Dec 6, 2021

I haven't grown In nft before so not really sure. I have seen it done though, usually in PVC pipes with net pots, but also seen it in modified rain gutter.

What do you mean by "tray"? Pics might help.
But there are a LOT of variables to go wrong with NFT. Partly why I've always avoided it.

Deforced · Dec 7, 2021

Dirtbag said:
I haven't grown In nft before so not really sure. I have seen it done though, usually in PVC pipes with net pots, but also seen it in modified rain gutter.

What do you mean by "tray"? Pics might help.
But there are a LOT of variables to go wrong with NFT. Partly why I've always avoided it.

When I say tray I just mean like the picture attached. Using 4inch rockwool cube in the middle. I've heard of them methods before which I assume they are all the same really. Thanks

freezeland2 · Dec 7, 2021

Dirtbag said:
I haven't grown In nft before so not really sure. I have seen it done though, usually in PVC pipes with net pots, but also seen it in modified rain gutter.

What do you mean by "tray"? Pics might help.
But there are a LOT of variables to go wrong with NFT. Partly why I've always avoided it.

You are right about a lot of variables. I have a 244 site NFT system. It is just too much work. Extremely productive method though if everything is dialed in. Power outages or stuck dosing solenoid’s will kill a grow quick. I switched to soil and grow for myself now.

Deforced · Dec 7, 2021

freezeland2 said:
You are right about a lot of variables. I have a 244 site NFT system. It is just too much work. Extremely productive method though if everything is dialed in. Power outages or stuck dosing solenoid’s will kill a grow quick. I switched to soil and grow for myself now.

Yes 100% very good system but like you say if you have a power outage that's a nightmare and also a good benefit to this system is getting rid of the waste at the end of the grow which is barely anything but roots.

Deforced · Dec 7, 2021

freezeland2 said:
You are right about a lot of variables. I have a 244 site NFT system. It is just too much work. Extremely productive method though if everything is dialed in. Power outages or stuck dosing solenoid’s will kill a grow quick. I switched to soil and grow for myself now.

Just a quick question, do you need to build a good root system before putting into the nft tray channel? I'm curious because I know a friend that just puts them in the system and doesn't have a problem but then I've got the Internet telling me it's a must to build a good root system in the 4inch rockwool blocks first. Cheers

freezeland2 · Dec 7, 2021

Deforced said:
Just a quick question, do you need to build a good root system before putting into the nft tray channel? I'm curious because I know a friend that just puts them in the system and doesn't have a problem but then I've got the Internet telling me it's a must to build a good root system in the 4inch rockwool blocks first. Cheers

I soak cubes in a tray and germ the seed right in the cube in that tray. I have two nursery channels on my system
and once I see a tap root on a cube in that tray I move the cube in to a site in a nursery channel. When they have good roots established I move the cube to a site on one of the main channels.

Deforced · Dec 7, 2021

freezeland2 said:
I soak cubes in a tray and germ the seed right in the cube in that tray. I have two nursery channels on my system
and once I see a tap root on a cube in that tray I move the cube in to a site in a nursery channel. When they have good roots established I move the cube to a site on one of the main channels.

Right ok, may I ask do you use the system with the pump which pushes water down the tray as pictured above? Have you ever had a problem with the seedlings drooping because they get too saturated? I was thinking its because they were getting too wet before establishing a good root system in the 4inch cube but I use to put the seedling straight in and never had problems that way. I'm just gathering ideas on the way you introduce them to see if that's where I might be going wrong. Thanks

freezeland2 · Dec 8, 2021

Deforced said:
Right ok, may I ask do you use the system with the pump which pushes water down the tray as pictured above? Have you ever had a problem with the seedlings drooping because they get too saturated? I was thinking its because they were getting too wet before establishing a good root system in the 4inch cube but I use to put the seedling straight in and never had problems that way. I'm just gathering ideas on the way you introduce them to see if that's where I might be going wrong. Thanks

My nft is a different design. It has 12 main channels similar to rain gutters. Each channel has 18 sites. Then there are two channels with smaller sites for seedlings. I have had dropped plants when the room temp gets low or nutrient solution becomes too cold.

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