Rockwool to Hydro DWC - time to move?

ispy · Jun 21, 2022

Hey all,
I am just getting started and trying a couple of things - one being a Hydro setup from Atwater. I used Rockwool to germinate this seed and I think I am ready to move to the Hydro but I have a question or two.

I assume I just place this Rockwool down in the Coco understanding I need to water top down in beginning stages right?

Also, this seed has me a bit confused on its growth pattern. Maybe I am looking at it wrong but it appears the root is climbing up out of the wool?
Thanks for the help!

Buzzzz · Jun 21, 2022

ispy said:
Hey all,
I am just getting started and trying a couple of things - one being a Hydro setup from Atwater. I used Rockwool to germinate this seed and I think I am ready to move to the Hydro but I have a question or two.

I assume I just place this Rockwool down in the Coco understanding I need to water top down in beginning stages right?

Also, this seed has me a bit confused on its growth pattern. Maybe I am looking at it wrong but it appears the root is climbing up out of the wool?
Thanks for the help!
View attachment 1255342

Yes it is,you can take another cube and break it up and gently sprinkle the pieces over it.or perlite etc.

Cashmeh · Jun 21, 2022

Just flip it and make sure the shell isnt buried. Heres how I do it

ispy · Jun 21, 2022

Cashmeh said:
Just flip it and make sure the shell isnt buried. Heres how I do it

Thanks! Looks like you keep them much wetter than I have been. Another thing I learend.

Cashmeh · Jun 22, 2022

ispy said:
Thanks! Looks like you keep them much wetter than I have been. Another thing I learend.

Yea i forgot to mention yours looked pretty dry. For me, I keep about 10% of the rock wool submerged during seedling stage. This allows me to avoid top feeding.

Generally you dont use rockwool for wicking up water, but I do for the seedling stage. Then once I get alot of root mass out of the rockwool it really doesnt matter if its fully submerged or bone dry.

ispy · Jun 22, 2022

Cashmeh said:
Yea i forgot to mention yours looked pretty dry. For me, I keep about 10% of the rock wool submerged during seedling stage. This allows me to avoid top feeding.

Generally you dont use rockwool for wicking up water, but I do for the seedling stage. Then once I get alot of root mass out of the rockwool it really doesnt matter if its fully submerged or bone dry.

OK thanks, I fixed that and put it in my pot. At what point do you start feeding?

Cashmeh · Jun 22, 2022

ispy said:
OK thanks, I fixed that and put it in my pot. At what point do you start feeding?

I germinate in papertowel with ro water. I place taprooted seeds directly into 200-300ppm nutrient soaked cubes for vegging plants. keeping about 10% of the cube under water to allow wicking. With flora trio its about .6 ml of all 3 bottles, and about 1ml of calmag per gallon.

As long as you keep your ppms low, you can feed it instantly

ispy · Jun 22, 2022

Cashmeh said:
I germinate in papertowel with ro water. I place taprooted seeds directly into 200-300ppm nutrient soaked cubes for vegging plants. keeping about 10% of the cube under water to allow wicking. With flora trio its about .6 ml of all 3 bottles, and about 1ml of calmag per gallon.

As long as you keep your ppms low, you can feed it instantly

So I checked my water which has been running a while PH is right at 6+. Using meter I am getting about 145ppm but I have not put any nutrients in it.

Cashmeh · Jun 22, 2022

ispy said:
So I checked my water which has been running a while PH is right at 6+. Using meter I am getting about 145ppm but I have not put any nutrients in it.

Pretty good starting ppm. What nutrient line are you running?

ispy · Jun 22, 2022

Cashmeh said:
Pretty good starting ppm. What nutrient line are you running?

honestly right now it is what came with my Atwater. i guess i need to find some better nutrients. Mendocino Grow 30-10-10 and Bloom 9-21-12

Cashmeh · Jun 22, 2022

that what you got? What kind of light you running? And how much more money do you have to spend on this project? I mean you have to get nutrients eventually right? I would just get them now. General Hydroponics sells a kit called FLORA TRIO, get that, and then get a bottle of calmag. I would add enough calmag to get your ppms up to 200. So thats only 75ppms of calmag. Then add your flora trio in and get you up to 400ppm max for now. Also, since you dont have an external res, your water capacity is low. I run 30 gallons on 1 plant lol. .you will most likley get like 3.5 or 4gal. Meaning, your ppms will drop fast in flower, and your ph will rise fast during the entire grow. Id set your ph down to 5.5 also. So yea, once your at a total of 400ppm, your good to place your cube down in the system.
Light leaks will also cause root rot in your system. I would wrap the entire bucket in a bath towl to insulate it and block light. Also keep your airpump outside your grow room. This will help keep the water temp cooler.

Cashmeh · Jun 22, 2022

https://www.amazon.com/General-Hydr...cphy=9058470&hvtargid=pla-1589743665040&psc=1 Theres the flora trio set
https://www.amazon.com/Botanicare-C...t=&hvlocphy=9058470&hvtargid=pla-571436245855 Theres the calmag.
So thats 4 bottles for feeding. Always start at 200ppm with calmag. Then add half their recommended dosage. Seedlings it would be .5ml of each micro, grow then bloom.
now if you do well, you will have lots of roots in that pot. I use one more ingredient with flora trio to stop root rot. I have not had it since ive started using this stuff. Its highly reccomended a little pricy from what im hearing, but well worth it. You can always find different things to use once you get a few successfull grows. But if you use these items, and not some crazy stuff, we can all help you so much easier because we all have experience with them.

Hydroguard https://www.amazon.com/Botanicare-H...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
This is a bacteria, and if you add your chlorine water directly to it, you will kill them. You want to let your water sit out for like 12-18hrs to let the clorine evaporate out before hitting your roots with them. Its just that you would hate to do all that work, and then get root rot.
I grew a tree with this method lol. . its just labor intensive due to the swings in nutrients and ph because of low res size. I was adding water every single day with nutrients, and adding ph down sometimes twice a day. If you do it correct your ph will slowly rise.

Cashmeh · Jun 22, 2022

If you dont have a store near you and have to wait a few days, mix both those powders at 50/50 for now and bring your ppms up to 400 with just ur tap water and those to bags.

ispy · Jun 22, 2022

Cashmeh said:
View attachment 1255752
that what you got? What kind of light you running? And how much more money do you have to spend on this project? I mean you have to get nutrients eventually right? I would just get them now. General Hydroponics sells a kit called FLORA TRIO, get that, and then get a bottle of calmag. I would add enough calmag to get your ppms up to 200. So thats only 75ppms of calmag. Then add your flora trio in and get you up to 400ppm max for now. Also, since you dont have an external res, your water capacity is low. I run 30 gallons on 1 plant lol. .you will most likley get like 3.5 or 4gal. Meaning, your ppms will drop fast in flower, and your ph will rise fast during the entire grow. Id set your ph down to 5.5 also. So yea, once your at a total of 400ppm, your good to place your cube down in the system.
Light leaks will also cause root rot in your system. I would wrap the entire bucket in a bath towl to insulate it and block light. Also keep your airpump outside your grow room. This will help keep the water temp cooler.

yessir. did not get all that but it is basically the same. i have as much money as it takes to be successful and can stop dropping $$$ on someone else's stuff.. ;) thanks for the info, i will read through it and follow your suggestions. i don't have a lot of room in my closet but it will probably hold 4-6 of these if i get going. never thought about additional reservoir but that makes total sense - i wonder if i can add a resovoir here. currently i am using a cheap amazon led light - was given this guide to follow on lighting. i also have an HLG 250 i got but have not used it. it is so bright. figured i would get it going once these get going a bit more - have some clearing out to do in my area for it. i will order the Flora Trio. thanks again!

ispy · Jun 22, 2022

Cashmeh said:
If you dont have a store near you and have to wait a few days, mix both those powders at 50/50 for now and bring your ppms up to 400 with just ur tap water and those to bags.

any issues using distilled water?

Cashmeh · Jun 22, 2022

ispy said:
any issues using distilled water?

Distilled and Ro are practically the same meaning ppms less than 10. So heck yea use it if ya got it. I use 10ppm water, calmag to 100ppm, then nutrients to about 300-400, for flower I add my booster to about 650 ppm.. . .plus the hydroguard

ispy · Jun 22, 2022

Cashmeh said:
Distilled and Ro are practically the same meaning ppms less than 10. So heck yea use it if ya got it. I use 10ppm water, calmag to 100ppm, then nutrients to about 300-400, for flower I add my booster to about 650 ppm.. . .plus the hydroguard

yea, got plenty for other reasons so it is what i have been using. i always have a store of it.

ispy · Jun 22, 2022

Cashmeh said:
Just flip it and make sure the shell isnt buried. Heres how I do it

You got me thinking about water reservoir and I am curious about your video and your setup. What is the volume there you have for 6 plants? I assume you don't grow them in that to the end? Assuming I can get one plant to grow my desire is to some day grow like 4 at once. I have a closet that is about 3x6 I am guessing so I do have some room. Wondering if I should look at something like what you have rather than the 3 gallon buckets. I don't want to have to manage PH daily - I saw another post you commented to someone on. I WFH so I have the time but being honest, I hate jacking with my pool chemicals too lol.

Cashmeh · Jun 22, 2022

They are all custom. I run heaters and water pumps with an airline fitting. Aka venturi setup. My air line blows in with my water. My 4 plants system is gonna be torn down. With hydro 4 in a 4x4 is just too many for me. Im having better luck running one plant in a 4x4 under a 1000w hid. I have 3 tents all hooked together and 3 separate systems. Make sure the water pump you get has a fitting that you can hook an airline up to. . not all do.

The airbubbles dont mix the solution, it just gives it 02. The waterpumps are really a requirement for hydro honestly. Just hard to do it in a bucket without the roots plugging. Which is why my pump is opposite side of my roots. They will never clog it. Also i avoid drilling holes and potential leaks and plumbing crap. Pretty nifty setup I've created after only growing 1.5 years. Im happy. . you will be to. Glad i got your attention before you went down other paths.

ispy · Jun 23, 2022

Cashmeh said:
that what you got? What kind of light you running? And how much more money do you have to spend on this project? I mean you have to get nutrients eventually right? I would just get them now. General Hydroponics sells a kit called FLORA TRIO, get that, and then get a bottle of calmag. I would add enough calmag to get your ppms up to 200. So thats only 75ppms of calmag. Then add your flora trio in and get you up to 400ppm max for now. Also, since you dont have an external res, your water capacity is low. I run 30 gallons on 1 plant lol. .you will most likley get like 3.5 or 4gal. Meaning, your ppms will drop fast in flower, and your ph will rise fast during the entire grow. Id set your ph down to 5.5 also. So yea, once your at a total of 400ppm, your good to place your cube down in the system.
Light leaks will also cause root rot in your system. I would wrap the entire bucket in a bath towl to insulate it and block light. Also keep your airpump outside your grow room. This will help keep the water temp cooler.

I got the Calmag already. Trio should be here tomorrow. Should I add Calmag now or wait and do it all at once?

Rockwool to Hydro DWC - time to move?

Rockwool to Hydro DWC - time to move?

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Rockwool to Hydro DWC - time to move?

Rockwool to Hydro DWC - time to move?

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