Root barely expand into the coco coir

[kumar]

Hi there! I have a weird issue here. I'm doing clones, and vegging the plants in 10x10cm Grodan Rockwool cubes for a couple of weeks. These plants are healthy, has lot's of roots and thick stem. Than they goes to the bloom room, where they get 12 hours of HPS light. The problem starts here. I just put them on the surface of coco coir in a fabric pot. The coco is fluffy, airy. I noticed, that many of my plants didn't grow big, the yield is less. The reason is the root didn't really expand into the coco (maybe just a few cm under the rockwool cube), the rootball size is actually stays in the cube. I do dripping system, irrigating every 30 minutes, but just a very little. Always have 15-20% drain. My EC is 1.7, Drain EC below 2.0. pH 6.1 - 6.3. Why is it like this, why the roots doesn't expand into the coco? About 50% of my room is like this. Please help. Thanks!!

 

[mysticepipedon]

A couple of possibilities come to mind, but first my disclaimer: I don't know dick about coco.

Roots don't grow into dry soil. If your rockwool cube is moister than the coco, the roots won't give a shit about the coco.

I have had indica doms that just about stop producing roots after the flip. I found I needed at least a week in veg lighting after the last transplant to get decent rooting into the new soil.

 

[mango420]

I would actually plant them in the coco, not just set them on top.

 

[Xhale]

I've never had good success with the rockwool. it was either too moist or too dry. but it is (or should be) clinically cleaner than coco for starting your clones. I agree with @mango420 , plant the rockwool inside the coco...even an inch under the coco if your stem is long enough.

 

[dbrzz]

Hi there! I have a weird issue here. I'm doing clones, and vegging the plants in 10x10cm Grodan Rockwool cubes for a couple of weeks. These plants are healthy, has lot's of roots and thick stem. Than they goes to the bloom room, where they get 12 hours of HPS light. The problem starts here. I just put them on the surface of coco coir in a fabric pot. The coco is fluffy, airy. I noticed, that many of my plants didn't grow big, the yield is less. The reason is the root didn't really expand into the coco (maybe just a few cm under the rockwool cube), the rootball size is actually stays in the cube. I do dripping system, irrigating every 30 minutes, but just a very little. Always have 15-20% drain. My EC is 1.7, Drain EC below 2.0. pH 6.1 - 6.3. Why is it like this, why the roots doesn't expand into the coco? About 50% of my room is like this. Please help. Thanks!!

Your ec is too high for the clones. 1.0 ec or even less ppm 300-600. Also, I would bury the cube down at least surface depth. Then maintain high humidity at least 60% and reduce light output or shade the clones until they adapt to their new home. The roots are drying out by the air is why they wont grow out sideways. Bury the cubes completely and the clones will grow out of the cube. Keep the feed 1/4 strength till they take off. 2 week adjustment time is not uncommon. Clones need a weak nutrient solution and low light and high humidity and temps in the 70s. I hope this little bit of information helps you out.

 

[Tuckgrows]

I work for a company in a veg room where we plant thousands of clones a week in coco using Rockwood cubes for the clones. Definitely need to plant rockwool under the coco leave an inch or less coco on top of rockwool

 

[Tuckgrows]

I work for a company in a veg room where we plant thousands of clones a week in coco using Rockwood cubes for the clones. Definitely need to plant rockwool under the coco leave an inch or less coco on top of rockwool

Rock wool. Not wood

 

[mikeross]

I work for a company in a veg room where we plant thousands of clones a week in coco using Rockwood cubes for the clones. Definitely need to plant rockwool under the coco leave an inch or less coco on top of rockwool

Deeper the better IMO. I find if I have leggy rooted clones, if I plant them real deep into coco my veg speeds up. Probably shorted veg by 30%... roots will eventually grow out of the buried main stem.

With that said, I've placed blocked directly on top or coco and also hydroton... no issues doing it this way either..

 

[Tuckgrows]

No worry for rot on the lower part of the stem that gets buried?

 

[mikeross]

No worry for rot on the lower part of the stem that gets buried?

I've never had an issue but it might be my setup that attributes to that. I grow is 2gal pots of pure coco, filled to hold only about 1.5gal of actual coco. I run (2) 0.5gph emitters per pot. 4 week veg and I irrigate often trying to follow crop steering veg/gen ques but going by feel, I dont have any sensors. Anyways, I'm able to control the moiture content in my medium pretty well... never wet enough to cause any stem rot. I've broke up root balls and it shows roots coming off the main stem. Fabric pots are key too. The roots hit the sides/bottom quickly, air prunce then shoot upward. I get a very dense root ball this way... peak flower I need to water ever 2-3 hours during lights on and 1 irrigation at lights off. If I dont do small shots ever 2 hours my pots dry out in like 2-3 hours.

 

[Tuckgrows]

Oh wow we hand water all our plants in Veg and we get them pretty wet. We're almost running a soil watering system how we let it dry a few days before watering another heavy feed