Roots dying off coming out bottom of rock wool.

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tobh

tobh

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I’ve been adding enzymes for about 3 waterings now and they do seem to be getting better but am I wrong that you can hand water rock wool through all of veg... without any trouble like I’m running into? Or do they need to be transplanted right about now?
The enzymes are likely helping them uptake more efficiently. I'd say handwatering is probably not a good choice. I haven't done so personally as the whole reason for running this kind of media is that it's a shoehorn into automation. Introducing manual tasks, especially like handwatering where there's just too much room for error in terms of volumes applied to each block, is counterintuitive to the benefits offered by the media.

If you can transplant, do it. Then veg out a bit longer to get them where you need them for a productive finish.
 
Nameless_fcuk89

Nameless_fcuk89

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So what should I do just cut the top layer off so it can breath and not make my nutes unstable?
 
tobh

tobh

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I wouldn't try cutting the cube at all. You can kill off the algae with h2o2. Wouldn't go over 5ml/gal of 35% h2o2 though. I think you can make a foliar for it too. I just suffocated the algae on mine by putting caps on the cubes.
 
Nameless_fcuk89

Nameless_fcuk89

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Awesome guys... I’m just gonna transplant and just buy 2 systems... one for veg room and one for flower. Like I said I’ve had no issues at all with starting strait in the system and that means I can save a ton not having to buy rock wool cubes.

I only have 3% h2o2... can I just use that strait?
 
Goodthingsgrow

Goodthingsgrow

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This one looks hella sus to me. That brown color is unnatural for rockwool. It looks slimy, like there's a bacterial infection in it, which could explain why it's a runt, and explain some of your other issues which really look like the roots are suffocating (same as overwatering).
Not exactly sure what hella sus means but it don’t sound good.
The brown colouring is from humic acid and a B1 supplement staining the blocks.
It has been a runt since cloning. It just never took off. There are 3 runts out of 37. I kept them because; why not? I’ll be happy with a gram off of it. Or whatever it is. Everything is flowering nicely. They definitely have the life.
I also top water these 4x4x2 1/2 cubes every other day. Most floods happen at least once a day. I use flora flex covers to stop algae growth.
So I highly doubt it’s overwatering.
I’m not aware of any other issues.
You can hand water right through to harvest in those blocks or you can flood them any time. It’s up to you. It’s more convenient to ebb & flow as far as labour. You still need to top water occasionally with some supplements that you can’t mix in with the nutes. This top watering also serves as a rinse for your cubes.
 
Nameless_fcuk89

Nameless_fcuk89

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Lol... sus? I was wonder what he meant by that to. Yeah your grow looks fine to me bro, I can see in the background it’s poppin!!
So after all the feedback I’m really starting to think that the algae is suffocating my plants and making the ph spike from hand watering from top, I mean it’s pretty caked on there. I’m either going to just put them in my system today.... which I didn’t want to do cause if you look at my setup, I’m using a bucket system and that causes me to have to use 2 lights for veg instead of just 1.... or I’m gonna try spray some strait 3% h2o2 on the tops and make some covers for them. I’m also growing exactly 37 plants.
 
Goodthingsgrow

Goodthingsgrow

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Algae can cause major problems in hydroponics systems. It can build up and cling to any surface. This means there isn’t any system that can be safe from it once it gets a foothold. It sticks inside tubes, it can work its way into pumps, and it can bring a system to its knees.

Once it begins to decompose, it can bring with it a horrible odor. However, it is when you have a heavy infestation things get worse. This mass of algae can form a barrier against your growing mediums.

When this begins to happen, two significant things will happen. First is the precious nutrients are depleted from the system as the algae uses them itself to grow. Second, there is a severe drop in the dissolved oxygen in the system. This causes your plants to start suffocating, and means they are weaker to fight off any other pathogens.
I didn’t write this. Just read it somewhere.
 
Nameless_fcuk89

Nameless_fcuk89

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Yup I’m literally saying screw it and putting them in the system right now.
 
Nameless_fcuk89

Nameless_fcuk89

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I did the same thing last time and they took off and did great. I don’t know why I can’t get the hand watering thing down.
 
Cashmeh

Cashmeh

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I did the same thing last time and they took off and did great. I don’t know why I can’t get the hand watering thing down.

As someone else mentioned somewhere, they just outgrew it. Prolly means your doing too good of a job at growing root mass. Perhaps get bigger cubes. . or smaller ones for hydro. Im still new to all this though. Just R&D on my end.
 
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