Newbie to Hydro, Have 8 girls going - health check

[blackforest]

Since the roots are not even out of the netpots yet, the rez really has zero to do with them at this stage. They are still in a 'clone' stage if you ask me, roots just coming out of the rockwool. The only way the roots & plant are going to receive any nutes is to top feed them. You can give them something like gh rapid start, or add some h2o2 to your top feed mix, but not both at the same time. Personally, I use dm zone when they are in the netpots because it lets the roots explode, then I switch to gh rapidstart and hydroguard once the roots are actually in the water. If I didn't have zone, I would just use the rapid start, and if I saw any sign of root issues, I would use some h2o2. It does not take long for the roots to explode out of the pots. If you give them the right dose (ph/ec) and top feed them just a little bit, they should recover very quickly, within several hours I would guess.

 

[Bluntsmith]

You guys are fantastic! My plants are seriously rebounding - a couple of them are sluggish in their turnaround, but three of them now have roots in the water, and one of them has gone absolutely nuts with root production since it touched down.

For a maiden voyage, I'm pretty proud of where they're at, and that they have a chance in this life (isn't that all we really want in the end?)...

Yanking off big fan leaves seems to exacerbate root growth for sure.

One random Q: my tallest plant is just a bean stalk... how can I get this one to branch out for more colas? I know it's a topping maneuver, but how do you top a thick stalk like that? It doesn't really have any clear places where it makes sense. If there's a source on the net to help, feel free to point me that way, or just say "google it ya dipshit".

 

[3squared]

Right now you are not far enough in to worry about nodes. If you cut, cut for height. Then see how low you can get your light to the plant so it keeps it from stretching so much. Less energy spent shooting up is more energy for branching out and the nodes will be closer together.

Give them some time to settle in a root. Let them do all the work so you can stay focused on being all worked up over them.
We've all been there so we all know how it feels, but this really is a hurry up and wait game, even when things are perfect.

 

[Bluntsmith]

Right now you are not far enough in to worry about nodes. If you cut, cut for height. Then see how low you can get your light to the plant so it keeps it from stretching so much. Less energy spent shooting up is more energy for branching out and the nodes will be closer together.

Give them some time to settle in a root. Let them do all the work so you can stay focused on being all worked up over them.
We've all been there so we all know how it feels, but this really is a hurry up and wait game, even when things are perfect.

haha! - "so you can stay focused on being all worked up over them" is 100% real life currently. sage advice - now that things seem settled for the time being I'll just let nature take its course.

the way I see it, the more "perfect" things are going, the more waiting there will be. I guess that's why I'm not used to just waiting to see what happens - it's been far less than perfect so far!

but seriously, thank you so much for your help. you're cooler than life savers, you're Mary Jane savers! they'd be dead as fuck if it wasn't for your input.

 

[Bluntsmith]

just noticed some discoloration on the roots of my healthiest girl. is this root rot? what can I do to thwart it? is there too much light getting to it maybe? highly oxygenated, water temp is 69ish...

 

[3squared]

Hard to say not knowing what nute system you use and the effects it has. I use a very clean system so no build up.

I like the flush/Clean with a product called h2o2. Clears up slim and most other issue's around the roots.


Does your system have a root system protector ? Mine has one and it's called "wilt guard" which protects the roots from being submerged all of the time.

 

[Bluntsmith]

@3squared what's a root system protector?

I went out and bought some h2o2 today and applied it to the res as well as the top feed solution. hoping this can kill the slime off the roots and any algae that came loaded on the clones to begin with. I do see some slight green buildup in res along top brim. I'll be swapping out the water in a day or two here but didn't want to shock my babies so just dropped the h2o2 in the pre existing solution.

can algae infect your crop with root rot? how does it get in there to begin with? #noobquestions

 

[3squared]

H2-02 should be put in alone as a flush with water for a day or two, not mixed with solution.

I think part of your problem could stem from temps but other signs show it's also some type of buildup. From either unwanted bacteria or residuals from heavy chemicals. Any light glowing through the tub sides, top, or light leaks etc will also contribute to nasty growth.

 

[Dumme]

just noticed some discoloration on the roots of my healthiest girl. is this root rot? what can I do to thwart it? is there too much light getting to it maybe? highly oxygenated, water temp is 69ish... View attachment 3598096

Not so sure if H2O2 would hurt anything if used, but as 3Squared said, make sure your Res is light tight.

Looks like nutrient stain, common in DWC, and more so in NFT. Same effect as the sediment when you don't shake up a Snapple drink that's been setting for a while; your roots are collecting it. To fix;
-you can hand wash your roots as it collects,
-(if DWC)you can get your water to move more with more O2, and drop more air stones in with a bigger pump ($),
-H2O2 ($$),
-you can drop your EC by 1/2, and change you water twice as often; etc...,
-you can be a DIY pioneer and start to teach us about the swirl tank you built to take out the large solids in DWC ($$$).

 

[Bluntsmith]

H2-02 should be put in alone as a flush with water for a day or two, not mixed with solution.

I think part of your problem could stem from temps but other signs show it's also some type of buildup. From either unwanted bacteria or residuals from heavy chemicals. Any light glowing through the tub sides, top, or light leaks etc will also contribute to nasty growth.

so you suggest I get rid of all nutes? after two days put the nutes back in? I thought you put h2o2 in every couple days too? or is that just preventative and I need to treat this differently?

edit update: I changed out the res. it has only water and h2o2, and not the full dosage it suggests. can I put some root stimulant in there too? or just let it be... and do all the nutes in 24-48 hours?

 

[Bluntsmith]

and I added another air stone. and covered any gap light could sneak through on lid. its a clear tote on the sides though not sure that matters?

 

[3squared]

so you suggest I get rid of all nutes? after two days put the nutes back in? I thought you put h2o2 in every couple days too? or is that just preventative and I need to treat this differently?

edit update: I changed out the res. it has only water and h2o2, and not the full dosage it suggests. can I put some root stimulant in there too? or just let it be... and do all the nutes in 24-48 hours?

Sounds good.

And anything you put in with the h202 will be wasted so don't bother.

Yes, 24 to 48 hours flush it all out and start over with fresh nutes and water.

 

[3squared]

and I added another air stone. and covered any gap light could sneak through on lid. its a clear tote on the sides though not sure that matters?

Yes it matters, you want no light what so ever in the tub. Roots hate light and bad shit loves it. Even covering it with a very thick black heafty trash bag cut down would help. Then go looking for black/silver ect totes.

 

[Bluntsmith]

Sounds good.

And anything you put in with the h202 will be wasted so don't bother.

Yes, 24 to 48 hours flush it all out and start over with fresh nutes and water.

uhhh yeah i can see why you would say that. i adjusted the air stones in there with my bare hands and i'm not going to say it hurt, but when it was drying, i felt it. no way nutes do much in that.

shit's already working. one hour later and the roots were noticeably whiter. BTW, four of the plants have roots in the water now.

can't i just use the same water in 24/48 hours? assuming the h2o2 all evaporates/dissolves then won't it just be super pure water to work from?

and yeah, i'll put some black trash bags around the outside of the rez, and go fishing for another tote next time around.

 

[3squared]

No, flush it all out and use clean water and nutes.

The shit is like acid and will burn your skin like nothing. Wife one sat on a drop and it caused a 1/2 dollar size burn on her cheek.

 

[Bluntsmith]

@3squared haha yeah man... my hand is super fucking clean. i shall follow your sage advice and swap it all out, clean slate.

nobody said this would be easy, right?!

 

[Dumme]

@3squared haha yeah man... my hand is super fucking clean. i shall follow your sage advice and swap it all out, clean slate.

nobody said this would be easy, right?!

http://www.h2o2.com/technical-library/default.aspx?pid=66

 

[3squared]

@3squared haha yeah man... my hand is super fucking clean. i shall follow your sage advice and swap it all out, clean slate.

nobody said this would be easy, right?!

Once you get a run or two behind you it will be as easy as it really is and you'll look back and laugh about it.

 

[Bluntsmith]

folks, I took a look at the roots... it appears to me that there are still larger "chunks" of gunk between a couple of the roots. will that go away in another day, or is there something i should do to try to clean them off?

 

[3squared]

You can try to wipe it off, just remember that you are tugging on roots. Q tip might work for tighter spots.