Roots coming out of the bottom of rockwool cubes

[Old Frog]

Just flipped my SoG last night, only to find roots coming out of the bottoms of all the girls' six" rockwool cubes! Did I veg them too long? Will they herm if the roots get light exposure out of the bottom of the cubes? Is there a risk of algae growth or anything?

 

[angelsbandit]

Are you doing a ebb and flow system? The roots always grow through the cubes - I fill the flood table with Hydroton, and rest the pots in the Hydroten. The roots cover the whole flood table under the clay.

 

[Old Frog]

Are you doing a ebb and flow system? The roots always grow through the cubes - I fill the flood table with Hydroton, and rest the pots in the Hydroten. The roots cover the whole flood table under the clay.

Yeah, doing ebb and flow trays, but just six inch rockwool cubes. Should I get some hydroton and line the bottom of the trays like you're saying? Will there be plant damage up top if I don't?

 

[blzbob]

Cover them or your roots will suffer and in turn your plants will suffer. Your roots don't have algae on them yet do they?

 

[Old Frog]

Cover them or your roots will suffer and in turn your plants will suffer. Your roots don't have algae on them yet do they?

Nope, not yet. That's what I was worried about though. They just popped out in the last 24 hours. So a layer of hydroton to cover? Is there another type of cover I can use?

 

[bleezyg420]

Yeah, doing ebb and flow trays, but just six inch rockwool cubes. Should I get some hydroton and line the bottom of the trays like you're saying? Will there be plant damage up top if I don't?

YEESSSSSSSSSS
and YES

Get the hydroton. It will use less water to flood the table which is another reason to use it. I wouldnt use anything else. Cleaning new hydroton is a bitch though. Use a garden hose and cut holes at the bottom of the bag. I then use a 5 gallon bucket with perfect sized holes for more cleaning. I hate that red dust shit!

 

[Old Frog]

YEESSSSSSSSSS
and YES

Get the hydroton. It will use less water to flood the table which is another reason to use it. I wouldnt use anything else. Cleaning new hydroton is a bitch though. Use a garden hose and cut holes at the bottom of the bag. I then use a 5 gallon bucket with perfect sized holes for more cleaning. I hate that red dust shit!

So flush the hydroton through a five gallon bucket until the dust shit stops. Check. How much of it should I get at the store to fill two 4'x8' trays with 60 six inch cubes?

 

[Old Frog]

Done and done. Washed 120 lbs. of hydroton thoroughly and then lined the trays about 1/2" all around.


Thanks for the help!