can clay pellets be submersed in nute solution?

I am ready (i think) to translapant my 1.5" rockwoll cube into my DWC bucket but the seedling is only about 1.5" tall. Roots are poking through the bottom. I do not have a top feed dripper. I would like to raise the solution level to the point that the bottom of the cube is barely touching the solution while the plant is above the net pot so I can cover and prevent light getting into the bucket, but that would mean many clay pellots would be fully sumbmersed as the roots grow (hopefully) downward. Is this a problem? Are there any other stratigies for this issue? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

The clay getting wet is ok, but you don’t want that rock wool touching the water or wicking water constantly. Rock wool absorbs lots of water and likes to stay wet. It’s pretty easy to over water. That is one reason you see it used with drip feed so often.

thanks!
so to clarify: If i use the pellets to act as a kind of support and raise the cube up so the plant is above the net pot I can submerse the clay pellots but make sure the cube it self is only near by the moisture. this set up wont cause issues having clay pellets completely underwater?

You could start that way but I wouldn’t leave it like that indefinitely. The water will start to wick up through to the rock wool.

Usually people put the water level just below the net basket so that the roots will grow down out of the basket into the water. Perhaps you just need to top feed it for the first week by hand until the roots reach out of the basket?

Honestly I don’t run dwc so I’m just sharing basic hydro knowledge and what I’ve seen others do with dwc.

ok. thanks for the help! I think I will top feed manually untill the roots grow enough.

Ya what thunder says. I put a layer of hydroton in the net pot then the rookwool cube. Backfill with more hydroton to hide the rockwool. Water level just below net pot not touching. Bubbles will pop and soak that first layer of rock. Rockwool will wick water from that. So the clay pebbles are never underwater.

do you need to manually water or will wicking be enough?

mattygspot said:

do you need to manually water or will wicking be enough?

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mattygspot said:

do you need to manually water or will wicking be enough?

Click to expand...

no watering needed.

mattygspot said:

ok. thanks for the help! I think I will top feed manually untill the roots grow enough.

Click to expand...

That would be the best way. Odd as it seems...hydroton can wick. I even used it for a couple hempy runs...which depend on wicking.
JD

If you do which I dont,water around the wool.It wont do anything but it will make you feel like you did.Youll notice the whole net pot of cly pebbles will be moist just from the bubbles.Do a test ,fill a net pot up with clay turn on the bubbles and see.