Almost ready...

[Zandel]

So, while I know it's not ideal, it's what I've got to work with...

Anyway, I'm currently letting the water sit for a while before treating for pH. The grow medium I have at the time is hydrostone (came with the kit). I've read that things like rockwool are considered to be among the better choices, but as long as what I've got works, I'll be happy for the 1st attempt. As for the angle of the shot, I've setup my old webcam in the closet (it's right next to my computer), so I can get a look at things without having to pull the curtain aside all the time. I figure that way I can reduce the amount of stray light that gets in, since I can't isolate the space from 100% of other light sources right now.

So here comes the question part of things. Once I've got a seed started (since I can only support one plant, I don't want to wind up with more seedlings than I can do anything with), how should I set it in the pot? I'm guessing something like fill the basket almost full with the hydrostone, then carefully add in the rest around the seedling. But I'm not sure about depth/water height. Right now the water level is about 1" below the the solid portion of the basket. Any suggestions as to how best to use what I've got would be fantastic.

[Zandel]

And hurray, hurray, the single seed I started soaking earlier finally sank. It is now going through the paper-towel routine. And I got the water pH to about 5, reading at 59 on the cheap TDS meter that I'd ordered along with the pH kit. I was mildly piqued before, now I'm getting excited by my standards.

[kelleykush]

.. play in the dirt . Soil . Steam facing down . Seed upwords. Water slightly . Make shore yu got drainnage . Nd keep close to the light . 24 hours until . Yu see the baby

[Schmokin]

Hi Zandel. That's why a rockwool block helps to germinate the seed. It is easier to place in the hydrostone than a bare rooted seedling. But yes you are right, fill out the basket and add the seedling. The root wants to be just above the water where it is not fully submerged but is getting moist from the bubbles.

[Zandel]

Thanks. Should I keep the same water level throughout the grow, or once the roots get established, should I lower the water level when I flush&mix a fresh reservoir?

[Schmokin]

The mist from the bubbles will encourage the roots from the seedlings to work down to the nute solution. Once the roots are established you can submerge them completely in the water, i.e., raise the water level, not drop it. There should be enough oxygen in your water from the air stone to provide all the oxygen and stop them drowning. The nutes, oxygen and water is what they want, let them get at it.
Is your air stone a good size? How bubbly is the water? The more bubbles you can get in it, the better for your plants.

[Zandel]

The kit I'm starting with has a 4" air stone (cylinder), hooked up via 1/4" tubing to a dual-output airpump, both outputs going to the single stone, all in a 3.5 gallon bucket. The pump is an Active Aqua AAPA7.8L. I've got the stone laying on its side, mostly centered in the bucket, so by the time the bubbles are reaching the surface nearly the entire surface area is pretty bubbly.

[Schmokin]

Sounds great. Should be fine. Are the baby roots getting plenty of mist on them?

[Zandel]

Well, I haven't had a successful germination yet, so still nothing going on that front. Looks like I may have to go the seed-bank route in the near future, if the 2nd round of seeds I'm trying don't do anything either. These are some old seeds though, I've been saving them for about 6 years. I'm hoping that at least one of them still has some life in it, but it's not looking very promising right now.

[Schmokin]

Have you tried cracking them first? Give them a 24 hours soak in water and maybe try the paper towel method just to crack the shells.

[Zandel]

I've tried with a second batch out of the remaining seeds; they developed powdery mildew. So, now I'm waiting on everything to be in place to make an order. I'm looking into getting a set of feminized seeds. Can't say I'm thrilled with the added time, I was hoping to already have something started by now. Oh well.

[coconutisland]

Hey Zandel, nice little hidey hole you got there! I have about 20 of those buckets right now, in 5 gallon size. Sounds like you have the Deep Water Culture setup, meaning that the 3. gallon pot is the actual reservoir. I have mine all plumbed with drain lines and run as a drip system. But the startup and seedling placement is about the same. I generally start with clones as well, so they are in either a jiffy pot starter or a rockwool starter. I also use the clay growstones, have a few varieties floating around, some round, others like lava rock, which you can also use the same as the clay stones, they are just heavier but behave the same.

As far as placing a seedling direct into the stones, just treat it like dirt, fill the whole net pot with the medium, then just make a spot for the small seedling to fit in, your finger should make a big enough dent to place a seedling. Then lightly cover with a few smaller stones. I have actually taken plants from 1 and 2 gallon organic soil pots, rinsed MOST of the dirt off the roots, then placed them into netpots on top of 5 gallon buckets. Many of the Aquaponics gardeners use the clay in grow beds that are flood and drain. Many of them simply toss the seeds into the bed just as if they were planting in an outdoor garden. Point being, treat the clay pebbles just like you would soil, as far as the planting part goes.

As for the water levels, as a rule, with the growstones, you want the water to never be above say an inch or two from the very top. There should always be that layer of relatively dry surface area. This helps reduce bugs, who like the light and moisture near the surface. Take away the moisture, not as many bugs. From there, it depends on the nutrient delivery method as to the water level. In my systems, as I drip feed, it is not really an issue. For DWC, which is what I think you have, where all the nutrients are in the bucket, you want to make sure that the bottom of the pot is touching water in the early stages when there is no medium retaining moisture coming in contact with the bottom of the net pot. What you are going for is this, early on, the roots are still up in the net pot, they need the water that is just below and will search it out, but they need some help and direction to get there. You can top feed a small amount for a week or two, letting it drain into the bucket underneath, or just fill the bucket to just over the bottom of the net pot. As the plants grows, it will send roots down into the pure nutrient mixture and you can relax that and let the water get lower, just try not to get it too high. That causes stem rot if that little inch or two at the top remains wet for too long. You can also cover the entire netpot with foil or seran wrap to lock in the moisture underneath, with only a small hole for the stem to protrude. I have seen a few people do short grows of lettuce in DWC buckets, with only one shot of nutrient mixture for the life of the plant. By the time the nutrient in a 5 gallon bucket is used up, the plant is harvested, no top offs or refilling required. This is not going to work for marijuana as they grow a bit longer and will drink all the water in that time. Not to mention changes to liquid nutrients when they transition to bloom. But that's a whole different topic.

IMG00679.jpg

That's the latest system I just put together last week, runs on an airlift pump, no moving parts in the water system and able to move solids up to 1/2 inch diameter, like those extra small clay stones But because I drip feed from the top, I also fill the bucket with grow stones:

IMG00615.jpg

On the left, you can see an inverted coffee can, that acts as a strainer to hold the clay pebbles in the bucket. I fill them so the net pot is actually touching the clay in the bucket. This allows moisture to wick in both directions, into or out of the net pot. For DWC, you have no need for the medium in the bucket unless you are having an issue with the plant toppling over. That also depends on how tall you let them grow and how heavy they get. But that size lid, that you have, should be sturdy enough in an indoor area (without wind gusts of 30 mph!) without too much issue, just be ready to support the plant if you need to. Try not to worry too much about the roots being damaged if you have to shift the plant around a small bit, you would be surprised at how resilient they can be.


Good luck on the seed search, can not give any better advice on that than you have read above...

[Zandel]

Alright, finally got something started. Here's a few shots of "Rita."

I had to put her in the bubbler a bit earlier than planned, she popped a root out the bottom of the rockwool cube I stated her in.

I just added the first round of nutes the other day, and she seems to be responding nicely. By first round, I mean like 3-5ml of each solution; I'm using the General Hydroponics trio for now.

I do have a question though; right now she's got one long root hanging out of the netting, and I'm concerned about how the rest will spread/grow from there. I don't want to wind up with an unsupported root mass, but don't know how to tell if that's what may be starting to happen, or how to deal with it early.