Hi,
Can you help me with some confusion please?
I have been reading a lot of the bubbler and rdwc threads, and am setting up a first time bubbler - see 'aussie pot'. i am familiar with nutrients and ph, ec etc, but i cant get this root rot avoidance thing right in my head.
It seems we have two methods;
a) use enzymes which act at the first sign of rot and eat it, turning it into useful nutrients and actually making the entire grow more nutriently available etc, or
b) regularly blitz the reservoir with h202, silver bullet etc. this keeps the medium sterile and so kills root rot and other stuff. but has no other benefit. (well, h202 has an extra 0 for the little blighters).
Now i am guessing that enzymes might be more productive but more difficult to control whereas the sterilisers are a bit of a sledgehammer. I am guessing that professional grows keep their medium sterile since it is more of an easy guarantee.
Now i have run a fair few simple hydro set ups over the years and never actually had root rot, despite a very lazy approach. I wouldnt say my roots are sparkly white, but they dont seem bothered - esp in the hybrid soil wick systems i regularly use. In pure perlite dripper systems they run pearly white. In garden hydro i dont pay much attention to ph, so they are probably a little alchline if that makes a difference.
So my feeling is that i research h202 and silver additives a bit more ad plan to just nuke the nutrient at regular intervals and not worry any more.
But enzymes fascinate me and sterile 'soil' always feels wrong....
Any advice please?
Thanks
Newc
add. three methods (noone expects.....) Dont use either and just keep light away and change res every week.....