Hydro grow issue - roots

[captain_beefheart]

I have been really struggling with hydro grow and am in need of advise.

 

The plants are often stunted in growth, the fan leaves do not fully form, there is leaf curl, nute deficiency and buds fail to fully develop. Many of my plants will die before they make it to flower.

 

My main focus is on the roots. The plants fail to produce sufficient roots. And even when they do produce roots, during veg stage, once they have been in the trays for a period of 4 weeks, the roots cease growing and begin to brown.

 

The set up is as follows:

 

One reservoir of 700 Ltrs

With a high power air pump

tap water (unfiltered) at 0.6 EC, its heavy in cal/mag

Added during flower cycle

Canna aqua flores

Cannazyn

Rhizotonic

Canna PK (added when flowers appear)

 

current readings are:

water temp 19C

EC 1.5

PH 5.7

(there is little fluctuation on the levels)

 

The reservoir pumps solution up into a flowering space that holds 5 trays of 1sq meter each tray (adapted from Nutricultures NTF GT100)

Each tray has its own tap to regulate flow.

room readings are

air temp 21c

humidity 40%

 

The plants arrive in the room healthy. They come from the cuttings and veg room. They are in 4 inch rock wool blocks with plenty of roots coming out. The cuttings have Great White added when young and again more Great White when they are placed in the flowering trays.

The plants are allowed 2 weeks of veg growth when placed in the flowering room, or as long as needed to adapt to the new space and begin producing more roots.

 

I will upload a load of photos as soon as the lights are on. Especially of the roots which look pretty sad. Also there is white powdery deposits on the roots and spreader mat. And other anomalies that I shall photograph.

 

This is a problem that has really got me. I cant seem to improve on the plants health. I would be so grateful if anyone can help me out.

[MindSoup]

Absolutely no idea about hydro, but love the name.  

 

 

[captain_beefheart]

[McHazy]

Yosser??

[Herbal Kint]

Am not hydro head but you rez temp is 19c and room 21? That alone can do all sorta problems

Sure someone will know better as I grow in compo

[stu914]

4 hours ago, captain_beefheart said:

They are in 4 inch rock wool blocks

 

There's your problem bud, that stuff holds far too much water, pretty sure if you get rid and substitue with pebbles you'll solve the problems,

looks like you've got a similar set-up to me...

 

This a modified 100ltr res flood and drain table, plants are started in rootit cubes then mesh pots and pebbles, top fed for the whole grow,

maxijet pump 15mins on 45 off in ...more pics and my new system (upgrade from this one) in my gallery.

 

 

[captain_beefheart]

17 hours ago, Herbal Kint said:

Am not hydro head but you rez temp is 19c and room 21? That alone can do all sorta problems

Sure someone will know better as I grow in compo

 

I have not heard that before.

Why is that? I am curious about the science and experience people have  had regarding this.

 

[captain_beefheart]

17 hours ago, stu914 said:

 

There's your problem bud, that stuff holds far too much water, pretty sure if you get rid and substitue with pebbles you'll solve the problems,

looks like you've got a similar set-up to me...

 

This a modified 100ltr res flood and drain table, plants are started in rootit cubes then mesh pots and pebbles, top fed for the whole grow,

maxijet pump 15mins on 45 off in ...more pics and my new system (upgrade from this one) in my gallery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is really interesting. Thanks. So why would it be that people use Rockwool at all? And in large professional grows it is often used.

 

Its true that my rockwools have a healthy amount of roots when they are in teh young veg trays but once moved to the big trays, the roos rot out and the rockwools begin to accumulate some kind of white crystal shit. 

 

Stu914, do you think you could break down the process of steps in your grow a bit.

 

Do you put the cuttings in Rootriot cubes for example.

Then in an aerotank?

(That is what I have been doing - once the roots are coming out on mass I drop the plugs into rockwool)

What do you do? Would it work to drop the plugs into these baskets with pebbles? Then keep them in my flood-drain tray until they are ready for the flowering room?

 

And then, with the pebbles - I have not used them before. Should I treat the pebbles some how?

 

thanks a million for these interesting ideas.

[Herbal Kint]

Just now, captain_beefheart said:

 

I have not heard that before.

Why is that? I am curious about the science and experience people have  had regarding this.

 

See post by owderb,nutes 20 to 22,room 26 to 28c

 

[captain_beefheart]

 

 

 

So in the first picture we see the flowering room. There is a huge difference in size between various trays and even amongst plants in a given tray.

 

The second picture shows a canopy of Garlic Storm. The fan leaves should be way broader than that.

[stu sleeper 20vt]

Mate,there's an anti rockwool sentiment on here!!

They are and have been the traditional way to grow on nft tables. 

However

You NEED to have the cubes rooted out before placing into the mat.when I say rooted out I mean a layer of roots on the base.

Then when you pop em in,have your pump turned down for the first 5 days until your roots start to gather pace.

 

But....

I fear you may have root rot.

Which is a tear down job.

BLEACH EVERYTHING including pumps,tubes...everything.

[captain_beefheart]

 

Here we see the Sour Dosidos up close. The plant looks very sad. Under the cover we see that its roots have died right back and there is a build up of some white shit. 

 

I thought that the Rhizotonic and Cannazyn would clean up the roots and give them a boost but it seems the problem is too great for these feeds.

 

 

[captain_beefheart]

 

 

But there are some plants with good roots!!!

 

 

[stu sleeper 20vt]

Looks like your lumitek needs winding down a bit...

[McHazy]

Just now, captain_beefheart said:

 

 

That one looks like stem rot to me