Any Fungicide Suggestions For Root Rot in Hydroponics?

[Rabbi]

OK.. aside from evidence that I'm a classic hoarder, as evidenced by the expiration date on the package of 'November 2018' (meaning this stuff died long ago, in all likelihood), there are several areas re. uses.

The print is small, so I'm using an illuminated 20X magnifying lens. One area of the label on the back side of the packaging lists a whole series of plants that folks should NOT use Pre-Stop as a foliar spray on.

For those specific (groups of) plants, it states to use it as drench in soil/soilless mix -only-.

So apparently there are food crops that either don't react well to it if leaf or upper plant contact, or for which perhaps retention of the stuff isn't healthy.

With Canada being legal, if you feel comfortable, I'd recommend a call re. that set of questions alone, unless you already have done so.

I see nothing n this (outdated) 100 gram packet that speaks in re. to hydroponics. The newer product may allow for that, or someone affiliated with the product's manufacturing (or other research persons) may have determined that it's OK, but the package I have doesn't appear to address hydro use.

Re. ratio in dilution, they refer to a suspension solution, and give those ratios in % concentration of solution, based on 3.5 oz. of Pre-Stop (3.5 oz. being close to the equivalent of the 100 gram packet).

These ratios are for soil drench, and different concentrations, presumably based on degree of infection, versus prophylactic use... That's my take on it anyway. Correction versus prevention.

For a 0.1% solution, they recommend 3.5 oz/100 grams to 100 liters of H2O.

For a 0.5% solution, they recommend 3.5 oz/100 grams to 20 liters of H2O.

For a 1.0% solution, they recommend 3.5 oz/100 grams to 10 liters of H2O.

For a 2.5% solution (the equivalent of nuclear war on what ever fungus you're battling, I presume) they recommend 3.5 oz/100 grams to 4 liters of H2O

They also 'round out' the liters into U.S. gallons, with less precision than when I buy fuel in the Yukon Territory, as I know that 3.78 liters is technically equal to 1 US gallon, and their chart isn't QUITE accurate (unless they're talking Imperial Gallons, in which case I'm still not convinced they're accurate), so I omitted that conversion, both because you're apparently in Canada, thus functioning on a metric base anyway, and the original manufacturer of the Pre-Stop, I believe, was based in Belgium (??), which would also have them working in a metric system.

So there you have it.

I'd take their concentrations, and bare in mind during your contemplation, that the different ratios may compensate for infection versus prophylactic, and different plants' sensitivity to the product.

Wow, those numbers are a heck of a lot higher than what I was given. One would think the % of solution would be the same in either method, no? Confusing.

Edit: Actually maybe not. Probably depending on what % a guy wants to go with. They probably gave me the minimum. I'd probably go much stronger though judging from your numbers.

 

[Rabbi]

What percentage did you go with?

 

[moose eater]

For my circumstances, I went with ~28 grams/gallon of H2O=3.78 liters. That was for treating the initial soilless mix. after that I went with about 1/2 that, for follow-up treatment. Obviously, you can mix variable amounts, in between their 4 specific different mixing ratios.

But again, I would strongly recommend getting in touch with the distributor/manufacturer and asking about use in hydro. As I first stated, I have no knowledge of it, which is not to say they haven't since approved such applications.

And, in comparing hydro to drench with soilless mix, you have one medium (soilless mix) which involves not only the dilution via ratio of product to H2O in the suspension solution, but the further dilution via the soilless medium itself, with what ever buffering that might provide.

With hydro you have direct contact of what ever your rate of mix is, with the bare roots of the plant; no buffer, and no further dilution via the soilless medium.

So it would make sense to me, thinking aloud and trying to be reasonable in my thoughts, that hydro would likely be a less intense ratio, i.e., more diluted.

Who gave you the ratios you're working with? Grow store? Distributor in Canada? Manufacturer?

Did the same party state that Pre-Stop was applicable to hydro?

Those are important questions I have at this point.

 

[Rabbi]

For my circumstances, I went with ~28 grams/gallon of H2O=3.78 liters. That was for treating the initial soilless mix. after that I went with about 1/2 that, for follow-up treatment. Obviously, you can mix variable amounts, in between their 4 specific different mixing ratios.

But again, I would strongly recommend getting in touch with the distributor/manufacturer and asking about use in hydro. As I first stated, I have no knowledge of it, which is not to say they haven't since approved such applications.

And, in comparing hydro to drench with soilless mix, you have one medium (soilless mix) which involves not only the dilution via ratio of product to H2O in the suspension solution, but the further dilution via the soilless medium itself, with what ever buffering that might provide.

With hydro you have direct contact of what ever your rate of mix is, with the bare roots of the plant; no buffer, and no further dilution via the soilless medium.

So it would make sense to me, thinking aloud and trying to be reasonable in my thoughts, that hydro would likely be a less intense ratio, i.e., more diluted.

Who gave you the ratios you're working with? Grow store? Distributor in Canada? Manufacturer?

Did the same party state that Pre-Stop was applicable to hydro?

Those are important questions I have at this point.

It was the distributor that gave me that ratio. And yes it was for hydro. I sent them an email tonight asking how they got that number, so hopefully we can get a bit more clarity.

 

[Rabbi]

Did you use it every time you watered or no? For myself I would want this in my water at all times during veg and maybe even first couple weeks of flower. Maybe even longer if it's safe to do so.

I'm looking for something that I can use long term as a preventative . In your situation it sounds like the problem eventually went away. In my situation, after fighting it for over 2 years now I suspect that it will not.

 

[moose eater]

I engaged in several series of taking clones from the tops of younger mother plants (that had infected parents), then cloning from the tops of those young mother clones, and doing so again, perhaps a total of several times, in an effort to decrease the amount/concentration of infection present in each successive round. (*Cleaning mother cupboards and boxes, etc., with each round).

No, I don't recall treating every time. I recall the bio-fungicide packet claiming the product blocked the root structure by attaching to it, so the fungus can't attach.

If the distributor gave you lower ratio than what is posted for drench application, such as I transcribed earlier, that would, again, make sense; constant/regular un-buffered root contact with suspension solution would likely require less concentration in solution than dilution in soilless mix.

Had you said it was a grow shop that gave you the rates you posted earlier, I'd be more concerned. The distributor giving you the numbers you have, provides greater confidence.

Confirm with them that it's safe for hydro, that the decreased #s they gave you are correct for hydro, and run with it.

I'm eager to read your outcomes.

 

[moose eater]

If you go to my member's page, and click on my album that contains the pics of some of my most recent harvest, then click on the pics therein to get a larger view, specifically the pics of my California Indica (Dronkers Sensi Seed Bank CI from a 1997 trip to Amsterdam; she's now over 21 years old), she was one of several that had Fusarium Wilt, and, as you can see, though not yet attaining premium balance in the developing soilless mix, she shows no signs of any fungal infection at the time of harvest, either pre-clip, or in the trays.

I now clone new moms either every go, or every other go, depending on how 'happy' they are at each juncture.

Link to my most recent harvest album (Rare Dankness' Ghost Train Haze #1 was the grumpiest re. the mix at that time, but also produced more weight than either the Greenhouse Seeds' Super Lemon Haze or the CI. I tell folks the GTH#1 is like taking a prissy model to dinner on a date; she may pick and choose, be fussy, turn her nose in the air, etc., but in the end, it may be worth it... or not.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/album.php?albumid=81149

 

[Rabbi]

Why stick with the most rot prone systems, and chase down fungicide. We don't even know that it's fungus related. You need a biological system of your own, to stop this problem one running riot unhindered. It could be coming in on the breeze, or be minging away under your floor coverings. You know you can't control it though. Use compost or coco, you will probably be fine, without poisoning yourself

Decided you're right and gonna give soil a shot once i get some new plants again. If that works out I'm going to try coco next. If those don't work out I'm tossing in the towel and moving back to my old place lol. Thx again for the advice.