Rockwool amateur help!

[THRIPS AHOY!]

I just planted me rotogro for the second time around about twelve days ago.first time i guess i fluked cus i had no problems and everything worked out well.But this time i ve gone through veg everything was great.8days btw.then i triggerednow im getting some green algae on the tops of a few of my cubes here and there and 2 days ago i found a plant that looked like it was wilting.the night after i go in to look and there are one or 2 more.this morning i take a peek a couple of more.if this keeps up ill be in real trouble in no time.If there is someone who has alot of knowledge about rockwool could u please gimme some advice thank you.

 

[julsbagell]

how long did you soak rockwool for?

 

[icee]

Wait for somebody more experienced to confirm but i think 4ml of 3% H2O2 per liter of water should solve your problem

 

[hydroclops]

With out seeing your set up it sounds to me like your RW might be to wet.

Let it dry out slightly and cover the cubes with some plastis or something water proof.

If you can try and get some pictures and ppost them.

 

[BudLove]

Rockwool is a tough one - it really holds on to the water and then when it's drying it happens rapidly.

First off...I have never had a problem with any of the algae growing on the tops of my RW. Now if that algae begins to turn black, that's another story and a place you dont wanna go.

As far as soaking them in pH adjusted water - never really did much for me. Most people will look to identify this as a problem if you are getting pH drift, but I have rarely seen this as the cause - it's usually fungi, tap water, nute control, light getting in rez.

For your situation I would ask: How often ARE you watering them? Hopefully it's when they actually show signs of NEEDing to be watered, and not when you guess they need it. If you are seeing this droop then chances are you are watering too often. So stop and wait - if this is caused by overwatering you should see the plants perk up within a couple of days.... then keep waiting, even when they look good, until you see signs of wilting due to needing water. Now you will know exactly how long you need to wait in between waterings.

BL

 

[THRIPS AHOY!]

Think i figured out the problem., Fusarium wilt. Have not watered more than last time . actually less. but a buddy recommended ridomal for fusarium wilt.

 

[Pirate]

There are little panda film rockwool covers you can get at any hydro shop or online. I've made my own from plastic sheeting and also from that reflective bubble type insulation.

Better option would be to DITCH THE ROCKWOOL on your next grow and use the Coco cubes instead. Rockwool is very unstable and will continue to give you many problems. I switched from Rockwool to coco a year ago and have reduced PH and algae problems down to nill. The coco cubes are called "grotek" and made by General Hydroponics.

Try it. You'll be happy you did.

Believe it or not there are threads and web sites dedicated to "why rockwool sucks"

Pirate

 

[FreezerBoy]

Algae on top won't hurt you. As to watering, pick up the plant, If it has weight, leave it alone. If it feels like you're picking up air, water it.

 

[Guest]

Rockwool becomes oversaturated with water much too quickly thus inviting all types of pests to make nests for themselves inside it, esp if its a tad too warm.It's great for rooting cuts and for high desert growers with low relative humidity.I was a great rockwool grower in New Mexico at 8,000ft elevation and low humidity but now on the east coast less than a mile from the sea its a real risk. I switched to hydroton with some coco in the middle but only straight coco in the spring because the ants come in and make nests when they find the coco...East coast growing is much tougher for me than my old mountain home.Good luck with the problems.Chaco.