View Single Post
  #10  
Old 01-04-2017, 04:27 AM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Havasu AZ.
Posts: 1,855
Default

Hello newhydro16,
I've been using this forum since back in 2009 when I first started growing plants hydroponically myself. There are some other members that help answer questions, but I don't think they check the forum regularly. I try and check it at least once a day for new posts, so I wind up feeding most of the questions. I try and help people as much as I can.

Quote:
Ive since bought Rapid Rooter plant starter kit for my next batch. do you think that this product works well?
I haven't used the rapid rooter plugs myself, but their similar to the jiffy pot plugs. The rapid rooter plugs claim to provide better aeration to the roots, but their still very easy to water log. Many people have issues with them becoming to waterlogged. So if you use them make sure you don't over saturate them. You only need them damp, not dripping wet. If they drip out water when you pick them up or slightly squeeze them, their to wet.


I personally prefer to use coco fiber to start seeds in. I just take two short used plastic whip cream (or butter) containers I cleaned out. Make a bunch of small holes in one of them. Put some damp coco fiber in it, and pack it down like potting soil, put my seeds in and cover them with another 1/4 to 1/2 inches more of coco fiber. Fill the other one with water and gently sit the one with the coco fiber and seeds in it. This gently waters/soakes it from the bottom. I let it completely saturate for a few minutes, then take it out and drain.

Once it's drained, I place it right back into the container I used to water it. This time it's empty, this keeps it from dripping on the floor in the house or anywhere I set it down. I'll hand water it like this once or twice a day. When the seedlings sprout and start growing their first true leaves, I'll use a very diluted nutrient solution. I'll mix up one gallon of full strength nutrient solution and keep it in a water bottle. Then just pour in a small amount in the container and dilute it with plain water when I water the plants. I don't even measure it I just eye ball it (10%-25% dilution rate etc.).

I don't even check pH because it's to small of an amount of water at this point. I'll check and adjust pH for the gallon of nutrient solution, but when you you dilute it by adding 75% to 90% more water in the container when you water the plants, that can change the pH depending on the pH of the water source. That's to small of an amount of water to check and adjust, especially to much work to do it every time so I don't bother. If you really wanted to you could get another gallon container for just plain water and pH adjust that water to use to dilute it with. But I rarely ever bother doing that.
Attached Images
         
__________________
Website Owner
Home Hydroponic Systems
Reply With Quote