Problems germing in Rockwool

I put the seeds in towel. When they have a good 1 inch of root...depending on the seed it takes 2 days....then I just put the tap root directly into the hydroton. Make a little space put it in there. I crushed a tap root once so gota be careful. I have a 6 inch spray ring that I tape a piece of cup to so some water gets on the roots for the first couple days.

Slyclyde1991 said:

Hey y'all, so this is my first DWC run, switched from soil and I'm running into issues germinating in the rockwool cubes. I initially had 4 seeds in 4 cubes and only 1 popped, so I planted 3 more and it's been 5 days now and still nothing. The rockwool also has a faint but distinct smell of something like mold or mildew??? I was under the impression that because there's not organic matter in the gorgon to break down and decay that it wasnt possible or at least very unlikely?? Keeping them on heating pad under humidity dome and water ph'd 5.5-6

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From Halman9000 to Slyclyde1991

I have use Rockwool Cubes to clone , but not for growing .
I did not have any problems cloning with Rockwool .

I did watch a video that said Rockwool needs to be treated when it is new , that it needs to be treated with PH down or something similar to PH down . I did mine many years ago and did not know anything about treating brand new rockwool .

The guy that made the video I watched grows his plants in 8" by 8" by 8" cubes ( big cubes ) .

I guess you could read some more on the internet on this topic . Sometimes I have to read a long time on the internet to find a really good website on this issue .

Here is a very good link that covers Rockwool and many other mediums and many other subjects .

"https://growace.com/blog/what-grow-mediums-are-best-for-your-plants/"

Because this website sells many products related to growing crops and cannabis , they do have many blogs that are very educational . Seems to be an ethical website . I am not intending to spam , seeing that they sell many different brands of many products . Let me know if it is not ok for me to give a link to this website , or take down my post if you think this is spam .

Halman9000

Failmore said:

I put the seeds in towel. When they have a good 1 inch of root...depending on the seed it takes 2 days....then I just put the tap root directly into the hydroton. Make a little space put it in there. I crushed a tap root once so gota be careful. I have a 6 inch spray ring that I tape a piece of cup to so some water gets on the roots for the first couple days.

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Second this,

Rockwool is pointless, ive never used it.

Wet paper towel- wait for tap root and then drop into net pot half filled with hydroton, then very carefully place balls around the seed and let it go. Once it sprouts fill in the rest of the net pot with hydroton.

crazymcdazy said:

Second this,

Rockwool is pointless, ive never used it.

Wet paper towel- wait for tap root and then drop into net pot half filled with hydroton, then very carefully place balls around the seed and let it go. Once it sprouts fill in the rest of the net pot with hydroton.

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Well i disagree i germ absolutly everything in rockwool from weed to lettuce cucs tomatoes dill rosemary everything so your obviously doing something wrong. Im 100% germ rate on weed yes 100% lettuce 95 cuc 100 tomatoe 100 dill prob 70. Are you soaking it or slightly damp. What temps? I have it bubble splash the rockwool at 70 room temp 68 water temp but ive varied that majorly and still no issues. The key is bubble splash it thats it even cloning like that.

Kdoggy said:

Well i disagree i germ absolutly everything in rockwool from weed to lettuce cucs tomatoes dill rosemary everything so your obviously doing something wrong. Im 100% germ rate on weed yes 100% lettuce 95 cuc 100 tomatoe 100 dill prob 70. Are you soaking it or slightly damp. What temps? I have it bubble splash the rockwool at 70 room temp 68 water temp but ive varied that majorly and still no issues. The key is bubble splash it thats it even cloning like that.

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Shit, I didnt realise that your methods are the only way to do things right. What do you think I'm doing wrong, could it be the lack of rockwool?

I get roots in water after 3 days and within 2 weeks I have a monster ready for training. This is obviously wrong as you mentioned.

I only have one experience...this one....but from what I learned from my first Hydro experience...Rockwool is easy you just have to master to the concept....Soak...then let dry out...moisten not soak...it's the process of drying that causes the roots to grow...it's the process of being soaking wet that cause shit not to grow.....most of the time people don't let the cubes dry out...well at least that was my problems I'm a week in and my clones look happy still....

crazymcdazy said:

Second this,

Rockwool is pointless, ive never used it.

Wet paper towel- wait for tap root and then drop into net pot half filled with hydroton, then very carefully place balls around the seed and let it go. Once it sprouts fill in the rest of the net pot with hydroton.

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Honestly if that Had been my initial method I wouldn't have had any problems...the whole reason my first operation failed was the inclusion of rockWool, but I ordered clones and had them shipped so they come how they come....Now I've figured out how to use them and if used right it helps you not have to water as much......if used wrong it helps you drown your babies....

rockwool is for pros
not amateurs

kingromano said:

rockwool is for pros
not amateurs

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Yea ok, I'll throw my shit away...
Should I also not grow until I become as advanced as you?

kingromano said:

rockwool is for pros
not amateurs

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"Look ma @kingromano says I'm a bonified professional!" 8-day old clones not dead.....

crazymcdazy said:

Shit, I didnt realise that your methods are the only way to do things right. What do you think I'm doing wrong, could it be the lack of rockwool?

I get roots in water after 3 days and within 2 weeks I have a monster ready for training. This is obviously wrong as you mentioned.

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Stfu your bashing rockwool cause your a newb so go back to the cave cause if it doesnt work for you its not right ya cause your god. Go away troll.

Kdoggy said:

Stfu your bashing rockwool cause your a newb so go back to the cave cause if it doesnt work for you its not right ya cause your god. Go away troll.

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Oh wow, you are special hey?

I've never used rockwool, its pointless. Hydroton can support a seed just fine, foam inserts can hold clones. Rockwool is expensive and pointless in DWC.

Its not that it doesn't work for me, Its that I can work just as fine and IMO better without it, so I don't use it.

Kdoggy said:

Well i disagree i germ absolutly everything in rockwool from weed to lettuce cucs tomatoes dill rosemary everything so your obviously doing something wrong.

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You said I must be doing something wrong - 16 days old from the day I dropped a germinated seed straight into hydroton.
Have fun with your rockwool.

Sorry man i take back what i said i was just really angry my friend just came over he said he has cancer in his neck and i was really angry looking to vent im just in a bad place

I use rockwood cubes also for my DWC and have had 100% germination. I use pretty much the same process as Myke and find it to work wonderfully. Good luck and happy growing.