Submerisble Pump Might Be the Criminal

I'm growing MI5 and Snowryder in a ten gallon, six site tote. This is my first grow, my little girls are a little upset but I'm being patient with them.

They are around 15 days old, stunted and I think the top feeding along with the rockwool to be the culprit. Next grow I won't use rockwool, either plugs or just the hydroton because it messes with my ph and holds too much water.

Last week they were droopy, I talked to them, I played music, I let them surf the web, nothing worked. I figured it was overwatering so I unplugged the pump and they started to straighten up.

Now, I've read that the additional drip tube is supposed to speed up growth, but has anyone else had problems with it? At this stage should I just 86 the pump or do the girls need to get wet a little on top?

Are you using just rockwool?

No, rockwool and hydroton.

Are you watering the rockwool or the hydroton?

the tube has a cap on the end, I bought it that way. so it drips in the cup near the rockwool.

Once your roots are down into the hydroton try watering that instead, rockwool sometimes only needs to be watered every few days, it holds MASSIVE amounts of water!

Yeah I know. I have the bigger rockwool cubes too. Is the drip system necessary? If I don't use it at all would it be detrimental to the plants?

I only top feed until the roots hit the water. And even then only every few days Rockwool retains moisture so once roots hit the water there is no need to top feed EVER

I start my ladies in 1" rockwool cubes place in 3" net pots with hydrotron and keep it there for the rest of the grow, veg - harvest.

Thanks weedler, you have some sexy girls so I'm going to take your advice. The roots have hit the water so I'm going to take out the pump