Thanks Brugie for sharing this tip with me!
I am off to the hydroponics store today to see if I can buy some rockwool locally. This is seed germinating with no muss or fuss! A little over 2 weeks and these are already have been repotted in dirt and doing great!
The tap root is so fast!
I was wrong to make new slits and cram so many seeds in the rockwool. The roots grow too fast and when you separate them, the seeds that have not germinated yet fall out. More trouble than it was worth! The ones I did by themselves was much better.
I just ordered mine as you were posting this, I can't wait Kell! Now if my pods will just hurry up! Crop two is looking good girl! Hopefully we will have blloms by May! I am so bad I ordered 400, you said they were good so I thought I would try. Someone said they needed them here but couldn't get them, do you remember who it was?
Tracey, it is so fast and so clean and so easy! And no mold. I think this is such a great thing.
However, I now have filled my seed rack entirely up! It is that big plant lighted stand that the plans were posted on Dave's. I never thought I would fill it up. All with brugs!
Seedlings look great Kell. Mine seem to have so much green in the leaves, not pale or weak looking. I am anxious to see the Maya seedlings in rockwool, wondering if they will be dark green, not white as before. Hope so!
I bought the fertilizer you are supoosed to use with the rockwool. Maybe I will try it with this new batch I am putting in today. Anyone use the fertilizer yet?
I also have a pod of GL X RK that fell to early from tree, I will try these in rockwool also. I am looking for a miracle there.
Excellent results kell! Mold is having it hard to thrive in rock wool.
Wishing you success with GL x RK, that should really be "the one". Dbl. Pink!
Your seedlings look really good. I'm sure convinced that Rockwool is the way to go with seedlings that are most important. I also had good luck doing seeds the way Monika does. Boy, I need to get them transplanted too. Out of room here at the brug inn.
The seedlings look great Kell. I read this and had to run and check mine. It looks like they are finally going to start to do something. Some have been since the 1st the others a few days later. I have had pretty good luck also with the little jiffy peat pellets. Hardly any mess with them either. Have more seeds a soaking right now.
Good luck with you GL x RK. .... sounds promising.
Oh what good news. Hope you all get some wonderful new brugs.
I was headed to get rockwool today and got taken by the 'wild hair'! LOL We ripped out the LR carpet instead. Now I'll have to wait to go pick up my rockwool. They are closed on Sunday and I have to work Monday night...Tuesday is looking good. :) Yours look great Kell. Now I am gonna have to bust butt to catch up! hehehehe
Kell,
.......Fertilizer? or RW Soak? I do use the soak as it neutralizes the ph bal. I guess raw RW is a little off kilter on the ph scale.
§hirley
I had a little mold on one cube with a canna seed
Scoot, it supposedly is both. Says it has nutrients.
"New from Supernatural. Use this product to prepare
rockwool for planting. It corrects the pH and adds the proper amount of nutrients all in one application. AMMONIA FREE! 100% ammonia free nitrogen is finally here, no more burning your plants with ammonia build up. Use 1 teaspoon per gallon of water, soak or drench the rockwool, allow it to drain then plant! It really is that simple, and it really helps the plants get off to a good start."
Do you think it helped give them a big start? Of course I really do not want them to take off so much. My big seedlings now are getting huge leaves and taking up too much room under my lights. I am going to have to move some outside soon.
Are you sure it was mold? I had a couple that had whiteish stuff around the roots but on close inspection it was the tiny feeder root hairs gone wild.
My gardening is now a collective effort! Thanks all!
This message was edited Nov 21, 2004 11:55 AM
Uh, oh... I pushed my seeds seeds down further into the rockwool kind of like it was soil. I wonder what will happen? Do you think I should operate and use a toothpick to bring them higher to the surface?
Kell, great job & great pictures!
Morph,
........I pushed all my seeds down about like planting in dirt.
Kell,
.....That is the same product I use.I still followed the wetting directions on BGI.
§hirley
This message was edited Jan 17, 2004 4:59 PM
Mine just came in the mail!Stand back and let the planting begin!
LOL Root! Your posts are always a ray of sunshine in my life!
I have no idea how deep you are supposed to put them. I have had about 80% germination rate within 2 weeks. And it is still early. I have about 200 seeds in this stuff. LOL. What am I going to do with 200 plants and I still have my best pods hanging!
I am still experimenting with rockwool. Please post your germination times and rates when you have pushed the seeds in deep.
I pushed mine down to the bottom of the already made hole, they are all coming up to the light, was afraid I too had put them too deep, but they are coming up just fine. Will post pic when more are all the way up.
Do I need to soak it first?,then drain off excess and I am going to use regular starter trays.
I have some that are climbing out of the holes ,root and all......scared to push the back down......
Well Kell, if you decide you have too many seeds to contend with, I'd be happy to relieve you of some! Your seedlings look wonderful!
Root,
.......You need to immerse the RW for a few minutes. then compress it sideways between your hands (it has only one way it wants to go because of the way the fibers are layed) to remove about 1/2 the water. There should be no water sitting in the bottom of the tray.
Kell,
....Shoot! I shoved those dang seeds at least 1/2 way down,I saw some germination in 2 days. I do not think it has any thing to do with planting depth. I just prefer to keep the RW at soil level when I pot up the seedlings, so the RW can give some support. Scheesh, I hope you know what I mean 'cause now I'm getting confused myself...LOL
OK,Thanks,now does the rockwool,have to be removed to trasplant?
No, Bob, don't even try. You will lose the root.
Kell, the rockwool has performed so well for you growing seedlings and also for Shirley too. Be very careful not to breathe in any of the fibers from the rockwool and be sure to wash your hands after handling. I read a couple articles that said one should wear a face mask while handling this product. When I handle it again, I am going to use one for safety sake because even if just one little fiber is inhaled it will stay in the lung forever because it does not decompose. It is a great product and safe if handled correctly.
Maybe one day I will take time to proof.
This message was edited Jan 17, 2004 10:31 PM
oh great Frannie, that kind of spoils that! I am a goner for sure now! Cough cough!
Root, I did not squeeze mine at all. I let it soak up all the water it wanted, drained the container, stuck in the seed and then put the entire rubbermaid container in a plastic bag, closed airtight.
I still have some concern in how the plant will respond down the line with this rockwool forever more by the crown of the plant. If it absorbs so much water and just sits there as Frannie said it never decomposes.
On a few that JUST germinated, I just gently pulled out the germinated seed, root and all and had no trouble. I then replanted it in soil with no rockwool. Of course I didnt have a mask on. Soit seems wet rockwool then is much healthier to handle than dry.
When I repotted them with the rockwool Scoot, most were below the soil line.
Kell if you must go to the big garden in the sky anytime soon can I inherit your garden---not that Im rushing you off or anything but.......I really like those blue trees you had blooming last year and your monster brug? well you know....and come to think of it--your cats kinna cool, and Tom? I mean he works so hard for you? n ummm ohh sorry, hope your feelin well lololol cheryl
I think that even tho the rockwool holds a lot of water, if it is in contact with soil, which it would be when planted in a pot or the ground, the soil will pull the excess moisture out of the rockwool. Just my opinion, but it seems logical.
I've also notice a tiny bit of mold on my seeds that I planted in the rockwool because of the high humidity level. I took the plastic cover off for several hours this afternoon and then put it back on this evening. I will also take Monika's advice and soak my next batch of seeds in Physan 20 before inserting them into the rockwool to help prevent future mold.
Just a thought....if rockwool is potentially harmful if inhaled, shouldn't the manufacturers be required by law to put a printed message with the rockwool and state the precautions that one should take when using it?
Here are a few seeds beginning to germinate. They are Abutilon citronella.
Kell, don't let a little it spoil things for you. You only have to handle it once when it is dry . . so have fun!
Hmmph ! I think BetterGrow Hydro should give us a quantity discount with all the sales we've drummed up for them.
;~P
Wishful thinking! :~)
Brugie, I think that the nature of RW is that it holds Water & Air, which makes it such a great growing medium.... JMHO
I was thinking the same about the tremendous sale on rockwool. Think we should get a discount.
Mine seems as if you can't water it too much(using normal judgement). Wet it the first time, everything is going great guns!
I will post my germination time when/if they pop their heads up. I've got datura started and just now getting started on the brug seeds.
Kell, you may just have to visit several round-ups to help off load your extra plants :)
Heheheh! me thinks kell may have her own RU.lol
