What happened to me, using rockwool....

I used RW for my new seeds and kept seeing moisture on the bottom of the baggies....sometimes I emptied it out and other times I left it. Today when I opened at least one of the baggies to transplant my seedlings, the RW was completely dried out. All of the moisture that had been in the RW had evaporated and fell to the bottom of the plastic bag. I was very surprised.
Luckily some were OK...but at least one cross has seedlings which have dried out.....I will have to watch more closely next time....You might want to watch for this happening to yours too. They were under lights but with no bottom heat.

These in the photo are the ones that are OK....I doubt that the others will make it...

That's too bad you lost one of your crosses. :(
Rockwool is something I've never used.
Glad you were able to save some of your babies.
Try misting the other ones with lukewarm water. They might revive if they weren't too dried out.

Darn. I hate to see babies not make it. I've got to watch my RW very close too. It's amazing how fast it can dry out, and some of the seedlings are too tall to keep plastic bags over it now. I should transplant, but I have to be in the mood to do that. LOL! The rest of your seedlings look great. I wish seedlings would travel through the mail. I'd send you a bunch.

Brugie, the same thing actually happened to me, I thought I did something wrong.

Gee,I have never had that problem. Is your bag airtight? Is your plastic RW container without holes??

I put my rockwool in the plastic container like tupperware and wet the RW all the way thru. Look because sometimes I have had to rewet it and let it sit a minute to get the center wet. Then I just flip it over and drain it. I do not shake or squeeze the rockwool. I just make sure it is not sitting in water.

Then I take a clear plastic bag with no holes in it and run some water in it. I then drain the bag so there is only water drops on the sides. Then I place my plastic tub in the center bottom. I then blow some air in and twist the top around several times closed. I then place garden velcro tightly around the top to makeit airtight.

I place directly under my lights on my seed rack.

I never open the bag again until I am going to pot up the seedlings. This way it stays humid and I do not introduce any fungus or bacteria into the bag.

I have left RW in these bags for over 6 weeks and they never dry out. Sometimes my seedlings get rather tall before I get it together to pot it up in dirt.

I hope this is helpful!

Margie, if they were my seeds, I can replace them. I also have new fresh seeds I just picked.

Sorry I didn't get back to this thread sooner...I guess I really didn't feel like talking about it. I was reall disappointed! ;-(
Kell, I do as you do, except that the containers I use have shallow sides, like meat or veggies come in...and the baggies over them are turned sidewood...with opening lying on side, not on top. I think the problem was that when the water evaporated and came back down from the top and sides, instead of falling on the RW or its tray...it fell to the bottom of the baggie. I hope that is clear. I see by your photo kell, the only place the water drops can go is back into your container.
The cross that it looks like I lost is L'A X EP. I did look and I do have a few more seeds left of this cross that I can plant. I think I will try the soil method with them. Darn, wouldn't you know I am recently out of planting mix!
Thank you all for your comments & sympathy and offers for seedlings and seeds. Actually I probably have more than I can handle with the seedlings that did take!
Today it is raining and I am so enjoying it! I plan to snuggle up with a good book and enjoy my day. Hope you all have a wonderful day also.
Margie

Margie -- I'm sorry you lost some of your babies. I have never had rw dry out when in an enclosed container. I took these photos yesterday of some babies I started on Valentine's Day. I keep it right under the fluorescent tube (within an inch of the bulb), and I never have to mist or water in any way until they get transplanted. I hope this is helpful to you. I buy them at Wal-Mart in the bakeware aisle. Ada also uses them...

Edited to add that I number the push pins and have the names of the crosses on a master list.

This message was edited Feb 19, 2005 2:57 PM

Margie, my RW never dried out either. The sides of the plastic get wet not only because I rinse the bag, but from the RW itself. I t doesn't need the plastic to drip on it to keep it wet.

I read some directions some where posted that said you should squeeze out the RW after you wet it. I never have done that. My RW is heavy with water when I plant in it. I just make sure there it is not standing in water.

Try dirt. Monika only does hers like this and she has great germination!

Grethchen, you are a neat nick. I just know it! LOL. I need you here to straighten me out.

I don't wring mine out either. They are full of water when I place them in the tray. And, yes Kell, I tend to be a very organized person. Typical Type A ADHD LOL! But I'm getting better :)

I have had bad luck with the new rockwool I purchased, or the seeds were not good, they all had mold on the top within a week, I tested some of the seeds and they were white milky mush

Oh too bad. I wonder what happened. Some how bacteria got in. Try again Doris. I am sending you seeds soon. Want some extra that are good for experimentation?

Some of mine that haven't come up yet, have mold on them too....I thought they may still come up though....Thought I'd give them more time.

I would get mold when I planted in dirt. The seeds would usually be soupy then. Check them.

That is why I love RW, I never get mold. Something is contaminating the RW. You can try soaking your seeds for 5 minutes in 10% bleach in water. Try on seeds that are not your best ones first to make sure it works for you! I know when I tried Physan at someone's advice on here, the seeds all died and they were good ones. I almost died with them. LOL

Always wash your hands well before you start and only use clean things, bag, pot etc.

Margie, I'm so sorry about your seedlings. I hope your luck has turned and you will have the best garden ever!!!!

My first seeds this season started out with what I thought was white mold, but it turned out to be roots. I've been away from home for over a week and when I returned, my plastic sacks with the tupperware, filled with rockwool inside, were filled with lots of water. Seedlings seem just fine, growing. But, I got tired of the plastic sacks and removed them, saving space for more seeds. I guess, last year, since I didn't use the plastic sacks that I simply watered the rockwool from the bottom when the seedlings appeared to need water. Is that how one should be water rockwool after the seeds have sprouted?? I'm thinking of misting them with Messengers.

Another good thread for newbies - there are many ways to sprout seeds, you just have to find the one that is best for you personally.

Judy

Talking about seeds.....Is there going to be seeds being offered this year?...I would love to get some nice pinks..sounds like Im turning into a Kell...lolol...all I have blooming right now is my versi peach and the wannabe equador pink...I like orange but sure would like some pinks...this RW talk has made me start thinking about starting some seeds...Judy