Rockwool in DWC staying too wet?

My clones have been in their new DWC homes for about 3 days now. Only problem is they are looking a little droopy. I am thinking they are getting too much water(from bubbles splashing water up and soaking the rockwool). I haven't had to water them once, every time I check, the rockwool is soaked (they are in rockwool in hydraton, top of rockwool flush with top of hydraton) I had the water line right at the bottom of the pots, but have dropped the water level twic now. The water lvl is at about an inch below the pot bottems now. But they are still soaked. One has a root about 2 inches out of the pot and is the only one looking healthy. I am wondering if I should remove them from the hydraton and take off some of the rockwool, or if I should continue dropping the water level. Any sugestions? thanks.

i would lower the water and let the roots search for water. you never want a lazy plant.


when the clones get older and the rootzone develops more the roots should be so dense and thick that you wont have to worry about it. but you have to get there first.

another suggestion in DWC growing would be to get some (or more) air stones in there (but becareful, i kinda shy away from air pumps --- fluctuating pH and wild EC). also make sure your res temps are in tact. 65-68F is optimal. any higher you risk the chance of rootrot!

LoudBlunts said:

i would lower the water and let the roots search for water. you never want a lazy plant.


when the clones get older and the rootzone develops more the roots should be so dense and thick that you wont have to worry about it. but you have to get there first.

another suggestion in DWC growing would be to get some (or more) air stones in there (but becareful, i kinda shy away from air pumps --- fluctuating pH and wild EC). also make sure your res temps are in tact. 65-68F is optimal. any higher you risk the chance of rootrot!

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I have airstones in there, the 4inch round ones, puting out quite a bit of air, I have the 125 gal tank pumps, each supplying two buckets. and my temps are right in that zone as well. I will do like you said and drop the water lvl a bit more and see how they look tomorrow. Thanks a lot.

np! hope everything works out

3 days later, roots are doing amazing, they are growing out of the net pots everywhere... but the leaves are still drooping, and some of them are curling, like a claw, I thought maybe my nute strength is too high, 5ml gro, 2.5ml micro, 2.5ml bloom, 2.5ml diamond necter per gal. with the PPM around 400 in all buckets. I have emptied out some of the nute water and replaced with RO water. now bringing the ppm down in most buckets to around 350 Have been keeping the PH aat around 5.8 lowering it about once a day. What am I doing wrong here? too much nutes too early? The roots are looking amazing, i cant beleive the leaves look like crap, and are the stems suposed to be purple? They where that color when i got them, but I was reading somewhere that purple stems are a sign of some kind of deficiency? Any info or insight is much appritiated. these pics are from day 7 of being in the bubbler.

My plant is drooping too. its about 6 in tall and the roots are also looking amazing, could the problem be that the water is too high? I keep it at the bottom of the net pot, should i keep it lower?

dan.knell said:

My plant is drooping too. its about 6 in tall and the roots are also looking amazing, could the problem be that the water is too high? I keep it at the bottom of the net pot, should i keep it lower?

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I think that is where I was having trouble at first as well, I have since dropped it to about 1.5 inches below netpot, and the rockwool doesnt get too soaked now

LB pretty much summed it up..with rockwool the trick is to keep it only moist..Ive done plenty of experiments with it and found that 5-10 ml of water on it once or twice a day is plenty.. Keeping the wool to wet only stunts and slows root growth..They need air to and its very easy to manipulate with minimal water to force them to grow roots down into the water..
Great advice already and proven results from it..
Droopy leaves only means either ur watering too much and u can tell when the wool is wet to the touch..It can also mean that they are not getting enough water but thats simple to differentiate..
Hope that helps..
Its alot easier to use Peat spoungues as well u dont have to play with pH ar worry about over watering. FOOD for thought.

yea i like rapid rooters over rockwool myself

Any update on this? I cannot see the attached photo's but my friend had the same problems. His thoughts went everywhere yours did... nutes too strong? Too weak? Maybe it's a CalMag deficiency? No... maybe a phosphorous deficiency.

You cannot "over water" in DWC if you have sufficient oxygen / bubbles. Can you dump out the clay pellets and inspect the bottom of your rockwool... if it's black like my friends, you have root rot! Starts with droopy leaves, then strange deficiencies, and so it goes... I'm guessing since your water level was too high and rockwool stayed saturated that you had the same issue he had. His roots looked amazing... like white tire rods pushing out growing like vines... until they slowly did not.

jjng5 said:

Any update on this? I cannot see the attached photo's but my friend had the same problems. His thoughts went everywhere yours did... nutes too strong? Too weak? Maybe it's a CalMag deficiency? No... maybe a phosphorous deficiency.

You cannot "over water" in DWC if you have sufficient oxygen / bubbles. Can you dump out the clay pellets and inspect the bottom of your rockwool... if it's black like my friends, you have root rot! Starts with droopy leaves, then strange deficiencies, and so it goes... I'm guessing since your water level was too high and rockwool stayed saturated that you had the same issue he had. His roots looked amazing... like white tire rods pushing out growing like vines... until they slowly did not.

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this thread is from 2009. doubt they are still around.

I saw that. I was just curious of the outcome (as my friend is having the same issue):

jjng5 said:

I saw that. I was just curious of the outcome (as my friend is having the same issue):

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i used to buy clones in rockwool. i would carefully cut them out with an xacto knife and put them in hydroton.

have your friend use GH rapid rooters. peat based seed starters. much better in my opinion.

I disagree. Ovdreatering rockwool I'd just too easy and yes. What I've found works the easiest, peat plugs and start from seed, never looks bad or unhealthy.

My very best strain and plant, I removed the rockwool and peeled it off from the ugly I used, then re.easured the water hight to see where the bubbles need to hit the roots and plug, and it only drooped 3 days after that and is my best most vigorous plant, sherbinski's GSCs x OGKZ.

Anyone see this in 20w3 i could use some advice any one can give on not getting the drooping or is starting it in dw by seeds the best way. Clones have been very hit or miss..

jjng5 said:

Any update on this? I cannot see the attached photo's but my friend had the same problems. His thoughts went everywhere yours did... nutes too strong? Too weak? Maybe it's a CalMag deficiency? No... maybe a phosphorous deficiency.

You cannot "over water" in DWC if you have sufficient oxygen / bubbles. Can you dump out the clay pellets and inspect the bottom of your rockwool... if it's black like my friends, you have root rot! Starts with droopy leaves, then strange deficiencies, and so it goes... I'm guessing since your water level was too high and rockwool stayed saturated that you had the same issue he had. His roots looked amazing... like white tire rods pushing out growing like vines... until they slowly did not.

Click to expand...