Always overwatering seeds in hydro

I rarely start from seed but every now and then I bulk buy a pack of seeds to change my strain up a bit.
I always get a set back when I first place my rapid rooters in my hydro system as the water splashes the hydroton and then wicks up and saturates the rapid rooters.

I can’t manually water for a couple of weeks as we are talking 100 seedlings.

is there any method or different way to germinate seeds to avoid this overwatering?

Flood tray and a water pump...

Red Eyed said:

Flood tray and a water pump...

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Yeah... and then you’d have to piss about working out how often to flood and how long it takes the cube to dry right?

thats my issue. The cubes soak up the water and get saturated

SamWE19 said:

Yeah... and then you’d have to piss about working out how often to flood and how long it takes the cube to dry right?

thats my issue. The cubes soak up the water and get saturated

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lower your water level a lil more.

Hollatchaboy said:

lower your water level a lil more.

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I had tried that but it seems it’s either low enough to not wet the cube at all, or the wicking action instantly soaks it

SamWE19 said:

I had tried that but it seems it’s either low enough to not wet the cube at all, or the wicking action instantly soaks it

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are you doing dwc?

Over the years I’ve done a few different hydro methods and every single one I’ve had the issue with seedlings in rooting cubes.

if I went the substrate around the cubes I always have the issue of wicking up and saturating the cube or not wetting the substrate and cubes drying out.

ive been looking for other methods of mass germinating seeds that can’t be overwatered but no luck so far. I am starting to hate these cubes

use those rapid rooters and a dome/tray, wait for some evidence of roots then proceed as normal?

SamWE19 said:

Over the years I’ve done a few different hydro methods and every single one I’ve had the issue with seedlings in rooting cubes.

if I went the substrate around the cubes I always have the issue of wicking up and saturating the cube or not wetting the substrate and cubes drying out.

ive been looking for other methods of mass germinating seeds that can’t be overwatered but no luck so far. I am starting to hate these cubes

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I use them also but mostly for cuttings. I do dwc and I get the water level just low enough for the bubbles popping to wet the bottom of my net pot. Roots usually grow down pretty quick at that point.

toastedleaf said:

use those rapid rooters and a dome/tray, wait for some evidence of roots then proceed as normal?

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Sorry I didn’t make it clear. I do keep them in a dome tray in just the rooter until I see a couple of roots

D

Hollatchaboy said:

I use them also but mostly for cuttings. I do dwc and I get the water level just low enough for the bubbles popping to wet the bottom of my net pot. Roots usually grow down pretty quick at that point.

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do you place the rooter on top of clay balls ontop of pot or at bottom of pot

SamWE19 said:

D

do you place the rooter on top of clay balls ontop of pot or at bottom of pot

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On top. Just under the surface.

Hollatchaboy said:

On top. Just under the surface.

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Do you have a mass of roots coming out the bottom of the rooter before you put in dwc?

maybe im not leaving long enough in the rooter?

SamWE19 said:

Do you have a mass of roots coming out the bottom of the rooter before you put in dwc?

maybe im not leaving long enough in the rooter?

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Sometimes. It depends on my schedule. Sometimes if I see roots...I throw em in. Lol

Hollatchaboy said:

Sometimes. It depends on my schedule. Sometimes if I see roots...I throw em in. Lol

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Mustn’t be the issue then. I need a new way to germ seeds... wish it was possible to mass germ them directly in clay balls or something that can’t become saturated lol

SamWE19 said:

Mustn’t be the issue then. I need a new way to germ seeds... wish it was possible to mass germ them directly in clay balls or something that can’t become saturated lol

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Maybe try coco?

Hollatchaboy said:

Maybe try coco?

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Looked into jiffy pellets. Wasn’t sure if they’d clog the hydro system. Have you had any experience with them? Do they saturate as easily?

SamWE19 said:

Looked into jiffy pellets. Wasn’t sure if they’d clog the hydro system. Have you had any experience with them? Do they saturate as easily?

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I've never tried them. Rooters work for me but give it a try.

my rapid rooters always staying soaking wet when starting seeds. no issues .

Here’s what I do; I plant the seeds in a little soil and perlite. When they’re about 2 inches tall, I gently pull them out and gently rinse them off and put them in my DIY spray cloner. When they’re big enough I transplant to DWC. It doesn’t take long as they really take off in the cloner.