blazedallday91
Active Member
Im trying to germinate my seed and start her first two weeks in rockwool a cube 4in by 4in by 2.5in any advice or instructions how to do this thanx 
rockwool germinating
- Thread starter blazedallday91
- Start date
I just did this successfully my first time. Firstly, I think using a 1" cube is preferred, much easier to control how saturated it gets. Here's the parameters I used:
1. You have to use good water. RO or Distilled. Tap adds too many variables to control if you need to troubleshoot later. The seed has enough nutrients built in to germinate and for the first week or so.
2. Was your hands before handling anything to prevent any infections
3. Soak the cubes for a few minutes to saturate them, poke a hole with a clean pencil tip and drop the seed in. Close the hole up after.
4. Get a humidity tray and dome and a heat mat with thermostat. Set heat to 75 degrees and cover the tray with the dome.
5. The cubes should be good to go for moisture for about a week, so you don't need to water again until the seedling pokes through.
6. Once the seedling pokes it's head out, this took about a day or two for mine, I mounted a flourescent light at the top of box that just fits the tray and covered the tray and dome with the box creating a little grow room.
7. On the advice of my Hydro store owner, I used Clonex solution, 400ppm and fed the seedlings this until they reached about 2" tall and then transplanted. ****I think I transplanted them too early as they got very stressed and I will wait a little longer next time, you can see my post about this if you search my name. Once I followed the advice of other members, they straightened out and look gorgeous now.
Hope this helps.
1. You have to use good water. RO or Distilled. Tap adds too many variables to control if you need to troubleshoot later. The seed has enough nutrients built in to germinate and for the first week or so.
2. Was your hands before handling anything to prevent any infections
3. Soak the cubes for a few minutes to saturate them, poke a hole with a clean pencil tip and drop the seed in. Close the hole up after.
4. Get a humidity tray and dome and a heat mat with thermostat. Set heat to 75 degrees and cover the tray with the dome.
5. The cubes should be good to go for moisture for about a week, so you don't need to water again until the seedling pokes through.
6. Once the seedling pokes it's head out, this took about a day or two for mine, I mounted a flourescent light at the top of box that just fits the tray and covered the tray and dome with the box creating a little grow room.
7. On the advice of my Hydro store owner, I used Clonex solution, 400ppm and fed the seedlings this until they reached about 2" tall and then transplanted. ****I think I transplanted them too early as they got very stressed and I will wait a little longer next time, you can see my post about this if you search my name. Once I followed the advice of other members, they straightened out and look gorgeous now.
Hope this helps.
wiseguy316
Well-Known Member
3. Soak the cubes for a few minutes to saturate them, poke a hole with a clean pencil tip and drop the seed in. Close the hole up after.
what happen to conditioning the rockwool to adjust the high ph,,too late after the seed is in it.
what happen to conditioning the rockwool to adjust the high ph,,too late after the seed is in it.
I was impatient and didn't do it to the 1" cubes. Asked the hydro guy and he said that since the nutes are in the seed for the germination, the PH imbalance wouldn't inhibit the germination, I just made damn sure that all the water I gave it from the start was 5.5 - 5.7. Seemed to work well, they popped fast and grew into nice little sprouts in just a week. It's when I transplanted them that they stunted for a few days.
blazedallday91
Active Member
Can I use a hot plate on low or a candle warmer and do I have to put it under a certain light would a 150 hps light be good for vegging And flowering or can I combine cfls to make 6500 k or do I need a bulb that puts out that much specificaly to veg so I don't need the hps and for the rockwool how should I light it...once its in the 5 gallon pot I'm growing it in wat is a good watering schedule
Again, just to caveat my answers, I'm a newbie, so others please correct me if I guide wrong.
Hot plate, no. You want it warm and humid, not hot. The warming mat and thermostat that's made for germination has a probe that you push into one of the cubes that will regulate the temp. You want it just warm enough for condensation on the top of the humidity dome, but anything above 85, I think, would damage or kill the seedling.
Lights. I've read and been told that florescent are perfect for seedlings right up until they begin to vegetate. Next time I do this, I'll let them veg until about 3 weeks in (3-4 inches), I transplanted them after a week this time and it was too soon, too much stress. How many plants you want to grow will determine what wattage. A 400W MH or 600W HPS is good for a 4x4 foot area, which I have 9 plants growing well right now. I would think a 150W would be good for about 3 plants. I don't know about using CFLs for vegging, tho I see other posts on here with people doing that. A small cardboard grow box with a Flo tube or CFL and some ventilation and maybe a computer fan for when the seedlings get a little bigger should be all you need for a couple three weeks.
Feed and water in a pot. I'm doing strictly hydro with rockwool, so not sure how to work with soil and the nute requirements. I'm using Dutch Master Gold for my nutes and they have a good chart that's been working well for me on their web site.
Hot plate, no. You want it warm and humid, not hot. The warming mat and thermostat that's made for germination has a probe that you push into one of the cubes that will regulate the temp. You want it just warm enough for condensation on the top of the humidity dome, but anything above 85, I think, would damage or kill the seedling.
Lights. I've read and been told that florescent are perfect for seedlings right up until they begin to vegetate. Next time I do this, I'll let them veg until about 3 weeks in (3-4 inches), I transplanted them after a week this time and it was too soon, too much stress. How many plants you want to grow will determine what wattage. A 400W MH or 600W HPS is good for a 4x4 foot area, which I have 9 plants growing well right now. I would think a 150W would be good for about 3 plants. I don't know about using CFLs for vegging, tho I see other posts on here with people doing that. A small cardboard grow box with a Flo tube or CFL and some ventilation and maybe a computer fan for when the seedlings get a little bigger should be all you need for a couple three weeks.
Feed and water in a pot. I'm doing strictly hydro with rockwool, so not sure how to work with soil and the nute requirements. I'm using Dutch Master Gold for my nutes and they have a good chart that's been working well for me on their web site.
blazedallday91
Active Member
can 150w hps be used for both vegging and flowering or no?