Growing tips and advice for novices

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Permalink Reply by Rachel Wingfield on May 28, 2009 at 10:20am

How are the seedlings coming along?

We are hoping to return on Tuesday to transfer the small plants to a hydroponics unit like the one pictured below:

How did the seeds do in the rockwool cubes - I have been advised that these are the best growing medium with hydroponics.

I had some problems sprouting as the seeds became too wet so I have started using a sprouter then hand pick the best seeds for transferring to a medium.

This proved quite successful!

We could get some more seeds going when we return if our first batch didn't quite make it..

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Shea on May 28, 2009 at 1:35pm

The seedlings are coming along well, especially one intrepid bean sprout that is standing inches above the rest! So far we have sprouts from french beans, peas, mint, and a single sprout each of dill and broccoli. No sign of the basil yet but going by my at-home experiences maybe it's just a slow starter. We've taken some photos and will post soon.

The rock wool is having mixed results - several healthy looking pea and bean sprouts coming up, but also a few unappetising, moldly looking growths out of a couple of the rock wool blocks despite our best efforts to keep them from stagnating.

the coconut fibre isn't looking as successful so far but we're holding out hope as we've only planted herbs in those trays so maybe they're just slow coming up regardless of the medium.

Tuesday would be great if you could come back to help us shift the sprouting plants to the growing structure. Would around 11 work for you?

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Permalink Reply by Rachel Wingfield on May 28, 2009 at 3:45pm

Fantastic 11am it is!

We will get the plants into the hydroponic bucket to allow the plants to mature. Then we can return the following week (depending on the arrival of the water reservoir) to fully install the window garden with your plants.

I think the rockwool needs to be put straight into an aerated hydroponic unit in future!

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Permalink Reply by Green Horizon on June 18, 2009 at 7:07pm

From your problem with 'moldy looking growths' and other issues I would bet you are letting the rockwool sit in standing water> DO NOT DO THIS. Rockwool should be allowed to drain itself, it's too absorbant to use in a hydroculture method like hydroton or perlite. Also chemical changes occur in solution that is absorbed in rockwool (the PH becomes more alkaline) so it should be watered with solution at least a couple of times a day, preferably 3 -4+.

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