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drerock_gw

Nurturing seeds to their hydroponic homes

drerock
13 years ago

I am just beginning my studies and experience of the wide world of hydroponics.

I currently have a 10" X 20" tray with a dome to keep humidity. Under it I have a heat mat to keep the "root zone" warm, and above it I have a small lamp with two 15 watt fluorescent bulbs. One says "warm" and the other says "cool".

Here's my question:

What do I need to do to get from seeds to transplantable plants?

Here's more info:

My first attempt was to start tobacco seeds and root a tomato plant cutting. This was before I had the heat mat or lamp. The tray was set in the bay window and got several hours of sun each day. The seeds sprouted, and the cutting started growing roots, but that was it. It seemed like they just sat there in stasis for a week or so. I moved the rockwool cubes to 3" netpots and put them in the aeroponic unit I made. So far no good. Stagnation.

This time around I opted to get the heat mat and put a lamp above the seedlings to create a more stable environment. It seemed like they were getting too much sun, and the little rockwool cubes were too moist.

My method has been to make a very weak nutrient solution. Dip the cube into the solution, and plant the seeds just under the surface. I then poured some of the solution into the bottom of the tray, covered it, and let it sit.

This time around I planted romaine lettuce seeds, leeks, tobacco, and celery. I have had to re-moisten the cubes once already because they were drying out after about 3 days. The lettuce has already sprouted.

This time I plan on leaving the seedlings in the tray until the root systems fill the cubes and start protruding before transplanting to the aeroponic unit. All the while keeping the cubes moist with very mild nutrient solution.

What are your methods / recommendations for nurturing seedlings / cuttings into transplantable health?

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