🌱 Your seedlings look beautiful! Make sure the Rapid Rooter is moist, but doesn't look shiny or wet (since that is a little too wet and can cause mushy roots). If you've got a top feed, it can help to move it lower down in the net pot, so it's not actually touching the Rapid Rooter itself. The wicking action from the hydroton, along with the splashing from the bubbling reservoir below, will make sure the Rapid Rooter stays moist enough the roots don't dry out without the top feed actually touching the Rapid Rooter directly.
Not sure if you're interested in what's worked best for me but I've done about 5 grows (very small, only 2 plants each time) in hydro under a MH/HPS (so still a beginner, but I do have a little first-hand experience). I know you have a smaller MH light, but I put my 600W MH about 4 feet above new seedlings (at full strength) and then once they get a few leaves I'll move it down to 2 feet than then let them grow up to it and try to keep it 16" away the rest of the vegetative stage. Since you have a 400W and it's at half strength, I bet you could bring it way closer to your seedlings than what you have now. You don't want to overwhelm them, but seedlings do grow a little faster when they get a good amount of light.
I've also had the best luck providing seedling-strength nutrients for week one, and always pH'ed to between 5.5-6.3. I try not to disturb their roots or move them around until they've got a few nodes, because I feel like if you move the roots it can trigger root rot or stunting when they're really little. Anyways, I'm not an expert, but I've had good luck starting seedlings that way in my DWC tub.
Just curious, what nutrients are you using? 🌱
My plants from my last DWC grow (just to prove I'm not totally bullshitting you). This is right before the switch to 12/12. These two were waaaaay too bushy to start flowering (and I basically defoliated the crap out of them before initiating the flowering stage), which I think is a testament to how happy and fast-growing they were
I've found that vegetative plants seem to do REALLY well and just grow tons of leaves and get bushy under an MH!
Not sure if you're interested in what's worked best for me but I've done about 5 grows (very small, only 2 plants each time) in hydro under a MH/HPS (so still a beginner, but I do have a little first-hand experience). I know you have a smaller MH light, but I put my 600W MH about 4 feet above new seedlings (at full strength) and then once they get a few leaves I'll move it down to 2 feet than then let them grow up to it and try to keep it 16" away the rest of the vegetative stage. Since you have a 400W and it's at half strength, I bet you could bring it way closer to your seedlings than what you have now. You don't want to overwhelm them, but seedlings do grow a little faster when they get a good amount of light.
I've also had the best luck providing seedling-strength nutrients for week one, and always pH'ed to between 5.5-6.3. I try not to disturb their roots or move them around until they've got a few nodes, because I feel like if you move the roots it can trigger root rot or stunting when they're really little. Anyways, I'm not an expert, but I've had good luck starting seedlings that way in my DWC tub.
Just curious, what nutrients are you using? 🌱
My plants from my last DWC grow (just to prove I'm not totally bullshitting you). This is right before the switch to 12/12. These two were waaaaay too bushy to start flowering (and I basically defoliated the crap out of them before initiating the flowering stage), which I think is a testament to how happy and fast-growing they were
I've found that vegetative plants seem to do REALLY well and just grow tons of leaves and get bushy under an MH!
I feel like my plants grew a lot faster in hydro, too! 🌱
ut of some sort of phyrric victory pride. The cat constantly finding it's way into the closet didn't help either.
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