Closed

Gardening F.A.Q.

• How do I start seeds in Rockwool?

  Seed Starting in Rockwool- Always pre-soak Rockwool for several hours in a warm 5.5 ph solution with very mild nutrient. Place starter cubes in a propagation tray with no holes. Plant two seeds in each hole to ensure you’ll end up with at least one healthy plant. Cover with a humidity dome. Put a fluorescent light over the dome on a 16 hour light cycle. Check dome daily and wipe out any heavy condensation. Once seeds have sprouted remove dome. Check the cubes by lightly squeezing one. If water falls out they’re ok. If no water comes out, mix up a 6.2 ph /mild nutrient solution and fill the tray with an inch of solution and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove excess water. Keep the light approximately 1 to 2 inches above the plants. If two plants are growing in one cube, snip out the weaker of the two. When the seedlings have several true leaves, the starter cube can be placed in a hydroponic system or in soil. If placed in soil the cube may need to be watered daily until the roots grow out into the soil. A heat mat may speed up the germination process, especially in cooler environments.

• How do I take cuttings?

  Propagating Cuttings- Pre-soak 1.5″ Rockwool cubes in a warm 5.5 ph solution with a cloning solution such as Olivias, Clonex, or Power Clone (other mediums such as Rapid Rooters do not require ph adjustment). After the cubes have soaked for several hours, arrange in a solid propagation tray so that the cuttings won’t touch each other. Pour some cloning gel into the lid of the jar and using new razor blade take a cutting at a 45 degree angle, leaving two to three leaves on the cutting. Dip the “cut” part of the stem in the gel so that it seals the “cut” and immediately place the cut end down in the hole of the Rockwool cube. After the cuttings are taken, cover the tray with a tall humidity dome and place a fluorescent light above the dome on 16 hour light cycle. Check the dome daily for heavy condensation and remove large droplets with a clean towel (a light “fog” is desirable). Most soft tissue cuttings will root in 10 to 14 days. A heat mat may be beneficial in speeding up the rooting process.

• Why are the edges of my leaves turning brown?

  Brown Edges on Leaves- Brown or “crispy” edges on leaves are typically a sign of over fertilization. To correct this in soil, a salt leaching solution such as Clearex can be employed to remove the salt build-up. It will take a solution 3 to 5 times the volume of soil to leach out the excess salts properly. Correcting hydroponics is a little easier. Empty the reservoir and fill with salt leaching solution. Run the system through several cycles and empty reservoir. Re-fill reservoir and reduce nutrient solution by 25%. Be sure to keep the reservoir topped up. When the reservoir runs low it concentrates the nutrient and lowers the pH.

• My leaves have spots on them. What should I do?

  If your leaves have spots or are discolored, you probably have a pest problem.  Inspect leaves closely, a magnifier is preferable, to determine what type of pest you have.  Once you’ve seen the pest, call us and we can help you with best pest control treatment for your situation.