sorry for being gone so long....Christmas light season has me going 24/7. so here's the low down.
I've likely been struggling with root rot from the go , roots will grow then die and this has been the story from the start...solution..use bleach in the resevior at .5ml/galon to as much at 2ml and maybe up to 10ml/gal.
I had/have root aphids! I had to take all plants and litteraly brush their roots with a stiff bristle tooth brush ...the plants can take just about any abuse as long as they get a little moisture...I could cut off the whole root system and they would grow new roots from the lower crown...so as long as they get a white root out and just a little water they are A OK.
so after bushing them of aphids and rinsing them of root rot and dead root...I hit them with 115 deg water for 5 min. I wanted 120 as I hear that kills aphids but 115 was all I could muster. then I raised the water temps from 55deg to 75ish to boost metabolic activity and changed from flood and drain to bubble aeroponics. works pretty nice!
next i went and got some Bayer advanced systemic insecticide... yuk...but when it comes to bugs or no bugs i chose no bugs. still working on that "no bugs" thing apparently, but their numbers are slim to none currently. i hope to find them all dead within 3 weeks as i only applied several days ago.
some of the plants got thrown back over to soil..being roughly 50/50 peat to coarse sand and the plants seem to love that! I almost planted them all out in that but i still have the root aphids and i like to watch the roots big time. plus with all the new events in the garden Im actually getting so good sustained progress in the hydro garden....with root branching and stuff.... so its been about 1.5 weeks of slow white growth since i started scrubbing and bleaching and got the bubbler going. I think 2ml bleach per galon was a tad high and the insecticide wasn't helping so I cut back to .5m bleach/gal and just some minute amount of systemic insecticide and we are looking good...with the rare exception. If i can keep the existing white roots going we might be in business...maybe.
I would really like to try 2 inch net pots ....that might help but it might not...so I stay vigilant , comes natural to me...
but the plants over in soil are just happy as #$%^#$% @#$%.... if i have another serious root die off everybodies going over to soil and then getting blasted with some big time light. I think they will grow fast cus soon as some of these plants that have been balled up for weeks on end hit soil they open up...can't beat that.
starting with the transplants....no fuss happy plants!
Check out this plant....it used to be normal about 1.5 months ago...then it did this...
And here is the "promising" new root growth.... I don't hold out much hope for the hydro plants...they live on despite me trying to kill them at every turn...finding some interesting "snot" on a couple of the plants roots this am....more bleach... more hygrozyme (which is an enzyme formula that is supposed to break down dead plant matter...) ppms in the 200-300 range, roots at 74F . And i've been changing the resevior like crazy , at least once every 3 days and thats way too much work.
some root darkening but still branching...
this plant was happy a couple days ago but is looking like death warmed over....i lose plants on occasion....
here's what my pvc airstone looks like....hooked up to a 1744 galon/hr air pump.... so far its been better than the flood and drain though I'd like to combine the two...as i currently have to raise and lower the water level to get complete coverage (just really want to get bleach/nutrient solution up those dark, partly slimy holes every once in a while.
and the plants from above...mostly on the mend from the aphid infestation and resulting abuse.
1000 seeds on the way....this little hydro grow might be on its last legs....as soil appears a better option. though I do love the hydro...(I have a little thing for water...and plants...)
looking forward to everybody in soil, happy and getting blasted with 1000watt every chance i get!
Great photo update Warp. Boy, that is sure a lot of work.
I agree with Chris, with all the problems the hydro plants look pretty good.
But the soil planted ones look fabulous. Love the one setting all those offsets. I have had several this year do that, but they are out in my raised beds.
Little update...cus Im proud of my little friends. so the plants that are really bumping went into 33/33/33% gravel sand and peat or somesuch. and the rest are in the same but substitute 1/4" sieved pine bark instead of gravel. the plants are busting out tuns of roots and I don't think I could pull them up if I wanted....its only been 3 weeks? so everybodies pretty happy for the most part and some kids bustin lose like one of my helveticums...rapid growth and lots of offsets. boom. thats what I want to see. should still add lime but so far so good. here they are. and oh yeah some baby sempervivum from seed too! bout a month old...took 3 days or so to sprout, then slow growth... getting hardened off with the big boys for the last few days..so far so good
helveticum
gravel sand peat....2 months in box or so...starting to pump.
Warp, they are all beautiful. And just look at all those offsets coming on.
The baby seedlings are wonderful.
I am so excited about your update. Where did you get your seed from? Do you know who the parent plant/plants are?
Hi Again Everybody! yeah Im way stoked on all the offshoots! and there's tuns you can't see yet...give it another two weeks and it will be a jungle in there. growth has been virtually explosive in the older transplant tubs and the newer ones are going to catch up soon.
Im considering running them harder than the current 16-17 hour day...maybe I will go for the 24 now and see what happens? hmm. forcing a bud to open seldom works...but Im always so curious.
The seeds...came from "outside pride" and called "hybridum" not sure if thats a species or just a mix of random seeds. I hope its a random mix. I would be oh so interested in seed of specific varieties. if anyone has a seed source for specific varieties I'd love to hear about it. otherwise I'm about three years out it looks like.
-random question. if one of my plants were to bloom in my basement alone....does the plant need a mate or does it self pollinate? ....one of the older ones is streatching upward and twisting....either virus from the root aphids or blooming or freak.
Warp such great photos and news!!! The one that looks freakish is very likely blooms, they begin to "cone" and look very odd during that period, until you begin to see the flower bases!
Great luck to you!!
valleylynn said:Warp, you can hand pollinate it. Very easy.
so Lynn, or anyone else, in the photo below.. I would do what to self pollinate? use a paint brush to transfer the yellow stuff to the "other female stuff" ...all of which I haven't quite figured out yet. or do I cut the pollen heads and store in a film container till the time is right? can anyone give me the low down on this or a link cus I can't seem to find the pertinent stuff. I definitely have a flower head coming soon..thanks
on another note....I did some transplanting and Ph adjusting... the kids were in basicaly straight peat...and that can't be good. so I did some rinky dink ph tests and adjustments with hydrated lime...eeek. I think were cool. if they can handle straight up peat then whats a little ph swing towards 7+? we will see. feeling pretty good about it though no biggie even if I have to retransplant, no one cares.
Warp, I am so relieved to know all is well. I can't wait to see the newest photos.
