Hi Guys,
I have a bit of an epic tale for you, it is my first attempt and is full of many bad judgments/decisions, so it may not be surprising that my baby is not looking happy. It there anything I can do to get back on track?
Please forgive the poor photo quality...
I received a White Rhino cutting in rockwool 2 months ago, it had 5 nodes and I immediately put it in a vegetable potting mix. While doing so we had a severe storm and I nearly lost her there and then. I did the google thing and quickly resolved to set her up indoors using DWC. Done on the cheap ($100AUD) and in one frantic hour before the stores closed, the setup is as follows:
-1x80L Rectangluar Storage container:
Opaque gray and wrapped in Aluminium Foil, I have cut a hole in the lid where a basket sits to suspend the medium over the reservoir.
-1x10L Round bucket:
Black, this sits inside the storage container as the reservoir until it is too small at which time the storage container itself becomes the reservoir. This was to save on resources.
-Basket/Medium:
The cutting was received in rockwool, which I washed as throughly as I dared after I changed my mind about the soil. This is surrounded by expanded clay balls in a plastic basket which was actually a pool filter basket but suited the purpose and was a fraction of the usual price.
-Water heater:
Standard tropical fishtank heater, keeps the water at at least 21C.
-Air pump:
Blue Planet TW400:-
Double outlet - Fed into one circular air stone
4.0 watts
4.5 lpm
0.014Mpa
-Nutrients
Rapid Platinum Grow A+B: http://www.simplyhydroponics.com.au/NutrientsAAndB.html
At this point I think I'm doing pretty well. Then I cant find the light hood that had been under my house for the last two years and I don't have the cash to buy a new one. So I figure I have a western facing window, till I can get a light she can stay there. My first big mistake since it turns out she only got about 4 hours of sun a day, meanwhile I was feeding her to a schedule for a plant growing under full light. Completely replacing the water and scrubbing the bits and pieces once a week.
So 2 months later, I have a tiny plant and woe is me I still can't afford a light. So I decide to put her outside for a few hours a day, it being summer here. Of course my mistakes are compounded by a heatwave that day and when I got home her water was at 35C! (95F). She had some scorching on the lower leaves from touching the container and some of the upper leaves had curled a bit, but otherwise she didn't seem too bad. There have never been any blemishes, not even a yellow edge prior to this day. I immediately dumped half the water and replaced it, but I fear the damage was done. She has since started looking a bit wilted and not as green as she used to. The growing tips have no blemishes but they are getting yellower by the day.
I have taken to moving her in and out as the weather dictates. Though the temperature has leveled out so as not to affect the water, I now have a constant high wind battering her while shes sunbaking.This is far from ideal, but the money thing is out of my hands for now.
My biggest fear is root rot. The likely culprits are not enough bubbles, or just not getting to the roots and heat stress, also the water level needs constant monitoring.
Is she just dying a slow death or is there something I can do so fix her while I save for a light? My other idea was to do a makeshift greenhouse, stake out a small area with starpickets and wrap it in garden gauze, with a transparent roof it should be protected from the elements but in a big danger of overheating again.
I hope I've made sense
Thanks for your attention.
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