Plants lose vigor; stop growing
I've got a cabinet aeroponic system whereby my plants hang in neopreme pucks while their roots are sprayed 1 minute on and 3 minutes off. Lighting is 400 watt switchable MH-HPS. The reservoir is outside the cabinet and the water (RO) stays under 70 F. It is oxygenated with an aquarium pump and nutrients are the General Hydroponics 3-part, following the Lucas formula for ratio but kept low in ppm. Temp in the cabinet is kept to the 80s.
This has been a rock solid system, producing so heavily that I had to reduce the number of plant sites from 6 to 2.
Suddenly that has all changed. I tear up thinking about how many seeds I've sprouted, let find their legs in rock wool under a compact fluorescent, and moved optimistically to the above-described chamber--only to have them just stop growing. Not die or cook or turn color (not at first, anyway) but just stop what had been a healthy growing arc. At best they limp along. I'm used to seeing them jump.
My nutrients are old, years old, to be honest. The temp in the cabinet is into the 80s while the that of the water being sprayed is probably something like 25 F cooler (Minnesota basement). Maybe too much of a temperature gradient? I leave the light on 24 until I get preflowers (which I'm not getting lately). One thing I did notice on examining a 2-week-old plant--the roots maybe didn't look maybe as fresh? as they had. There were a couple of new horns of roots starting a little further up the stem and they looked sort of stiffer and whiter. Not that the other, earlier roots looked brown or anything. It's like when you don't realize how dingy your briefs are getting until you buy new ones.
I'm kind of at a loss. Some sage advice would be very welcome.
Brewmaestro
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks