Roots taking over

[Mushaman]

In between the last nute changeover and today, the roots have just about locked the lids on my tubs - they've grown down from the nets above and wrapped themsleves totally around all the tubing which is attached to the bottom of the tub - this has effectively locked the lid on the tub - I can just get my arm under the lid and to the bottom of the tub - but there's no moving the roots at all .. they're completely enmeshed with one another - any suggestions ? ya can't prune roots can you?

 

I have another 5-6 weeks to go and either I solve the prob or I may have to stop as soon as the sprayers inside are jammed past unjamming. I can flush the tub without taking the lid off, so as long as I keep the sprayers working it should be Ok ... its getting to the sprayers thats looking like becomming a problem :scratchin

[v dub]

usually with this system i would pump water to the top of the basket and let it drain to the tub, then the tub below. Maybe do this by altering your retic.

 

You can prune root, but NOT when u want to flower. I see 2 options (may be others of course) i)try to not open lid as little as possible ii) alter retic.

Edited September 22, 2005 by v dub

[Mushaman]

Heya Vdub

yeh, the tub pictured is the top tub - a cover sits on top of it with 5 nets ...the nute tank sits directly below and the pump sits in that and pumps nutes to the sprayers ... that drips down the root ball and drains back into the lower rez tub ... I've been changing the lower rez tub over once a week - up till now I have taken the whole top off the top tub (the lid with plants and roots sits in a spare empty tub) and I've been cleaning the sprayers and scrubbbing out the inside of the top tub ... then putting it all back together with fresh nutes ...

 

looks like the lids not coming off again until the grows over ... I think I will be able to keep gettin to the spayers without lifting the lid by taking out one of the empty netpots and reaching inside ... but it'll be kinda 'by feel' ... when you said NOT if flowering ... does that mean if you were gonna keep vegging them you could prune the roots back? If so, i assume there'd be a period where they would be recovering from the shock ... do you know how long that'd be?

[Chato]

yeah mush aero has probs with roots blocking drains and sprayers and that's why most peeps veg short time. An access point is important for maintenance and about the best thing you can have or do now and you've got one. Make sure pumps got a good filter, inline are best, I also put a stocking over the outercasing of my pump as an extra . Cannazym or a similiar product that breaksdown dead root matter and keeps roots healthy would also help. imo prune for mums and reveg only.

C

[animal]

You've got those tubs way overcrowded thats why the roots are getting solid early. Next time try one or two plants per tub trained out. The growth rate of aero makes the extra veg time negligible.

 

Ideally you don't want to be disturbing the rootzone whatever the situation. You are probably causing root damage every time you pull your plants out and put them back in.

 

It should still be OK. Roots in bubblers/aero setups mostly get solid towards the end of flower anyway. Chop up the root ball when you harvest and take note if there is much root rot. If there isn't much maybe its OK and you can grow that crowded again if you want to.

[Mushaman]

Heya Chato and Animal

thanks for the feedback guys ... I have taken out all the smaller plants from the tubs now and just kept one unknown seed still growing - looks like I'll be able to get my hand in thru one of these holes :scratchin definately too busy in the tubs for 5 plants .. one or two max next time - haven tbeen able to pull them out of the lid or even turn the pots for a while now ... so If I stop lifting the lid and squeezing my hand in that way I should keep the roots intact .... their growth is about the freakiest thing I've seen ... really alien stuff ... couldn't help wondering if theres not something productive those roots could be used for (when the plants done with them

thanks again guys.

MM