Seedlings are great but it would be better if you show the roots; so, we are sure the foam method works to grow the seedling AND the roots. NOt one of your examples depicted roots at the bottom... Also, tell what type of foam worked and did not work. Just saying foam is cheap and can be located at a fabric store does not really tell which type of foam worked and which type of foam did not.
I've been experimenting with growing lettuce using cotton ball as a grow medium for seedlings. I will try foam! My issue is figuring out lighting (outdoors only) and getting roots to grow below the medium in some sort of homemade tray. Any suggestions?
I've switched to using coco coir as a medium for starting plants. I use small pots with a paper towel in the bottom to hold the coir. Lettuce doesn't need a lot of sun. I grow a lot of greens on a North-facing wall with reflected light from the house next door.
@@golfshoe9321 Just fill the small pot with seed and plant normally. I use a 10 oz plastic cup because it is a good size for 3" net pots in deep water hydroponic system. Watch my videos.
@@tangobayus Btw, if plan to use foam again, use a serrated knife. After a 36 hr germination of lettuce, do you typically put under artificial light or can I get by with putting them next to a window or outside in the shade? I'm struggling with this transition.
Great video, your work is very interesting. I worked in a lab where we used these types of foam to grow mycellium in a bioreactor, its good to know it also works with roots.
Great work buddy. Do I need to worry about plastic leaching with the foam? What is the name of the foam? What are the pros of the oasis cube over the foam? Thanks!
I don't really worry about leaching from plastic. There may be some but it's a tiny amount and much safer compared to eating conventional veggies that are low in nutrition and high in poisons. The Micro DWC is still running and will be expanded for nursery use. Based on what I saw with that I've been changing all my outside systems to DWC. I've decided, though, that it doesn't need to be that deep. Water weighs about 62 lb per cubic foot, so less is more- a 4 foot by 8 foot tray could weight 1,000 pounds. I'm currently replacing the old circulating system with a 2 x 4 tray that will have 4" of solution. I had problems with rooting when I put the foam cubes into the circulating systems, so I'm back to using oasis. I have relearned some things and now have a germinating system consisting of a stainless pan on a heating pad at about 75f with a moisture dome under my Feit grow light. I have some Sub Arctic tomato cuttings sprouting and I'll use a block of foam to hold them in a net cup. I have some tomatoes in 5 gal buckets using DWC on a South wall and they are doing very well in San Francisco. I recently helped a friend set up a grow tower by filling it with coconut coir and got interested in using it for Dutch buckets. I have a half dozen varieties of cold tolerant tomatoes sprouting for that experiment. You can get cold tolerant seeds from Reimers Seeds.
A week hydroponic solution. General Hydroponics Flora series. Also liquid seaweed. The 10x20 system was a maintenance problem. I'd suggest scaling up to 18x24 or 24x36 mixing tubs. I have videos about these.
This is a very old video. I don't do this now. Watch the recent video about "Floating Kratky with 6 plants." The floating garden concept is my main thing and is continuing to evolve.
Great video mate, some great tips and options there!
Currently I'm using coco coir in 2" netpots. Pelleted seed for lettuce.
Seedlings are great but it would be better if you show the roots; so, we are sure the foam method works to grow the seedling AND the roots. NOt one of your examples depicted roots at the bottom... Also, tell what type of foam worked and did not work. Just saying foam is cheap and can be located at a fabric store does not really tell which type of foam worked and which type of foam did not.
I've been experimenting with growing lettuce using cotton ball as a grow medium for seedlings. I will try foam! My issue is figuring out lighting (outdoors only) and getting roots to grow below the medium in some sort of homemade tray. Any suggestions?
I've switched to using coco coir as a medium for starting plants. I use small pots with a paper towel in the bottom to hold the coir. Lettuce doesn't need a lot of sun. I grow a lot of greens on a North-facing wall with reflected light from the house next door.
@@tangobayus Do you have a picture of that setup? Why the switch to coco vs foam?
@@golfshoe9321 Just fill the small pot with seed and plant normally. I use a 10 oz plastic cup because it is a good size for 3" net pots in deep water hydroponic system. Watch my videos.
@@tangobayus Btw, if plan to use foam again, use a serrated knife. After a 36 hr germination of lettuce, do you typically put under artificial light or can I get by with putting them next to a window or outside in the shade? I'm struggling with this transition.
@@golfshoe9321 After the germinate I put them under lights. A north window would work as a first choice, then outside in shade.
Great video, your work is very interesting.
I worked in a lab where we used these types of foam to grow mycellium in a bioreactor, its good to know it also works with roots.
I have some foam clone collars I bought for seedlings. Will that kind of foam work for starting seeds? It feels about as squishy as yours.
I was using regular off-the-shelf open cell foam. Now I'm using rockwool blocks. Grodan 1-1/2 by 1-1/2. They fit nicely into 2" net cups.
❤
Cotton balls are great for seed starting
Do you have a video with how to set-up your system?
I've shifted to using 1.5 by 1.5" Grodan cubes. These fit nicely into 2" net pots. I have floats with 1-3/4" holes. Search my channel for hydroponics.
@@tangobayus ok thanks
Very cool
Great work buddy.
Do I need to worry about plastic leaching with the foam?
What is the name of the foam?
What are the pros of the oasis cube over the foam?
Thanks!
I don't really worry about leaching from plastic. There may be some but it's a tiny amount and much safer compared to eating conventional veggies that are low in nutrition and high in poisons.
The Micro DWC is still running and will be expanded for nursery use. Based on what I saw with that I've been changing all my outside systems to DWC.
I've decided, though, that it doesn't need to be that deep. Water weighs about 62 lb per cubic foot, so less is more- a 4 foot by 8 foot tray could weight 1,000 pounds.
I'm currently replacing the old circulating system with a 2 x 4 tray that will have 4" of solution.
I had problems with rooting when I put the foam cubes into the circulating systems, so I'm back to using oasis. I have relearned some things and now have a germinating system consisting of a stainless pan on a heating pad at about 75f with a moisture dome under my Feit grow light.
I have some Sub Arctic tomato cuttings sprouting and I'll use a block of foam to hold them in a net cup. I have some tomatoes in 5 gal buckets using DWC on a South wall and they are doing very well in San Francisco.
I recently helped a friend set up a grow tower by filling it with coconut coir and got interested in using it for Dutch buckets. I have a half dozen varieties of cold tolerant tomatoes sprouting for that experiment. You can get cold tolerant seeds from Reimers Seeds.
What water solution did you use?
A week hydroponic solution. General Hydroponics Flora series. Also liquid seaweed. The 10x20 system was a maintenance problem. I'd suggest scaling up to 18x24 or 24x36 mixing tubs. I have videos about these.
why do you keep moving it around...
This is a very old video. I don't do this now. Watch the recent video about "Floating Kratky with 6 plants." The floating garden concept is my main thing and is continuing to evolve.