Problems with root rot?
Have you tried cloning your plants on a hovercloner and not had much luck? Is the stem slimy and the roots rotting? Most of the time, the reason is because you have made a common mistake. If this is your first time using an aeroponic cloner, be sure to follow these guidelines.
The first thing to do is make sure your cloner is completely clean, right down to the spinning wheel on the pump. If you have to reuse the neoprene collars, have them cleaned very, very thoroughly. Try using food grade cleaners, but you can use bleach if you don’t have anything else. If bleach is used, make sure all residue has been rinsed off. If you think you’ve rinsed it out enough, do it one more time. There may be a few reasons why the root is rotting.
Water temperature – Many gardeners don’t realize how hot the water is. Just because it’s sitting on the basement floor in the summer doesn’t mean it’s cool. Make sure the water temperature is not too high. If you put your finger in the water and it feels warm, it is probably too hot. Have you ever swam in 70 degree water? 70 degrees feels cool on the skin. With daylight saving time, the water temperatures can be quite high. Keep it around 70-75 and it should be fine. Bacterial growth takes off with a longer time. For winter, make sure you don’t have the hovercloner on your basement floor. Many times nothing happens and gardeners wonder what happens. The cold water has stunted the cutting and the roots stop growing. You wouldn’t want to take a cold shower in the winter, so why would your plant do it?
pH: Your pH level should be between 5.5 and 5.8 for aeroponics. This is not soil or water, a pH of 6 is getting too high. If you don’t have a digital pH meter, you may want to get one. Hanna makes a really good waterproof digital pH / EC / TDS tester that costs around $ 150. Make sure to run a pH test after adding something to the water.
Preparing your cloner: Some people use a cloning solution or clearn in water, but it is not necessarily necessary. However, you can add 3% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to the water to help prevent badness. Add about 1 tablespoon (your measured type, not the one you eat by) of H2O2 per gallon of water.
Just follow these tips and you are good to go!
