Grow Mediums Non Cannabis: Testing technique for rooting runners for hydro

[Ozone69]

Since the raspberries in my NFT rig don't look like they're going to do much, I'm thinking of re-purposing the net pots they're in for something else. Since my strawberry plants are throwing off runners, as strawberries are prone to do, thought I'd take a stab at rooting a runner and propagating it into another plant. Searched the net a bit and found this technique that I'm giving a try:

Get a small bowl or container of water and let it sit out overnight (if using tap- RO can likely skip)
Take a small pinch of the nutes you're using and mix it in the water
PH adjust the water as necessary
Soak a rock wool cube in the water for a few hours
Take the rock wool cube and place it in a small baggie with the top sticking out the neck of the bag
Pour a small amount of the nutrient solution in the bottom of the baggie
Position the baggie with the cube where you can reach it with the runner and use tape or something to hold in place
Clip the runner down to the rock wool in position to root (guy in the vid I found it from used cut off ends of paper clips)

Hopefully I'll start seeing some roots emerging from the cubes in a few(ish) days. Thought it a neat trick worth giving a try and sharing for any other hydro nerds out there.

 

[Corgy]

Sure, that will work. I have strawberries all over the garden as ground covers, all started with some 20 plants, and propagated from runners. I want to put some hanging pots in my tents with everbearing varieties, just to see when they give up and need a winter spell in the refrigerator. If you can get them, try Camara, Toscana and Rosana, they all have red flowers from spring to first frost, very decorative and the berries are ok, although not the biggest/tastiest.

http://www.abz-strawberry.nl/en

http://www.hollandstrawberryhouse.com/en/fleuro-star-1

 

[freedom4all]

This is freaking awesome I actually was thinking it would be awesome to do ever bearing berries outside via hydro and then just bring them in in the winter time and let them continue in the tent was thinking I might be able to get a summer and winter and one more summer like this what do yall think? Also for my hydro set up was looking at using maxi grow and bloom what are yall running on your berries

 

[Ozone69]

I'm running a powdered nutrient for strawberries that I found online. Was originally going to just go with the Advanced Nutrients three part line that I use for my indoor cannabis, but think this stuff will be cheaper long term and supposed to be specifically made for 'em.

Amazon product ASIN B00DCGM9PS

 

[freedom4all]

Yeah I was looking at that stuff has it been working good for you?

 

[Ozone69]

The berry plants all seem to be growing well with the nutes. First real time with berries, so couldn't say how well. On the down side, most all the berries I've sampled so far even though being ripe are small and on the sour tasting side. So many variables at play that it's hard to say if it's the nutes or something else. Res temps are higher than ideal, earwigs seem to have moved in, something munching heavy on the leaves, etc...etc....

 

[freedom4all]

Word imma need to check that out then when I get some money

 

[freedom4all]

Have you guys heard of the rain tower hydro thing I was looking at doing 2 full hight ones and 1 half hight one 2 6 footers and a 3 footer in a 27 gallon hdx tote from home Depot the squares on the lids line up about perfect for a 4 inch square post just trying to figure out what size pump I'd need to drive it was hoping for about 50 to 54 strawberries in there what do you guys think?

Also I was wondering how something like that might work for small autos just saying

 

[Ozone69]

When I started looking around for info on hydroponic berries, I found a lot of different towers. Seems to be the most common method for them, so I would think would work very well. There's even some nice videos around on using a saw and heat gun to cut and bend larger PVC to make your own. My system was built more with the idea of pepper and tomato plants originally, but when I started picturing that many peppers and/or tomatoes I just couldn't see myself using them all or wanting to preserve that many, so I started looking at different crops. Settled on berries as I figure even if I get an unexpected massive harvest, they are easier to turn into something like jelly and then can to keep for a really, really long time (and more likely to get used in my house than preserved veggies).

I'd love to see how a little autoflower plant would do in the system. If Colorado law allowed for outdoor I probably would have thrown one or two in to try. From what I've read, though, DWC seems to be the method with the best results for cannabis. I think it has to do with having larger, deeper root growth. I think (though I may be wrong) that a film setup like this works better for plants that do well with shallow roots since all the growth has to cram into the small tube.