Plan your growing project – plants started in grodan or Oasis medium can only be transplanted into those medium as they get larger. If you want to transplant into soil, the seedling should be started in soil.
Match seeds or seedlings of different varieties so they will grow at similar rates and to similar heights.
Use a pencil to position seeds in grow medium.
When setting up system, make sure the pump will not fill the nutrient tray quicker than it will drain back into the reservoir – use flow control on the pump or a ball valve on the pump outlet to regulate water flow as needed.
When adjusting fill and drain fittings, adjust so that nutrient solution rises half-way up the grow medium. Do not allow the nutrient solution to rise past the top of the grow medium – this will cause stem rot.
Pump should be plugged into a timer that cycles the pump on for 15 to 20 minutes, 4 times within a 24 hour period.
Follow nutrient instructions closely – check water pH prior to adding nutrient and adjust accordingly, measure nutrients accurately – the use of an eyedropper is recommended. Change or replace nutrients as recommended.
An air pump can be added to the nutrient reservoir. Oxygen in the nutrient solution helps the plant absorb nutrient more effectively.
T5 lamps can be placed as close as 2 to 4 inches from the tops of growing trays to start – lamps of a color temperature between 6400K to 6500K are used to start seeds or seedlings, since this is a blue-hued light, which emulates early summer light and stimulates seed germination and growth. As the seedlings mature, lamps can be changed to a color temperature of 2700K to 3000K, which is a more red-hued light, emulating late summer light. This color range light stimulates flowering or fruiting of the plant.
