Ok guys, so it’s been about a week since I decided to take a theory I had, and put it to test with an actual experiment.
My theory; You could successfully germinate and sprout a seed WITHOUT using soil/coco/pro mix/perlite/etc. or rapid rooter plugs/jiffy pellets/rockwool/etc.
My idea; Place seeds inside of my bubble cloner net pots.
If you search the forum you’ll see my DIY Bubble Cloner. Well, I took that bubble cloner and just simply placed seeds inside of my 2" net pots.
First, I carefully placed hydroton on the bottom of the net pot, to keep the seeds from falling through and into the reservoir.
Second, I carefully placed hydroton around the seeds, bein selective of the sizes of hydroton, because as I was thinking about it I decided the smaller balls of hydroton would be better. They would let more water through the net pots holes, as well as let the sprout grow up and out from under the small hydroton balls. I thought maybe the bigger balls would cause a problem with the sprout reaching out of the net pot.
Third, I made sure the water level in the Bubble Cloner reservoir was at the perfect level. I want it to be high enough for water bubbles to splash on my net pots and trickle through the hydroton, providing constant water for the seeds. If people can germinate a seed in standing water, why can’t you do it in bubbling water?
And finally, I sat the bubble cloner outside of my veg tent. The only reason I did this was because I was afraid the light may shine through the net pots and into the reservoir, causing algae. When placing the hydroton in the net pots, and because I used the smaller sized hydroton balls, you can see a few gaps between the hydroton and the net pots. Now, after thinking about it, I decided this isn’t a big deal because my seeds/sprouts shouldn’t be in there for long, meaning I can change the water out frequently, as well as just back fill the net pots with more hydroton once a seed sprouts up.
Here’s the first successful attempt guys. Boy am I proud of myself. I hope to really learn the best way to do this and get it dialed in for my seeds. I think it’s a breakthrough in seed sprouting technology. Or maybe I’m just lucky.
First picture of the sprout from 2 days ago.
And here’s a picture from today, you can see roots protruding from the net pot. I’m so happy! Proof that my theory was correct. Proof that you can take an idea and make it work.