There are several steps to getting started. This article will discuss just one of those steps. Starter cubes are an easy way to germinate seeds. Beginner hydroponic and soil gardeners often use the cubes as well. They are typically made of an inert substance, which is a material that doesn’t provide any nutritional value to the plant and merely gives the plant a place for its roots to grow.
There are 4 common kinds of starter cubes: Rockwool, Oasis cubes, Organo-Cubes and peat-pots. These days it seems most people prefer all but the peat-pots as they have a habit of retaining too much water and killing the seedlings.
The preparation of the cubes will vary depending on which cube you have selected. Note that Organo-Cubes come ready for use. The Oasis and Peat pot cubes should be pre-soaked with water that is pH adjusted to 6 – 6.5. The cubes need only to be saturated and then allowed to drain.
Since Rockwool has a high pH, it must be treated different. They are presoaked with water of a low enough pH that after the soak the cube is balanced. This is typically done with water with a pH of something around 5.0. The cubes should be soaked for a day and then will be ready for use.
Once the starter cubes are ready, you can begin to plant the seeds for your hydroponic vegetable garden. Using the tip of a something pointy like a pen or pencil make a small, ¼ inch deep hole in the top of the cube. Place the seed(s) into the hole and gently cover the seed(s) with some of the cube material from around the hole.
The seed cubes should be kept moist but not wet and they should never be allowed to sit in water. Light will not be required until the seeds being to sprout. Nutrients aren’t required either until the plants have formed their first leaves. Once this happens you can begin to give them a diluted nutrient solution.
Check back next time for the next installment to learn about nutrients for your hydroponic vegetable garden.
There are 4 common kinds of starter cubes: Rockwool, Oasis cubes, Organo-Cubes and peat-pots. These days it seems most people prefer all but the peat-pots as they have a habit of retaining too much water and killing the seedlings.
The preparation of the cubes will vary depending on which cube you have selected. Note that Organo-Cubes come ready for use. The Oasis and Peat pot cubes should be pre-soaked with water that is pH adjusted to 6 – 6.5. The cubes need only to be saturated and then allowed to drain.
Since Rockwool has a high pH, it must be treated different. They are presoaked with water of a low enough pH that after the soak the cube is balanced. This is typically done with water with a pH of something around 5.0. The cubes should be soaked for a day and then will be ready for use.
Once the starter cubes are ready, you can begin to plant the seeds for your hydroponic vegetable garden. Using the tip of a something pointy like a pen or pencil make a small, ¼ inch deep hole in the top of the cube. Place the seed(s) into the hole and gently cover the seed(s) with some of the cube material from around the hole.
The seed cubes should be kept moist but not wet and they should never be allowed to sit in water. Light will not be required until the seeds being to sprout. Nutrients aren’t required either until the plants have formed their first leaves. Once this happens you can begin to give them a diluted nutrient solution.
Check back next time for the next installment to learn about nutrients for your hydroponic vegetable garden.
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