For Day 39 of my grow diary I am going to concentrate on the hydro seedlings (and save the soil ones until next time). These are still growing from the original rockwool cubes and look quite well developed, meaning I now need to transplant each of the precious little plants into three inch transplanting cubes. Doing so will help to provide the seedlings with a more stable base when finally positioned in the bubbler.

You should aim to transplant your seedlings when roots can be seen coming out of the cubes – a surefire sign that the plants have grown sufficiently enough for the current environment. If the seedlings are not transplanted at this point, the roots may get damaged and cause unnecessary stress to the rest of the plants.

Products I intend to use include the three inch Grodan Transplanting Cubes, some Vita Link Plant Start, a drop of SuperThrive, a saucer in which to soak the cubes and our pH measuring and adjusting equipment.

The first step towards creating a nutrient solution is always to ensure that the water has been given time to stand and allow for the chlorine to dissipate. This can take place overnight, or at least just a few hours. Then add the nutrient – the Vita Link Plant Start here. I mixed 3ml of the “baby plant food” with just over ½ a litre of water and a drop of SuperThrive.

After adding the nutrients, you should check the pH and carry out any required adjustments. My initial reading was 7.4, so I had to drop it slightly to reach a target of 6.5. When altering the pH, mix the pH Down to some water for easier application. I added a few drops to a litre of water and then gradually increased this by a couple of drops at a time, constantly checking the pH level until I achieved the desired reading.

To pre soak the transplanting cubes I poured my nutrient solution into a saucer and then placed the cubes inside to soak it up. Once they had rested there for a few minutes, I gave the cubes a squeeze to remove most of the excess nutrient solution. Remember you only want them to be damp, not soaking.

The next stage is to place the seed cube into the transplanting cube, gently adjusting the former to ensure that there are no gaps through which the light can penetrate and damage the roots.