 |
|
Pythium - The curse of the Grow Room |
|
|
| Pythium - better known as root rot - is one of the worst things that can you can get in an indoor grow room. It can decimate your crop in weeks if you're not careful. Read how to keep your crop pythium free here. |
|
|
Pythium – The curse of the grow room
Fungal spores are transported in the air all the time and can settle, take hold and spread if the conditions are right. Pythium is a fungal pathogen (disease) caused by these spores settling and can lead to rot in the root zone and on the lower stem. On the top side of the plant you may get a slight yellowing of the leaves and some yield loss, so in hydroponic systems it’s good to check occasionally that the root zone looks white-ish and fairly healthy. In pots it’s not so easy.
Prevention
Prevention is the best line of defence. Basically eliminating the conditions that Pythium likes to settle and propagate in will go a long way to ensuring that you do not have a problem. The conditions you want to eliminate are still air, humid air, still water and bacteria.
- Keep grow rooms clean, dirt and bacteria free – possibly use RoomClean to ensure that your grow room is completely clean. Also consider sterilising your growing equipment and tanks between crops using Oxy-Plus
- Remove carpet, rags or other materials that can hold moisture and bacteria from the growing area.
- Keep air moving, avoid still airs pockets and have good air exchange. Keep humidity levels within a reasonable range.
- Thoroughly clean hydroponic systems at regular intervals.
- Cover nutrient reservoirs and keep the solution moving, air pumps will help achieve this where it isn’t happening already.
- Keep nutrient solutions and root zones as well oxygenated as possible.
- You can use Trichoderma to prevent future infection of young uninfected plantlets. Trichoderma infects the root zone with a beneficial mould which prevents the plant from contracting any other harmful pathogens.
- Enzymatic products like Sensi Zym, CannZym and Hygrozyme seriously help bolster good new root growth, and increase the roots efficiency to fight off disease.
- You can treat all your water or nutrient solution with a Vecton UV sterilisation unit. This will clean the solution of all bacteria and disease including pythium. 100% effective.
- You can consider using a rootzone sterilising agent such as Pythoff or Microbial although you should be aware that these cannot be used in conjunction with beneficial products as they totally sterilise your root zone of all living organisms including Pythium.
Identification
Check for slight yellowing of the leaves, lower stem rot or discolouring with brown spots or marks on the lower stem. In hydroponic systems where you can see the roots they may look a bit discoloured or completely brown and slushy. Either way if your roots easily come apart when you gently pull at them then you probably have pythium. A slight browning of otherwise healthy roots, especially towards the end of a plants life cycle can be completely normal. If in doubt, treat the plants anyway.
Treatment
If you think you have a pythium or root rot problem and you need a cure, then in hydroponic systems the best answer is a Vecton UV sterilisation unit to treat your nutrient solution. If you are on a budget or small scale with a small hobby tank then a combination of good root zone and solution temperature, aeration, movement, and a good product to fight the infection like Pythoff, Microbial or Guardian Angel are your best forms of defence.
In pots and hydro systems the use of a good enzymatic product like Sensi Zym or especially Hygrozyme will build bigger, stronger, healthier root mass and generally boost the plant helping to resist infection.
In summary, Pythium infection is one of the worst things that can happen to an indoor gardener and many a crop has been lost to mushy roots. There are ways to avoid and treat this disease though and you should never give up hope that some if not all of your harvest can be salvaged. If you think you may have a Pythium infection and are not sure what to do next, give our technical team a call on 0845 345 5176 and we’ll be only too happy to advise you.
|
|
|
|
Home | About Us | Contact Us | Hydroponics Shops | Learn About Hydroponics | QuickShop | Easy Order | Help & FAQ
What Is Hydroponics? | Get Hydroponics Catalogue | Testimonials | Jobs in Hydroponics | Free Hydroponics Newsletter
 
|
 |
GroWell Hydroponics Ltd, Solihull, Birmingham, UK
Blooms Garden Centre, Kenilworth Road
Hampton-In-Arden, Solihull, B92 0LW
GroWell Hydroponics Ltd, Fulham, London, UK
1 Royal Parade, 247 Dawes Road
Fulham, London, SW6 7RE
GroWell Hydroponics Ltd, Merry Hill, Dudley, UK
Unit 52 Enterprise Trading Estate,
Off Pedmore Road
Brierley Hill,
Dudley,
DY5 1TX |
|
Solihull shop opening hours:
Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 11am-4pm
Closed Bank Holidays |
|
Fulham shop opening hours:
Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 11am-4pm
Closed Bank Holidays |
|
Merry Hill shop opening hours:
Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Closed Sundays & Bank Holidays |
|
Mail Order opening hours:
Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:30pm
Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 11am-4pm |
|
© Copyright 2000-2008 GroWell Hydroponics & Plant Lighting Ltd
|
|
|
|
