What do I do with these Rapid Rooters?

[Cannalicious]

Yesterday, I took clones. My spray bottle was treated with bleach, as well as utility knife, scissors and cutting board before I started. My clonex had been used before, so it is what it is. I ended up with two trays of clones. The first tray had already been used, and I rehydrated my old rapid rooters before I used them. The second tray was a brand new tray just opened. It looked fine.

Today, the old tray looked fine, but all the rapid rooters of the second one looked like this:



(I didn't use all of the plugs, but most of them have clones in them.)

The clones look ok. What do I do now? Bleach, hydrogen peroxide, get a new tray and transport them to new plugs (doesn't seem like a good idea, but my brother suggested that one); any suggestions or other ideas?

Please help, I really hacked up the moms and probably won't be able to clone for a little while if these go bye-bye,but I'd hate to start plants with a contagious problem since I have other plants in the grow room.

Thanks,

-L

 

[Dr.Dank]

I don't know if your trying to say you are re using them? or what but start over get new rapid rooters if thats your question... those things are meant to be used ones...
I love mine just put in the cutting with clonex and splay them ones or twice a day
roots in 7 days.

 

[touchofgrey]

The Rapid Rooter plugs need to be kept moist. I use Rapid Rooters and always have 100% success but I use a dome top tray to cover them and a seedling heating mat. Think warm and moist.
this is a batch just pulled out of the clone tray on the right

 

[IWanaGetHiSoHi]

Is your issue with the salty looking crystals on the top of the plug?

 

[BigTop]

That's a common white mold that grows on Rapid Rooter & Root Riot plugs.

You can't get around the fact that the spores are everywhere & those plugs stay moist from manufacture, to packaging, to shipping, to the shelves, to your room. The wrappers even have prefab holes cut in them. From manufacturing, I've had spores of mushrooms sprout along with a leafy plant + a grass blade. Gone through a lot of pads, so have the history...

Basically, I would spray the exterior surface of the RR plugs with .5% h2o2, which will burn off the early growth.

Then I'd invest in the smallest bottle of Roots Excellerator & add at 1ml/gal for the first soak, then add .25ml/gal for each & every watering thereafter... through the rooting process at least. This will inoculate the RR plugs & the bad shit won't/can't grow.

Peace.

 

[IWanaGetHiSoHi]

Well well well ... if you blow the pic Up the white specks do look like spore and not crystals. I use the 98 site RR mats and have not encountered this phenomenon yet.

 

[Cannalicious]

I don't know if your trying to say you are re using them? or what but start over get new rapid rooters if thats your question... those things are meant to be used ones...
I love mine just put in the cutting with clonex and splay them ones or twice a day
roots in 7 days.

I did not reuse any plugs, I just had some that I hadn't used before, but they had tried out. Those are fine...The ones that aren't are from a brand new 50 plug tray.

 

[Cannalicious]

Is your issue with the salty looking crystals on the top of the plug?

...Maybe, these are the best pictures I can get with my scope, the light keeps reflecting off of the white dots too much to see that much (more likely with crystals than spores?).

~ 150X magnification:

 

[Cannalicious]

That's a common white mold that grows on Rapid Rooter & Root Riot plugs.

You can't get around the fact that the spores are everywhere & those plugs stay moist from manufacture, to packaging, to shipping, to the shelves, to your room. The wrappers even have prefab holes cut in them. From manufacturing, I've had spores of mushrooms sprout along with a leafy plant + a grass blade. Gone through a lot of pads, so have the history...

Basically, I would spray the exterior surface of the RR plugs with .5% h2o2, which will burn off the early growth.

Then I'd invest in the smallest bottle of Roots Excellerator & add at 1ml/gal for the first soak, then add .25ml/gal for each & every watering thereafter... through the rooting process at least. This will inoculate the RR plugs & the bad shit won't/can't grow.

Peace.

Awesome, will do today!...

I appreciate all the rapid responses; I newly found this forum, but briefly a part of other forums. This is the first one that makes me feel like part of a community. Thanks again.

-L

 

[Cannalicious]

I use the 98 site RR mats and have not encountered this phenomenon yet.

I have tried to look this up...what are "98 site RR mats?"

 

[OrganicMonkey]

I think you sterilized the hell out of the situation a little to much. Remember that they are not sterile so that there is competition. I have seen this white mold, just a tiny bit on the bottom of some pots (a very tiny amount). I see no harm in this, but it seems that somewhere in peoples production facilities they need a cleaning. I haven't seen this growing on any plugs, I also don't sterilize mine. Neem oil is said to be a mild anti-fungal, maybe that will help you feel better.

As long as it's not infecting the roots or the cuttings, I wouldn't worry unless it's a growing quickly. What you are feeding the clones might also be growing mold, it's good to stay away from sweet substances when starting.