Pythium, Root Rot, and Damping Off Hydroponics & Soiless

Fighting off Pythium, Root-Rot, and/or "Damping Off" in Hydroponic or Soiless Mediums 


Applies to all tropical & sub-tropical flowering (bulb) plants (e.g. tomatoes, cucumbers etc.)


**Not recommended for root based (onions/garlic etc.) plants or organic mediums

Rotted Seedling Before Sprouting

Left: Healthy Seedling - Right: Seedlings infected by Pythium 

Damping Off or Root Rot can happen anytime during the plant's life cycle, and yes even during germination. It is the number one cause for dead plants, and is as common of a disease to plants as distemper and parvo are to K-9s. It will manifest under any wet conditions, and will especially thrive during dark times when you turn the lights off. Furthermore, it only takes a single spore to infect your whole garden, so to add insult to injury, it can completely devastate your whole garden within less than 24 hours if left untreated. Mother Nature deals with this fungus naturally by providing H202 naturally during the spring rains, and by drying the topsoil with heavy winds. Plant genetics also play a big role in determining how much mold/fungus a plant can tolerate before succumbing to the disease. 

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Common culprits of "Damping Off":
1. Overwatering
2. Too much humidity
3. No airflow and ventilation
4. Cross-contamination and/or unclean growrooms
5. High reservoir temperatures

First off, you need to make sure your environment is not the problem:
Q1: Is there a high level of humidity 70%+ in your grow room?
Q2: Is there a fan(s) or proper air circulation in your grow room?
Q3: Are your reservoir temperatures 75 degrees F or higher?
Q4: Is your grow room littered with trash/dust/soil/medium?
Q5: Are you using any medium/pots/trays from a previously infected plant?

A1: Humidity should not be higher than 70% for seedlings. Use a de-humidifier if needed.
A2: Air circulation over the top of your medium will dry the top layer faster; preventing the disease.
A3: To simply reduce your reservoir temps freeze a few plastic water bottles and place into reservoir.
A4: Keeping your grow room clean will prevent disease and pests from manifesting.
A5: Cross contamination will happen so throw away old medium, and dissenfect trays/pots with bleach/water.

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Germination
*Add 1 teaspoon of h202(3%) to 16.9oz of untreated tap water to germinate.
*Spray inside of humidity dome/bag with 10/90 bleach/water.
*Continue using water & h202 mix to re-hydrate towel/medium.
*If germinating in Rockwool do not allow medium to sit directly in water.
*Humidity should not be higher than 85% for optimal settings.

Seedling 
*Add 3 teaspoons of h202(3%) to 16.9oz of untreated tap water to hydrate
*Apply fungicide once a week but dilute normal dossage with h202/tap water mix
*Apply a few drops of cloning gel at the base of the stem once a week. If using powder dillute in water.
*Humidity should not be higher than 70% and should be kept at 65% for optimal settings.
*If sprouted in Rockwool make sure you allow medium to fully dry out between waterings.

Vegetative
*Add 5 tablespoons of h202(3%) to 1 gallon of untreated tap water to hydrate.
*Apply a few drops of cloning gel at the base of the stem twice a week. If using powder dillute in water.
*Flush your reservoir and pipes with 50/50 bleach/water at least once every 10 days.
*Allow reservoir to completely dry and stay dry for 4-8 hours before filling back up.
*Avoid using shared reservoir hydroponic systems to prevent the disease from spreading.
*If using DWC hydroponics then provide as much air bubbles as possible. Use quality high power air pumps.
*Do not allow Rockwool to sit directly onto water level. Use Hydroton/Clay to seperate water from Rockwool.
*If using Flood&Drain allow medium to completely dry out for 6-8 hours before re-hydrating.
*Place Hydroton/Clay medium into a strainer, spray with bleach, and rinse thoroughly before using.
*Allow Rockwool to sit overnight in water before using to fully rinse out unwanted material.
*If using soiless mix water heavily and allow pot to completely drain/dry out for at least 48/72 hours.
*If using soiless mix use Hydroton to cover the top layer of soil to 1.5-2". This keeps the top layer dry.
*If using soiless mix use plenty of Perlite and/or Hydroton to allow easy water drainage and aeration.
*Humidity should not be higher than 70% and should be kept at 60% for optimal settings.
*Temperature should be kept between 70-85F(21-29C) to maintain a healthy plant. Healthy plants fight off disease.

Flowering
*Add 4 tablespoons of h202(8%) to 1 gallon of untreated tap water to hydrate.
*Add a few drops of fungicide to the same 1 gallon of tap water.
*Add a few drops of cloning gel or powder to the same 1 gallon of tap water.
*Continue to flush your reservoir and pipes with 50/50 bleach/water at least once every 10 days.
*Continue to allow reservoir to completely dry and stay dry for 4-8 hours before filling back up.
*If a plant becomes infected instantly quarantine and treat it in a seperate room. Return once fully recovered.
*Increase ventilation during the flowering stage and keep the room clean and sterile.
*Humidity should be kept below 60% at all times. For optimal settings keep humidity between 40%-50%.
*Temperature should be kept between 70-85F(21-29C), and no lower than 62F(16C) during the night cycle.


Supplies
You should always keep these supplies handy to prevent and treat any type of root rot.
*H202(3%) and H202(8%) - Regular over the counter Hydrogen Peroxide
*Root hormone/cloning gel or powder
*Fungicide
*Bleach
*Sterile tools
*Standard 16.9oz water bottles
*Standard 1 gallon water jugs
*Recommended for Soiless Mediums: Moisture Sensor for accurate watering periods.
*Thermometer & Relative Humidity sensor which can record highs/lows over 24-48 hour periods is needed at all times for quick and accurate diagnostic.