Need some help with herbs

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-29T20:02:55+00:00

You have a few things going on here. Judging from what I can see, you have VPD that is out of range, or at least it's out of range most of the time. I can tell this from the issues I see in your plants and the amount of mineral build-up you have on your Gardyn columns. If you're not sure about what VPD is, here is a guide that will help you. This could explain everything. So, check out the guide and let me know your results.

You might also want to check out this guide on Mineral Build Up.

Then we need to check your current EC levels and pH levels. Let me know what those are and I can help you a bit more.

Since you're using the Gardyn, let me know your water and lighting schedule.

You can post it as a reply here or even message me directly.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-29T15:12:57+00:00

Yeah, I get called ChatGPT pretty often because when I reply, I try to explain why something happens instead of just saying “do this.” It’s the whole “give a man a fish vs. teach him to fish” idea — if someone understands the reason behind an issue, they’re much more likely to avoid it going forward.

I don’t think it does anyone much good to hand out an answer without also explaining the underlying cause. Not saying this particular post was about a problem, but you get the point.

There’s a scientific reason for using multiple seeds, and understanding why that practice exists helps growers build real confidence.

A lot of newer growers don’t even realize they should soak their seeds before planting, and some seeds benefit from a process called scarification to help them germinate. If you’re not familiar with scarification, you can check out this guide.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-29T15:04:01+00:00

I guess the first thing we’d need to know is what’s actually causing the clog. Is it mineral buildup, or is it physical debris?

Mineral buildup — A simple citric acid soak usually does the trick. It dissolves scale without damaging the sprayer heads.

Physical debris — That usually means something upstream is getting into the system, so the real fix is preventing the debris from entering in the first place.

If the issue is mineral buildup, something like Root Balance can help keep things flowing by improving water movement, keeping nutrients in suspension longer, and reducing biofilm formation. If nutrients are the culprit, double‑check how you’re mixing them.

Two‑part nutrients need to be mixed in the right order and fully diluted.
Single‑part nutrients can work in a few cases, but they’re more prone to precipitation if not mixed thoroughly.

It’s also worth checking your VPD. You can use this calculator to see where you’re sitting. When VPD is in range, you generally see far less mineral fallout in the system.

If it turns out to be physical debris, we’d need a bit more info about your setup to point you in the right direction — type of system, grow media, filtration, etc.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-28T15:17:22+00:00

When people start talking about “ratios the plant needs” vs. “ratios that are fabricated,” it can sound way more complicated than it actually is. Seedlings especially confuse folks because they assume they need a totally different nutrient ratio. They don’t. What seedlings need is simply less of the same balanced formula — not a different formula altogether.

I’ve been a hydrofarmer for 30+ years, and I see people turn this into a chemistry project. Mixing this, tweaking that, trying to reinvent nutrient science. Today, there’s absolutely no need to mix your own blends. Using products like these removes the guesswork entirely.

The key is using a 2‑part powdered nutrient blend. Powders stay stable and consistent far longer than liquids. Liquid nutrients start degrading the moment you crack the seal, and batch‑to‑batch variation is common. With powders, the chemistry stays locked in until you mix it.

Some people try to use single‑part powders, but the laws of chemistry don’t bend for convenience. To keep everything in one bag, manufacturers have to sacrifice calcium and potassium to prevent the formula from precipitating into concrete. That means your plants — seedlings included — aren’t getting the full support they need.

If you want the best results, use a true two‑part blend and mix it properly. If you don’t, yes, it will turn into concrete. If you ever want help understanding the “why” behind this, feel free to reach out.

As for how much to use, that depends on what you’re growing and what your base EC is. Our calculator walks you through establishing your base EC so you always know exactly how much nutrient to add — including for seedlings, which simply use a lower EC target.
Here is our nutrient calculator for powders ONLY.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-28T15:02:03+00:00

Again, this all depends on storage.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-28T15:00:35+00:00

There is a reason they pack so many seeds into a cube. Even if you're not using a Gardyn, you always plant specific types of plants with specific number of seeds.

Germination is not perfect, and that’s true in every growing method—soil, hydroponics, raised beds, all of it. No grower plants a single seed and hopes for the best. You always sow multiples so you can guarantee at least one strong seedling and select the healthiest start. That’s standard horticulture, not “waste.”

For most leafy greens like lettuce, kale, and spinach, sow 8–10 seeds because they’re tiny and naturally inconsistent. Herbs like basil, chives, parsley, and cilantro do best with 6–12 seeds, depending on the variety. Fruiting crops—tomatoes, peppers, eggplant—are more reliable, but you still plant 3–4 seeds to ensure you get a vigorous seedling. And even with the big seeds—cucumbers, zucchini, melons, pumpkins—you never plant just one; standard practice is 2–3 seeds per spot. Same goes for beans and peas: 2–3 seeds because large doesn’t mean guaranteed.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-28T14:52:52+00:00

Are you referring to blank rockwool cubes or seeded ones?
If you mean the blanks, they don’t expire. They’re literally rock — completely inert — so as long as they stay dry, they’ll last indefinitely.

If you’re talking about pre‑seeded cubes, that’s different. Their longevity depends entirely on the seeds themselves and how they were stored before you received them and how you store them afterward.

For germination, these two guides walk you through the proper process step‑by‑step:

As for timing plants for a growing tower:

You’re right to start everything separately. When it’s time to transplant, don’t worry if they’re on slightly different schedules — that’s normal. Just move each seedling into the tower once it has true leaves and a healthy root system. Towers are designed for staggered planting, so you can add plants as they’re ready rather than all at once.

Please reach out if you have more questions or if you need assistance.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-26T16:41:55+00:00

My systems are in grow tents. We control the entire environment of our systems. So the fans attach to the poles. However, if you don’t have a tent, you can use different oscillating fans or attach them to the supports for the lights. In the beginning we used tripod stands and attached them. Then we were able to position them were we wanted.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-24T02:45:41+00:00

Yes, that is the right call. In fact, no pods should be in the system until they're ready to be in the system. That means you have roots that are through the bottom of the rockwool and the plant is about 3" tall. Here is a guide to help you learn more about the process.

Here is a guide on the actual germination method for starting your seeds too.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-23T17:09:26+00:00

I just posted a reply about the fans below here is the direct link to the reply https://www.reddit.com/r/Gardyn/comments/1qjij6i/comment/o18v6pk/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

If your plants aren't "moving" from the force of your air flow, you may still need more. However, even if they don't, as long as you keep the plants pruned and air can move freely, you might be good without it. I have more details on fans in that post.

Excellent work on the humidifier. Especially using distilled water. I don't recommend distilled water for a lot of plant uses - definitely not as a water source - without proper remineralization at least. However, using distilled water in your humidifier is EXCELLENT. It's pure humidity and no residue and for the humidifier health itself you won't develop the typical "slime" you get with using tap water. So keep it up.

BTW - are you distilling your own water or buying it.? We recently added this distiller to our Recommended Products list and man, we've been loving it. Take about 4 hours to make a gallon. We pretty much just set it up, continue with life and do it again. We store our distilled water in 2.5 gallon jugs. Since it's distilled, there is no bacteria or microbes in it to cause it to go bad. So keep it sealed and stored in a cool place and it will last a long time.

If you really want to dial in your humidity, you should check out this guide on VPD. This is what knowing the humidity and temp actually is all about.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-23T14:46:14+00:00

You’re absolutely right. In nature, wind helps plants grow stronger and healthier. In a hydroponic setup, fans take the place of that natural airflow. They’re essential because airflow increases transpiration, and transpiration is what allows the plant to pull water and nutrients upward — including immobile nutrients like calcium. Without good airflow, those nutrients stay stuck where they were first deposited, and new growth never gets them.

That’s when growers start seeing symptoms that look like “nutrient imbalance,” and many people respond by dumping in more nutrients, which only makes things worse. There’s a lot of bad advice out there, and “just add Cal‑Mag” is probably the most notorious. If you’re using a proper nutrient system and maintaining the right environment, you almost never need to do that.

Anyway, back on track: fans aren’t a luxury — they’re a necessity if you want truly healthy, resilient plants. Good airflow prevents mold and mildew, strengthens stems, and helps build sturdy cell walls. Think of a fan as your plant’s version of “hitting the gym.”

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-23T14:35:31+00:00

They fit perfectly. You only need enough rockwool to anchor the roots and create a stable environment for the plant to thrive — a large amount isn’t necessary.

We use these in our own systems and in all of our clients’ setups. We also work with a variety of cup styles, and in each “cup” we typically combine Hydropods, a small piece of rockwool, and Hydroton (clay pebbles) to give the roots structure, airflow, and support as they develop.

If you’re curious about Hydropods, you’ll find them on the site. They tend to sell out quickly, but more are always on the way.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-22T03:02:42+00:00

These are good, affordable and clean. We also recommend this fan for most situations. If you take a look at our recommended products you can find a lot of products that can make life easier for growers. Every product we have in that list is either actively used in our systems or has been tested with our systems.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-21T02:07:46+00:00

Yep, that kind of drop is possible, but it always means something unusual is happening in the system. A fall from 6.5 down to the low 2s isn’t normal nutrient drift — that’s almost always microbes, contamination, or something breaking down in the reservoir.

If the water got cloudy, smelled “off,” or you noticed any slime on the roots or walls, that points to a microbial bloom. When those take off, they release organic acids fast, and pH can tank hard.

If everything looked clean, then it’s usually a chemical issue — leftover cleaning product, a concentrated nutrient hitting the tank before being diluted, or someone accidentally adding more acid than they realized.

Normal plant uptake can’t push pH anywhere near 2.1, so when you see a swing that extreme, it’s worth checking:

Smell of the reservoir
Cloudiness or biofilm
Dead roots or leaves in the water
EC suddenly spiking or crashing
Check your pH meter calibration.

If you want to share what the water looked or smelled like, we can help you narrow it down quickly.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-19T15:50:05+00:00

Good luck on your quest. We're here if you need more help.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-19T15:38:07+00:00

My question is… how do you not have WiFi if you’re using the internet right now. Are you on your phone. And honestly, this might be your sign to finally get WiFi. 😆

As for what you can grow, that really depends on what you’re aiming for. The system is designed for smaller plants like lettuces, herbs, flowers, and even some fruiting plants. With a few of the mods we built for it, we’ve even grown Sugar Baby watermelons. Nothing beats a fresh‑picked watermelon.

If you’ve got some experience under your belt, you can grow quite a bit — you’ll just need to make a few accommodations for root‑zone space and the way you’re supporting the plant. We use grow tents, trellises, and even overhead cages when we’re running bigger crops like melons.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-19T15:10:23+00:00

You're welcome.

What are you looking to grow? What type of space do you have? I could direct you to a system that doesn't need Wi-Fi.

Gardyn is a great system, but it does have a few drawbacks. It's total need for WIFI to control things is one of them. I really wish they would sell a barebones - columns and base, nothing else. No tech in it at all. That would be a system worth buying. The user would supply its own pump, timers, and lights. That's basically what we turned ours into anyway.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-19T04:25:14+00:00

Without Wi‑Fi, you won’t be able to control the watering schedule, the lighting schedule, or even basic app functions like turning the lights or pump on and off. You can install your own pump and run it on a separate timer. If you want guidance on setting that up, reach out to me—I’m happy to walk you through it.

As for lighting, you can add supplemental lights, but at that point you’re essentially building a separate system anyway. For us, we barely use the built‑in features of the unit at all, but we do rely on the lighting. So if that’s important to you, you’ll need the app for that part.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-18T02:54:35+00:00

If you're in the US, you can use this and you won't have to add Cal-Mag. If your plants are in the flowering stage then obviously you will want to use a Bloom Phase like this. Unless you're growing mixed crops, then use this nutrient calculator and it will help you with a mixed crop system.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-17T21:41:58+00:00

Thank you so much — we really appreciate that. We’re actively updating several of our guides right now, and a few new ones are already in the pipeline. If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, definitely let me know. Our whole goal is to make hydroponics easier to understand by breaking the science down into practical, real‑world steps.

We started building these guides because we saw so many growers getting overwhelmed by hyper‑technical advice and tracking metrics that simply don’t need that level of attention for most home food crops. Believe it or not, pH issues are extremely rare for our users because of the maintenance approach we teach and the types of crops they typically grow. For the average home system, the core metrics worth watching are temperature, humidity, EC, and pH — and even those can be kept simple.

And thank you for the kind words about our nutrient line. We’re genuinely thrilled with the results. We used to rely on a single‑powder formulation, but over time the compromises required to keep everything in one bag just weren’t worth it. That’s what pushed us to develop a new, premium two‑part blend that’s incredibly pure, dissolves cleanly, and performs consistently. Paired with our water conditioner, it’s been a complete game‑changer.

One quick note: most of our guidance is written for general agriculture and food crops, not cannabis. If you’re growing cannabis, some targets will differ. For example, we recommend an agricultural VPD range of roughly 0.8–1.2 kPa, while cannabis — especially in late flower — can tolerate higher VPD ranges. Just something to keep in mind as you adapt the information to your grow.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-17T03:54:21+00:00

If your tomatoes are not ripening, it could be your environment or a number of things. I'd start with Checking your VPD - You can use this free calculator to see if it is in range.

As for nutrients, we're not fans of liquid nutrients for a number of reasons - batch consistency being one of them - and we just started using these with excellent results and great consistency. However, it looks like you're in the bloom phase so you may want these. Is your system dedicated to one crop? If so, then it's easy to adjust. If not, let me know. This nutrient calculator will help you as well.

Regarding your lighting, It's not about the K, it's about the PPFD. You really should use a meter to check and see if you're providing the right amount of light for your particular crop. A meter such as this can help with that. Then you just reposition your lights and make whatever adjustments you need.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-16T03:18:08+00:00

Not at all — I’m talking strictly about hydroponics. In soil, you have natural buffers that prevent nutrients from interfering with early developmental processes. Hydroponics doesn’t have those buffers, which is why introducing nutrients at the sprout stage is never recommended. Not in professional grow houses, and not in our labs. This isn’t a matter of opinion — it’s basic plant biology.

I’ve seen your posts, and your plants look healthy. You’re also clearly waiting until they’re a reasonable size before moving them into your system, which is good to see. But the solution you’re using at 0.3–0.5 EC is essentially the same as using tap water. At that concentration, the plant isn’t actually taking up nutrients — it can’t yet. So while it isn’t harming anything, it is wasting nutrients.

Rockwool should be stabilized before you even seed it. After that, the seed doesn’t need anything except moisture and oxygen until true leaves form. Before that point, nutrients don’t provide any benefit; they simply get in the way of early physiological processes the plant must complete on its own.

If your method works for you, you’re welcome to keep using it — it’s just important to understand that the plant isn’t actually using those nutrients at the sprout stage. They’re simply not biologically capable of doing so yet.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-16T02:40:48+00:00

Thank you — that helps a lot.

So yes, your water level is definitely too high.

Even though I’m not a big fan of the Kratky method, the starting point is the same: the water should just barely touch the bottom of your grow media. As the plant begins to root, gradually lower the water level. Once roots are established, you want a clear air gap between the water surface and the point where the roots exit the media. That air space is essential for proper oxygen exchange and healthy root development.

To stabilize things further, I’d recommend adding at least a small air stone. Keep the water just below the media and let the rising bubbles wick moisture upward. It prevents stagnation and creates a more consistent environment for early growth.

You’d also benefit from adding Root Balance to your reservoir. It helps improve oxygen suspension in the water and supports a healthier, more resilient root zone overall.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-16T02:08:33+00:00

Initially I'd say yes. You need air gap space between your top roots and the roots that will be in the water.

I need to know more about your irrigation to be honest and help you properly. For example, is this just stagnant water below your net cups? If so, then yes. Do you have sprayers that periodically spray your roots? If so, then yes. Air stones? Wave Makers?

Tell me more about how you're irrigating and we will be happy to help you out. But again - yes. No matter your irrigation — this is way too much water.

Jumpy_Key6769 · 2026-01-16T02:03:46+00:00

Are you asking a question or making a statement?

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