If unsprouted yCubes or yCubes that are not ready for plant food are on your Gardyn and they've already received a watering with plant food in your system, don't panic! If you act fast, you can remove these yCubes to let them continue growing until they're ready for plant food without many - or any - negative consequences.
If any of your unsprouted yCubes are over 28 days old, it's best to discard them and start fresh with replacements! Just like in nature, not all seeds eventually sprout.
When is a yCube ready for plant food?
Each yCube is ready for plant food when one or more of the following is true:
1. It has fully visible true leaves, which are the second set of leaves to grow that resemble the mature plant's leaf shape:
Kale with cotyledons only (left) and true leaves (right)
2. It has roots growing out the bottom of the yCube at least 1 inch long:
3. The cotyledons are discoloring, often into a pale yellow or white:
Yellowing cotyledons
How do I save my yCubes that weren't ready for plant food, but already came into contact with it?
Follow these steps to move your yCubes from your Gardyn to a Nursery to let them recover and continue growing safe from plant food until they're ready.
1. Remove the yCubes and rinse them with water to remove any traces of plant food. If the yCubes are unsprouted, it's best to rinse them from the side to avoid the water pressure pushing the seeds too deep into the rockwool, making it harder for them to sprout.
2. Place your rinsed yCubes in a Gardyn Sprout Nursery without adding any more water to the Nursery, add the Nursery's lid, then place on your Gardyn's base.
3. Check on your yCubes' every few days to assess their hydration level. Aim for a mottled look on the rockwool with both light and dark green, as shown in the middle Nursery in the image below. This means they're still well-hydrated! Only add water to your Nursery when yCubes appear all or almost-all light green, indicating they are undersaturated.
From left to right, yCubes that are oversaturated, correctly saturated, and undersaturated.
4. When a yCube meets any one of the above three signs that it's ready for plant food, add it to a clean yPod and place it on your Gardyn so it can start receiving plant food again.
Basil with true leaves on a Gardyn