Rockwool pros and cons please

[avon211]

I tore my rockwool apart to see how the roots looked and feel my plants may be better in direct hydroton. I use a drip circulating irragation system 3 times 1 hour each feed per day. My rockwool looked very slimy and unhealthy but maybe i am wrong any help out there? I know if I use hydoton without the rockwool I will need to feed constantly right?

[dejayou30]

I use the 1" rockwool cubes and then surround that in a netpot with hydroton. So far it has never failed me in E&F and DWC. I also use rockwool to root my new clones in which makes transplanting them into the netpots with hydroton very easy. I have heard people say that rockwool isn't very good because it holds too much water but I have never had that problem. I have also only used the 1" cubes not the really big ones.

I would think if you put a newly rooted clone into a netpot full of hydroton, it would not have much of a base since the hydroton is rather large balls, there is a lot of room for movement. But that is pure speculation. :jointsmile:

[socialistpete]

Use rapid rooter grow plugs. but if you don't and you put them straight in to your hydroton you don't have to change your feeding schedule.

[avon211]

What are the rapid root plugs made of and what is the difference between them and rockwool?Does hydrofarm carry them?

[LOC NAR on probation]

Rapid root plugs can be got at most all gardens stores like slowes. Zandor said his way was to root in the rapid plug and then once roots start take a blade and just slice down one side, not hurting small roots. Then wash the rapid rooter off in a bucket of water. Right in to hydrotron from there.

[avon211]

why not just put in plastic netted pot surround the 1 " rockwool cube with hydroton?

[LOC NAR on probation]

I use the 1" rockwool cubes and then surround that in a netpot with hydroton. So far it has never failed me in E&F and DWC. I also use rockwool to root my new clones in which makes transplanting them into the netpots with hydroton very easy. I have heard people say that rockwool isn't very good because it holds too much water but I have never had that problem. I have also only used the 1" cubes not the really big ones.

I would think if you put a newly rooted clone into a netpot full of hydroton, it would not have much of a base since the hydroton is rather large balls, there is a lot of room for movement. But that is pure speculation. :jointsmile:

I do the same thing always with a constant drip. You can do just hydrotron but the little roots are so easy to screw up for me.

[bertoxxulous]

This is also something I was wondering about. I do clones/seeds same way...start seedlings in rockwool cubes, then but the rooted seedling still in the rockwool cube and surround it by hydrotron (clay balls same thing I guess). My current watering schedule has been 30 minutes at a time, 4 times a day. Is that too much? Too little? Bad watering interval? Any recommendations on how I should water? Also, please take into consideration that I'll be transplanting seedlings that are in rockwool that are almost at 3 true leaves growth and I'll be planting them this weekend and I was wondering if I should adjust watering schedule throught the life of the plant or leave it the same the whole time?

[tinytoon]

I run 2 seperate E&F systems and the plants start in 1" cubes then graduate to 4" cubes that get ste in the flood tray about 1/3 buried in Hydrotron. Tray floods 5 times a day for 15 min during flower and 6 times a day for 15 mins during veg. No problems noted so far and been running the 2 systems for about a year now. Only thing I see about RW is the salt buildup you can get from it but I do a good flush when I change from veg to flower then the last week in flower, when they are getting nothing but plain water, I flush mid-week also.

[bertoxxulous]

Thanks for the info Tiny...one thing I would ask is why you ove them to 4" cubes...and how do you move them to 4" cubes? Break apart the small one as soon as the cot. leaves start to come out?

[tinytoon]

I use 4" cubes because the tray I use is only about 4" deep and aprox 14" wide and 30" long, just basically a stability factor since I dont want them to fall over. the 4" cubes come with a 1" round hole that the 1" cube fits right into. when I see roots from 1" they go into 4". I might just stay with 1" only once I get my 12 pot system running but lots of work in basement b4 that happens lol