Lava rock Hydro

[Bender]

I'm looking for somebody that grows in just lava rock. I run a drip system with lava rock and have a few questions.

[Zandor]

Your question is.

I use both grow rocks and Lava rocks. When you grow KBS you can only use Lave rock; grow rocks are not big enough to hold the large plants up.

[latewood]

I'm looking for somebody that grows in just lava rock. I run a drip system with lava rock and have a few questions.well, bender ask and you shall receive...so your an REO fan, eh.later

[Bender]

this is the system I use
http://www.kalyx.com/store/proddetail.cfm/ItemID/56435.0/CategoryID/12000.0/SubCatID/2810.0/file.htm

But I don't use the rockwool I use lava rock. I grow 3 plants in each tray but I am worried that the roots may need more room. all my plants are clones started in in another box (phototron) and put in the main box to bud as soon as they root. so the plants stay small, but will the limited root space cause problems? and if so what would the effects be?

how long do you run your drippers? mine start 10 mins after the light comes on and goes off 30 mins before the light. does that sound about right?

one more question.;)

how do you clean lava rock and how often do you replace it?
ooops I guess that was 2 questions.:o
Thanks for any help.

Zandor
Sorry but I'm not sure what KBS is. educate me...


latewood
no not really a fan even though I have seen them twice. I just liked that line.:D

[Zandor]

First I HATE Rockwool. I never use it because I hate that crap.

Ok....my hydro systems are 100% grow rocks or lava rocks they are 2 different things.

I run my drippers 24/7 no emitters full open. Grow rocks don't hold water for longer then a few hours. It's just a 1/4" drip line with a 526gph pump driving them all so I just let it run.

I clean my rocks in between each grow and I use a small cement mixer I got from Harbor freight tools for 130 bucks. You drill a shit load of holes like 3/8" all over the tub for drainage but it makes it easy to clean them that way.

I don't throw them away, sometime they get to small and fall through the holes in the mixer but that's about it. They don't ware out or anything if you keep them clean then they will last years.

You can make one with a 5 gallon bucket full of holes. Fill it about 1/2 way with grow rocks put the lid on. Lay it down and roll it around the yard for about 5 min or so wash it some more and do it again until they are clean. If you want to sterilize them and sometime I do. I have a turkey fryer and just fill it with water and boil them.

Did that answer your questions?

[latewood]

Everyone knows that Zandor hates Rockwool...by the way I am using lava rock in a grow this time around...thanks for the cleaning tips...I was just gonna clean them like I do my hydroton...soak them in a light bleach solution, but I like the cement mixer thing and I have one. Acouple of people use them under their grow medium, goodluck, bender.later

[Zandor]

Everyone knows that Zandor hates Rockwool...by the way
I was not sure if I said that before :D

[Bender]

Well I have to agree with Zandor about the rockwool. I still have a bunch of the stuff and just don't want to use it anymore.


Thanks for the cleaning tips. I don't have room for a mixer but I did spend some time today drilling holes in a bucket. I think that will work for the amount of rocks I use. I also took the drippers out and the timer off. i'm just going to let it run wide open 24/7 . I use smaller pumps(260GPH) for every 3 plants so I don't think it will be to much. thanks for the help.:)

[latewood]

I didn't have a problem with rockwool, but I only used 1x1", after I germ'd, and in conjunction with DWC...never in blocks or slabs. I can see where there would be alot more problems with it in those applications
now, through research and hanging around these forums...I don't use it except, as a starter after I germinate. It's just that it worked for me, so far...just my $.02 worth.
...later

[Bender]

well i was useing 8 inch slabs but was having a hard time gettig rid of the old slabs. I was just putting them out with my household trash till I seen the garbage man open one of the bags and pull out a slab :o . well after that I stopped putting anything like that in my trash. With lava rock I just put my used rocks in my flower beds around the house and nobody thinks any thing of it.

[latewood]

I knew you had to have the bigger slabs RW...almost everybody that posts about RW and problems are using ebb and flow or flood and drain, but you say you drip?
I washed my lava rocks out using a simple metal household collander, try it, and save your buckets,,,,oops too late...later.peace