Coco Mat

[rimbaegeus]

I am growing in a 2' x 4' tray with an ebb and flow set up. I am growing in 4" cubes and 4" x 4" x 2.5" blocks of rockwool. I am thinking of a few solutions for the issue of when the roots become big enough that they may be exposed to light.

I am growing the plants shoulder to shoulder, and right now have about 30 plants with plans to increase to at least 60.

My absolute priority is adaptability. I want to be able to move the plants easily. This is why I like the rockwool blocks. I admit I am worried that roots from one plant will invade the rockwool of another plant because of their close proximity. I have left the wrappers on. Is this still a valid concern?

I am worried that when the roots become large enough, they will be in danger of exposure to light. I am toying with the idea of cutting up a coco mat into 4" squares and placing them under each rockwool block. Would this be effective? Would it help the system in anyway?

[bud luv]

i think coco mat or not, with 30-60 plants in 8 square feet the roots are going to be tangled. If you cut the mat into 4x4 squares, the roots will still eventually be bigger than that, and wrap around each other. If you try it, I wouldn't mind seeing how it works out for you, but I think in the end you will have the same limitations as if you didn't cut the mat. If you're looking for a perpetual harvest type flowering room, you could always experiment with it and try cutting roots away, but once you get that thing going it's going to be hard to get in there with all the density.

30 plants in 8 square fee is pushing it. I hope you have a strain that grows very short and even plants.

good luck.

[kdspecial]

If you ahve that many plants in that amount of space.. you will definitly not be able to move them around easily Like you described..

It will be interesting to see you try though.. try less plants More buds.....

[latewood]

way too many plants planned. yes coco mat will allow them to grow into mat, but then all the roots will be intertwined in the mat...,bigger problem. you said you were going to move plants...where? when? If you plant on growing to finish in that ebb and flow tray...you cna only grow 4...and that will be cramped in flower...