WWgrower Well-Known Member. Pretty hard to overwater rockwool. I too have a drip system very basic DIY. I water 3 times a day 8hrs apart. My first feeding is for a hour and the other 2,30 minutes. I am getting ready to add a 4th. Maybe he just got through watching kungfu I have two line to each cube plant allready. I tring to make sure to spread the water evenly to try and keep the pH the same throughout the cubes and slabs. I have some widow growing next to it and it doesnt show those traits.
Im going to get a pic up of it could you look at it and see what you think? SeattlePot Well-Known Member. Everything I have read indicates that it is nearly impossible to over-water rockwool. In that case, some ventilation will help keep things fresh and regulate temperature by drawing out excess humidity and warmth from plants. If the roots are turning brown or black at any time after installation, that means you should replace your Rockwool cubes with new ones.
Rockwool can last a few months before needing replacement — keep an eye on how dry it gets. To use Rockwool for planting, first, add a small amount of Rockwool to the bottom of your planting pots.
This will provide some cushioning for seedlings when they start sprouting, and it also helps keep new plants from drying out too much due to excessive heat or wind exposure. Blocks can be used for propagation, hydroponics, containers, and top-dress applications.
Cubes have multiple uses, including rock wall landscaping screens and drain that need protection from water pressure. Rockwool helps to maintain healthy, organized roots and a stable living environment for your plants. It can be used with hydroponics or any other type of planting arrangement that you have in mind! Rockwool prevents new plants from wilting when placed in an enclosed environment like a greenhouse by protecting them against excessive heat and humidity levels. There would typically be a considerable chance of mold growth in these conditions, but not with Rockwool.
Rockwool is completely mold resistant because of its inorganic compound. Rockwool offers no food source for mold spores to begin growing, where there is no issue of mold occurring. It is perfect for indoor gardeners looking for increased root growth while still being able to use hydroponics without worrying about molding your plants through ventilating their space.
The benefits are pretty obvious: Rockwool provides much better water retention than any other type of substrate.
In fact, it can retain up to much more water than other substrate choices. Rockwool has a high insulation value, which makes it better suited for planting in cold climates. Rockwool insulation is created by mixing basalt rock, which is prevalent on earth, and recycled slag from the steel and copper industry.
The molten mineral fibers are spun into sheets of insulation. The result? A material with exceptional water retention properties as well as an ability to insulate plants against extreme conditions.
Rock wool is excellent for propagating plants because it keeps them warm and moist. At the same time, their roots grow through a mixture of starter media like perlite or vermiculite, but without touching the Rockwool itself which can increase the risk of root rot. Propagation is the process of creating new plants by growing them from seeds, cuttings, or divisions. Rockwool is an excellent material for hydroponic propagation because it keeps your young plant warm, moist, and free from contact with rooting media like perlite or vermiculite which might otherwise lead to root rot.
Rockwool cubes are designed explicitly for hydroponic propagation. If Rockwool is to be used for propagation, it should be first soaked in water. Your roots arent vigorous and thriving and packed enough in the rockwool for 12 yet. Run your veg room on the warmer and humid side and eventually she will start drinking that wool dry daily or every other day. And vigourous and thriving top growth. Keep your EC around 1. And pH right around the same as coco coir grown plants.
About 5. Once shes jamming along in flower and drinking daily you can bump the feed to 1. Slight trickle of runoff. Having it warm in veg and early flower helps to get her metabolism going too. But once buds develop And thats it. Rockwool is an awesome medium to grow in. Super simple. Rockwool has no cec. Doesnt hold on to any minerals. And of course its much less time consuming when potting up with transplants.
There isnt a transplant if you use blocks and slabs. Just stacking. Last edited: Jan 7, I read most of these post and shake my head. I grow in rockwool mini cubes 5 gal pot. I top water return to 30 gal res. I water twice a day for 15 minutes at a time. For a total flush. This is a auto water system auto return to res. They never dry out They don't need to there is so much 02 space between the mini cubes that they never look over watered. I have run this system for 5 years.
I scrog a 25 square foot area with cree at ma. Total of watt at the wall. Won't go into PPf at this time. I average 3 to 4 pounds every 8 to 10 weeks. Grower displaying roots of a cannabis plant grown in rockwool.
Although it is true that rockwool was originally manufactured as building insulation, horticultural rockwool shares few properties with the stuff that keeps your house warm in winter and cool in summer. The fact that the two materials look similar has given rise to urban legends regarding reuse, toxicity and disposal. At the end of the plant life cycle, horticultural rockwool can be reused to grow different plants, or you can shred it to be composted and then reused in potting mixes or in garden beds.
Read also: Enzymes in the Garden Remember, rockwool is basalt, which is an excellent amendment for potted plants as crushed rock. Avoid using previously used rockwool to start plants, and also avoid reusing any growing media repeatedly to grow the same crop or crops within the same botanical family. To prevent issues due to the presence of rotting roots , you can simply treat the used rockwool with enzymes.
Your local hydroponics shop employees can help you with this. Be careful not to squeeze your rockwool when handling. Always fertilize the rockwool when you irrigate and allow for some drainage every time to wash off any excess fertilizer. This may lead to algae growth.
The plant can literally tip over because the block is too light before you need to water again. A common myth is that excess water in rockwool should be removed by squeezing the block or plugs. Do not do this!
The structure of the fibers in rockwool contain beneficial water retention and air porosity properties that allow root systems to develop. Crushing the wool damages that structure and the air pockets that were initially present will never be restored. If rockwool is squeezed too much, the material will become a wet, soggy mess with no aeration whatsoever. Bok choy seedlings at 8 days using rockwool. Consider the structure and porosity of rockwool to determine how tall a rockwool container can be.
Problems arise when irrigation is attempted from the bottom. Water is subject to gravity and will not sufficiently wick up more than in. Ask a Grower: Why are runner roots coming out of my rockwool cubes in my hydroponic garden? All of the roots will be at the bottom of the block looking for the water and most of the media volume at the top of the container will be devoid of roots.
Stacking rockwool products higher in ebb and flow systems is not a problem as long as irrigation is applied from the top. Water must travel through the network of fibers that constitutes the wool, so the container can be as tall as needed to get enough root volume to sustain a plant. Growers have an emotional attachment to their plants. They love, baby, spoil, water and fertilize them.
Some religiously measure electrical conductivity and pH daily, and obsessively check for growth. As mentioned earlier, rockwool has a huge water-holding capacity and all the fertilizer applied is available to the plant so it can often go for a long time without too much attention in the irrigation department.
It is actually the natural process of the plant removing nutrients that raises the pH. If you follow the guidelines in this article, you will find that rockwool is actually one of the easiest growing mediums to use.
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