Old vs new Grodan 6” hugo cubes

[Peezy]

The million dollar question;)

I have been trying to find out for many months now and have been searching all over the internet for an answer but I just couldn’t find anything at all on this.

I even talked to Grodan in the Netherlands but they just told me the green labelled 6” hugo cubes are the older version and those are the only ones distributed throughout Europe. Then I talked to Grodan in Canada and they told me the old ones are not being produced anymore in North America and they are only selling the newer upgraded version now which says Gro-Block on the label.

I see from earlier posts on IG by Serge from Cookies Maywood that when they first switched to rockwool they have pics posted where I see they were using both simultaneously and I tried to ask him several times about them without any luck unfortunately.

The big question is:

Is there any major difference between the older version and the newer one when used for cannabis plants or they are pretty much the same? Does Gro-Block, the newer one drain quicker maybe?

I would be so grateful if anyone had any real info on this.

 

[Fuckingatodeaso]

Probably changed some of the fiber orientation. I know the old had vertical fibers to increase drainage on such a big block. Maybe they incorporated some horizontal so the top and bottom have a more uniform saturation as the top gets dyer than the bottom. That's the only thing I could think of. I mean wool is wool.

 

[Dirtbag]

As far as I know the old hugo had a horizontal weave. Part of the reason they didn't drain as well as the slabs.
They likely made it a vertical weave for better drainage. The old old hugo also had an alkaline binder so you really had to pre rinse them, the newer ones are ph balanced and can be used immediately after a quick soak.

 

[Peezy]

As far as I know the old hugo had a horizontal weave. Part of the reason they didn't drain as well as the slabs.
They likely made it a vertical weave for better drainage. The old old hugo also had an alkaline binder so you really had to pre rinse them, the newer ones are ph balanced and can be used immediately after a quick soak.

Thank you so much! So I guess it’s worth it to order the newer ones from the States, even if it’s a real hassle because I couldn’t find any shop in the US which would ship them overseas to Europe. So gonna have to find a mail forwarding service for it too, plus the cubes are pretty large even if they aren’t too heavy. Over here they only sell those older delta cubes. :(

 

[Peezy]

As far as I know the old hugo had a horizontal weave. Part of the reason they didn't drain as well as the slabs.
They likely made it a vertical weave for better drainage. The old old hugo also had an alkaline binder so you really had to pre rinse them, the newer ones are ph balanced and can be used immediately after a quick soak.

Dirtbag, I saw in one of your posts growing in rockwool in a 4x4 tent and I saw you used smaller cubes and later you put them on slabs.
What size cubes and slabs were you using and which type of slab was that by Grodan?
I saw a Q&A session with Jungle Boys where they said they use 1.5” starter cubes and then they transplant into a 6” hugo and they use that throughout…but then a few months later I noticed they also switched to the cube on slab setup. I think I also saw they did the same at Cookies Maywood.
What’s your opinion about this? Is it really a lot better stacking the cube on a slab rather than just using a 6” hugo throughout?

 

[Dirtbag]

Dirtbag, I saw in one of your posts growing in rockwool in a 4x4 tent and I saw you used smaller cubes and later you put them on slabs.
What size cubes and slabs were you using and which type of slab was that by Grodan?
I saw a Q&A session with Jungle Boys where they said they use 1.5” starter cubes and then they transplant into a 6” hugo and they use that throughout…but then a few months later I noticed they also switched to the cube on slab setup. I think I also saw they did the same at Cookies Maywood.
What’s your opinion about this? Is it really a lot better stacking the cube on a slab rather than just using a 6” hugo throughout?

Yeah. It's a lot better. Way less transplant shock and the plants just seem happier in it compared to my 6" block grow.
I use a 3" block first and get that well rooted for a week or two, then place it on the slab. The slabs are called unislabs made by grodan, and are good for one plant each.

I've got a new grow going at the moment that might interest you.

The Crystal Palace is back, now with a Spiderfarmer SE5000.

Okay gang, this will be the new diary. It's been a good 6 months since I've done a proper grow in the shed and it's time to get next year's personal stash going. Ill start this off by going over some of the recent upgrades to the growroom, aka the Crystal...

www.thcfarmer.com

And this is my last grow using 3" blocks on slab.

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www.thcfarmer.com