Great read on rockwool. Excellent tips in here.

[burn1down2k]

Props to Everest, the creator of the original document. he has awesome videos and articles.

 

[Colordude]

Anyone use loose rockwool in smartpots with drip irrigation, drain to waste!

 

[Kot]

Guys, do you think I can use the rockwool from the hardware/construction stores for growing purposes? Would it be safe or it might be treated with some nasty stuff?

 

[Colordude]

Cap,
Is anyone to your knowledge using Smart Bee's Water Content Sensor system to measure and/or control water their rockwool? Or using the system from Growtronix?
Have you had any feedback on these systems?
Also, what timer do you use to allow 20 sec feed intervals?

 

[Pimples]

Guys, do you think I can use the rockwool from the hardware/construction stores for growing purposes? Would it be safe or it might be treated with some nasty stuff?

Rockwool used for construction purposes (Roksul - a popular brand name) is treated with an anti fire retardant oil and will kill plants with quickness.

 

[Pimples]

I used to grow in slabs way back in thd day. Lots and lots of Libra trays filled with slabs in a non recovery drip system. The watering/fertigation techniques i used is very similar to the way i treat my coco coir drip system now. The way you let it dry alot with new transplants and rooted cuts. The way you "steer" the crop to encourage a more fruiting or flowering induced plant...the ec and pH levels...all of it is VERY similar.

 

[SlabLabCO]

Cap,
Is anyone to your knowledge using Smart Bee's Water Content Sensor system to measure and/or control water their rockwool? Or using the system from Growtronix?
Have you had any feedback on these systems?
Also, what timer do you use to allow 20 sec feed intervals?

The smart bee WCS is ok. It doesn't take into account the plants roots growing throughout the cycle, calibrating it is a bitch, the probes rape any RW you put it into, and it reads entirely different from the GRODAN grosens by as much as 30% even after calibrating it properly and multiple times. Tried it with slabs and hugos and I really would say it is only good for emergency feedings if a dripper clogs.

 

[SlabLabCO]

I have turned the entire system off after two cycles of trying to make it work anyway possible. I will not be trying it again unless I go on vacation, which is probably never. If you want a non recycle timer in seconds that can actuate zones and what not I would say go look at the Hunter Xcore series controller. Its industrial can do seconds and control multiple zones and actuate them open(12v) and be plugged into a normal 120v outlet with a (24v) power cord.

 

[PhatNuggz]

Rock Wool is far from the answer, especially for small growers. Plus, it should require special disposal rules, as it does not break down readily in a landfill

I replaced drip (Hydro Halo rings) with F & D and have not looked back

My medium is polished ornamental stones from Dollar Stores. It has lots fo air pockets that hold some nutrient between floods keeping the roots moist. Also very easy to remove, clean, and reuse

 

[Pimples]

Rock Wool is far from the answer, especially for small growers. Plus, it should require special disposal rules, as it does not break down readily in a landfill

I replaced drip (Hydro Halo rings) with F & D and have not looked back

My medium is polished ornamental stones from Dollar Stores. It has lots fo air pockets that hold some nutrient between floods keeping the roots moist. Also very easy to remove, clean, and reuse


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Ive grown with all marbles like that once...years ago. I got a shit ton og them from an abandoned warehouse. Worked damn fine.

 

[oscar169]

Rock Wool is far from the answer, especially for small growers. Plus, it should require special disposal rules, as it does not break down readily in a landfill

I replaced drip (Hydro Halo rings) with F & D and have not looked back

My medium is polished ornamental stones from Dollar Stores. It has lots fo air pockets that hold some nutrient between floods keeping the roots moist. Also very easy to remove, clean, and reuse


View attachment 656582 View attachment 656583 View attachment 656585

I would like to see you run just 1 One Gallon Smart pot with pure coco in it in your tent and see how it does compared to the water. You can reuse that coco also.

 

[PhatNuggz]

I would like to see you run just 1 One Gallon Smart pot with pure coco in it in your tent and see how it does compared to the water. You can reuse that coco also.

A couple grows back I compared cc to ornamental stones in my seeding and clone net pots thinking it would increase lateral root development. It did not improve root development, AND, left me fighting gnats, so I washed it out as best I could

Plus, cc is messy

 

[Pimples]

It is messier than clean cut rockwool and no medium water based systems like dwc aero and nft. And the veg growth in those systems is slightly faster but coco coir is just consistent as hell. I reuse coco also. Its cheaper like that. Ive vrown all the systems over the years. Coco on a drip system in 1 to 3 gallon pots is it for me.

 

[YoungCa]

I am have been trying to learn irrigation times for different times of rockwool 6 inch Hugo. I've done a test with one rockwool cube and I'm not understanding dialing in my watering times. How often do I water in veg? I plan to do no more then 3 weeks veg. With an 8-9 week strain like gelato. I've already grown #45 in soil. I just want to get my dry back times right.... Now I have floraflex caps with two drip lines on either side. My questions are.. How often do I water? How much do I water? I'm meticulous in preparation and want to hit the ground running. I will be using veg/bloom hydroponic research. Any help. And I do mean any would be appreciated

 

[gwheels]

I planted a smart pot with 50 50 1 inch rockwell cubes and coco. I was not as impressed with it as I was coco and perlite 50/50. I think the cubes retain too much water in my system. I still have a giant bag of the stupid cubes so I will try it again in just a pot with the cubes and see how it works out.

 

[argo430]

just started some plants in starter cubes one month ago, then to hugos no irrigation then just put them into uni slabs under 160 W of 10 W off the shelf LED's going for two trees.

 

[Pimples]

Rockwool takes some getting used to if your drip irrigating or top watering by hand. Basically you treat it somewhat like coco coir or even peat mixes for initial transplants. You irrigate (greenhouse people say fertigate) to a slight trickle of runoff (which would be close to field capacity - not quite soaked but runoff) and leave them alone (it takes time) to dry down really good. Your trying to establish a strong root system. If your room climate is on point...your rockwoop ec,pH, and plants are on point...you should be ok. The point is...you leave new transplants alone in properly moist rockwool until the climate..heat from lamps...and root system dries the rockwool out. Then on your next irrigation..feed to slight runoff again. Very similar to coco ime. But rockwool retains alot of moisture at the bottom of the cube..block..pot...or slab. This is where it can trick someone into thinking its dry enough to irrigate again. So watch out for that as well. And occasionally use a big syringe or turkey baster to collect solution samples from deep within the wool for ph/ec observation and testing. I would not recommend even thinking about rockwool as a substrate without quality ec / pH meters.

 

[whitepistols]

.

 

[Weston]

I am have been trying to learn irrigation times for different times of rockwool 6 inch Hugo. I've done a test with one rockwool cube and I'm not understanding dialing in my watering times. How often do I water in veg? I plan to do no more then 3 weeks veg. With an 8-9 week strain like gelato. I've already grown #45 in soil. I just want to get my dry back times right.... Now I have floraflex caps with two drip lines on either side. My questions are.. How often do I water? How much do I water? I'm meticulous in preparation and want to hit the ground running. I will be using veg/bloom hydroponic research. Any help. And I do mean any would be appreciated

Ever get a good answer out of anyone for this?

 

[straincreation]

Rock Wool is far from the answer, especially for small growers. Plus, it should require special disposal rules, as it does not break down readily in a landfill

I replaced drip (Hydro Halo rings) with F & D and have not looked back

My medium is polished ornamental stones from Dollar Stores. It has lots fo air pockets that hold some nutrient between floods keeping the roots moist. Also very easy to remove, clean, and reuse


View attachment 656582 View attachment 656583 View attachment 656585

Lol its rock, your plastic bucket will be far more poisonous to the enviroment. To each his own though