Rockwool to Hydroton transplant

[TrichromeFan]

Hi y'all. I was just transplanting some seedlings in 4" rockwool cubes into net pots filled with hydroton. They will later go into my RDWC system. So far they have been hand watered, but these will be changed to drip. The big question is watering frequency, since the rockwool and hydroton are polar opposites as far as water retention.

So... Do I just worry about the 4" cube saturation levels, or should I be wetting more around the perimeter with drippers, to keep the hydroton moist. Just don't want to rot the root zone or let it dry out either. Thanks,

-TF:rauch08:

 

[Buddy Flowers]

feed from the bottom so the roots have to find the water. watering rockwool from the top causes lazy plants

 

[TrichromeFan]

Are you saying your suggestion is to use ebb and flow?

 

[Buddy Flowers]

by the way, solid question you brought up. no, not suggesting ebba nd flow...i should have read your last paragraph. like you mentioned, i would focus more on the perimeter

 

[TrichromeFan]

Yep, I think the ebb and flow would work as well, but it is pretty easy just to roll with the drip. All I have to do is set up my hoses, and figure out my watering frequency.

Here's the ladies in question:

Before transplant.

Roots shots.

In the net pots.

 

[Buddy Flowers]

nice looking girls.

ebb and flow is easier to set up...no hoses, just set watering frequency

 

[motherlode]

feed from the bottom so the roots have to find the water. watering rockwool from the top causes lazy plants

hmmm I have run rockwool for years and years and my top drip grows just shat on the few times I did ebb/flow

 

[Buddy Flowers]

top drip with rockwool into hydroton? yes, drip with rockwool works amazingly well

 

[TrichromeFan]

Again, my biggest concern was more the saturation of the two different medias. My current belief is to not to saturate the rockwool directly. I would guess that I should slowly ramp up to a feeding frequency that is better for the water retention capacity of the hydroton. Any thoughts?

-TF

 

[Buddy Flowers]

Mini rockwool cubes might be a better medium to go in to

 

[TrichromeFan]

Buddy,
no can do on the rockwool cubes. That would be entirely too wet when they go into the rdwc buckets.

 

[Buddy Flowers]

Ah yes. Makes sense

 

[graythegooner]

tricky to get it perfect. You have to let rockwool dry out a bit, but not completely.may have to hit cube once a day, and run drippers as close to rw as possible without hitting it and soaking it. As you know, drippers on hydroton have to water frequently. Best bet is make babies in aerocloner, then straight into hydroton. Aerocloner is fast and beautiful babymaker