School me on rockwool?

[_Dude]

How does rockwool work? Say I've got a cutting rooted in a 1.5" rockwool cube, now what? Do the slabs have holes in them to accept the 1.5" cubes? Right now I grow in 1 gallon grow bags. They're maybe 8" in diameter I think, but I only fill them about halfway because I only flood to 3" depth or so. I grow small bushes. What size cube/slab/whatever do I need? And what if I want an intermediate size? Are there blocks that take the 1" or 1.5" cubes, then plug into bigger blocks?

 

[Homebrewer]

It's pretty versatile. You can plant those cubes in dirt/coco/promix or go into bigger rockwool cubes. Just plug and play. I'd suggest top watering for the first few days after the move to establish roots.

 

[_Dude]

Right, but how does the "go into bigger rockwool cubes" thing work? Just set the smaller block on top of a bigger block? Cut a hole in the bigger block by hand, and put the smaller block into it? The bigger blocks already have holes of a specific size? What?

 

[Classy@Home]

Just set the smaller block on top of a bigger block? The bigger blocks already have holes of a specific size? What?

Yes - the smaller cubes are same size as pre-cut holes in larger cubes...

I put the smaller cubes into hydroton, in 4" net pots - but I prefer DWC growing in < 5 gal rubbermaid tubs.

Presoak rockwool to eliminate air pockets - very forgiving medium, but in my experience not reusable...

 

[_Dude]

Thanks Classy. Is there a good guide to all the products somewhere? I'm wondering how to do this in stages. I'd like something in the ballpark of 1.5" (rooted cuttings) to 3" (early veg) to say 7" (late veg & flower), is that doable? Maybe with a mat thrown under when they go into flower to catch the spreading roots?

 

[djingo]

the problem with rockwool slabs: too less space for a rootsystem, the drainige is not good, too wet...

I use tiny 1cm rockwool cubes, perfect drainige and you can fill them in pots, waterfarms etc.

when u transplant a plant from starter cube (15x15cm) to a slab, you simply place the cube on slab. the roots will grow in the slab very fast.

 

[_Dude]

Right now I go from 1.5" cubes under flouros, to 3" net cups under 250, to 6" net pots under 400w, finally to flower in 1 gallon bags. But my flower tubs only flood to about 3, maybe 3.5 inches depth. So wide and not too deep is good.

I was thinking about rockwool cubes in grow bags like you're talking about. I might run that vs. perlite/vermiculite and see what works best. Actually, I'm probably not going to be able to test everything side-by-side like I want because the watering schedule is so different between hydroton and rockwool. Hmmm. What I really need is something that I can water as often as I water hydroton so I can really compare the different mediums. I water every 3 hours during lights on but I could cut that back to once every 4 without a worry.

 

[krunchbubble]

I'm wondering how to do this in stages. I'd like something in the ballpark of 1.5" (rooted cuttings) to 3" (early veg) to say 7" (late veg & flower), is that doable?

very doable....

any questions?

 

[_Dude]

Krunch yeah so I'm getting mixed signals here. Do I just cut out the size I want from the bigger piece myself?

 

[krunchbubble]

Krunch yeah so I'm getting mixed signals here. Do I just cut out the size I want from the bigger piece myself?

well, there are cubes with and without holes....

the ones without holes are the most common and most likely what you hydro store will have......

just lay one cube on top of the other, water, thats it!

remember, putting one rw on top of another will cause a wicking affect on the top cube, make sure you water that top cube several times the first couple days to insure that the top cube does not dry out and kill your roots...

you absolutely can cut out or pull out some rw out of a cube to accommodate another cube in it, if you want, but most likely it wont be necessary....


any questions, i got you.....

 

[budshoteyes]

Dude....how many plants in what sized room are you farming in?
I'd get a table or if you can't I'd go with for ex; 30 plants....two per flat = 15 flats at $1.oo each. And I'd hand water them.

Krunchbubble has schooled you! Those pics he's shown us are awesome!

Here's a link to wet your appetite!
This one got me into RW
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=4535708#post4535708

 

[FreezerBoy]

Krunch has you covered. Starters in or on blocks. Stack blocks on blocks or slabs.

in my experience not reusable...

Tried once, led to horrible outbreak of powdery mildew. Nasty, nasty.

 

[thefalsediviner]

@krunchbubble- Way to throw down the this it what you do pic and post, perfect.

I cut out holes to slide the smaller cube in the new one, after air pruning the smaller cube for at least a day.

@everyoneelse- I recycle my cubes by shredding them into the hot compost pile with the wood chipper.

tfd

 

[vaped]

Rockwool has been a godsend. I clone in the 1.5 root cubes always get 100% at around 15 days. I then transplant the cubes into 6" hugo blocks once they are about a foot tall I transplant them into hempies. What I love about rockwool the most is no more cleaning veg pots. The medium is easy to flush and hand watering it from the top you never get build up.

 

[Smoked]

very doable....

any questions?

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Hey krunch what are the tables sitting on there? I have a problem keeping my tables even.