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Pre sanitized medium (rockwool/hydroton)

U

UberPooner

Member
sanitizing medium is the worst part of growing!

Especially when you have 20gal+ of medium.

I run 50/50 rockwool/hydroton.

They both need to be sanitized before use.

Im currently on seedling stage and have sanitized just enough for small pots.

In a few weeks ill need to transplant to 5gal containers and will need to sanitize all the medium for the 5gal.


Could I get ahead and sanatize weeks before actual use?

Is that even a good idea?

what u think :)
 
R

RockinRobot

Active member
Only time I ever sanitized media was for growing microgreens commercially and I needed to be food safe, never for weed. Then again I don't re-use any media and start with fresh hydroton every grow. Never had any issues with pathogens.
 
G

growhigh1233

iv been using rockwool for over 10 years ...........don't need to sanitize anything..........i literally just use untouched tap water straight out the tap and rockwool cubes for seedlings ........i get nearly 100% germination every time
 
U

UberPooner

Member
Shoot maybe sanitize was the wrong word.

By that I meant ph adjust. I have to put rockwool in a big tub, if the tub is at 5.5 adding the rockwool will bring it to 6.5.

Even grodan admits the lime dust on the rockwool and says you need to ph calibrate.

For the hydroton you need to soak overnight minimum.


Ive been soaking my rockwool now for like 14 hrs and the ph keeps rising!!!
 
R

RockinRobot

Active member
UberPooner said:
Shoot maybe sanitize was the wrong word.

By that I meant ph adjust. I have to put rockwool in a big tub, if the tub is at 5.5 adding the rockwool will bring it to 6.5.

Even grodan admits the lime dust on the rockwool and says you need to ph calibrate.

For the hydroton you need to soak overnight minimum.


Ive been soaking my rockwool now for like 14 hrs and the ph keeps rising!!!
Click to expand...

I don't ph soak hydroton but I do soak rockwool. I only soak it for about an hour though and I don't soak enough quantity to need to readjust the solution
 
M

mrlucky405

Member
I used to use all different mixes with rockwool. Growstones, hydroton, perlite. All a giant pain in the ass. Then I switched to coco. Soooo much easier... Super simple to recondition and reuse too. Means not as much waste to dispose of and nice $ savings to boot..
 
R

RockinRobot

Active member
mrlucky405 said:
I used to use all different mixes with rockwool. Growstones, hydroton, perlite. All a giant pain in the ass. Then I switched to coco. Soooo much easier... Super simple to recondition and reuse too. Means not as much waste to dispose of and nice $ savings to boot..
Click to expand...

But Coco is also. Messy, heavy, requires varying feed rates and multiple up-pottings.
 
S

Substitute

Member
UberPooner said:
sanitizing medium is the worst part of growing!

Especially when you have 20gal+ of medium.

I run 50/50 rockwool/hydroton.

They both need to be sanitized before use.

Im currently on seedling stage and have sanitized just enough for small pots.

In a few weeks ill need to transplant to 5gal containers and will need to sanitize all the medium for the 5gal.


Could I get ahead and sanatize weeks before actual use?

Is that even a good idea?

what u think :)
Click to expand...


I have dwc with hydroton. At the end of it I plan to just rinse it in chlorinated water and reuse.
I'm just glad to be away from soil!
 
R

RockinRobot

Active member
Substitute said:
I have dwc with hydroton. At the end of it I plan to just rinse it in chlorinated water and reuse.
I'm just glad to be away from soil!
Click to expand...

I doubt you'll reuse your hydroton in DWC. You use so little in a DWC that it's going to be so deeply surrounded by roots you'll most likely just toss it.
 
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