Does hydroton give little room for root growth?

I feel like root mass in hydroton pots is much less than other mediums (coco, RW) possibly because hydroton takes up a lot of volume. Roots can only grow in between the hydroton balls. What do you guys think?

Would the difference in root mass be significant between a 4x4 rockwool cube vs a 4x4x4" pot with hydroton?

I think the reason may be because the roots have way more access to air, and water. They don't have to develop as much to absorb the required nutes. Just a thought, but maybe an expert will chime in.

!!! said:

I feel like root mass in hydroton pots is much less than other mediums (coco, RW) possibly because hydroton takes up a lot of volume. Roots can only grow in between the hydroton balls. What do you guys think?

Would the difference in root mass be significant between a 4x4 rockwool cube vs a 4x4x4" pot with hydroton?

Click to expand...

I think thats part of it. But there is too much space in between each spherical(ish) ball, that the roots have nothing to contact. With mediums like rockwool and coco, there's a lot distance that the roots have to travel in between and around each fiber. Compared to the hydroton, is exponentially shorter.

Don't get me wrong, I use hydroton. The root masses I have are ridiculous, especially once they reach the bottom and sides of the pots. The roots at the bottom of the food and drain tables are just as thick as the roots in the pots also.

a pic