Hydroton vs Neoprene Pucks

[SofaKingStupid]

Ive used hydroton expanded clay pellets exclusively for over a decade. I’m about to start a small grow now and I decided to try something I always wanted to try. 3” neoprene pucks in my 3” net pots. I just got my new pots and pucks and I was looking at them and was concerned that the pucks may not be able to accommodate my clones to term. My stems usually end up about 1.5 “ in diameter and I’m not too sure these things won’t pinch my stems shut. Has anyone else ever had any experience with this situation before? Is it a bad idea to try using neoprene pucks to bring a flower to term?

 

[SofaKingStupid]

Anyone?

 

[SofaKingStupid]

Has anyone grew a plant out to term in a neoprene puck?

 

[SofaKingStupid]

Bump

 

[LostTribe]

Has anyone grew a plant out to term in a neoprene puck?

Yes, one time I ran a tiny tent with just a diy aerocloner. It'll work.

 

[Ganoderma]

Has anyone grew a plant out to term in a neoprene puck?

Yes, I have.

You can do it... But there might be some issues you may come across at some point when doing that. If you compare a 3" net pot with hydroton and one with a neoprene puck, the neoprene puck does not allow air exchange to the extent that the hydroton does.

I've used the same neoprene puck that was holding the clone in the cloner and transplanted strait into a DWC totes and buckets. It works but doesn't provide much support for the plant when it gets bigger. If the stems grow rally big they can stretch the hole in the center of the puck out, which makes it hard to reuse in the cloner as it has a hole to big for cuttings.

 

[SofaKingStupid]

Thanks Ganoderma! Sweet! I’m a long time hydroton user and always thought it might be nice not to have to clean all them rocks every harvest. I was just concerned that the stems may be restricted in some way by the puck.

 

[Ganoderma]

Oh I forgot to mention that some times the stems will get mushy where the puck is holding the stem. This is due to the puck being wet 24/7.

 

[f-e]

Thanks Ganoderma! Sweet! I’m a long time hydroton user and always thought it might be nice not to have to clean all them rocks every harvest. I was just concerned that the stems may be restricted in some way by the puck.

I switched from the nice round canna pebbles to the irregular shaped hydroton, and switched back very quickly. Purely a cleaning issue. The round stones riddle so much better. They can be floated in a bucket and stir easily. They are just so much easier to manipulate. Though I did at times fancy a perforated cement mixer.
The round stones actually come in a range of sizes, but we never seem to see the golf ball sized ones.
I have done little beyond a visible clean and bit of H202. The ground is full of decaying stuff, it really doesn't spread as people fear. Look at no-till beds.
The worst thing about pebbles, was by far, hydroton. It just doesn't stir.

 

[ZeroSkill]

I use pucks with my grow, but i do place some hydroton in the pot below the puck for added stability.

 

[LostTribe]

I use pucks with my grow, but i do place some hydroton in the pot below the puck for added stability.

All the hydroton does is take up needed space in the net cups. If you just use an empty net cup in an aerocloner and keep them going either in veg or in bloom they will fill the entire net cup with a massive base stalk and root out from there. Now I cut the bottoms out of the net cups even for cuttings so they have more room to expand and to not harm the new root growth to pull them out to transplant. Usually they are so massive I have to chop roots and if its a haze the cutting at 3w needs an immediate deep topping. Example, 3w OHaze had 2ft of roots and went from 4in to 20in over that time, cut roots to 8in and topped it in half upon potting in solo cup. They are ready to up pot very quick this way too.

If you want to take them to full bloom I'd do it without hydroton and with 5in cups. I use 2in cups I think with the aerocloner collars. Hard to check the rez if blooming in the aerocloner though.

 

[ZeroSkill]

All the hydroton does is take up needed space in the net cups. If you just use an empty net cup in an aerocloner and keep them going either in veg or in bloom they will fill the entire net cup with a massive base stalk and root out from there. Now I cut the bottoms out of the net cups even for cuttings so they have more room to expand and to not harm the new root growth to pull them out to transplant. Usually they are so massive I have to chop roots and if its a haze the cutting at 3w needs an immediate deep topping. Example, 3w OHaze had 2ft of roots and went from 4in to 20in over that time, cut roots to 8in and topped it in half upon potting in solo cup. They are ready to up pot very quick this way too.

If you want to take them to full bloom I'd do it without hydroton and with 5in cups. I use 2in cups I think with the aerocloner collars. Hard to check the rez if blooming in the aerocloner though.

I'm starting a new grow with some blue dream, i'll give it a try with nothing in the cup but the collar.

 

[skunk numba one]