Growing with rockwool. What are the tips and tricks you veterans have picked up

[JohnDee]

What do you mean? Should I not use maxigro?

No SuperHi,
If you had studied and understood the Lucas formula...then you would already have answered your own question.

But more importantly you said you were going to do a side-by-side grow. So you should follow the label directions as much as is possible. Like do 50% of each nutrient for a fair comparison.
JD

 

[SuperHI TnT]

No SuperHi,
If you had studied and understood the Lucas formula...then you would already have answered your own question.

But more importantly you said you were going to do a side-by-side grow. So you should follow the label directions as much as is possible. Like do 50% of each nutrient for a fair comparison.
JD

You know what’s really funny? It seems like the whole year I’ve been growing I’ve probably only Used one pint of floranova as opposed to a gallon of florabloom so the Lucas formula really actually makes perfect sense to me

 

[SuperHI TnT]

No SuperHi,
If you had studied and understood the Lucas formula...then you would already have answered your own question.

But more importantly you said you were going to do a side-by-side grow. So you should follow the label directions as much as is possible. Like do 50% of each nutrient for a fair comparison.
JD

When I do the side by side comparison I’ll be following the schedules. Usually I up the bloom pretty quickly in early to mid flowering but I never used anything else so that leads me to believe I was making up for a lack of supplements like liquid koolbloom and dry koolbloom

 

[JohnDee]

SuperHi,
or...you could alter the terms or your "study" and do a side-by-side comparison of the Lucas formula comparing Floranova vs Hydrobloom.
JD

 

[Xs121]

At first I had bad luck at best because I was letting the blocks and slabs sit in stagnant drainage water. Once I figured out that the medium needs to drain it’s been smooth sailing. The funny thing is nobody on this forum thought of that. Now I use 6” hugo blocks in 6” by 36” grodan Dutch leach trays. Sometimes I add a 3” slab and sometimes I don’t if the plants seem tall early on. The last bud I grew was blue dream and gorilla glue #4 and got a pound of dry bud off of 6 plants. I use the floraflex caps which is how I’ve been able to somewhat automate it. I use 4 CLUO-48 1818 90 cri LED’s at around 90w apiece. My tent is 32” by 48” by 48” and I have another that’s the exact same size. Each sits on one side of my closet.

I have been growing in a 4x4 rockwall from start to harvest since I can remember and very happy with my yield but next grow I'll probably experiment with aerophonics

 

[JohnDee]

I have been growing in a 4x4 rockwall from start to harvest

Do you suppose you could run through the details?

Like clone into small puck ...then onto hole in 4"x4"...then to top drip?
JD

 

[Xs121]

Do you suppose you could run through the details?

Like clone into small puck ...then onto hole in 4"x4"...then to top drip?
JD

I used to germinate my seeds in a 2x2 then dug the hole in a 4x4 to square and transplant my 2x2 into the 4x4, same thing with clones. Last few grows, I just plant the germinated seeds into the 4x4 directly and for clones, I cut the 4x4 halfway and sandwich the rooted clone, either method works.

For the actual growing, I used a modified hydro system where the 4x4's sit in an aerated reservoir full of hydroton. I have the 4x4 actually inside a fabic pot to control root growth. Reason for the fabric pot; to protect the roots from light, wick moisture from the reservoir to all over my 4x4. I have several of these wrapped 4x4 in a tote reservoir full of hydroton. the hydroton is mainly to support the rockwools (sitting on top the water line). SOG grow. Average harvest over 2oz per plant or for 6 plants close to a pound cured and trimmed.

 

[JohnDee]

the hydroton is mainly to support the rockwools (sitting on top the water line)

OK...so these cubes are used inside a light-proof bag on top of hydroton...drip tube to below cube

(I would question this one...prefer drip tube on top of cube)
JD

 

[SuperHI TnT]

I used to germinate my seeds in a 2x2 then dug the hole in a 4x4 to square and transplant my 2x2 into the 4x4, same thing with clones. Last few grows, I just plant the germinated seeds into the 4x4 directly and for clones, I cut the 4x4 halfway and sandwich the rooted clone, either method works.

For the actual growing, I used a modified hydro system where the 4x4's sit in an aerated reservoir full of hydroton. I have the 4x4 actually inside a fabic pot to control root growth. Reason for the fabric pot; to protect the roots from light, wick moisture from the reservoir to all over my 4x4. I have several of these wrapped 4x4 in a tote reservoir full of hydroton. the hydroton is mainly to support the rockwools (sitting on top the water line). SOG grow. Average harvest over 2oz per plant or for 6 plants close to a pound cured and trimmed.

I got a pound dried and cured from my last harvest with florabloom but I used Hugo’s with 6” by 3” rockwool slabs. It was the best I’ve done since I started 1 1/2 years ago

 

[ANC]

The blocks on the polyester with the pump having just finished... The last water will drain out slowly over a few minutes using a capillary wick on the outlet to get the stuff that is below the lip of the outlet hole.


All covered in Panda film to keep the light and heat out and water in.. WTF.. Actually, it is winter, so no heat at the moment, but that is the theory.

My veg room isn't very big... You can see the reservoir at the bottom front... the water just falls straight back into it. and gets pumped to a long T on the high side of the tray.

 

[SuperHI TnT]

View attachment 4164436 The blocks on the polyester with the pump having just finished... The last water will drain out slowly over a few minutes using a capillary wick on the outlet to get the stuff that is below the lip of the outlet hole.

View attachment 4164437
All covered in Panda film to keep the light and heat out and water in.. WTF.. Actually, it is winter, so no heat at the moment, but that is the theory.

My veg room isn't very big... You can see the reservoir at the bottom front... the water just falls straight back into it. and gets pumped to a long T on the high side of the tray.

That’s a very cool setup you have going there

 

[Xs121]

OK...so these cubes are used inside a light-proof bag on top of hydroton...drip tube to below cube

(I would question this one...prefer drip tube on top of cube)
JD

Sorry I wasn't clear, there's no drip tube. The cubes are sitting directly above the waterline of the reservoir which is aerated by several air stone

 

[Xs121]

View attachment 4164436 The blocks on the polyester with the pump having just finished... The last water will drain out slowly over a few minutes using a capillary wick on the outlet to get the stuff that is below the lip of the outlet hole.

View attachment 4164437
All covered in Panda film to keep the light and heat out and water in.. WTF.. Actually, it is winter, so no heat at the moment, but that is the theory.

My veg room isn't very big... You can see the reservoir at the bottom front... the water just falls straight back into it. and gets pumped to a long T on the high side of the tray.

saw the video on youtube, that set-up has some nice roots going

 

[JohnDee]

(sitting on top the water line)

Got ya Xs121,
So it sits on the hydroton wicking up nutrients from the bottom. I misread that quoted statement above

How many runs you have on this system? How thick is your bed of hydroton?
JD.

 

[Xs121]

Got ya Xs121,
So it sits on the hydroton wicking up nutrients from the bottom. I misread that quoted statement above

How many runs you have on this system? How thick is your bed of hydroton?
JD.

I've done 3-4 runs with the hydroton bed. Thickness depends on the depth and width of the material im using for reservoir, around 2"-4" and I have airstones buried underneath them. As far as plant growth and yield, its pretty consistent. The only drawback is I keep topping my reservoir.

 

[JohnDee]

It seems like the whole year I’ve been growing I’ve probably only Used one pint of floranova as opposed to a gallon of florabloom so the Lucas formula really actually makes perfect sense to me

Yes SuperHi,
Many Lucas users started out like you. Then just stop buying the Grow portion. It's gotten to be a bit of an old school thing...but there still plenty of oldsters still growing.

I've done 3-4 runs with the hydroton bed.

@TS121
I was hoping to get your opinion about garden flow idea. The idea is to veg clones in a 4"x4" rockwool cube and then on top of hydroton on a waterfarm top drip hydro system. The water level is well below the hydroton but the continuous dripping of the air powered irrigation system should provide adequate but not excessive nute solution. Seems somewhat similar to what you are doing. 4"x4" on top of hydroton only top drip rather then wicking.

Many people modify their Waterfarm by drilling out holes in top bucket and add airstone...but that makes it into a DWC. I use them as designed which allows the freedom of being able to remove and rotate the top buckets.
Cheers,
JD

 

[Xs121]

I use them as designed which allows the freedom of being able to remove and rotate the top buckets.

This is the reason too why I used system like that...convenient way to move the plants around if I have to. How are you preventing the roots from growing into the hydroton bed?

 

[Carolina Dream'n]

1. Dry down times to build roots.

In veg, let the rockwool have wet and dry cycles, letting plants absorb nutrients on a wider ph range and teaching roots to search for more room. Once roots are established stop doing this and keep medium between 40-60% moisture level using drip irrigation.

2. Get your soak right.

Fucking up the EC or PH on initial soak leads to chasing your ass rest of cycle.

3. Feed. Feed. Feed.

Once flowering slowly up the amount of times daily plants are watered. I start at 3 and work my way up to 8. My EC never goes above 1.6, usually it sits around 1.2-1.4.

 

[JohnDee]

How are you preventing the roots from growing into the hydroton bed?

This is still an untried theoretical exercise. But my intention is for the roots to grow into the hydroton...which is all contained in the top bucket. Bottom bucket was meant to be the reservoir. Very much like how people use waterfarms except with a larger cube.

Feed is drawn up the air column and distributed via drip ring which surrounds the 4" cube sitting on top. What I don't know is how well it will keep the cube saturated. I can peal back the plastic cover to expose more rockwool to the drip ring...or possibly run the lift tube to power an emitter plugged into cube.

You can see the reservoir at the bottom front... the water just falls straight back into it. and gets pumped to a long T on the high side of the tray.

Very neat DIY ANC So the natural wicking doess all the work. Well that and the lift pump.
JD

 

[ANC]

Very neat DIY ANC So the natural wicking doess all the work. Well that and the lift pump.
JD

There is a hole on the outlet side... but it is a bit above the floor.
98% of the water falls back through the hole.... but it leaves a bit sitting in the corner...
I noticed If I just stuck some polyester batting through the hole so it has one end in the standing water, it quickly gets the last bit of water.