Growing in Rockwool

I am soon going to be growing in rockwool, have a successful soil grow going right now, but i'm sick of all the dirt already.

I'm going to clone maybe 10 plants comming up soon, i've got the cloning down already, but, after i put them in the 4 inch cubes i will need some advice, since i will not be growing hydro, i will just be watering the cubes. This is my preferred method and i don't want to grow hydro, so please dont try and convince me to go buy a hydro system, or build one

#1: Will a 4 inch cube finish a plant? with a total finishing heigh of about 2 feet, maybe 2 1/2.

#2: Do i nute them every time i water? or every other watering?

#1 no. are you putting it on lava rock or just rockwool on a drain pan?

#2 yes. watering is of utmost importance ppm meter time.

rockwool with a drain pan.

My roots would have grown through a 4 inch cube within the first two weeks. And when I say grow through I mean all through and over it.

Well i'm pretty sure vote had said he finished them in 4 inch cubes, so i'm not sure now. and i do not know how large either. hopefully he responds

if your doing that you should consider a lager (12''x12'' or better) to splice the 4x4 into or set on top and also a small resivoir (i cant spell) pump and some 1/4'' black plastic tubing pushed right into the rockwool to saturate it on a recycle timer.

also note that the paper on the sides of the cube will help it retain moisture much better than with it removed.

if i have to get that big of a cube i will just put it in soil.

my first grow was with 4x4s with street light (hps ??w) and some grow flouros once the roots came out into the tray (within 15-18 days) i moved it to lava balls and net cups in large pcv pive (like an aero tube) 5 feet long on a 4'' tall slope bothends capped small pump in a high tech lol rubbermade resivoir (still cant spell) with a small faountain pump from home depot (12.99)
and fed it to the higher and of pcv lef it all on all the time man imean i built it plugged it in and let it run for about 4 1/2 weeks the hooked up the 12/12 and let it ryde.

russ0r said:

if i have to get that big of a cube i will just put it in soil.

Click to expand...

they also sell 6x6 if you plan to stay in the tray and flower at a month or so.

in know you dont like soil, but you could use pots rockwool and those little clay balls that you use in hydro. just a thought.

8 inch rock is what I use. Works fine.

I start my cuts in 50mm rockwool cubes then raise them in 8" plastic pots filled with loose rockwool, often called 'granulated' or 'floc.' Sold in big 12kg bales. You break it up to suit any pot size. Looks a bit like loose insulation material.

Pots are watered in a flood system, 1x day for 3 mins. If you do take up rockwool, go easy on watering until you get it right. Rockwool holds a LOT of water and it's easy to drown roots.

I've used the expanded clay pellets before and am not fond of them. Heavy, hard to dispose of, drop a handful and you'll chase them around the room.

A 'total loss' watering system in rockwool, where you mix up fresh nutes and hand water as needed, is an ideal newbie intro to hydroponics. It's no more difficult than raising a plant in soil... you'd mix ferts for your plants in soil anyway.

Al B. Fuct said:

A 'total loss' watering system in rockwool, where you mix up fresh nutes and hand water as needed, is an ideal newbie intro to hydroponics. It's no more difficult than raising a plant in soil... you'd mix ferts for your plants in soil anyway.

Click to expand...

Well Al B Hornschnackled! I've always heard that system called 'drain to waste.' And I think that describes it much better, too.

Besides, 'total loss' just sounds like a complete failure.

heheheh, if it were an oiling system on a motorcycle engine where the excess went out a tube and on the ground (as many VERY early bikes did), it's be called 'total loss oiling.'

I'll go with 'drain to waste.'

that is to suggest that water distribtued through the rockwool, once drained, can be good to re-use for the plants media for up to 2 weeks stored via resevoir?

rather than start a new thread, i thought id ask here.

in an 8x4 tray ebb/flow, with 6*6 cubes filling the whole tray, sog setup, what would be an ideal watering schedule? ie:how many times a day for how long?

I started with 2 or 4 inch, then put them on top of 6 inch cubes
I dunk mine, and give em nutes every feed. If I notice any build up, I'll flush then feed. I had a drip system set up, but this is just as easy. Recirculating doesn't appeal to me, due to possible ph fluctuations.

buninader said:

rather than start a new thread, i thought id ask here.

in an 8x4 tray ebb/flow, with 6*6 cubes filling the whole tray, sog setup, what would be an ideal watering schedule? ie:how many times a day for how long?

Click to expand...

that depends on the strain and what it prefers. you could do a two time watering schedule, 15-30mins when the lights come on, again at 6hrs in, or three times, lights on, 4hrs in, and 8hrs in.

some run a continuous drip. in the end, the choice is yours to make

k.p.

ok, thanks, i guess i just want to make sure i dont over or under water

Gyp said:

I started with 2 or 4 inch, then put them on top of 6 inch cubes
I dunk mine, and give em nutes every feed. If I notice any build up, I'll flush then feed. I had a drip system set up, but this is just as easy. Recirculating doesn't appeal to me, due to possible ph fluctuations.

Click to expand...

what do you mean notice buildup? i have white powder that looksd like salt building up on my tray.... is that bad?