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Rockwool Growers?

Toleman

Toleman

Hi everyone, just a question on feed with transplanting into rockwool.

Next year I plan to germinate in jiffys and once they have roots poking through, put the ones going into hydro into 3" rockwool cubes.

Now what do I feed them and how much? Do I start feeding straight after transplant?

I have used GH flora series this year (grow, bloom, micro) and I want to use flora mato liquid and micro combo next. Do you recommend quarter strength or half strength advised for clones?

Chris
 
I don't know how knowledgeable with hydro you are but you can buy the small cubes and the larger cubes with holes so when the roots grow out of the small cubes you can just place them into the hole in the larger block(which you could also do with the jiffy). As far as feeding goes I just followed their guidelines and didn't have too many problems except I let the salts build up in the rockwool because when I was watering I wasn't watering until I had runoff hence the buildup. Heres a link for you if you haven't seen it:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/product_labels/floramato_dry_1.5lb.pdf
 
I would not introduce jiffy pot contents to rockwool/hydro

Jiffy pot stuff rots and changes Ph as it does; rotting material will also attract bugs/pathogens.

Germinate in small rockwool cubes and then to larger if your doing NFT.

After a coup[le of sets of true leaves, I use 1/4 strength mixture of GH 3-part.
 
Thanks for both your replies. If I do buy a tray of small rockwool cubes, can I use the remaining for plants going into compost?

Chris
 
It is definitely versatile as far as planting options,as Willard stated you can plant the cubes in soil, big ones too if you so choose. I usually soak it in ph adjusted light nute solution before taking cuttings or sowing seeds. One big thing with it is it holds the right amount of liquid to air, so after soaking it don't ever squeeze rock wool, its best if you fling the water out of it instead. I bought the tray with the small compartments that the cubes will fit into so after planting seeds,cuttings I usually put some water/nutes in the bottom tray just to ensure they don't dry out cause I usually use bottom heat.Also be careful with the stuff it isn't good to breath the fibers so if you plan on cutting a bunch of it up or something either do it outside preferably with mask on or just do it when its wet. Let us know how it turns out. Heres another link:
http://hydroponics101.com/sw60859.asp
 
well i like what you guys said... the only thing i would do is follow the GH feed chart... and here it is ..http://www.genhydro.com/genhydro_US/feeding_charts/GH_ExpertProgram_Recirculating.pdf this is what i have been doing for years ... maybe you could cut in half... but i have found sticking to what they say works very good ... and i use everything on that chart and some other stuff also ... so i think you just keep it simple things seem to work out better... well hit me up if you need more help... oh and i like using rapid rooters or the small rockwool cubes that fit inside of the wholes... i also like the bigger cubes 6x6x6 they seem to do good in flood and drain... good luck
 
Thanks guys.

With regards to cutting up the rockwool it should just be around 6 big cubes and a tray of the smaller ones. The stuff doesn't really affect me and as a carpenter fitting kitchens I'm breathing mdf and chipboard dust all day. Bit of an occupational hazard but I guess I should take more precautions really.

I will give it a go and if I fail there will be plenty of time to start again when they grow hydro-speed.

Do you find plants grow better in rockwool with nutes rather than compost/ soil?

Chris
 
Toleman said:
Do you find plants grow better in rockwool with nutes rather than compost/ soil?Chris
Click to expand...


There's tons of data that plants grow faster, bigger and better in hydro than they do in soil. I do both soil and hydro and confirm this data.
 
3794937685_6a7d3d7a3e.jpg
 
Willard,

I don't think good garden dirt, from late spring to late fall, can be beat. But I'm giving hydro a try this winter.

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
Willard,

I don't think good garden dirt, from late spring to late fall, can be beat. But I'm giving hydro a try this winter.

Mike
Click to expand...
That's because you haven't tried Hydro properly yet. when done right, the growth is somewhat magical. plants flowering after a single month and such.
 
Just as a data point, tepins in soil have ripe fruit in 90-100 days, in hydro, I have fruit in 60-80 days.

200 day chinenses in soil produce fruit in 120 days in hydro.

The fruit is better and there are waaaayyyy less bugs/pathogebs in hydro.
 
After looking into this the US chart recommends stronger mix than the European chart.

For seedlings Euro chart says 2.5ml per 10L
For seedlings US chart says 2.5ml per Gallon (3.78L)

Im currently using 2ml per 10 litre for a seedling just starting his second set of true leaves but he isn't growing fast...

Anybody?
 
Omri said:
That's because you haven't tried Hydro properly yet. when done right, the growth is somewhat magical. plants flowering after a single month and such.
Click to expand...

Plus you never have to pinch flowers. During grow you give feed that contains lots nitrogen, so they grow fast, but drop their flowers. Once you want them to flower you gradually change to flower solution and you nearly instantly (in plant grow terms) get flowers everywhere. Couple of weeks later that is pods everywhere :D

There's ways to hasten ripening too with no loss of flavour (most gain more flavour).

Hydro is great. Your initial cost is a bit higher, but the yield is so much bigger :) It's unreal.
 
Toleman said:
After looking into this the US chart recommends stronger mix than the European chart.

For seedlings Euro chart says 2.5ml per 10L
For seedlings US chart says 2.5ml per Gallon (3.78L)

Im currently using 2ml per 10 litre for a seedling just starting his second set of true leaves but he isn't growing fast...

Anybody?
Click to expand...

???
 
I don't know what's up but see the discrepancy between the US/Euro chart. I think a little less fert/nutes is better than more when the plant is pretty small. I'm sure your plant will take off before you know it.

I have a link with what I use, a product similar to GH tri-flora- all the #'s are per gallon though. Their list has some spelling typos on it which is pretty weird, but they make a good product and it is less expensive.

http://cuttingedgesolutions.org/catalog/mixing_chart.php
 
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