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Growing in Rockwool

Growing in rockwool is a sort of step towards hydroponic growing, as they’re both inert substrates meaning that there’s no organic material decomposing. This means that when you water this plant you’re going to need to fertilize it with the necessary nutrients so that your plant can grow vigorously and strong.

Available formats of Rockwool

Rockwool Plugs:

When taking cuttings, it’s common to use a rockwool plugs tray, which offers better organization. Options typically range from 77 to 150 cells per tray.

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You can also find larger plugs, measuring 10 x 10 x 6.5 cm, are also available, suitable for slab cultivation.

Rockwool Slabs:

Rockwool slabs are bags measuring 100 x 15 x 7.5 cm containing rockwool. All formats maintain the advantages of rockwool over soil or coco, particularly its high air-to-water ratio, facilitating abundant yields without transplanting, thus minimizing root damage.

How to grow in Rockwool?

The first step after acquiring rockwool is soaking it in water with a pH of 4.5 – 5. Despite its naturally neutral pH of 7, lowering it to at least 6 is crucial to enable optimal nutrient absorption from the start.

Germination in Rockwool

Once pH is adjusted, germination, cloning, or cultivation can commence. It’s advisable to germinate marijuana seeds using the paper towel method. As soon as roots emerge, transplanting to rockwool plugs can begin.

During this phase, careful control of watering and humidity is essential. Besides, consistent watering is not recommended to preserve the advantage of air in the roots and prevent algae formation and blocking direct light from reaching the plugs helps avoid this issue.

Germination in Rockwool

Cloning in Rockwool

After applying rooting hormones during cloning, the next step is to place the cutting in a rockwool plug. It’s essential to trim the leaves by half to prevent rapid dehydration. This ensures an ample air-to-water ratio in the stem, facilitating rooting within 7 to 10 days and reducing the risk of stem rot. Additionally, stabilizing the pH of the rockwool is necessary to prevent root blockages from occurring.

Watering should be monitored and automated to prevent the rockwool from drying out excessively, which could cause root stress and slightly reduce final yields. Conversely, constant moisture would deprive roots of air, slowing down new root formation.      

In horizontal or sandy setups, gradually increase watering time to provide more water. Alongside water quantity, increase EC (Electrical Conductivity), making an EC meter useful during cultivation.

Cloning in Rockwool

Vertical setups allow watering until the farthest plant from the dripper receives sufficient irrigation.

Advantages of Rockwool cultivation:

The benefits for growers using this method include:

  • High yields
  • Avoidance of transplanting, akin to hydroponics
  • Capability of horizontal, vertical, or sandy cultivation

It’s crucial to note that, like coco or hydroponic setups, root cleaning in rockwool every week suffices, utilizing products like Flawless Finish. This is due to rockwool’s limited ability to retain salts and nutrients.

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Erik Collado

Con más de 10 años de experiencia en la industria del cannabis, sus experiencias y aprendizaje son la base del éxito de GB The Green Brand.

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