Cleaning Hydroton 101

[AlphaPhase]

I know that anyone who uses hydroton in their growing endeavors really, really, hates the activity.

I think I've found a simple and effective way to clean and dry your hydroton in just a little time with little effort.

Enter the hair dryer.


This was an idea that I had today. The idea seemed like it would work, so I gave it a try.

What I've found is that this will dry the hydroton and dead roots when using the hair dryer. Agitate the hydroton with your hands while using the dryer, blowing over the top of the hydroton.. and the roots dry and just blow off the pebbles. Saves so much time and aggravation! I've done about 3 gallons of hydroton in 3 minutes, that's a gallon a minute. Not bad!

This is by far the best and easiest method I've found to work in years.

Sticky this bitch please

 

[AlphaPhase]

A visual tutorial.

 

[hellmutt bones]

I know that anyone who uses hydroton in their growing endeavors really, really, hates the activity.

I think I've found a simple and effective way to clean and dry your hydroton in just a little time with little effort.

Enter the hair dryer.
View attachment 3512360

This was an idea that I had today. The idea seemed like it would work, so I gave it a try.

What I've found is that this will dry the hydroton and dead roots when using the hair dryer. Agitate the hydroton with your hands while using the dryer, blowing over the top of the hydroton.. and the roots dry and just blow off the pebbles. Saves so much time and aggravation! I've done about 3 gallons of hydroton in 3 minutes, that's a gallon a minute. Not bad!

This is by far the best and easiest method I've found to work in years.

Sticky this bitch please

Wtf is a hydroton?

 

[AlphaPhase]

Wtf is a hydroton?

The clay pebbles most hydro growers use to grow hydroponic plants. It's either hydroton or Rockwool.

 

[AlphaPhase]

Wtf is a hydroton?

 

[hellmutt bones]

Oh its clay pellets??
Canadians..lol

 

[AlphaPhase]

Lol, yes, clay pellets or hydro corn is another name for it, but the universal name is hydroton (I'm a NY and CA guy) Lol

 

[Alaric]

It's either hydroton or Rockwool.

Or no medium at all------except for starting seed.

Clever way for cleaning hydroton.

A~~~

 

[AlphaPhase]

Or no medium at all------except for starting seed.

Clever way for cleaning hydroton.

A~~~

Thanks! And touche', I actually prefer mediumless but I can't for the life of me figure out an effective way to veg and transplant from the veg room to the flower room with out the roots in the veg tray getting tangled during veg. It's been a question I've been trying to solve for about 2 years now since I've been vegging in different trays than flower. So I decided to just use mesh bottom pots with hydroton instead, which I can then transplant /transport very easily.

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

Neat-o

I used to bake batches in the oven.. I guess this would work too.

 

[Alaric]

Thanks! And touche', I actually prefer mediumless but I can't for the life of me figure out an effective way to veg and transplant from the veg room to the flower room with out the roots in the veg tray getting tangled during veg. It's been a question I've been trying to solve for about 2 years now since I've been vegging in different trays than flower. So I decided to just use mesh bottom pots with hydroton instead, which I can then transplant /transport very easily.

If interested, check out the link in my sig (toward the end of the journal) tried to explain / show how I do it.

A~~~

 

[AlphaPhase]

Neat-o

I used to bake batches in the oven.. I guess this would work too.

I've tried the oven a number of different ways, but it always took so long for such small batches, and it dried unevenly, iIthink I'd have to use the broil setting to get a decent dry/ root incineration, but that would be wicked expensive for electric and my house would get so hot lol.

If interested, check out the link in my sig (toward the end of the journal) tried to explain / show how I do it.

A~~~

Right on, I'll check it out

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

I've tried the oven a number of different ways, but it always took so long for such small batches, and it dried unevenly, iIthink I'd have to use the broil setting to get a decent dry/ root incineration, but that would be wicked expensive for electric and my house would get so hot lol.
Right on, I'll check it out

Yeah, I put in in a junky old sheet pan, let it dry then baked it. Small ammounts.. sure.. you're hair dryer trick would work, smaller dried roots pulverize into dust pretty easy.

I kinda wonder how I'm gonna process bigger ammounts, like 55-100 gallons of rock, mebby I could use a weed burner after I lay it out to dry..

 

[AlphaPhase]

Yeah, I put in in a junky old sheet pan, let it dry then baked it. Small ammounts.. sure.. you're hair dryer trick would work, smaller dried roots pulverize into dust pretty easy.

I kinda wonder how I'm gonna process bigger ammounts, like 55-100 gallons of rock, mebby I could use a weed burner after I lay it out to dry..

Whats a weed burner,? Maybe a big flame thrower would work, burn the roots right off. Some people use a washing machine but iIjust can't see myself getting one just for that, and I'm not sure how well it would actually work. The roots would get wet I'd think and just stick to the rocks, but I'm not sure. I wonder how much heat hydroton could take with out breaking, because a fast high heat application I think would be best

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

Whats a weed burner,? Maybe a big flame thrower would work, burn the roots right off. Some people use a washing machine but iIjust can't see myself getting one just for that, and I'm not sure how well it would actually work. The roots would get wet I'd think and just stick to the rocks, but I'm not sure. I wonder how much heat hydroton could take with out breaking, because a fast high heat application I think would be best

It attaches to the end of a 20lb propane tank.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/6435919?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227010046964&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40470970952&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78362824112&veh=sem

 

[fandango]

A visual tutorial.

I was going to mix RW/Hydroton in my next flood table...but after watching your side bye side grow...I'm sold on straight hydroton.
Now I am happy to learn about the hair dryer to clean the rocks...the best thing about using all rocks is save money and use them again!
Also,I bet the nat population will not like living in the rocks...hehe

 

[fandango]

Wtf is a hydroton?

It's the same as the yellow brick road...in your out door garden

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

[QUOTE="fandango, post: 11954690, member: 403687"
Also,I bet the nat population will not like living in the rocks...hehe[/QUOTE]

I wish.. Fungus Gnats will get into wet hydroton, I got hits on my yellow sticky traps that was in hydroton.

 

[AlphaPhase]

I was going to mix RW/Hydroton in my next flood table...but after watching your side bye side grow...I'm sold on straight hydroton.
Now I am happy to learn about the hair dryer to clean the rocks...the best thing about using all rocks is save money and use them again!
Also,I bet the nat population will not like living in the rocks...hehe

Right on bro, some people have some luck with rockwool but I've yet to have anything compare to hydroton. The plants in the rockwool stay healthy, but jeeze they yield like crap for me! The gnat population is indeed dying off slowly, I have no gnats in the veg room which is all hydroton and I have just a few here and there in the flower room from what little rockwool is in there right now, but I'm finding tons of them dead and not many in the pots now

[QUOTE="fandango, post: 11954690, member: 403687"
Also,I bet the nat population will not like living in the rocks...hehe

I wish.. Fungus Gnats will get into wet hydroton, I got hits on my yellow sticky traps that was in hydroton.[/QUOTE]

It's true, they do still try to live in the hydroton, but the populations are so much smaller and they end up dying on their own, especially is the flood level is a few inches from the top of the pots. It's the soil and rockwool that they really start to thrive in, but in hydroton it's so much easier to control them or completely get rid of them

 

[fandango]

What is the flood schedule for my baby plants in the hydroton and do you think 400ppm is a good start?