First Time Top Feed Dripper Hydro System!

Rockwool is probably the most popular growing medium on earth. Rockwool was originally used as insulation and was called "Mineral Insulation". It was developed for gardening in Denmark and is used extensively around the world for "Drip-Style" hydroponic systems.​

RETAINS WATER - Rockwool holds an incredible amount of water which gives you a "buffer" against power outages and pump (or timer) failure. You want your rock woll saturated and it saturates well, plus hold air too.

​

HOLDS AIR - Rockwool holds at least 18 % air at all times (unless it is sitting directly in water), which supplies the root zone with plenty of oxygen. This means that it is practically impossible to over-water rockwool.

​

COMES IN A VARIETY OF SIZES AND SHAPES - From 1" cubes designed for use in propagation, to 3"x12"x36" slabs capable of holding the root systems of huge plants, rockwool comes in dozens of shapes and sizes making it a versatile growing medium. Rockwool also comes "Loose" so you can fill pots or containers of any size.

​

CLEAN AND CONVENIENT - Rockwool holds together very well so it can't spill. Rockwool also comes wrapped in plastic, which makes it easy to handle and keeps evaporation to a minimum.
​

NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY - Rockwool is hard to dispose of, if buried it will last indefinitely.

​

DUST AND FIBERS ARE A HEALTH RISK - The fibers and dust from the rockwool are bad for your lungs. Wear a dust mask when handling it dry, to prevent problems. Soaked and Saturated, it is safe.

​

pH PROBLEMS - Rockwool has a high pH which means you have to adjust your nutrient solution low so that the root zone is neutral. Rockwool is also susceptible to pH shifts meaning a bit more routine maintenance to keep the pH levels correct.

​

LONG PRE-SOAK PERIOD - Rockwool should be pre-soaked for 24 hours before use. Most other growing medium only needs to be well watered.

​

Before you use rockwool you must first soak it in water adjusted to a pH of 4.5 to 5.0. You should soak the rockwool for about 24 hours. To soak rockwool cubes use a bucket or other water tight container, just put the cubes in the water and let them float around. To soak the rockwool slabs cut a hole in the bag around the slab and pour in pH adjusted water until the slab is totally saturated, let soak for 24 hours Then cut drainage slits in the bottom.​

Rockwool cubes come in many different sizes. There are two sizes of "starter cubes" that are designed for propagation. The 1" x 1" x 1 1/2" and the 2" x 2" x 1 1/2" cubes are not wrapped in plastic and are normally used for starting seeds. The 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" cubes are wrapped on four sides with plastic to slow evaporation and are used primarily for taking cuttings.
The 3" and 4" cubes can be used as the primary growing medium or in conjunction with other growing mediums. For small plants a large cube may be all the growing medium that you need. For larger plants these cubes are used as an intermediate medium that gets transplanted into a different type of growing medium as the plants grow.
The larger cubes come with or without a hole that is designed to fit the 1" cube. With the hole you can easily transplant the 1" starter cube into the larger cube simply by inserting it into the hole.​