I have questions about using ROCKWOOL!

I got my seeds germinating now and I want to kno the proper and successful way to prepare Rockwool cubes....I'm new to hydroponic I came from using soil so I have no clue. I have 3 different size Rockwool but I only planned to use two...I have the 1.5inch, 2inch, and the 4 inch Rockwool. I planned to use the 1.5 inch plug and transplant to the 4 inch block and transfer the 4 inch block to my 5 gallon bucket. But I don't kno too much about Rockwool and scared to mess up my babies so I'm asking you guys. I'm starting from seed and I have the tray wit the humidity dome. Is it best to leave the lights off while the seed is still in the Rockwool or its it best to turn lights on right away? Thanks guys

at this point i would have my light on above the dome for 18 hours ( 6 hours off ) and misting the inside of the dome a few times a day wipeing the old moisture away each time, the first day i have all vents shut on the dome and open them a tiny bit more each day untill its not needed anymore, and about the rockwool i normaly just go straight from the 1.5 inch cube straight to my hydorion i dont put the cube inside another cude but i surpose its personal preference, oh and dont let the rockwool get to wet but dont let it dry out eaither just keep it a little moist,

Let the rockwool sit in water for 24hr to balance ph of rockwool.

You can add a mild seaweed, seedlings/cuttings love this.

okay cool thanks for the information guys....im running the rockwool under bath water right now then imma place them in a ph'd bucket for 24 hours....sounds good??

Sounds good, have them soaking in a seaweed and super thrive if you can...dont want them totally wet though...just damp, let them drip off - never squeese...holds oxygen.

Yo Sneak, here is the deal bro.
Rockwool comes from the factory with an abundance of lime left in it from the manufacturing process. You use a 5.5 ph soak to dissolve the lime in solution, than flush that solution ouy with your 5.5 nute mix. Rockwool is different than most substrates and is worth reading up on. check out http://grodan101.com/

This link has some great advice about starting seeds. They suggest not using a humidity dome for seedlings. http://www.mandalaseeds.com/Guides/Germination-Guide

budman111 said:

Sounds good, have them soaking in a seaweed and super thrive if you can...dont want them totally wet though...just damp, let them drip off - never squeese...holds oxygen.

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i have super thrive i didnt kno it was okay to use it tho... so just 1 drop a gallon of superthrive right?

Ahh...so its excess lime...always wondered the cause!

sneakerhead702 said:

... so just 1 drop a gallon of superthrive right?

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thats all i use dude. its hormones to root and grow. I also give them voodoo but seemingly roots excellerator is the one to use.

the condition rockwool video.
http://grodan101.com/growing-tips/videos/4-soaking-conditioning

budman111 said:

Let the rockwool sit in water for 24hr to balance ph of rockwool.

You can add a mild seaweed, seedlings/cuttings love this.

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damn i forgot about the ph adjustment good job you were on top of things budman, 1 drop it a gallon of superthrive is perfect but make sure it is only 1 drop as it is quite strong.

If you are growing in buckets, I would personally just use the small cubes you are starting the seeds in. Once some decent roots are established, put them in the pots and fill with hydroton. Keep water level higher than bottom of pot but below rockwool and top feed a couple of times a day until roots emerge from pots. Once that happens, slowly drop water level until it is just below the pot.

how much do you know about your tapwater?

All I do is take a 1.5" rockwool cube, dip it in tapwater, shake the excess water out, and put the seed in and cover it with a little loose rockwool from the sides of the cube (fluff it a bit so the seed can push through) I use domes. dont saturate the cube, that's the key to all of this shit, not voodoo this or juicy seed nutrient that.... it's making sure that the rockwool is not saturated, and not dry. play with the cubes before you put a seed in, to find out how fast the water evaporates from it in a day, how damp does it stay if you have a dome, vs. no dome?

everyone wants to add this and that to take the best care of their "babies"... but simplicity works great.

Sometimes (depending on how expensive the seed) I will PH water to what I want it to be before watering the cubes w/seeds.

YaK said:

dont saturate the cube, that's the key to all of this shit, not voodoo this or juicy seed nutrient that....

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If you had not been lazy and had been bothered or even remotly had the intelligance to read and understand my post i said;

budman111 said:

dont want them totally wet though...just damp.

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So get off your fkn high horse...or is it cos i use AN voodoo product little guy?

^Slanty said:

If you are growing in buckets, I would personally just use the small cubes you are starting the seeds in. Once some decent roots are established, put them in the pots and fill with hydroton. Keep water level higher than bottom of pot but below rockwool and top feed a couple of times a day until roots emerge from pots. Once that happens, slowly drop water level until it is just below the pot.

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yea im growing in the buckets by i got the ebb monster so im really not controlling the water level im basically just controlling how long the water sits in the buckets

I also grow only in rockwool . I also like to rinse my blocks when I start to prepare them . Alot of loose stuff rinses off easily. After rinsing , I set them in my tub of water for an hour and THEN I adjust the PH . After a couple of hours , I adjust as necessary and let set overnight.

i too grow in rockwool and i dont pre soak them any more as what is the point...i started off pre soaking and letting them dry off a tad but my mate who as been growing for years told me to stop and just get them out the packet and just dip them in your water and nute mix and off you go...his results was better than mine so i dont pre soak any more

budman111 said:

If you had not been lazy and had been bothered or even remotly had the intelligance to read and understand my post i said; So get off your fkn high horse...or is it cos i use AN voodoo product little guy?

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I wasn't dissing your post, I read it and understood it. While it is great that it works for you, all I was stating is that it isn't totally necessary. No reason for you to get so defensive. oh, and ironically you misspelled intelligence.

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding and hope the OP gets great results with whatever method he chooses.

For Aok plugs i soak them in 5.5 ph water i use a gal jug with 15ml of thrive alive to soakem in!
For blocks i soak them in ph 5.5 water for 12 to 24 hrs

dadio161 said:

I also grow only in rockwool . I also like to rinse my blocks when I start to prepare them . Alot of loose stuff rinses off easily. After rinsing , I set them in my tub of water for an hour and THEN I adjust the PH . After a couple of hours , I adjust as necessary and let set overnight.

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im sorry but why all the work ? just dip them in your water and nute mix and off you go...ive done all that pre soak and adjust ph leave to stand over night...but i get the same results if i just wet them with tap water and nute mix and pop my cuttings or seedlings in