Hi guys,

I have an idea for my new grow, i need some questions answered however, so if anyone can lend a word of advice, its much appreciated. I have researched this best i can so im confident this will work.


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Ok so 2 black plastic containers that will stack enough to fit in a pump and enough water to fill the top tray.

The overflow stem will also act as a level regulator, to ensure that the water doesn't rise above an inch of the cubes (as the rockwool cubes are 1.5" high). The pump will be run on a timer, first question of the day:

1) How long should the water level be kept at an inch? (i.e how long should the rockwool be soaked?)

Now, I have also been reading into air-pruning, and how effective it is in rockwool. This i plan to incorporate into my design, so that i may grow plants in this box from seed.

As you can see, my rockwool cubes are resting on something. This something is most likely going to be an oven rack supported 2" off the bottom somehow.

This will keep my first rockwool cube off the ground so that air pruning can take place when the shoot grows initially. I will add adjacent cubes when the first cube is full of roots.

Can anyone answer this:

2) Will roots grow to the side/root into adjacent cubes? i hear they can do some crazy things.

This set up will house 2 plants. Water will be nutrient supplemented, and changed every 2 weeks. I hear that CO2 tablets can be used to enhance plant growth. is this true?

Im going to use a 250w HPS lamp with a digital ballast on a timer.

Timings:

From what i have researched the following light timer settings yield best results.

seed to 1": no dark time, 24/0

Veg Growth 1-30": 20/4

Flowering: 8 weeks 12/12

I will also be using a small rotary fan for some air circulation.

Post if iv missed anything. I am going to do this, so il make a diary or summit of it let u know how it goes.

Just let the system pump enougth water to the cubes to give them a good soaking.Once the cubes are wet the plants can utilise the feed in the water.Mix a new batch of nutrients up once a week some will say that there is no need but you will have far less problems i would let the cubes be soaked 3 times a day.Make sure that no light can get any where near the cubes or this can cause mould to grow on the tops and on the plants in the end.Make sure that you ph the water at least every time that you put fresh water in the system.And it won't hurt to alter the ph if it rises during the week i would go for a ph of 5.5/6.0.Has long has the roots are not clogging any of the main pump up then let them go where they want bigger the root mass bigger the yeild.But it is not often that the plants will do this but if they do leave them has long has the roots are not effecting the feed scedual.Don't get lasy and start leaveing the old nutrients in and just topping up or you will end up with all kind of problems.

Thanks man that filled in a lot of gaps!

If the cubes are close then yes they can grow into each other, i would start off watering once a day, thats all you should need in rockwool, 2 maybe 3 times once you start flowering, good luck with the air pruning.