Cover Rockwool?

I've seen people post that they cover their rockwool with foil after placing it in their DWC. Is this necessary? Would it be better to use the hydroton or foil to cover it? Thanks!

personally when I get back to hydro (real soon) , I'm gonna make the shit so a bug can't even think about getting to my rootzone. I dunno why others cover theirs other than maybe so algae won't form. I'll be using tanglefoot , neoprene inserts and whatever else I can find to keep shit from my roots.

Hydroton is way better than foil. Covering the rockwool is very importatn to aviod green algae.

I never cover my rapid rooters but always cover rock wool because if I don't algae show up.

Thanks Buddah. What do you use to cover your rockwool?

Tex: If you're growing in a net pot they make plastic covers the size of your pot for about 50 cents to a dollar at most hydro stores. You can use Hydroton but if you do make it an inch or two thick and it can get loose in you grow space. I hope that helps. HSA

texasguy said:

Thanks Buddah. What do you use to cover your rockwool?

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I cut up panda film to fit pots or cups.. black/white poly.

growrocks....

Hydroton, dont use ever use foil

Guys you seem to know something about rock wool. What can be done to stop the pH form going up?

Texas sorry to hijack your thread but I thought you might want to know this too.

Glider said:

Guys you seem to know something about rock wool. What can be done to stop the pH form going up?

Texas sorry to hijack your thread but I thought you might want to know this too.

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what type of PH- you need a good PH- acid, I use phosphoric acid, some people use sulfuric acid

Glider said:

Guys you seem to know something about rock wool. What can be done to stop the pH form going up?

Texas sorry to hijack your thread but I thought you might want to know this too.

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Do you rinse your rockwool, and then soak it in Ph balanced water?

@ Zem u use grow rocks by themselves? How do you position the clone (or seed/seedling) in the net pots? I was given a hydro growbox this morning & I was gonna wait to order some rockwool, but i have plenty growrocks if u could explain how u use them. thanks!

readysetgro said:

@ Zem u use grow rocks by themselves? How do you position the clone (or seed/seedling) in the net pots? I was given a hydro growbox this morning & I was gonna wait to order some rockwool, but i have plenty growrocks if u could explain how u use them. thanks!

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I start the seeds directly in the rock wool and a start my clones directly in it also. That way I have no transplant shock. The rock wool then goes directly into the net pots or into a cut out in the big rook wool final growing cube. (the idea that you had to start your seeds on a paper towel was really bogus.) I am not a big fan of the little rocks. I did try to use the rocks to position the clones in the net pots but a found that extra pieces of rock wool around the top of the plant worked better.

Hugo Phurst said:

Do you rinse your rockwool, and then soak it in Ph balanced water?

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I condition phosphoric acid and soak at pH 6.0. Everything was fine until day 77 of my grow. Yesterday I drained all of the nute water out of the reservoir and washed the cube with straight water adjusted with pH "up" adjusted to pH 6.5. After about a hour of washing and added more base, it seemed to stablize at 6.0. So for it is staying there. I still do not know what made it go so acid