Article Sphere Logo  
 
"Landscaping Gardening" Article
 Article Directory Home Home And Family Landscaping Gardening

The Use of Rockwool Cubes

Expert Author: Anne Harvester | Submitted: 2008-05-18 | Word Count: 409 words | Views: 240 view(s) [View Summary]
Anne Harvester
You’ll find a wide range of growing mediums at most retail outlets that carry hydroponic supplies as well as websites through which you can order hydroponic supplies. Hydroponics is a form of gardening that is usually done indoors and without soil, but growing mediums are still necessary.


What Are The Choices?

If you’re planning to do your growing indoors, you find a number of growing mediums from which to choose. Among the most popular are:

- Expanded clay pellets
- Oasis Cubes
- Coconut Fiber
- Sand
- Gravel
- Perlite
- Sphagum Moss
- Water
- Vermiculite
- Fiberglass Insulation
- Sawdust
- Proprietary Soilless Mix
- Air
- Lava Rock
- Rockwool

The last one is available in two different forms: rockwool cubes and rockwool plugs. It is also the most popular and commonly used by those whose gardens are growing indoors.

About Rockwool

Originally used as home insulation, it was the Danish hydroponics community that first thought of using it as one of their growing mediums.

Contrary to what you may have heard, rockwool is not obtained from stone sheep; it is made from melted sand and rock, which is then spun into fibers (such like “cotton candy”) that can be made into numerous useful shapes and sizes.

Advantages of Rockwool

Rockwool has distinct advantages over other types of growing mediums. Among these is the fact that in holds a substantial amount of water; in addition, almost 20% of rockwool cubes or plugs consists of air.

These two facts protect your efforts at growing indoors in two ways:

(A) It provides a “safety buffer” in case of power outage or pump failure

(B) It provides the roots with sufficient oxygen, making it impossible to over-water.

Rockwool cubes and rockwool plugs are easy to work with as well. It comes in many different sizes – up to 1’ by 3’ slabs three inches thick. You can also purchase loose granules of rockwool. Since it sticks together, it is easy to avoid the creation of large messes.

Disadvantages

As with all hydroponic supplies, there are certain drawbacks to rockwool as well. Disposal of used rockwool is a problem, as the substance is practically indestructible – and therefore, not bio-degradable. It requires at least 24 hours of preparatory soaking before it is ready for use, and since it is very alkaline, you will need to adjust your nutrient solution and monitor pH levels regularly.

Finally, growing mediums such as rockwool and vermiculite can health hazards. Vermiculite is sometimes contaminated with asbestos, and rockwool dust can cause silicosis if ingested into the lungs. As long as proper precautions are taken however, rockwool can be one of the most easy-to-use growing mediums available.

About the Author

Anne Harvester has a great deal of experience with indoor gardening. Hydroponic gardening is the way of the future. Known to some as “soil less gardening”, hydroponics are proven to grow plants 20-30% faster than their soil grown counterparts.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/The-Use-of-Rockwool-Cubes/140925

 
 
 
This article has been viewed 240 times.

More "Landscaping Gardening" Related Articles

 

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Landscaping Gardening" article category.

People interested in the above article "The Use of Rockwool Cubes" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

Expert Author: Anne Harvester | Submitted: 2008-07-10 | Word Count: 472 | Views: 8
Indoor pest control is a very important, yet often overlooked, component of successful hydroponic gardening. Pests can occur indoors as well as outdoors. Many choose organic pest control products in order to ensure the purity of their food. Organic indoor pest control agents are also ideal for those suffering from food allergies or are otherwise sensitive to what they ingest.
Expert Author: Anne Harvester | Submitted: 2008-07-09 | Word Count: 539 | Views: 13
Also critical is being able to differentiate between the various types of pests which can be encountered within your hydroponics based indoor gardening space. Some pests can only be eradicated by specific indoor pest control remedies. Without the ability to identify correctly which pest you have encountered your efforts to eradicate them can prove quite difficult.
Expert Author: Anne Harvester | Submitted: 2008-07-08 | Word Count: 494 | Views: 10
Hydroponics also allows for the mad scientist in you to emerge. Hydroponic systems can include cloning kits allowing you to invent your own super spicy version of a jalapeno or habanera pepper. Some attempt to cross breed fruits to yield a new creation. It can be art with food as your palate. Indoor gardening using hydroponics can also produce a variety of fresh spices. This can enhance both the food coming from your own grow lights as well as normal store bought food. No store can provide spices as fresh as you can have picked as you cook from your own indoor gardening paradise.
Expert Author: Anne Harvester | Submitted: 2008-07-07 | Word Count: 491 | Views: 39
Hydroponics nutrients can come in many forms. There are powders as well as hydroponic nutrient solutions. As indicated, it is important to include both the applicable macronutrients and micronutrients. When it comes to hydroponics nutrients of the macronutrient variety there are three key possible ingredients. These are potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous. These basic nutrient types are critical for all crop types.
Expert Author: Anne Harvester | Submitted: 2008-07-06 | Word Count: 414 | Views: 58
Many choose to engage in hydroponics for the sheer fun of it. Indoor gardening has all the appeal of outdoor gardening except without the heat, dirt or bugs. Many feel a sense of satisfaction knowing they produced the food on their plate. The pride is magnified once they experience the taste which often surpasses that of similar very expensive produce bought at organic stores. With the easy availability of hydroponics supplies and cloning kits your indoor growing endeavor is easy to maintain.
Expert Author: Kristin Kronstain | Submitted: 2008-07-04 | Word Count: 560 | Views: 63
People invest a lot of money in the things they love. From cars to shoes to art, there are people who are constantly looking for the next interesting piece to add to their collection. Landscaping has become an art form in itself and people like to invest in its cultivation and continued improvement. There are even professionals who create this type of art: landscape architects. Just like traditional architects design structures that will be built with combinations of materials, landscape architects design gardens that are pieced together using beautiful combinations of style and color.
Expert Author: Ryan McCall | Submitted: 2008-06-28 | Word Count: 418 | Views: 134
As summertime rolls around, lots of individuals like to enjoy the great outdoors, and the spectacular views available. On the front of many landscaping and design magazines, there are pretty swimming pools with gorgeous plants and landscaping. Often, such a splendid backyard and pool area are just a dream for a many homeowners.

 View Popular Landscaping Gardening Articles | View Top Landscaping Gardening Authors

Article Directory Home Home And Family Landscaping Gardening

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!
(Search in 23 languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, German,
Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Dutch, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Greek,
Swedish, Romanian, Polish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish, Czech, Croatian, Bulgarian)
 
 
Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.
Template Design by Larry Lim | Internet Marketing
Français/French Español/Spanish 日本語/Japanese [أربيك]/Arabic Italiano/Italian Deutsch/German 汉语/Chinese Simplified 漢語/Chinese Traditional Nederlands/Dutch 한국어/Korean Port/Portuguese Русско/Russian
Ελληνικά/Greek Swedish Roman?/Romanian Polski/Polish Norwegian Suomi/Finnish Dansk/Danish ?esky/Czech Hrvatski/Croatian §¢§ì§Ý§Ô§Ñ§â§ã§Ü§Ú/Bulgarian English - Original language