What are Rockwool Cubes?

Rockwool cubes have recently exploded nationwide among indoor hydroponic gardeners. So what’s the buzz? It turns out that Rockwool cubes are a great growing medium for both hydroponic and soil gardeners. These natural spun fiber cubes have many benefits that all gardeners can take advantage of!

How is Rockwool Made?

It’s always good to understand the products that you are using. Since many people are unfamiliar with horticultural Rockwool cubes, we’ll first explore what it is. Rockwool Cubes start their life as natural Basaltic Rock that is melted down and through a manmade process is spun into small fibers. The process yields fibers that feel much like raw fiberglass and insulation. Once the fibers are set, they are then combined with a binder and molded into their final form. Machines are used to compress the Rockwool Cubes to gain the correct density.

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Before you even start to use Rockwool Cubes, it is advised that you soak the necessary cubes in water with pH 5-6. Soak for at least a half hour, squeeze and rise with tap water. This process is done because Rockwool can sometimes be alkaline, and this helps bring it back to pH neutral.

• · Seed Starters – Rockwool cubes are one of the best seed starting mediums. All you have to do is keep your cubes moist and the near perfect air to water ratio will create the perfect seed-sprouting environment. Hydroponic and soil gardeners alike can utilize the benefits of Rockwool as a seed starter. In my experience, germination rates dramatically increased using Rockwool instead of standard soil. The great thing is that when your young seedlings have developed substantial roots, you can plant the Rockwool cubed plants in either soil or hydroponic gardens.
• · Cutting/Clone Propagation – Rockwool is also very popular for the propagation of roots in cuttings. When used along with a cloning gel, Rockwool provides the proper environment for new roots to sprout. You’ll greatly improve your ability to clone mints, berry bushes, fruit trees and even medical Cannabis plants. The process is as simple as taking the cutting, dipping into cloning gel and then placing it into the moist Rockwool for incubation.
• · Full Life Cycle Growing – Hydroponic gardeners can also benefit from the larger Rockwool cubes. These large cubes can provide a perfect full lifecycle growing medium for plants. Many hydroponic gardeners prefer using Rockwool because they bypass the messy growing mediums such as Hydroton and Coconut fiber.

Although Rockwool continues to be an underrated gardening product, its benefits shouldn’t be overlooked. What gardener doesn’t need a high propagating ,reliable seed starting medium? Overall, Rockwool is a great, natural and cheep growing medium that will greatly improve you gardening experiences.

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