Rockwool for those new to the subject like me!! from Abby

What is rockwool?

* It is a mixture of rocks that is melted at high temperature to form a molten matrix, and then is passed across an air stream that cools the material and forms long fibrous strands that are bonded together to form slabs, blocks, plugs, etc., and granulates (non-bonded)
* Rockwool is mainly a mixture of basalt and dolomite
* The material is chemically and biologically inert
* The rockwool is clean of any plant pathogens



Rockwool is 97% (by volume) air (which means):

* You can control the air / water ratio in the substrate
* The greater volume of air will enhance root growth
* There will be less fluctuation in pH and EC compared with other growing mediums
* As water and nutrients drain from the rockwool or are taken up by plants, the pores of the material again are filled with air



Why use rockwool?

* More than 95% of the world’s greenhouse vegetable production is on rockwool!
* Rapid rooting of cuttings and seeds and maximum yields
* Allows optimum control of air / water ratio, pH and EC
* Rockwool products come in a variety of shapes and sizes that allow the grower to utilize it in many different types of hydroponic systems
* The most consistent production and highest yields in commercial production of vegetables occur on rockwool
* Rockwool is a manufactured product so the material will be consistent; organic products, natural products and substrates that are simply dug from the ground will be much more variable



This package consists of:

3 strips (each strip contains 45 pieces of 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch wrapped cubes) That is 135 pieces total! What is rockwool?

* It is a mixture of rocks that is melted at high temperature to form a molten matrix, and then is passed across an air stream that cools the material and forms long fibrous strands that are bonded together to form slabs, blocks, plugs, etc., and granulates (non-bonded)
* Rockwool is mainly a mixture of basalt and dolomite
* The material is chemically and biologically inert
* The rockwool is clean of any plant pathogens



Rockwool is 97% (by volume) air (which means):

* You can control the air / water ratio in the substrate
* The greater volume of air will enhance root growth
* There will be less fluctuation in pH and EC compared with other growing mediums
* As water and nutrients drain from the rockwool or are taken up by plants, the pores of the material again are filled with air



Why use rockwool?

* More than 95% of the world’s greenhouse vegetable production is on rockwool!
* Rapid rooting of cuttings and seeds and maximum yields
* Allows optimum control of air / water ratio, pH and EC
* Rockwool products come in a variety of shapes and sizes that allow the grower to utilize it in many different types of hydroponic systems
* The most consistent production and highest yields in commercial production of vegetables occur on rockwool
* Rockwool is a manufactured product so the material will be consistent; organic products, natural products and substrates that are simply dug from the ground will be much more variable



This package consists of:

3 strips (each strip contains 45 pieces of 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch wrapped cubes) That is 135 pieces total!

I wish I knew how to put a Hyperlink in but I don't so it is
OneStopHydroponics.com

There is more good information on this thread. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/411784/

To make a link, the easiest for me is to open the site, highlight the address and copy it and then come to your post and paste it in the post. Dave's software will make the link for you. They can be typed in, but make sure you get it typed exactly right or it won't work.