hydroponics rockwool, (also known as horticultural stone wool or horticultural mineral wool) is an inorganic solid growing medium. It’s made up of 60% of diabase, 20% of limestone and 20% of coke. After melting under a high temperature of 1600 ℃, it will be spin to 0.005mm fiber and compressed into blocks. The weight is usually 70 ~ 90kg/m3.
Hydroponic rockwool has good air permeability and water retention performance. After the high temperature of 1600 ℃, it’s sterile and non-pollution. So it becomes main growing substrate for hydroponic systems in world.
It has below advantages compared to other growing medium:
1.Issues of water, nutrients and oxygen supply can be easily solved.
NFT cultivation supply oxygen mainly by using oxygen device, or water spray.
But Rock wool has good ventilation. It can coordinate the relationship between fertilizer, water and oxygen without adding other devices.
2.Rock wool has the ability of water absorbing (as high as 600%).
Water and nutrient can be easily reserved by rockwool. It can create a stable growth environment for the crops roots, and less affected by the outside.
At the same time, due to the evenness of stone wool, the supply of nutrient solution and oxygen at different positions in the cultivation bed will be similar. It won’t cause big difference between plants.
3.Rock wool cultivation device is simple. It’s easy to install and use, and is not restricted by horizon level.
The system only needs rock wool mattress, UV-resistant plastic film, and drip irrigation device.
Because of drip irrigation, rock wool culture has less strict requirements on ground slope than NFT. Also the supply times of nutrient solution can be greatly reduced. Water and electricity can be greatly saved.
4.Rock wool itself does not spread disease, insects and weeds.
Soil borne disease is rare during the process of cultivation. It can be continuous used for 1 ~ 2 years in case of non-serious disease, or re-use after disinfection.
5.The stonewool is light in quality and remains high strength after being soaked in water.
It can be used for vertical hydroponics farming balcony cultivation, or seedling growth.
