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#1
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growing medium
newbi here and I am just getting started in hydroponics,so I have many questions.so my first question is has anyone ever used fish tank gravel as a growing medium,I cant find hydroton in my area and shipping is to exspensive.the gravel I have was used in a fish tank it is natual with no color,it looks just like river rock but is about a 1/4 to 1/2 inches in diameter thanks in advance
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#2
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river rock
Yes gravel works well, I use river rock (dime size) from my local feed/ seed but Wally world has same just about $1 a bag more. Be sure to wash well to remove dirt before adding to your system.
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#3
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P.S. After washing the rock, I would also sanitize it by soaking it in bleach water for an hour (or boiling water for 20 min). Then wash off the bleach water thoroughly. |
#4
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Another newbie question here
Are (any of) the following grow / starter media reusable? (after sanitizing the media with bleach/water solution) - Coconut Coir - LECA (Hydroton or clay balls) - Perlite - Rockwool - Oasis How about disposing of the media? |
#5
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#6
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Hydroton has the main advantage to be reusable in any way. Oasis cubes are from synthetic material and (obviously) said by the manufacturer to not be reusable or compostable. Perlite can be reused, especially when used for seedlings and easy to clean. Perlite can also be a great substrate additive with potting ground. Rockwool is recommended by most manufacturers to be thoroughly rinsed of any organic material and to be reused. I have used all of them - and as far as I am concerned and in my practice, none of them except synthetic material will go into any trash can. Btw: I only use rock wool for cloning ,and any synthetic material is used very sparingly, - in fact for occasional testing purposes only. PS: for some people hydroponics is seen and practiced as a clean or even "sterile art". But that is only one way of seeing and doing it. I am doing hydroponics with semi-organic media and high bacterial activity (even inoculation), organic decomposition, even room for some algae and use and build-up of organic material since years and am rather successful. If doing so, slightly different roles and ways of doing apply for sure, but I believe they are closer to nature and have less of that "lab atmosphere" many hydroponic setups and their respective owners reflect. Last edited by Luches; 03-23-2010 at 10:14 PM. |
#7
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As far as perlite, unless they are small tiny plants that the entire root system comes out when you pull it up, leaving nothing behind, good luck cleaning it. I also have no idea how you are supposes to rinse the root systems out of rockwool. Unless you shred it up into tiny pieces, but even then you'll never be able to completely separate the rockwool from the roots. Just not worth the time and effort to me to even try. Oasis and rockwool have the same type of structure, and if you were able to wash/rinse the roots out of roockwool, you should be able to do the same with oasis. |
#8
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I believe this is not a matter of argumentation or rhetorical comparisons but of simple facts:
Rockwool slabs and bricks ARE successfully used several times by many professional growers. Simply let them dry out and sterilize them as they are with hydrogen peroxide and dry again - then reuse. As for Perlite you also dry out the whole clod with everything. The roots will shrink when drying. When completely dry, shake well and there you have it separated much easier. Do not separate all micro particles of organic matter and fibers from Perlite but only sieve the dusty and fine parts out - then sterilize it all with hydrogen peroxide and reuse (preferably for seedlings or fast growing crops, may indeed be a hint here).To whom ever this still seems troublesome, simply use Perlite in your potting substrate or in drip to waste. It's anyways a good idea to have some robust and forgiving plants growing in "drip to waste" to be fed with used nutrients, instead of depleting them. And here you have got an ecological, fully functional, practicable and plausible way to go. |
#9
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#10
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The question was if, and how to reuse these growing mediums. I guess I gave explanations and advice if and how to do so with each of them. I believe the explanations are correct, plausible and helpful as they are and don't need any hairsplitting like that.
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#11
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Someone asking that question is new to hydroponics, and they will likely want to eliminate as many problems as they can. I am not trying to argue, I just want to make sure that anyone reading the thread will have all the facts, not just one side of them. Then they can make the best decision for their situation. Also keep in mind that many people read the threads, NOT just the ones posting in it, or even registered as users in the forum. More people read the threads than are even registered on the site, and most of those people are just looking into hydroponics. They should be able to be aware of both sides of the coin, so they can make the best decision for them. And that goes for any thread in this forum. |
#12
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No thanks - let it be!
I have been clearly differentiating between clean and dirty. And every single hint I have suggested can be used as stand alone, ONE by ONE either by pros or newbies, without any of your accessory comments. Full stop! |
#13
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I don't agree, and I wasn't asking permission from your highness.
Last edited by GpsFrontier; 03-24-2010 at 07:12 AM. |
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