Today I woke up to see roots protruding from the sides and bottom of my rock wool cubes. I also use the Jiffy Cubes. Actually, I used the Jiffy cubes exclusively until my neighbor suggested I try The rock wool cubes. They are about the same price. I transplanted them into the small 4" Jiffy, (I call them my training pots), pots and put them under a separate clone dome arrangement. I call that the Kindergarten. They stay there for about 6 days until their roots push against the sides of the training pots. After that they go into 1 gal pots until they reach 20 inches. At that point they go into their final 3 gallon pot and into the flower tent beginning their 12 hour schedule where they will grow to about 60 inches when finished.
I have observed the technique for using the rock wool cubes is a little different than that used with the peat moss cubes. I have noticed a tendency for the rock wool cubes to dry out when first put in the soil. The surrounding soil pulls the moisture from the rock wool cube requiring more frequent watering until the roots have had a chance to permeate the soil and acquire water for her self. That process takes about 4 days. The Jiffy cubes retain more water thus avoid the dehydration problem associated with rock wool. That being said, I believe roots seem to have an easier time working their way through the rock wool material than the soil type cubes, showing roots a day or two earlier; Or at least it did for me. Rooting quickly with less effort required sounds like it would be an advantage for the auto flowering varieties. I don't want any impediments to root growth so, I remove the peat training pots when the roots reach the sides. I check frequently starting 4 days after transplanting. It seems to me if the roots begin to circle the pot the plant begins to lose it's growth momentum and will appear to pause its rapid growth rate until more earth is available for it. Of course the roots will eventually poke their way through the biodegradable pots but not until they have wasted energy circling the insides of the pot. The wasted energy inhibits the desired rapid plant growth, putting a stumbling block in the way of speedy growth which I believe is unnecessary and preventable. Any thing I can do to help the plants achieve their best growth potential is worth trying.
Am I wrong about this?
It's just an observation. Your results may differ.
I have observed the technique for using the rock wool cubes is a little different than that used with the peat moss cubes. I have noticed a tendency for the rock wool cubes to dry out when first put in the soil. The surrounding soil pulls the moisture from the rock wool cube requiring more frequent watering until the roots have had a chance to permeate the soil and acquire water for her self. That process takes about 4 days. The Jiffy cubes retain more water thus avoid the dehydration problem associated with rock wool. That being said, I believe roots seem to have an easier time working their way through the rock wool material than the soil type cubes, showing roots a day or two earlier; Or at least it did for me. Rooting quickly with less effort required sounds like it would be an advantage for the auto flowering varieties. I don't want any impediments to root growth so, I remove the peat training pots when the roots reach the sides. I check frequently starting 4 days after transplanting. It seems to me if the roots begin to circle the pot the plant begins to lose it's growth momentum and will appear to pause its rapid growth rate until more earth is available for it. Of course the roots will eventually poke their way through the biodegradable pots but not until they have wasted energy circling the insides of the pot. The wasted energy inhibits the desired rapid plant growth, putting a stumbling block in the way of speedy growth which I believe is unnecessary and preventable. Any thing I can do to help the plants achieve their best growth potential is worth trying.
Am I wrong about this?
It's just an observation. Your results may differ.
