Wow, thanks for the input cultivator! What are your thoughts of mixing RW cubes with hydroton? That might add a new dynamic to both mediums and possibly have the pros outweigh the cons, like better water to air ratios and improved drying or something like that. I wish I had the space to do a 3 way side by side b/c everything before and after could be an identical routine. Then we'd have more insight into both mediums and possible combinations of the 2.
I have seen hydroton/rockwool mixes out there, but it is not a very popular way to grow. Growers usually either go full hydroton, full rockwool, or most commonly seen is a 90/10 rockwool to hydroton mix, leaving only a bottom layer of hydroton for better drainage.
The only downsides I see with a 50/50 mix of the two are:
1. A heavier pot overall; since you would want to transplant as often as you do in rockwool, going up in pot sizes with 50% of the medium being hydroton, will greatly increase this.
2. And the price of the combined mediums. Although hydroton can be reused, trying to clean and separate all the rockwool pieces from the root mass and the hydroton will be tedious work. Maybe to the point that it is not worth the effort to do, so purchasing new medium for each grow might be necessary.
These are the only cons I can think of, but I'm sure the benefits, if a grower decides to experiment with this, WILL be interesting to see and compare!
24/11/13
FLOWER DAY 25
Not much much since the last update, but since I am changing the res today to start Capn's
3 Day PPM Test, I thought it was best to give an update of how things look before I reduce the feed down to 900 PPM this week. I will be posting my first readings of the new nutrient mix later today after it has had time to settle and after 3-4 readings 30 minutes apart. I will then start feeding this mix starting tomorrow morning at the plant's first feeding.
But for now, here are some pics