Hi All. I cant find Clay pellets around here where i live, So I was wondering what other possibilities I have for a grow medium. My plants are sitting in 4x4 rockwool cubes right now..And i am drip feeding them in a recirculating set up.They are only 2 weeks old(starting 2nd set of leaves)...Would fish tank gravel be a good option? or is there anything else to look for?...Ill order clay pellets online if i must,but asking anyway.....Also, Should i tear the plastic wrapper off of the 4x4 cubes to help air them out a bit more?(right now,, without pellets or gravel) Or would this cause more problems? Thanks for any helpful replies.
Hey dude, Any hydroponic store would sell hydroton, or expanded clay grow media. I wouldn't use fish tank gravel, you want something that will absorb and hold a bit of water. Which hydro method are you planning/hoping to use? Some alternatives, of stuff you might find at a regular hardware store would be lava rock, and/or expanded shale.
Hi thanks for the input. I am currently using an ebb and flow system. I just need to get them into something bigger now,because i see roots coming out of my 4 inch blocks.I wish there was a hydro store near here, but no luck on that.
i use aquarium gravel, its the smooth pea gravel, works great, ive used hydroton, and perlite in the past, they work great for certain applications, but this run we are going with the undercurrent system, and having the small partials and dust that falls off of those growing mediums would not work. so we went with something that would not be for lack of a better word dirty. these rocks are clean, smooth and still let air into the roots.