Propagation: Starting seeds in rockwool cubes

I just put in an order for the rockwool cubes, worm castings, liquid fertilizer. I'll let you know how my Brug seeds do once I receive the rockwool and get them started. Thanks for the link!

I, did, too, Shirley :) Bought some on ebay today. Can't wait!

I do not have good success growing seeds in a soiless mixture. Do you think I can use the rockwool to grow other seeds, other than just brug seeds?
I would just love to join everyone in growing plants from my own seeds this winter/spring.

Donna

I'll have to take some pics today and post them. I have cassia alata up that I started in rockwool, and I have some swamp hibiscus up that I started in rockwool. I think it will use it exclusively now on for starting seeds.

I am having great luck also Mary. I started some on the 12/28 and they are already coming up!

How are you all doing on these price wise? I just realized www.Wormsway.com is close enough for me to drive to. Is shipping running high for those of you doing mail order?

Michele, just make sure that you don't get the big cubes. Mine are about 1-1/2 inch cubes. I didn't see anything under 3 inch size in the paper wrapped at Worms way and I think that would make them expensive. The flat full of 50 cubes for a little over $10 might be a good way to go. My order included other products, but I didn't think it was outrageous. Hope you find what you need. It is seed planting time!!

I think the shipping can get expensive if you are going to get more than 20 or 40. The material is heavier. I saw the 1.5" X 1.5" listed at wormsway.com. I just can't figure out how many you get of that size for $6.50.

I just called wormsway.com and it was a 3 pack of 15 cubes each. Sounds like the best deal I've heard of yet!

This message was edited Jan 5, 2004 2:36 PM

My order for rockwool cubes was "$9.25 for the 1.5 inch pads", plus S&H. I ordered a couple of other items too.

I must have missed them. Dealing with a bit of the flu and not concentrating like I should. Sorry..Yes, if you get a bunch, the shipping will get you. I ordered a bunch and a couple of slabs too. Don't remember what the shipping was, but maybe about $10. I just found an email with the information: I ordered 90 1-1/2 in. cubes and two six inch slabs. It cost me a little over $27 for the stuff and shy of $9 for the postage with insurance being 19 cents. It weighed 7.5 pounds.

I just did another search and found this site: http://www.bghydro.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?
It has lots of rockwool pads too. I just ordered the 1x1x1.5 size for $.10 or $8.85 for 3 slabs. The shipping was $4.93 and CA residents had to pay sales tax.

I sure hope I can get some seeds to grow this year! lol

Donna


This message was edited Jan 5, 2004 12:39 PM

that's where I got mine.

I bought some off ebay pretty reasonable 24 of the wrapped cubes for 6.00 plus 3.oo shipping I thought that was pretty good I had already bought a slab of 200 small ones with the preslit holes for 8.85 and the shipping was 8.85 ups so I don't know wich way is best but if all these seeds germinate I will have more than i can handle so i think i will let this be all i order right now that will be 224 seeds i don't have that many pots LOL not to mention the room and potting soil here is where i got my slab I thought this was the cheapest but shipping was high
http://www.bghydro.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=GMAO25%2F40&Category_Code=GM

Here is the ones i got on ebay this is another auction they have up http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20546&item=2370959564

This message was edited Jan 5, 2004 3:33 PM

Another thought on these is that the ones at wormsway.com were sold either wrapped in plastic or not. I asked about this, too, and she said that the plastic wrapped around each cube helps force the roots downward rather than sideways. I suppose you could wrap your own, too, if they weren't already wrapped and that was of concern.

Morph, I've noticed that the seeds in the wrapped cubes do have roots that go down, but those I started in unwrapped oasis cubes have hairy roots coming out the sides of the cubes and they dry out. Glad you posted this.

Thanks for verifying, Brugie. Hope you are feeling better, too.

I cut some of the big cubes into smaller cubes. The stuff can be cut easily with a serrated knife. It might be a lil' cheaper that way.... I got 8 small cubes from one 3-inch block.

Mine just pulls apart.

Wow! Lots of good info. Is anyone using the plug sized ones or are those too small? I generally start seeds in plug trays then up to cells or four inch pots depending on the size of the plant. Doing them that way saves a lot of space, taking into consideration the number of seeds that don't sprout and the dirt that has to be tossed once it is used. I'm hoping to do less growing inside this year.

Geeze, was I the thread killer?? :(

Seed, what do you mean by the "plug sized ones" ~ the 1.5" square ones or something different?

They are actually available as little round plugs, with or without the tray. I'd have to look again to see what the size is. They just look mighty convenient! LOL

Okay, checked first. Plugs w/tray http://www.wormsway.com/detail.asp?sku=RP300

Plugs alone http://www.wormsway.com/detail.asp?sku=RP310

I don't see the size mentioned.

Too cute and too cool! I'm putting those on my wish list for next Christmas!!!

When I was reading about this (as rockwool is all new to me), I read that you should never remove a seedling from the rockwool because of the danger you might do to the root structure formed.

So, when you upgrade your cute little plugs, do you move the plug into soil at that time or do you put the plug into something else? These seem to be a much more manageable size but might also require more attention to transplant earlier if they are even smaller than the small square ones? They sure are tempting in the tray and all!!!

Does the rockwool decompose over time? Or, do you use it only for germinating and then remove the seedlings from the rockwool?

Sorry for all the questions!!!

Wormsway says not to remove plants from the rock wool or you risk root damage. Of course they want to sell more rock wool. LOL I'd imagine though the root damage is a real probability. I did also see where you can sanitize and reuse it. For things that don't grow?? I read a couple of sites and they say you can just stick the smaller rock wool with plant into a bigger rock wool, or soil or water, etc. I have never used this medium so am only repeating what I have read.

I just plant my cubes into soil. Have not moved into a bigger chunk of rockwool. Saw no reason for it. The rockwool is basically for germinating the seeds in this case. Some I have even potted up as soon as I see the germination taking place. By that time, there is already a root coming out the bottom of the cube.

I should look closely at mine for I put in triple the seeds I should have. I had the hole that came with it then I took a knife and made slits all over and stuck more seeds in.

Just don't let the roots get too big before you split them Kell and they should be okay. I did that with just a few extra seeds instead of making another tub of them. Laziness got to me I guess.

KELL you tickle me so I needed that laugh today !!thanks!! I can just see you with knife in hand just one more seed just one more seed ............

Getting ready to give mine a try ... received it today. I got the individually wrapped ones. Almost time to go plant.

Sure is a not so messy way to start seeds.

I got my cubes this afternoon. I got the 1x1 size and they came in 2 small slabs of 100 apiece. I was kind of surprised that there was no paperwork or anything included, just the 2 small slabs.

I have lots of questions about how to start this, so if anyone can give me some directions, I would appreciate it.

My biggest question is....how can I start with tiny seeds? Can I somehow plug up the hole that is in it already, cause some of the seeds can't be that deep?
Also, if I want to use these for cuttings, what type of container should I use, as some of the cuttings are taller than a shallow container will allow.

Sure hope this works!!!! lol

Donna

here's a great page on how to do seeds, I just followed the instructions. http://www.brugmansias.org/rockwool.html

tiG,
I have already read all of that great info, but it only deals with the larger Brug seeds.

Thanks anyway, Donna

Donna, I took a knife and just slit more holes in my rock wool around the big hole and slipped my seeds in there when I had more of one kind to fit in the container. If it was a small seed I made a smaller slit. It worked great.

I did my rockwool much differently than the directions at BGI. I am so lazy! I am not so careful or neat but quick and easy! I just tore my rockwool apart with my hands, enough rockwool to cover the bottom of the rubbermaid container I used, poured water over it, let it soak it up, then turned it up on its side and drained out any excess water from the bottom and stuck my seeds in. I then enclosed the entire thing in a plastic bag and closed it securely and put it under my lights. It took 5 days for the seeds to start to sprout.

This message was edited Jan 8, 2004 11:08 PM

Donna, I missed that important word 'tiny' !! Cuttings are so easy in water or soil, I can't justify the expense of rockwool for cuttings, but if you find a way to balance them where they stay upright, I know it will work. I've read a lot about tiny seeds, and most just sprinkle them on top of the rockwool, so a pad without holes will probably be the cheapest way to use them for that.

Donna, I think unless you use the cubes for very young green wood and short pieces of it, your cubes would be too small for rooting. Most stuff we root should probably be rooted in a 2 or 3 inch cube. I've found that if you separate the cubes, they dry out a lot faster too. I'm assuming that you want to plant seeds other than brug seeds? I would turn the cubes over and put the size hole you need in it yourself or make a hole on the top side, just beside the original hole. Kell and I both did this with brug seeds when we had a few extras seeds. I don't know what it will be like when time to separate them. I personally think that Rockwool is too expensive to do annuals in and most annual seed does well in a 4 inch pot and then transplanted to cell packs. I've never had trouble growing annuals and perennials in soil, but these brug seeds have been another story.

Okay, the more you all post and the more I read, I am wondering if bulk rock wool would be the way to go. This is a bunch of the stuff for $50. I can pick it up, so no shipping. http://www.wormsway.com/detail.asp?sku=GRG315 What do you think?

But it says: "Start your seeds or cuttings in small rockwool cubes and, once rooted, the cubes can be transferred to a larger piece of rockwool or may be planted directly in soil, indoors or out."

I wonder when they suggest starting seeds in cubes if that is the best way to go. I'd hate to see you buy a bunch of it and then have it not work. Maybe someone else has tried the bulk stuff. You sure would need a good way of separating the stuff once it had roots in it.

Thank you all so much. For some reason, my mind just wasn't being creative on how to use this for my situation and now I have several good ideas from you all. Knowing that if you separate them will dry out faster is a great tip.

I don't really plan on using these for annuals, but I would like to start some perennials in them that I just can't get going in soil.

I'll let you all know if this stuff works for me.

Donna

Good points Shirley. I was wondering because someone above (thought it was Kell) said they just rip off a chunk. This is sure an interesting and educational thread. :)