Using rockwool to incubate

[PythonWallace]

For anyone who uses it for plants or knows what it is, what would you think about using rockwool as incubation substrate? Perlite and vermiculite are pretty much used the same way as rockwool for plants, as far as cultivating cuttings goes. I've always prefered to use rockwool to get clones started, both for soil and hydroponics/aeroponics. I was planning to use the substrateless method when I get eggs, but I'm starting to think I'm going to try pH conditioned rockwool, either in slab form or the 1/2" cubes. When rockwool sits in water, it wicks water up the fibers, but the top of it almost feels dry to the touch. I would probably fill tubs with 3/4" of water than lay a 2" slab or pour 2" of the small cubes into the water and put the eggs on top. What do you guys think?

Edit: The reason I like it so much for cloning plants is that it stays slightly moist while allowing much more air exchange than other media. It's almost impossible to overwater unless it's sitting in a lot of standing water.

[janeothejungle]

I'd have a go with the granulated absorbent. My concern was the steady wicking action, I'm not positive it's a good thing for eggs. In a perverse twist, the eggs like humidity but not necessarily a direct draw. I would worry that as the egg absorbed it would form a positive pressure flow (like roots do in the soil) and then be continuously absorbing. Then again, I've only used blocks of rockwool a handful of times for propagating veggies.

I thought about trying this, but in the end went with what I knew would work. If you are serious about doing it and this is your first season with eggs, maybe split the clutch and do half the eggs in rockwool and half a traditional way. That way if it backfires, you don't lose the whole clutch. Keep us posted if you have a go.

Cheers,
Kat

[MarkS]

Actually I think it sounds like an interesting experiment. If you do go through with it, please make sure you post your findings either good or bad.

[PythonWallace]

Thanks for the input, Kat. I thought about that too, but I didn't think it would be any worse than using moist vermiculite. I'm trying to think of some kind of experiment I can do to compare the moisture wicking from vermiculite and rockwool slabs and granulated cubes. I would think that a thick enough slab would act more like perlite than verm, but it's hard to say without trying. I definitely wouldn't throw all my eggs, or even a whole clutch on the stuff and hope for the best. I think it could work great for incubating and I want to experiment, but I guess it could just as easily go terribly wrong.

[PythonWallace]

Actually I think it sounds like an interesting experiment. If you do go through with it, please make sure you post your findings either good or bad.

Absolutely, Mark. I think I'll go buy some of those softwood eggs from a craft store tonight and start experimenting. If it looks promising I'll try it for a few eggs and post the results.

[JAMills]

as far as cultivating cuttings goes. I've always prefered to use rockwool to get clones started, both for soil and hydroponics/aeroponics.

Very interesting idea...As I read this post it reminded me of my indoor gardening attempts in college...LOL but we won't go into that. I remember using rockwool cubes for clones and yes it did have great water handling properties.
Rockwool is an interesting idea and yes I think it is worth looking into if nothing else than just as another option for the breeding community to chose from. Please let us know how any test end up good or bad. It doesn't have to be a success to share, we all appreciate people willing to share their failures also. Everyone benifits from the knowledge either way.