Rockwool has prolonged been a most well-liked media for rising hydroponic fruits, greens and herbs. Nonetheless, I’m going to make the case in the direction of rockwool and argue why it is best to on no account use rockwool as soon as extra because of rockwool is harmful.
This publish has gotten a number of consideration not too way back, and in consequence is throughout the technique of being updated to include additional information. I cite analysis and on no account reference any particular agency – I am talking about mineral wool as a rising media on this publish.
If you need greater choices to rockwool, please check out my hydroponic media info.
It’s Not Environmentally Nice
I take into account in environmental sustainability – it’s one among many causes I’ve chosen to develop hydroponically. Rockwool doesn’t score correctly on the environmental scale. It’s not a pure supplies. Producers use combine chalk and rock after which heat them as a lot as spherical 3,000 ranges Fahrenheit. Subsequent a stream of air is blown by the use of it, resulting in terribly skinny fibers of the rocky supplies. As a result of the strings are blown out, they bunch collectively and sort the material that you just see in the marketplace on the native hydroponics retailer.
Principally, they’re taking two provides that are 100% pure (chalk and rock) and turning them proper right into a hybrid supplies that will keep in that kind perpetually. For those who throw away your outdated rockwool it’s going to sit down down in a landfill making an attempt much like that for a protracted, LONG time. In case you utterly insist on using it, try to avoid wasting your rockwool in between your rising season and reuse it.
It’s Not Healthful To Be Spherical
Not solely is rockwool unfriendly to the setting – it’s moreover doubtlessly harmful to your effectively being. New blocks can comprise a number of mud and unfastened fibers that will get in your eyes, mouth, pores and pores and skin and lungs. It’s similar to asbestos throughout the sense that the little fibers can lodge themselves in your lungs once you’re working with it reasonably so much. It won’t be as toxic as asbestos, nonetheless why take the possibility? Not one factor that I’m ready to gamble with if I don’t must – there are a lot of completely different hydroponic media selections! In case you’re using rockwool, attempt to be using a masks, goggles and gloves as soon as you’re employed with it to protect your self.
This is what a 2002 analysis on man-made mineral fibres found:
The Worldwide Firm for Evaluation on Most cancers (IARC) has reviewed the carcinogenicity of synthetic mineral fibres in October 2002. The IARC Monograph’s working group concluded solely the additional biopersistent provides keep labeled by IARC as “presumably carcinogenic to folks” (Group 2B). These embody refractory ceramic fibres, which might be used industrially as insulation in high-temperature environments corresponding to blast furnaces, and positive special-purpose glass wools not used as insulating provides.
The very important half:
In distinction, the additional usually used vitreous fibre wools, along with insulation glass wool, stone wool and slag wool, are thought-about “not classifiable as to carcinogenicity in folks” (Group 3). – Wikipedia article on mineral wool safety
A discover on the IARC analysis:
Some producers of insulation merchandise have cited this amount whereas making misguided claims that “IARC scientists confirm safety of mineral wool insulation”. These claims are merely false. The findings on this amount are often not a willpower of non-carcinogenicity or normal safety.
What this suggests is that the analysis was not able to determine if it these mineral wools led to most cancers or not. As soon as extra, my distinctive stage: why trouble with it when there are greater selections?
In case you’d desire to be taught the distinctive analysis, click on on proper right here.
Further Sources on Mineral Wool Safety
It Has a Naturally Extreme pH
In case you utilize rockwool correct out of the bundle, you may potential have a problem once you plant seeds or seedlings throughout the supplies. It’s pH is approach better than completely different media, so it requires treating sooner than it could be safely used with vegetation. Not solely is that this annoying and an issue to maintain, it merely slows down your whole course of and locations a barrier in entrance of your rising efforts. Even when you get the pH acceptable, it may presumably fluctuate reasonably greater than different types of rising media. You’ll have to have a look at the pH ranges of your rockwool like a hawk to make sure there’s no nutrient blockage to your roots. The very final thing you want is in your media to actually decelerate the enlargement of your plant as an alternative of velocity it up.
In case you’ve been happy to aim one factor else out, you is prone to be questioning what selections are in the marketplace. I’ve put collectively a hydroponic rising media info that breaks down the advantages and drawbacks of among the many hottest rising media, nonetheless once you need some quick pointers, proper right here they’re:
- Means to reuse the material helps the setting, and saves you money
- No doubtlessly hostile effectively being outcomes
- Easy to utilize, little maintenance required
What do you suppose? Do you make the most of rockwool?
Header image courtesy of ilovebutter