Description
Small cubes, plenty of air: a free-draining rockwool fill for pots and propagation
Cultiwool Loose Rockwool Mini Cubes are 10 x 10 x 10mm cubes of Cultiwool stone wool, sold loose for filling pots, trays and containers. Each little cube is a fibrous block that soaks up water and nutrient solution, while the gaps between the cubes stay open to air, so the root zone holds moisture without going stale. Use them on their own, or mix them with clay pebbles to build your own free-draining blend for hydroponic and drip-fed pots. Like every Cultiwool product they are an inert, pathogen-free medium, so the feed you give is the only feed the roots see.
Key Benefits
- 10mm cubes - small enough to settle round a root ball or a rooted cube, large enough to leave open air gaps between them.
- Water and air together - the stone wool fibre holds the solution while the spaces between cubes keep oxygen at the roots.
- Quick drainage - suits short, frequent feeds in drip-fed and run-to-waste pots.
- Use alone or blended - fill pots with cubes only, or mix with clay pebbles or other media for your own recipe.
- Inert and clean - no added nutrients and no pathogens, nothing to work against your feed.
- Light to handle - dry cubes weigh very little, so filling a run of containers is quick work.
Why Do Roots Stall in a Waterlogged Pot?
Roots need oxygen as much as water. A dense medium that stays wet pushes the air out, root development stops, nutrient uptake slows and the plant sits still; too open a mix and the pot dries out between feeds. Loose mini cubes split the difference. The fibre inside each cube holds the water and feed, while the channels between cubes drain quickly and refill with air after every irrigation. That steady air-to-water balance is what keeps roots growing and plant health on track from transplant to the end of the cycle.
How to Use
- Pre-wet: soak the cubes through with pH-adjusted water or a weak feed before planting - dry stone wool wets unevenly at first.
- Fill: fill pots, containers or net pots to your usual depth, on their own or over a drainage layer of clay pebbles.
- Plant: set rooted cuttings, plugs or small rockwool cubes into the fill and settle the loose cubes around them.
- Feed little and often: short, frequent irrigations suit a fast-draining fill; check the runoff so the medium stays moist rather than saturated.
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Cultiwool
- Product: Loose rockwool mini cubes
- Cube size: 10 x 10 x 10mm
- Material: Cultiwool stone wool (rockwool), made in Europe, RHP certified
- Properties: Inert and pathogen free
- Use: Loose fill for pots, containers and net pots; propagation and growing on; can be mixed with clay pebbles
- Suits: Hydroponic, drip-fed and run-to-waste growing
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the cubes need soaking before use?
Yes. Wet them right through with pH-adjusted water or a weak feed before planting. Dry stone wool takes up water unevenly at first, so a thorough pre-soak gives every pot an even start.
Can I mix them with clay pebbles?
Yes. They can be used on their own or mixed with other media such as clay pebbles. A layer of pebbles in the base of the pot adds drainage, and pebbles mixed through the cubes open the blend up for more air.
How are these different from Cultiwool Mapito?
Mapito is granulated loose rockwool that settles in the pot as one mass, and it is the one to choose for growing plants on in pots and troughs. The mini cubes are separate 10mm cubes that keep their shape through handling and irrigation, which suits propagation and early growth, and they are often mixed with clay pebbles. Both are Cultiwool stone wool and both go straight into pots.
Works Well With
