Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
retention, structural integrity, and sterility. Chemically rockwool is inert,
but slightly alkaline that can be adjusted by an application of water or
nutrient solution of optimum pH. They are especially well suited to grow-
ing tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, and peppers. Lettuce and herbs also
do very well in rockwool cubes. They are more expensive than the other
methods, but for a hobbyist the extra few cents of cost is more than offset
by the convenience and success in germination of your seed.
The propagation cubes come in several sizes. The smaller size cubes of
1 × 1 × 1½ inches high are most suitable for lettuce and herbs. They come
in pads of 200 cubes that fit into a standard flat. The larger cubes of 1½ ×
1½ × 1½ inches are best for tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and cucumbers.
Pads of 98 cubes fit into a flat. These cubes have small ½-inch holes for
placing your seeds. Sow the seeds directly into the holes of the cubes.
Place the cube pads in flats and then soak them thoroughly with water.
Soak them prior to sowing the seeds. Be sure that no dry spots are visible
after soaking. Use a watering wand on a hose or a hand watering can to
soak the cubes. If the seed is fairly new and the viability (percent germina-
tion) is 85% to 90%, sow one seed per cube with the exception of herbs (not
basil), which you can sow 8 to 10 seeds per cube. Basil should be seeded
about 4 to 5 per cube. Always sow only one seed of tomatoes, eggplants,
peppers, or cucumbers per cube. You do not need to cover the seed with
any substrate; just water the cubes several times a day with a watering can.
This will keep the seed moist during it germination. Be careful when you
sow the seed that it falls to the bottom of the hole in the cube. For larger
seeds like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and cucumbers use the back of a
pencil to push the seed down should it not fall all the way to the bottom of
the hole.
Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and cucumbers (vine crops) are trans-
planted into rockwool blocks after the seedlings grow to a specific age
in the cubes. For tomatoes, eggplants and peppers use the 3-inch square
by 2½-inch thick blocks. Cucumbers are better transplanted to the 4-inch
square by 2½-inch blocks. The blocks have round holes 1½ inches in
diameter by 1½ inches deep to allow the 1½ × 1½ × 1½ inch cubes to be
placed in them. Blocks, like the cubes, must be soaked thoroughly before
transplanting. Tomatoes should be transplanted to the blocks at 14 days
(Figure 2.3), eggplants and peppers after 21 days, and cucumbers in about
7 days. Place the blocks in flats in a checkerboard fashion to permit more
spacing among the plants; otherwise, they will get “leggy.” The cucumbers
will have to be planted to the final growing area within a week of trans-
planting. The tomatoes and eggplants are generally grown until they are 5
to 6 weeks old from seeding before transplanting to the growing system.
Peppers may grow a week or so longer than tomatoes before transplanting
to the final production system.
