What is the best and most importantly EASIEST way to clean hydroton. I tried what Mr. Green did in his video(once root develop out of rockwool spread the hydroton all over the table). So now i just harvest and im havng problems cleaning this stuff because there are roots all over. HELP!

wash them off with bleech and water like 1/3 bleach to 1 whole water. wash them off and or soak them keep repeating until they are clean, and then rinse them off with a lot of plain good water.

Is the hyrdoton stuck in the roots if so, just start shaking them out they should come out with out you having to pull each one individually. Its tricky and probably time consuming, you could cut them out in sections. Its gonna be messy i can see it already.

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I'm entitled to my opinion, and my opinion is that your not allowed to have an opinion. - George Carlin

We don't have rights, it's just that simple.

The best way to accomplish anything is through education.


Smoke WEEED

You can hit up walley-world and pick up a sweater bag. It's in the laundry section and is a net bag you can put sweaters in when you wash them.

This same bag works great to wash and clean grow rocks in a dish washer. The large zipper makes it easy to use too.

If you have large amounts then a plastic barrel cement mixer with a whole bunch of holes drilled for drainage is perfect.

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Peace
Zandor

If you go cheap you grow cheap. - Me

Oh wonderful, Zandor. Now I have to buy a cement mixer, drill holes in it, and convice the old lady its a must have item, huh ? You guys are really trying to get me divorced I think. Good to see ya back, Zandor.


b0nger

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If you cannot smoke it or eat it, why grow it ?

When I got mine it was for doing work around the house.

(that story worked for me, I just did not say what type of work it was for. She is still waiting for the custom walk way too)

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Peace
Zandor

If you go cheap you grow cheap. - Me

Custom sidewalk, huh? I like that idea. All I know is I have done my share of concrete work, and that was eons ago, but all I remember is its real work. So in no way shape or form can I buy a cement mix to actually mix cement. I'll do everything else around here, but if I need any concrete work, its getting hired out......LOL This old back aint made for that kinda labor anymore. If I woulda known I was going to live this long I woulda took better care of myself when I was young


b0nger

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If you cannot smoke it or eat it, why grow it ?

thankyou for all your inputs, i dont think i'll ever want to use large amount of hydroton again , i'll just save them for something else i was thinking about using it for my mommas i only have 2 mommas so that would be least work.

Just get a quart of flora kleen, use as directed and soak for 24 hours..It works for flush...It works for removing salts from your medium. Even my local hydro store changed to this method after I told them my take on it. They have used this method ever since.

I don't like bleach...bleach is chlorine, and chlorine is a salt. Peace

Here's a cheap method:
1. Use a large plastic garbage can (30 gal). & pour in rocks
2. fill with water & 1 qt. flushing agent (Flora Kleen, Final Flush, etc...), let sit 12 hours
3. buy a cheap water pond pump at Wally World or Home Depot ($15)
buy 8 feet of 3/4 in. plastic hose & clamp (check size output of pump, it maybe 5/8")
4. place pump in bottom of garbage can & pump out water & stuff
5. After emptying garbage can, I fill w/water hose & continue to pump out, but you need to control the water input so you don't over flow. Pump for 15 - 20 minutes. Works great.

Good Luck, PIF

You know they do have a bucket style cement mixer too. You put the grow rocks in, add a little florakleen screw on the lid and roll it around on the ground for a while.

They cost less then 50 bucks I think from HD.

That is another option too but for small amounts the sweater bag and the dish washer is fine too.

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Peace
Zandor

If you go cheap you grow cheap. - Me

Hydroton is cheap! Chunk that shit and use fresh hydroton every grow!


Peace

Why throw useful shit away when we are already trashing the planet? The Mr Smith(s) was right in The Matrix. Humans are a fuckin Virus......

DON'T BE A DICK -- CLEAN YOUR HYDROTON!

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throw that shit away!!

now that I know the environmentalists want me to wash and re-use my Hydroton, I'll be buying it in bulk ... (oh yeah, it'll 'trash' the planet, putting a soil substance, back into the soil)

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" keep it simple, it's a WEED ! "

" when in doubt, imitate Nature "

" 2008 people voted for Obama to prove they weren't racists.....in 2010 they will vote to show they arent socialists " - Islandborn

So next you are gonna tell me that rockwool is biodegradeable too?

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Hes talking about hydroton waterhead!

LOL............

I just use a plastic strainer and plain hot tap water. I put about 2 handfuls in the strainer and while I'm running water over them, I swirl them around like I'm panning for gold, and I rub them with my hand to help get any salts off. The vegetative mater collects nicely around the sides of the strainer. If I see anything stuck to the pellets, like roots, I either clean them individually or toss them in the trash. Then I have a bucket to pour them in. I do this slowly, and watch for any infected pellets as they near the edge of the strainer. It's not as bad as it sounds, and for most people, if you add up your hours and multiply them by what you get paid per hour at work, it is cheaper to wash them than it is to toss them. Don't forget that if you toss them, it also costs time and gas money to get some more. I just did this the other night, and it took about 1 1/2 hr. to clean 16, 6" net pots full of pellets.

Of course we all know how to clean them for the first time, right? We put a hole in the bottom of the bag, and run water through the bag until the water coming out is no longer reddish. Pretty darn easy if you've got a hose. You can even do this in a kitchen sink.

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Absolutely, but only if you throw it away on some volcanic rock.

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You know, when the good Lord told me to take picutes of the clay pellet washing, I had no idea why. Perhaps this thread was the reason.

Attached Images

	Pellets01.JPG (473.5 KB, 33 views)
	Pellets02.JPG (458.0 KB, 19 views)

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When growing in hydroton, do you find you need to increase your watering schedule, for an ebb and flow system I mean. I have eight plants in an ebb and flow and six are hydroton only, but two I put a little but of other medium around the roots and those plants are a little bigger, I guess it holds water a bit better, but I like the idea of more control with flushing and such, but first time I have used it.....do you water more with it?

Arbogast

What other medium did you put around the roots. It shouldn't matter what the medium is, since after a few weeks the roots are out of the medium anyway, and being kept moist by the nutrient solution itself. Rockwool sucks IMO because it holds way too much water. Hydroton (a brand name) holds just the right amount. No rotting.

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