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What is Stone Wool?
4 October 2022
Sustainable, Clean, and Efficient. Our Stone Wool story
The global demand for healthy, safe, fresh, and local produce has been rapidly increasing. Among many things, it requires nutritious produce and a sustainable approach to cultivation. Sustainability can be defined in several ways, but an Important one is reduction of the carbon footprint and/or use of resources such as water and fertilizers. As water scarcity is becoming more pronounced and soils turn more saline, optimal use of water is required as well as reducing emissions into the environment becomes a necessity and a daily task for growing businesses. Horticultural approaches offer a wide variety of applicable cultivation systems, from which substrate choice is leading in water and fertilizer use efficiency.
How it's made
Cultiwool stone wool is a natural product manufactured from rocks such as basalt and anorthosite. Both raw materials are plentiful on the earth and are inexhaustible due to volcanic eruptions continuously resupplying the consumed amount. The basaltic rock is melted with 1,600°C (2,912°F) into a liquid substance. From this liquid substance, fibres are spun by high tech fiberizing machines where a binder is added and collected on a belt to form a blanket.
By adjusting the amount of pressure, fibre diameter can be controlled and by adjusting the speed of the belt the density of the media is adjusted. The blanket is cooled down in a furnace with different temperature compartments and different airflows where the stone wool get the firmness and final quality. The blanket is cut into large boards and the basis of the different stone wool substrates is born. From this basis we produce our plugs, blocks and slabs, amongst other products.
Take advantage
Cultiwool stone wool offers essential benefits. This product is clean and hygienic, therefore, no need to disinfect it or process it in any way. You can start your crop uniform and consistently across all plants. All plants have the same amount of nutrient solution available in the substrate. This means that the water use efficiency is higher while the amount of needed fertilizers decreases as the grower can easily recycle and re-use drain water in his growing facility. It not only saves money for the grower, as less nutrients has to be applied but also increases sustainability as it reduces the footprint. Not less important, the advantage of giving all plants the same exact amount of water and nutrients results in crop uniformity, which is crucial for the cultivation processes to maintain high-quality production and good yield.
Scheme of a closed system with reuse of drain water after disinfection. Source: International Potash Institute
On this website you will find more information about our stone wool substrates and instructions for optimum use! If you have any question, remark, or request, please feel free to contact us here, or via our Facebook and Instagram accounts.
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Discussing Substrates, Operations, and More; Interview with GreenLeaf Medical
GreenLeaf Medical started in 2017 and has grown tremendously since then, growing and selling a full range of products to the medicinal market within the USA. Samer Abilmona has been in the cannabis industry for a little over 10 years, but he has cultivated cannabis for the majority of his adult life. He has been the Executive Director of Cultivation and Operation of GreenLeaf Medical since 2019, then the company consisted of one cultivation facility, started to work on the second, had one dispensary in Maryland, and recently received a license in Virginia. Nowadays, the company is a multi-state operator, with facilities in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The cultivation is tailored to their market leader, smokable flowers. Other products within their range are live resin, live rosin, and distillates for vape cartridges as well as for edibles. About 6 months ago GreenLeaf Medical merged with Columbia Care, now the Cannabist Company, Samer has been managing a few additional cultivation and extraction facilities in West Virginia, two facilities in Washington DC, and a second Virginia location.
Understanding and Mitigating Channeling in Stone Wool Substrate
Stone wool substrate has gained popularity in horticulture due to its excellent water retention and air porosity characteristics, which are essential for healthy plant growth. However, one common issue that growers often encounter when using stone wool is channeling. Channeling refers to the inefficient distribution of water and nutrients within the substrate. In this article, we will explore what channeling is, what typically happens when it occurs, how to identify its signs, and discuss methods to prevent it. We will also delve into why some stone wool products are more prone to channeling than others and explore the role of binders and wetting agents. Finally, we will touch upon the importance of choosing the right irrigation system to avoid channeling.
What is Slag Wool and How does it Differ from High-Quality Horticultural Stone Wool?
As more and more products and companies become available on the market, it is always important to do a little research. Not only on the company itself but how the products are being produced. A little bit of research and asking the right questions can save money and time, but maybe the most important, the crop and your investment.