Hello all:
Has anyone used red lava rocks in their growbeds? I want to use some an plan to wash it, should I just use water or can I use some amonia to get it clean? What about salt?
Thanks for your help.
Hello all:
Has anyone used red lava rocks in their growbeds? I want to use some an plan to wash it, should I just use water or can I use some amonia to get it clean? What about salt?
Thanks for your help.
I have some on the bottom half of my growbeds, Hydroton on top of that. I just washed it with the hose and a screen, the bagged stuff from lowes is easy to clean, the stuff that covers my front lawn from the landscaper was much dirtier and hard to clean.
Hi Jillybee,
I've read of how some lava rock has heavy metals in it. It might pay to get it checked out to ensure that it's as close to inert as possible before you commit to its use.
Gary
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." - Arthur Schopenhauer
www.microponics.net.au - for candid dialogue on integrated backyard food production.
www.urbanaquaponics.com.au - the home of the Online Urban Aquaponics Manual.
I've been using red lava rock in my growbeds since 2008. Gary's point to get tested for heavy metals is probably a valid one, but I did not bother with it and have had great growth. Though I suspect you would find the same amount of heavy metals in all kinds of rock type media such as gravel or shale.
Knowledge comes from books and classes...Wisdom comes from surviving mistakes not taught in either.
Interestingly, I read a similar thing on a blog just this morning about clay pebbles. Given its widespread use as hydroponic media, that would be a significant issue. I'll research it further.
If I had to rely on gravel, it would probably be 15 - 20mm river pebbles.
Gary
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." - Arthur Schopenhauer
www.microponics.net.au - for candid dialogue on integrated backyard food production.
www.urbanaquaponics.com.au - the home of the Online Urban Aquaponics Manual.
My system is a small indoor, river rock is heavy. Here in the Denver area hydroton is currently unavailable, the new medical marijauna industry seems to have used it all up.
I didn't bother to check out the lava rock either, it came from a bag, so I kinda figure lowe's would want to be sure not to sell me radioactive rock. Hope my tomato's don't glow.
i read somewhere that red cinder/lava rock will push your PH up, while black will bring it down. can anyone confirm?
-hellbent
http://www.aquaponicsinparadise.com/
current build:
modified barrelponics
160 gallon in-ground pond
two 250 gallon IBC
300 gallon 'monster' plywood fishtank
plants: taro, lilikoi, roma tomato, manoa lettuce, strawberry, kale, bok choy, swiss chard, celery, chinese parsley, eggplant, okinawan sweet potato, watercress, cabbage, and azolla
fish: 1 feeder comet, 6 blue tilapia, 30 gold tilapia, 60 fingerlings, 50 fry, 13 chinese catfish, 3 koi, 2 malaysian prawns
ya, my ph ran at 7.6 for about a year and then started dropping with the red cinder. No clue as to the black. Depends on where the red cinder was harvested, but some calcium/magnesium carbonates will be in some of the pores until it is leached out.
Knowledge comes from books and classes...Wisdom comes from surviving mistakes not taught in either.
The red lava I used didn't change my ph at all. It was 7.4 before I changed my beds over, and is 7.4 still.
Aloha friends!
I have a hybrid system with DWC and one cinder box as filter and extra growing area.
I'm using both, red and black cinders and I have not noticed anything unusual and in face everything in my system is doing great
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