Soilless cultivation is the most advanced cultivation technology in modern agriculture. From cultivation facilities to environmental control, the whole process can be monitored and regulated according to the needs of crop growth and development. It can realize early maturity and high yield of crops; Production of pollution-free products; greatly improve working conditions, save labor and reduce labor intensity; Save water and fertilizer; Avoid soil continuous planting barriers; it has no regional restrictions and can make the space fully used; so that contribute to the automation and intelligence of cultivation.

UPuper^® Rock wool substrates is made from natural basalt after high-temperature melting at 1500 ℃, which eliminates pathogens from the origin process and is cleaner than other substrates. UPuper^® rock wool substrates does not contain toxic or harmful heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium etc., and there is no precipitation of any harmful substances during the whole planting process, so it will not cause any toxicity to the plant.

It depends on your region and season. 

In case of similar climate conditions in Shanghai, it is recommended to start watering 2 hours after sunrise and stop watering 2-3 hours before sunset. Long term watering before sunset will lead to plant overgrowth. If necessary (in hot climate for example), please adjust your irrigation strategy in time to keep the water absorbed by plants consistent and grow evenly every day.

Seedling raise can use the tidal seedbed and the drip irrigation control system used after transplanting. Those processes are watered from below the plant and close to the root.

In the case of tomatoes, the standard size is to use growth blocks with a 25 x 25 mm hole, combined with a 22 x 27 mm seedling plug. In order to leave growth space at the bottom of the plant and keep the seedling root dry, it is best to use a seedling plug 2mm higher than the growth block hole. 

In the case of cucumbers, a variety of hole sizes are applicable, 25 x 25 mm has the best planting effect. It should be noted that seeds cannot be inserted too deep inside the growth block.

The drain is opened at the bottom of both ends of the cultivation strip. The drain is opened to allow the normal discharge of excess water and fertilizer to keep the EC Value in the planting strip stable. The location of drainage holes and the correct irrigation amount directly affect the distribution of water and EC in the cultivation strip. Be sure not to set additional drainage holes in the planting strip when you use them, otherwise it will change the planting strip drainage mode, which may be unfavorable to the plant roots in some areas in the planting strip. The surplus water and fertilizer will flow into the diversion tank and return to the irrigation system for recycling after disinfection and other process. It can not only solve the problem of water and fertilizer, but also protect the environment.

The rock wool cultivation strip itself does not contain any nutrients, so it only needs to adjust the nutrient supply according to the EC value required by each growth stage of the crops. At the same time, growers can make small and frequent changes in the irrigation strategies (for example, when the EC is too high, multiple slight adjustments are more convenient and safe than large adjustments).

Sometimes the rock wool cultivation strip will dry due to lack of water, especially at the top part. 

At this time, the water can be pushed to the bottom of the rock wool cultivation strip through a small amount of irrigation for multiple times, so as to reach the drainage point faster, so that to keep the interior and top areas of the cultivation strip moist.

Before you plant it, the required irrigation amount has generally been calculated, and space between the drippers also has a great impact on the uniform distribution of water and nutrients in rock wool cultivation strips. The extra spare dripper will affect the normal growth of plants if the dripper is not blocked. The rock wool cultivation strip is usually clean, the internal structure is stable, so the dripper will not be blocked.

In case of tomatoes, from planting to flowering: the irrigation amount is about 300-500ml / plant / day; From flowering stage to early fruiting stage: the irrigation amount is about 800-1200ml / plant / day; From early fruiting to harvest period: the irrigation amount is 1200-1500ml / plant / day, and the irrigation amount in full fruit period is about 1500-2000ml / plant / day. You can also bring out a rough calculation according to the shape and size of rock wool.