Descripción
Cultiwool Mapito is loose, granulated rockwool. Not cubes, not slabs, not a blend of anything else. Rockwool fibre put through a controlled granulation process so you get a mix of fine and coarse particles with a stable, repeatable pore structure. Cultiwool call it stone wool, which is the same material under its proper name.
You fill a pot, container or trough with it and grow the crop out in it. The fine fibres hold water and buffer your feed; the coarse ones keep air in the root zone and stop it packing down.
Mapito or Loose Cubes? They do different jobs.
Mapito is a growing medium for the full crop cycle. Cultiwool Loose Rockwool Grow Cubes are 10mm cubes built for propagation and early establishment, and they hold their shape. Full comparison further down.
What it gives you
- High oxygen at the root — the loose granular structure keeps air moving even when it is wet
- Fast, even drainage without the medium drying out on you
- Strong EC and pH buffering, so a sloppy feed does not swing the root zone straight away
- It does not compact — the structure is still there at the end of the crop, not slumped in the bottom of the pot
- Clean and inert, free of pathogens and weed seed, nothing to leach out and nothing to correct
Where Mapito works
Pots, containers, troughs and custom systems. It suits run-to-waste and recirculating alike, and it is a common choice in pumped dripper setups where you want the drainage of clay pebbles without losing the water holding. Growers running AquaFarm and WaterFarm style systems use it for the same reason.
Mapito against Loose Cubes
| Mapito | Loose Cubes | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Granulated rockwool, fine and coarse | Discrete 10 x 10 x 10mm cubes |
| Built for | Growing the crop out | Propagation and early establishment |
| Air at the root | Highest | High |
| Holds its shape | Settles as a mass, does not compact | Each cube stays a cube |
| Mix with clay pebbles? | Rarely needed | Yes, common |
| Sizes | 80L bag | 90L bag or 200L box |
Specification
| Material | Granulated rockwool, fine and coarse fibres |
| Made from | Basalt rock, not slag wool |
| Pack size | 80 litre bag |
| Range | Cultiwool Original |
| Use | Pots, containers, troughs, custom systems |
Which rockwool size do I need?
Rockwool works as a ladder. You start small and pot on into the next size up, each time without disturbing the roots. Here is the full range we stock and where each one sits.
| Product | Size | Where it fits | Takes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grodan Propagation Cubes | 25mm or 36mm | Seed and cutting | Bare cutting or seed |
| Cultiwool Loose Mini Cubes | 10mm, 90L or 200L | Loose fill, any pot | Fills pots and trays |
| Cultiwool Mapito (this product) | 80L bag | Loose fill, any pot | Fills pots and trays |
| Grodan Block 3" | 7.5cm | First pot-on | 2.5cm or 3.6cm hole |
| Grodan Improved GR4 3" | 3 x 3 x 2.5" | First pot-on | Pre-formed hole |
| Grodan Block 4" | 10cm | Veg | 2.5cm or 3.6cm hole |
| Grodan Improved GR10 4" | 4 x 4 x 3.1" | Veg | Pre-formed hole |
| Grodan 6" Hugo Block | 150 x 150 x 140mm | Veg to harvest | 36mm hole |
| Grodan 6" Hugo, dripper hole | 150 x 150 x 140mm | Veg to harvest | 36mm hole plus dripper hole |
| Grodan Improved Hugo 6" | 6 x 6 x 5.8" | Veg to harvest | Pre-formed hole |
| Cultiwool 8" Big Daddy Block | 20 x 20 x 19.5cm | Full cycle, large plants | Takes an 8" cap |
| Cultiwool 25cm X-Fibre Mini Slab | 25.2 x 19.5 x 7.5cm | Under a block, full cycle | One 6" or 8" block sits on top |
| Grodan Vital Slab 1m | 100 x 15 x 7.5cm | Multi-plant, full cycle | Three to four blocks |
| Grodan Vital Slab 1.3m | 130 x 15 x 7.5cm | Multi-plant, full cycle | Four to five blocks |
Sizes are nominal. Blocks are sold as singles or in strips depending on the line.
Goes well with
- Cultiwool Loose Rockwool Grow Cubes — root the cutting in these first, then plant into Mapito
- Netafim Netbow Watering Ring — spreads the feed evenly across a pot of loose media instead of channelling
- Aquaking High Pressure Pump — pressure for a dripper run into Mapito-filled pots
- Canna Aqua Clay Pebbles — a drainage layer under the Mapito if your pots sit in a tray
Browse more: Rockwool · Growing Media · Run-to-Waste Systems · Irrigation Systems · Base Nutrients · Plant Pots & Saucers
Frequently asked questions
Is Mapito the same as rockwool?
Cultiwool Mapito is rockwool, granulated rather than formed into cubes or slabs. Worth knowing that "Mapito" is used loosely across the trade and some other brands sell a version blended with polyurethane or coco chips. This is Cultiwool's, and it is rockwool. The rest of the range is in Rockwool.
Do I need to soak or condition it first?
Wet it through with pH-adjusted water before you plant into it, the same as any rockwool. It is inert and buffered, so there is no long conditioning period, but going in dry will give you uneven wetting for the first few feeds. Meters and solutions are in pH & EC Management.
Can I reuse it?
The structure survives a crop, which is the point of it. Whether you reuse it is a hygiene decision rather than a physical one. Most growers running back to back crops start fresh.
How is Mapito different from coco?
Coco is organic and has a cation exchange capacity that will grab calcium and magnesium out of your feed until it is satisfied. Mapito is inert rockwool, so what you feed is what the plant sees. It also drains faster and holds more air. Compare both in Growing Media.
Will it work in flood and drain?
Yes, and the fast drainage is an advantage there. Just size your flood cycle for a medium that drains quickly rather than one that sits wet. See Irrigation Systems.
Should I start cuttings in Mapito?
No. Use Loose Rockwool Grow Cubes or a starter plug for propagation. Mapito is loose granulate, so there is nothing for a bare cutting to hold on to while it roots. See Propagation Media.
