Description
The Grodan Vital 1m rockwool slab is the shorter of the two Vital slabs. 100 x 15 x 7.5cm, and it takes three to four blocks along its length, so it suits a 1m bench run or a tent row where a 1.3m slab will not fit.
Vital is built on Grodan's Next Generation wool. It saturates faster and more evenly than older slabs, and water content and EC distribute uniformly through the slab and between slabs. That consistency is the point: it gives you a wide control range to steer a crop with a simple irrigation strategy rather than a complicated one.
Specification
| Slab dimensions | 100 x 15 x 7.5cm |
| Blocks per slab | Three to four, depending on spacing |
| Wool | Grodan Next Generation, inert and pH neutral |
| Cover | Light-blocking wrap |
| Pre-soak pH | 5.5 to 5.8 before use |
What it suits
Vital is a versatile slab and is used commercially on the major greenhouse crops. Tomatoes benefit from the uniform water distribution and the clean EC replacement. Sweet peppers show fast growth, uniform stem development and early setting. Cucumbers and aubergines run well on it too. Indoors it does the same job under a row of blocks.
Before you use it
Rockwool leaves the factory with a naturally high pH, so it has to be conditioned before anything goes on it. Soak for 24 hours in a weak nutrient solution under 1.0 EC, adjusted to pH 5.5, then let it drain. Cut the drain slits in the cover only once the slab is in position and fully saturated, and stand your blocks on it after that, not before.
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 | 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 (this product) | 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
- Grodan 6" Hugo Block – Three or four of these stand on a 1m slab. The standard pairing.
- Grodan Vital Slab 1.3m – The longer version, if your bench run allows it and you want another plant on the same slab.
- Cultiwool 25cm X-Fibre Mini Slab – The alternative approach: one slab per plant, so each one gets its own water content and EC.
- Octa-Mitter 360 Dripper on Stake – One per block along the slab, adjustable 0 to 60 L/h.
Frequently asked questions
1m or 1.3m?
Measure your bench or tray run first. A 1m slab takes three to four blocks, the 1.3m takes four to five. If your run is 1.2m, two 1m slabs waste less than one 1.3m plus a gap.
Slab or one block per plant?
A slab is cheaper per plant and simpler to plumb, but every plant on it shares one reservoir, so they steer together. A mini slab per plant costs more and gives you individual control. Neither is wrong, it depends how uniform your plants are.
Do I have to soak it first?
Yes. 24 hours in solution under 1.0 EC at pH 5.5. Cut the drain slits only once the slab is in position and fully saturated.
How do I irrigate a slab?
One dripper per block, little and often, aiming for 10 to 30 percent run-off from the slab. See Dripper Systems, Run to Waste Systems and pH & EC Meters.
Browse more
Rockwool · Growing Media · Dripper Systems · Run to Waste Systems · Grow Room Irrigation
