Description
Although Mapito has been around longer appear growers especially in recent years to explore the advantages of cultivation on this substrate. This is no coincidence, because Mapito is as substrate firm structure and has an optimal ratio of water and oxygen. This combination forms the basis for very good harvests! Mapito consists of rock wool flakes and PU-flakes (Poly-Urethane). Stone wool is made by grinding the volcanic Diabase rock to sand grains. These granules are then heated to 1600 °C, causing them to melt. Subsequently, this hot lava on a rotating disc is poured, after which the material is thrown out and solidifies, giving rise to long thin fibers.
After addition of various binders and other substances (in order to increase the absorption of water), these fibers are cured in an oven, and then assembled into a layer of rock wool. Now the desired end product can be custom cut. The possibility of using rock wool as growth medium for plants was actually not discovered until the beginning of the seventies. The mineral wool which is used in the building industry for heat and sound insulation is not suitable to grow on plants. To this rock wool is in fact added to a mineral oil, which makes the material hydrophobic. For horticulture has developed special wool, which just can absorb and retain lots of water. These species can hold up to 80% and water, or contain 15% air. The remaining 5% consists of rock wool fiber.