PH value will not only affect the plants growth, but also reduce the fertilization efficiency. Whether the value is too high or low, it will affect the fertilizer effect, resulting in slow growth of plant roots. If the pH value is too high, the plant is easier to appear the performance of element deficiency: blocked growth, yellow leaves, dry or scorched at leaf edges, rotting capillary root etc. When the pH value is too low, it is easy to cause the toxicity of trace elements to the plant. Plants have better nutrients absorption performance if you keep the pH between 5.5 and 6.8. The pH needs to be checked and adjusted frequently during planting. The pH of UPuper^® rock wool is neutral and partial alkali. It can be used directly after soaking in nutrient solution before planting or sowing.

EC value refers to the concentration of soluble salt and represents the concentration of soluble ions in liquid fertilizer or planting substrate. If the EC value gets higher, It will appear the reverse osmosis pressure, which will replace the water in the plant root system, so that the root tips will be damaged, then lose the absorption ability to water and nutrition, resulting in plant yield quality reduction, and even worse: leaf will wilt and plant will die. The EC value needs to be detected and adjusted frequently in the planting process. UPuper^®rock wool substrate does not precipitate or absorb any elements, which can help our users adjust the EC value better and more accurate.

If the water content in the matrix is too low, it can’t meet the water absorption of the root system; Meanwhile, high water content is easy to cause two negative situations: first, it reduces the temperature in the main roots distribution area, which is not conducive to root growth; Second, it reduces theoxygen percentage, that can even causes anoxic of roots. Only 2% of the water in UPuper^® rock wool substrate can’t be used, which can easily and accurately calculate the water that plantrequired. It makes the water distribution more uniform while saving and retaining water at the same time. The water content of the substrate should be controlled between 55% - 80%, so that the root can always receive sufficient air and water supply.

Generally, when the oxygen content in the root environment is higher than 15%, the root system will grows fast with more root hairs and has strong absorption capacity. When the oxygen content is less than 5%, most of the root systems will stop growing and are easy to rot. The substrate permeability affects the oxygen content of plant root environmentdirectly. UPuper^® rock wool substrate has good performance in permeability with more than 95% porosity. The appropriate porosity ensures the ideal water gas ratio in the substrateto grow plants faster and better.

Generally root growth will accelerate and absorption capacity increase while temperature increases under 10 ~ 30 ℃ ; At 2 ~ 10 ℃, when temperature increases, the root growth accelerated slowly and the absorption capacity also increased slightly; When the temperature is less than 2 ℃, the root system stops growing and has no absorptive capacity; When the temperature is higher than 30 ℃, the root system growth is so vigorous that the root system is easy to ageing. UPuper^® Rock wool is not sensitive to the change of external environment so that the substrate inside temperature variation range is small. It can reduce the cost of cooling and heating in summer and winter.