What Comes in the Rapid Rooter Tray
Fifty plugs, in the tray. Part HGC714140 is the 50 cell insert supplied with the plugs seated in the cells, not a bare tray and not a bag of refills. Each plug is 1.5 in round, with a hole formed in the top. The material is sphagnum peat and composted tree bark, held together by a plant based foam binder. There is no soil in it.
Working a 50 Cell Plug Tray From Soak to Transplant
Soak first. General Hydroponics puts the plugs in pH balanced water near pH 6.0 for about two hours. Squeeze them gently four or five times to push the air out. They are chemically neutral, so unlike rockwool there is no buffering step to plan around. Set a seed or a cutting into the hole and then leave them be; more seedlings die here from watering than from drought. Roots usually show in one to three weeks, about a week after the first true leaves open. A cutting is ready once roots come through the sides. The whole plug then goes into whatever is next, be it a larger pot, coco, soil or a hydroponic system. One note on the marketing that follows this product around. The beneficial microbe claim names no species and no count anywhere, so treat it as unquantified.
Key Features
- 50 plugs included: The tray ships with the plugs seated, not as a bare insert.
- 1.5 in round plugs: Sphagnum peat and composted tree bark in a plant based foam binder.
- No buffering step: Chemically neutral. Soak near pH 6.0 for about two hours and go.
- Roots in one to three weeks: Usually about a week after the first true leaves open.
- Transplant the whole plug: Into a larger pot, coco, soil or a hydroponic system, plant and all.
- Refills are separate parts: HGC714135 is 50 plugs, HGC714002 is 100, HGC714006 is a 1,400 case.
- Store sealed, cool and dark: Leftover plugs dry out or grow mould in an open bag.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | General Hydroponics |
| Part Number | HGC714140 |
| Legacy Part Number | GH3254 |
| Package | 50 cell insert tray supplied with 50 plugs |
| Plug Count | 50 |
| Plug Format | 1.5 in round, hole formed in the top |
| Plug Material | Sphagnum peat and composted tree bark, plant based foam binder |
| Soil Content | None. Soil free |
| pH | Chemically neutral, no buffering required |
| Soak | About 2 hours in pH balanced water near pH 6.0 |
| Soak Method | Submerge and squeeze gently 4 to 5 times |
| Rooting Time | Roots typically visible in 1 to 3 weeks |
| Cutting Readiness | When roots emerge through the sides of the plug |
| Transplant | Whole plug into a pot, coco, soil or a hydroponic system |
| Tray Dimensions | 21 x 11 x 2.5 in |
| Humidity Dome | Sold separately |
| Storage | Sealed container, cool and dark |
| Replacement Plugs | HGC714135 50 pack, HGC714002 100 pack, HGC714006 1,400 case |
| Microbe Claim | Unquantified. No species or count published |
| Certification | No OMRI listing found |
| UPC | 793094032513 |