Want to dive into coco - Some basics?

[Gru]

Looking to get into coco and a few Qs.

I want to do a coco perlite mix, may just get FF cultivation nation or just get some other prewashed and buffered coco and amend myself.

What nutrients has people have had good experience with?

Would a bottom watering wicking system work?

Is EC PPM pH that big of a deal?

Knowing that it can be water intensive, do you feed full strength nutes everyday?

I’ll have more eventually

 

[Roy Growin]

Looking to get into coco and a few Qs.

I want to do a coco perlite mix, may just get FF cultivation nation or just get some other prewashed and buffered coco and amend myself.

What nutrients has people have had good experience with?

Would a bottom watering wicking system work?

Is EC PPM pH that big of a deal?

Knowing that it can be water intensive, do you feed full strength nutes everyday?

I’ll have more eventually

Most people have moderate success with a wide range of nutrients, including some of our sponsors products
I'm UK so have limited options, so I use Canna because it's clean and simple to use

Yes, bottom watering, SIP, SWICK etc all work very well in coco

I have never measured EC/PPM - if the bottle says use 1 > 2 > 3 > 4ml/L that's how I apply it

Yes, recommended dose with every watering - CaMg, then A/B, then pH
Depending on your pot size, some growers water twice a day in full flower

Keep it simple and you won't go far wrong with coco - don't be tempted to give the plants loads of magic gunk in the belief that it turn your plants into monsters, getting the basics right will do that

Literally just finished trimming roughly 5-6oz from a GSC in 5L of coco
Time for a cold beer and a smoke

 

[Gru]

So in theory, during early stages, you don’t necessarily water everyday?

 

[Roy Growin]

So in theory, during early stages, you don’t necessarily water everyday?

Correct - no need unless you chucked in a shedload of perlite like a flood n drain or hempy
Loads of water/feed is for veg until towards end of flower

I have 4 new seedlings; I watered the coco and primed it with CaMg/Kelp, then when I planted the seeds I just lightly watered them in with pH 6.0 water and not watered since [5 days]
Coco is still moist and they are happy

 

[Bill284]

Looking to get into coco and a few Qs.

I want to do a coco perlite mix, may just get FF cultivation nation or just get some other prewashed and buffered coco and amend myself.

What nutrients has people have had good experience with?

Would a bottom watering wicking system work?

Is EC PPM pH that big of a deal?

Knowing that it can be water intensive, do you feed full strength nutes everyday?

I’ll have more eventually

Good morning my friend.
I run coco exclusively in my grows.
Check my threads.

Heavens Shores - Bill's 2022 Grow: Come Meet Howie! Show Us Your Grow Too - Bring A Pic

HEAVENS SHORES FEATURING SEEDS FROM Stay safe :cheesygrinsmiley: Bill

www.420magazine.com

Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Wastei]

Correct - no need unless you chucked in a shedload of perlite like a flood n drain or hempy
Loads of water/feed is for veg until towards end of flower

I have 4 new seedlings; I watered the coco and primed it with CaMg/Kelp, then when I planted the seeds I just lightly watered them in with pH 6.0 water and not watered since [5 days]
Coco is still moist and they are happy

I completely disagree. Coir should be feed several times daily for optimal rates of growth and potency.

Coir is a hydroponic medium and should be treated as such IMO. It should never go dry and be kept within optimal range at all times. The only way to create that environment is to repeatedly replenish the medium to keep pH and EC in range.

Treating coir like a regular potted plant grows plant too, just not as good as in hydro.

Cheers!

 

[Bill284]

Correct - no need unless you chucked in a shedload of perlite like a flood n drain or hempy
Loads of water/feed is for veg until towards end of flower

I have 4 new seedlings; I watered the coco and primed it with CaMg/Kelp, then when I planted the seeds I just lightly watered them in with pH 6.0 water and not watered since [5 days]
Coco is still moist and they are happy

I completely disagree. Coir should be feed several times daily for optimal rates of growth and potency.

Coir is a hydroponic medium and should be treated as such IMO. It should never go dry and be kept within optimal range at all times. The only way to create that environment is to repeatedly replenish the medium to keep pH and EC in range.

Treating coir like a regular potted plant grows plant too, just not as good as in hydro.

Cheers!

5.8 Evey Day.Every Day.



Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Roy Growin]

Feed and water 5 day old seedlings 3 times a day?? No way
Perhaps the conversation been misinterpreted?

 

[Odjob]

Multiple feedings of coco is based on a small pot , a 25 to 30% dry back and measuring root zone ec. I'm a real big fan of coco but those crop steering techniques would take all the fun out of it for me.

 

[Gru]

Does the entire media get moistened for seedlings?

Would a bottom feed work or just a few tablespoons on the top?

 

[Roy Growin]

Does the entire media get moistened for seedlings?

Would a bottom feed work or just a few tablespoons on the top?

Yes, coco has a very good capillary action so I always bottom water until they are a couple of weeks old, draws the roots down and fills the pot

 

[Gru]

Ok I got coco loco instead of just a basic coco, anything I need to know before I destroy some seeds inadvertently?

 

[Bill284]

Ok I got coco loco instead of just a basic coco, anything I need to know before I destroy some seeds inadvertently?

In my opinion straight coco is easier to use and an all around better growing medium.
I've seen too many people here with problems in Coco Loco and a barrel of hopeful solutions.
Whereas Coco is simple to use and easy to rectify problems.
Just 2 cents, do what you think is best.



Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Roy Growin]

^^^ What Bill said, I suspect he's done this before

 

[Gru]

In my opinion straight coco is easier to use and an all around better growing medium.
I've seen too many people here with problems in Coco Loco and a barrel of hopeful solutions.
Whereas Coco is simple to use and easy to rectify problems.
Just 2 cents, do what you think is best.



Stay safe
Bill284

Ok, from the info I’ve gathered it seems to stay wetter longer. Could that be rectified by cutting with plain coco and perlite?

Also it appears to have some nutrients in it already and shouldn’t last more than a few weeks in theory. Should I forgo the feed?

I’m sort of at the point of no return here

 

[Bill284]

The issue as I understand it is feeding nutrients and the ph.
Coco is 5.8 all day.
Coco Loco has peat moss and other organic materials changing the ph of feed required.
So do you feed the coco or the organics?
And do you feed daily or let it dry?
You figure it out you can let everyone know what worked for you.



Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Roy Growin]

Ok, from the info I’ve gathered it seems to stay wetter longer. Could that be rectified by cutting with plain coco and perlite?

Also it appears to have some nutrients in it already and shouldn’t last more than a few weeks in theory. Should I forgo the feed?

I’m sort of at the point of no return here

This is the point, you're already thinking of rectifying something
Coco + coco nutes and there is no guesswork - keep it simple bro

 

[Gru]

Yeah I’m probably overthinking this.

I’ll germ, plant and moisten see what happens.

 

[bluter]

as a new grower you'll have issues with coco loco.
use a regular straight coco until you get your feet under you. fill up a few jars before having to take on weird media types. coco loco is way better for someone who has a few grows and knows how to read the plants.

listen to what @Roy Growin and @Bill284 have to say.

 

[SmokingWings]

I have been fascinated by hydroponics since forever ago. Even with all that interest I continue to grow anything and everything in a natural dirt/mineral soil with plenty of mostly composted organic material or directly in the ground which has been amended with organic materials. My interest in hydro has led to my constantly thinking of some aspects of coco coir.

Ok I got coco loco instead of just a basic coco, anything I need to know before I destroy some seeds inadvertently?

It might be too hot for seed germination based on comments found on other web sites. And you were right when you mentioned "Also it appears to have some nutrients in it already and shouldn’t last more than a few weeks in theory."

If you already have some seeds planted then continue to think about not using any additional fertilizers until the plant shows signs of the starting of deficiencies. And if the plant shows signs of fertilizer burn quickly figure out a way to transplant into a milder grow medium until it is time to transplant back into the Coco Loco. But a little reading up on Coco Loco might help with ideas, etc.

I've seen too many people here with problems in Coco Loco and a barrel of hopeful solutions.

I figure that most of the time it is that they are treating the Coco Loco like they were growing in a coco coir mix. Coco Loco should not be treated like that. Based on what I have read about the stuff over the last 3 years Coco Loco should be treated more as an organic soil based grow medium.

The way I see it the Coco Loco is designed to hold water for several days. The pH of the water going in should be closer to 6.3 instead of the lower reading recommended for hydro.

Reading the web page and the back of the bag of Coco Loco the primary ingredients are coco coir and aged forest product (compost) at a 50/50 ratio with some Perlite and earthworm castings added. Then some bat guano and kelp meal and added along with something to help the Calcium levels.

Kinda sounds like a typical organic material potting mix but the peat moss has been replaced with coco coir.

coco loco is way better for someone who has a few grows and knows how to read the plants.

Yep for starters. And not add mess around the with the soil mix too much and end up with a 'Franken-soil'. That way if some sort of problem starts then there is a good chance that Fox Farms will be able to help.