When To Water & Feed In Soil Coco Potting Mix?

[JDwinell]

when to water soil coco potting mix??? how dry before watering and can keep feeding nutes everytime if I stay under 300 ppm??? not trying to burn plan

 

[Nunyabiz]

If its coco and not a potting soil then I would water everyday, never let it dry at all and give 1/4 strength nutrients designed for coco everytime you water.
And I'd use fabric pots

 

[Emilya Green]

Hi JD! Welcome to the forum!
First, you have used two terms that are the opposites of each other, soil and coco... so I need a clarification. Usually it is either going to be coco, or soil, or some soil mixed with a little bit of coco, or it is a hybrid combination of the two that someone recommended someone else to use. The advice to handle each of these 4 situations is different, so we need some more information from you. Does your soil have a brand name we can look up?

 

[JDwinell]

Yes coco loco potting mix

 

[JDwinell]

I'm just confused on how dry I should let it get and if nutes are okay everytime or plain phd water every other time?? I've been giving 1/4 strength nutes every time general organics go box

 

[AdaminCO]

I'm just confused on how dry I should let it get and if nutes are okay everytime or plain phd water every other time?? I've been giving 1/4 strength nutes every time general organics go box

You don’t let coco dry out. Feed twice a day, 1/4 strength, at 5.8-6.0. Never use water only.

 

[JDwinell]

It is not coco it's a mix with top layer potting soil and bottom 2/3 coco loco potting mix or "supersoil" I have moisture meters in soil next to plants..I really just need to know how dry I should let them get before watering feeding??? Thank you

 

[Emilya Green]

Hi JD... congrats on getting such a wonderful soil to grow your plants in. Yes, it is considered a soil, it just has some coco mixed in to help with water retention, a common trick actually, just check out the contents of FF Ocean Forest.

So I want you to read my watering article. It will explain how to water properly, how to uppot properly and a little about pH. It is imperative to let your container dry out all the way, as dry as the sahara desert, between waterings in veg. These weeds grow roots most aggressively when the water is just about to run out. Take advantage of that fact by establishing a strong wet/dry cycle... more on this is in my article, found in my signature lines, presently with 280k reads to its credit.

 

[Nunyabiz]

Most people here are going to tell you to let the pot get damn near bone dry.

I personally do not ever let my soil get dry at all, IMO dry soil means dry root tips which means dead root tips.
In my case I am in a Living Organic Soil so dry means dead everything, dead worms, dying microbes and bacteria, bugs etc.
Living soil is living because of water.
Think about the difference between the desert vs a rain forest.
If you're just in a potting soil not living soil or coco then its not as critical although if it gets too dry you will kill off root hairs and tips.

I would just try to let your plant tell you.
And keep some moisture in the soil at least enough to keep the coco or whatever base substrate you're using moist enough so it doesn't become hydrophobic.

 

[JDwinell]

Thank you all for the replies

 

[JDwinell]

Most people here are going to tell you to let the pot get damn near bone dry.

I personally do not ever let my soil get dry at all, IMO dry soil means dry root tips which means dead root tips.
In my case I am in a Living Organic Soil so dry means dead everything, dead worms, dying microbes and bacteria, bugs etc.
Living soil is living because of water.
Think about the difference between the desert vs a rain forest.
If you're just in a potting soil not living soil or coco then its not as critical although if it gets too dry you will kill off root hairs and tips.

I would just try to let your plant tell you.
And keep some moisture in the soil at least enough to keep the coco or whatever base substrate you're using moist enough so it doesn't become hydrophobic.

So should I not be flooding to runoff each feeding and feeding half strength organic nutes each time..how much water for each plant one small seedling in 3 gallon..one late in mid veg in 3 gal and one bigger seedling in 5 gal all fabric pots is why I see people suggest with feed charts..so any clarification on water amounts???

 

[JDwinell]

Hi JD... congrats on getting such a wonderful soil to grow your plants in. Yes, it is considered a soil, it just has some coco mixed in to help with water retention, a common trick actually, just check out the contents of FF Ocean Forest.

So I want you to read my watering article. It will explain how to water properly, how to uppot properly and a little about pH. It is imperative to let your container dry out all the way, as dry as the sahara desert, between waterings in veg. These weeds grow roots most aggressively when the water is just about to run out. Take advantage of that fact by establishing a strong wet/dry cycle... more on this is in my article, found in my signature lines, presently with 280k reads to its credit.

Amounts for water each plant suggestion or can I keep flooding if let dry???

 

[Emilya Green]

the small plants in the large containers need to be watered in a completely different way... it is extremely hard to water correctly when you are in way too large of a container. I have another watering thread that explains how to do this, but my advice is to always avoid this situation if you possibly can. The Proper Way to Water a Seedling or a Small Plant in a Large Container

The larger plant is another problem. It is being overwatered by being watered too often. The lower roots have gotten in trouble and by the looks of the zero lift of your leaves, have totally atrophied because they have been under water all of this time. You can not overwater these plants (in a proper sized container) by giving too much water in one watering session... the soil can only hold so much before it runs out of the bottom as runoff. The only way to overwater these weeds is by watering too often, or before the soil has dried out all the way to the bottom. So yes, if you wait for the bottom to dry out, you should "flood" it every time, or as we say around here, water to runoff.

 

[JDwinell]

Thank you so much I'm going to water slot less tlol

 

[heartconaway]

the small plants in the large containers need to be watered in a completely different way... it is extremely hard to water correctly when you are in way too large of a container. I have another watering thread that explains how to do this, but my advice is to always avoid this situation if you possibly can. The Proper Way to Water a Seedling or a Small Plant in a Large Container

The larger plant is another problem. It is being overwatered by being watered too often. The lower roots have gotten in trouble and by the looks of the zero lift of your leaves, have totally atrophied because they have been under water all of this time. You can not overwater these plants (in a proper sized container) by giving too much water in one watering session... the soil can only hold so much before it runs out of the bottom as runoff. The only way to overwater these weeds is by watering too often, or before the soil has dried out all the way to the bottom. So yes, if you wait for the bottom to dry out, you should "flood" it every time, or as we say around here, water to runoff.

@Emilya Hello I am a struggling noob who just got his first plants to start veg and have a plant full of yellow leaves... have you written n e books of n e kind that I could purchase for help? Thank you for n e help you can provide In advance.

 

[Emilya Green]

@Emilya Hello I am a struggling noob who just got his first plants to start veg and have a plant full of yellow leaves... have you written n e books of n e kind that I could purchase for help? Thank you for n e help you can provide In advance.

The book isn't ready yet, so still has not been sent to the publisher... someday though, I hope to get a modern grow guide out. Best advice is to start up your own grow journal so you can post pics and we can quiz you as to what is going on, and center in on you without bothering someone else's thread. Get that done today and call me in with the @ system, and I will come running.

 

[JDwinell]

Okay I will try..