Coco Growers Unite!

MeJuana

Well-Known Member
I want to use dirt planters 3 gallon x 4 plants to start with. I definitely just want to treat it as if it were dirt and not hydro at all.

Can someone point me to a clever way to catch all this water run off? (Trough system or something)
How much Coco Coir do I need?
I assume I don't need to use small potters and work my way up anymore?

P.S. I am reading the thread but if anyone has time to answer that'd be awesome.
 

MeJuana

Well-Known Member
Guess this thread is DEAD, took what I needed and unsubscribed. There is a another CoCo thread on Grass City I will engage in.
 

vdubb808

Active Member
I want to use dirt planters 3 gallon x 4 plants to start with. I definitely just want to treat it as if it were dirt and not hydro at all.

Can someone point me to a clever way to catch all this water run off? (Trough system or something)
How much Coco Coir do I need?
I assume I don't need to use small potters and work my way up anymore?

P.S. I am reading the thread but if anyone has time to answer that'd be awesome.
What I do to collect my run off or drain to waste, I this shop vac I found at loses that mounts onto a 5 gallon bucket. I think its called a bucket max. And my coco pot sits in a bus boy container.
 

jberry

Well-Known Member
I want to use dirt planters 3 gallon x 4 plants to start with. I definitely just want to treat it as if it were dirt and not hydro at all.

Can someone point me to a clever way to catch all this water run off? (Trough system or something)
How much Coco Coir do I need?
I assume I don't need to use small potters and work my way up anymore?

P.S. I am reading the thread but if anyone has time to answer that'd be awesome.
I would have answered but I couldnt understand your question...

1.) Im not clear about what you mean by "dirt planters" ?
2.) Coco is definitely Hydro and not dirt at all so it's probably better to use dirt if you want it to be like dirt.
3.) Are you using a planter bed or 3 gallon containers?
4.) Do you have a table and/or tray for your 3 gallon containers or planter bed or whatever u are using to hold your medium?
5.) Coco comes in 50L bags and a gallon is equal to 3.78L... Do the math to figure out how much coco you need.
6.) Yes you should still use small "potters" and work your way up.
 

Mocha Rocha

Active Member
Hey Coco growers I have a question about runoff. Is the runoff PH suppose to be between 5.5 and 6.2. My runoff is 5.2! and the water runoff is at about 2000ppm IS THIS NORMAL? I have been having problems with nute deficiencys possibly too much nutrients.
 

jberry

Well-Known Member
Hey Coco growers I have a question about runoff. Is the runoff PH suppose to be between 5.5 and 6.2. My runoff is 5.2! and the water runoff is at about 2000ppm IS THIS NORMAL? I have been having problems with nute deficiencys possibly too much nutrients.
This was just a few posts back on the previous page:

Originally Posted by jberry
pH measurements in Coco Coir:

Coco coir buffers pH in the range of 5.5 – 7. However bacterial activity and nutrient quality can have an impact on pH stability within the media.

Another misconception I have commonly encountered is that by measuring the run off (waste) in coir it is possible to measure the pH of the medium.

Let’s quickly dispel with this myth. Coir media will retain some elements and release others (a process of preferential retention of cations) based on the uptake needs of plants and the prevailing conditions of/within the media.

Because of this, measuring the run off (waste) will not reflect the pH within the coir medium (i.e. the rhizosphere environment of the plants).

The correct way to measure pH, in coco substrate, is to take samples of the media from around the root zone. These samples are then added to distilled water, then vigorously shaken or blended and tested with a pH meter. This method will provide you with the correct pH within the coir media (rhizosphere) environment.

Canna has a recommended formula for a coco / distilled water ratio on their website and it is also posted by myself somewhere in this thread.

As for the ppm run-off... I would say 2000 ppm is pretty high, so you may have poor coco or you havent been getting enough runoff or it could be a few other things but i would start with trying to water/flush with a large volume of water that has the proper pH and ppm... make sure you get a lot of run off. Things should get better after that or you have some other issue.​
 

Mocha Rocha

Active Member
Awesome I had read that the PH of the runoff wasn't a direct indication I just wanted to double check. As far as the runoff should I be watering to runoff every time is about 10% of container volume ok. You think I should flush with water or diluted nutrient solution. I have heard about osmotic pressure sucking the nutrients out of the plants when using plain low ppm water. Also I am using Canna Coco is this considered to be decent coco? I have a few more questions but I dont want to over load the thread. Thanks
 

vdubb808

Active Member
Awesome I had read that the PH of the runoff wasn't a direct indication I just wanted to double check. As far as the runoff should I be watering to runoff every time is about 10% of container volume ok. You think I should flush with water or diluted nutrient solution. I have heard about osmotic pressure sucking the nutrients out of the plants when using plain low ppm water. Also I am using Canna Coco is this considered to be decent coco? I have a few more questions but I dont want to over load the thread. Thanks
I flush with clearex after every 4th feeding. I not sure if its to much, but my plants seem to like it. After I flush I give a full dose of Hi Brix Mollasses with quarter strength nutrients. I have a flushing schedule because my friend says its not good to let the salts from nutrients build up. With my feeding schedule I flush every 2 to 3 weeks.
 

Lord Dangly Bits

Well-Known Member
WOW. a side forum on coco cor. Hmm. is it really needed? This medium in a plug and play. So easy. I grow with nothing else. Why would I go through the head aches of the other mediums. I have done Soil, Hydro, Aero. Coco has the ease above them all, with ALL of the benifits of soil. I use it over and over and over. Just run hot water threw it. Walla. ready to go for the next batch. I love this stuff.
 

jberry

Well-Known Member
Awesome I had read that the PH of the runoff wasn't a direct indication I just wanted to double check. As far as the runoff should I be watering to runoff every time is about 10% of container volume ok. You think I should flush with water or diluted nutrient solution. I have heard about osmotic pressure sucking the nutrients out of the plants when using plain low ppm water. Also I am using Canna Coco is this considered to be decent coco? I have a few more questions but I dont want to over load the thread. Thanks
yea dont use plain water... use the pH and ppm that you want your plant to get. The reason i say to use a large amount of water is so you can flush out all the old nutrients/water.

as long as you get a good amount of run off with each watering then you shouldnt get any salts building up.
 

nas2007

Well-Known Member
yea dont use plain water... use the pH and ppm that you want your plant to get. The reason i say to use a large amount of water is so you can flush out all the old nutrients/water.

as long as you get a good amount of run off with each watering then you shouldnt get any salts building up.
hey jberry, well this is what i do, let me know if i do right, my plants are in 15L pots and they are 1ft tall 6 weeks in veg. i waater them 4L of water and i get 500ml run of is that ok? and one more think i water alwais with nutes is that ok? so basically i add 2ml a 2ml b to every 1L every time i water.
 

Mocha Rocha

Active Member
Ok so what would the ideal ppm be of the runoff? Is 1000-1500 still to high. Also where do you usually peak out as far as ppm. I maxed out at about 1000ppm is this too low? I been having problems with nutrient deficeincy or something. Here is some pics let me know what you think the problem is. Also I am thinking of going all organic any nutrients manufacturer reccomendations? I am thinking of AN Iguana Juice.
 

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Lord Dangly Bits

Well-Known Member
Ok so what would the ideal ppm be of the runoff? Is 1000-1500 still to high. Also where do you usually peak out as far as ppm. I maxed out at about 1000ppm is this too low? I been having problems with nutrient deficeincy or something. Here is some pics let me know what you think the problem is. Also I am thinking of going all organic any nutrients manufacturer reccomendations? I am thinking of AN Iguana Juice.
What stage are your plants in, and how long? What part of the plant did those leafs come from? If I was to GUESS, I would say that is nut Burn, Not a
deficiency.
 

nas2007

Well-Known Member
is it ok to flush canna coco soil? i mean i hear some lads saying they flush befor they put plants into flower to prevent salts build up ect. does to go for us in canna coco soil to?
 

odlaw

Active Member
is it ok to flush canna coco soil? i mean i hear some lads saying they flush befor they put plants into flower to prevent salts build up ect. does to go for us in canna coco soil to?
i been giving mine a light flush of ph'd water and 200ppm of nutes every 2 weeks
i add the nutes cause i was told not to flush coco with just water
keep in mind though this is my first grow so i am by no means experienced with this yet
 

Mocha Rocha

Active Member
If I could get that ratio of coco to distilled water to measure ph that would be awesome. I look but could not find it. Also do you reccomend using organic nutrients in coco. If so what brand?
 
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