Coco Outdoors. Any special tips or tricks?

Hey guys. Looking for some advice on an outdoor coco coir grow. To hot inside during the summer so just looking for some personal fun. Is there any special notes with coco outdoors?

Im so used to it cut heavy with perlite indoors that Id like to try it under the pwerful sun. Possibly even in small diy greenhouse to prevent rot at the end of the season, or would it be beneficial for the full grow season?

I was thinking of protecting them from rain water but have read it may not be necessary.

Cheers!

No protection is absolutely needed outdoors. You know your environment better than us. So if there's something you are worried about happening, by all means do what is necessary and take precautions. And make sure not to let your coco dry out. I would just stick with whatever nutes work for your coco indoors for the simplicity of knowing what you're working with. Happy gardening, there's nothing like growing under the sun.

hi man, i been experimenting with coco/soil/compost/perlite mixes outdoors this last few yrs, ive found so far the 33% coco/33% compost/33% perlite mix works real good, i mix in some organic ferts as well as use canna coco nutes, there is a strong root rot issue present in my outdoor grow area & mycorrhizal applications are in constant use, ive been planting into the ground in holes as well as plastic pots, found this mix works better in pots, just bought some fabric pots & will test these out shortly, as its super hot here in summer & hoping a cooler situ for the plants in fabric containers
if you have your coco medium dialed in indoors i cannot see any problem if you continue using same methods outdoors, i like the buffer of using compost & other organic ferts mixed in...just a personal preference

the super dense bud types may not be good for outdoors as i found with Bay Exclusives Tiramisu Cookies this last few mths, grew 4 different IHG with no bud rot sign, yet the Tiramisu Cookies had rot in 2 out of 3 girls
it would be ideal if you had a roofed area outdoors to move your budded plants under cover if rain occurs to reduce risk of water sitting in buds causing rot, i move some of my main girls(in pots) into a shed with a light if it rains when they are heavily budded to minimalise rot risk

I don't recommend 100% coco in an outdoor grow.

Don't get me wrong I love coco and mix it in with my soil just not by itself.

It's definitely doable if you have time time and energy to keep it watered consistently.

I actually just started 1 single plant in a 50/50 coco perlite mix which I am growing outdoors. I bring it inside at night, flood drain in hydro, and put it back outside.

It's either lit by the sun or cfls 24 hours a day.

I have to keep it separate from the rest because it brings in bugs. Aphids have been the most common.

Plants like consistent environment and I due to the fact I move it inside then outside back to inside. I think its not good. Not feeding at same time, not putting out at same time, etc.

The plant is doing great but it's getting heavy and the upkeep is becoming a pain.

My outdoor plants are about 33% coco and perlite. 33% store bought soil. And 33% dug up soil. They are planted in holes I dug that are 15+ gallons deep or so.

Where do you set ph if your using both soil and perlite.

Ammend the mix with all kinds of organics llike Kelp Meal, WormCastings/and/orCompost, Rock Dusts, Limestone for pH stabilization or oyster shells, Alfalfa Meal, bone meals, crab meal, soybean meal, gypsum, Sulfomag Kmag langbenite etc. etc. and yeah, as was mentioned I'd not go straight coco as the base, mix with some good soil also and aeration material like rice husks instead of perlite perhaps. Not everything, but pick and choose make nice balanced soil mix.

Only thing is, consider some things can attract animals to dig, like fish bone meal for example.. so some mulch on top, and little barrier fence maybe etc.

just some ideas, nothing is written in stone.

1cup per cubic foot(~28L) in the soil mix is usually a good quantity for most things.
and let it sit and compost for a minimum of 2weeks before planting anything in it.

cu

...then compost teas brewed with the same ingredients you used in the soil mix and water only throughout

being as I live right next to a huge forest, I do have alot of animal activity. I will likely only be running coco/perlite, definetely dont want to attract more critters and claws than I have to.

I think I will definetely build a small green house for mid/late flower, something temporary not a building or anything, a simple wood frame with a shelf or two depending on how many of my clones take off. Not sure if I should totally enclose it or if a simple "roof" type canopy to stop autumn rain from rotting anything

TurboTokes said:

Where do you set ph if your using both soil and perlite.

Click to expand...

to approx 6.0

Good to know

I would use a perforated bag in a larger pot to prevent the sun baking the sides. You'd probably have to water them really well each night. And I'd put some mulch on the surface or grow lettuce around the base to shield the top of the pot.