Coco Coir
- Thread starter DoubleAtotheRON
- Start date
bk78
Well-Known Member
It was going into the compost bin anyway. I turned the light off above it a full week prior to this picture even.
Star Dog
Well-Known Member
Re pot size... If I'm growing more than 4 plants i only need 3-5 ltr atm I'm using 3ltr and 5 ltr but with with different pump timings.
They still use the same amount but the smaller pots need more frequent feeding.
If i had 4 plants I'd use 10ltr pots, I've some 15ltr but they don't get used anymore.
I wouldn't normally mix pot sizes but pheno hunting and all that lol.
They still use the same amount but the smaller pots need more frequent feeding.
If i had 4 plants I'd use 10ltr pots, I've some 15ltr but they don't get used anymore.
I wouldn't normally mix pot sizes but pheno hunting and all that lol.
Thodoph
Well-Known Member
You might be right. I've never tried "only coco" but I will on my next grow. Curious to see the results.
Moonmanyyc
Active Member
I used to run hydro and nothing but ISSUES, I ran the hydro with a simple coco setup using High frequency fertigation. The difference was amazing and growth was double in the coco and not one problem,hydro another story. I’m now running A coco system fertigation is twi A day in veg and 3 times A day in flower after 2 weeks. These ladies grow 3-4 inch A day it’s amazing really,I will post some pics in morning.
Buds N Brew
Well-Known Member
@bk78 Why? It seems reasonable that you would use the amount of media that fits your growing situation. Sure, if you're growing indoors, using an automated watering system, in 76 degree temps, at 60% RH then yes, 3 gallon pots are fine. But, if you're growing outdoors on the US gulf coast, watering by hand, in 95 degree summer heat and you're using 3 gallon pots, before you can go in the house, make a sandwich and mix your next batch of nutes, your coco will be dry. In that case, growing in a 7 or 10 gallon grow bag might be more prudent. Or, is coco coir only suitable for indoor grows?
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MickFoster
Well-Known Member
You forgot the 90% humidity.........good luck flowering.
twentyeight.threefive
Well-Known Member
While it wasn't stated the OP is asking about his indoor facility for the coco grow.
Coco is definitely usable outdoors as well. I ran two plants in pure coco last summer. Went from 3 gal to 5 gal and finally to 15 gal pots. The 15 gal pot was a late transplant in early flower and an attempt to keep them wet longer as I wasn't able to feed them but once a week.
Buds N Brew
Well-Known Member
Yes, that too @MickFoster.
King Avitas
Well-Known Member
Thinking of making the switch to coco too. Been a 50/50 peat/perlite guy as long as I can remember.
I am getting very rapid growth with my current mixture. Kinda curious him much quicker a plant can grow with coco over my current mixture.
However my biggest concern is pot size. My style of growing is few plants trained to cover a large area with 50+ flowering tops per plant. I have always seen better results as far as bud size and bud density with bigger pots because of pot size allowing root systems to grow bigger. I like 5-10 gallon pots for this reason.
How do all of you think switching to smaller pots with smaller root systems will affect my grow? I am not trying to be an ass but I would like more than someone just saying its better simply because they use coco. I want to understand how smaller root systems can be better/faster/produce more so I can make an educated decision before deciding to switch to coco or not switch.
I am getting very rapid growth with my current mixture. Kinda curious him much quicker a plant can grow with coco over my current mixture.
However my biggest concern is pot size. My style of growing is few plants trained to cover a large area with 50+ flowering tops per plant. I have always seen better results as far as bud size and bud density with bigger pots because of pot size allowing root systems to grow bigger. I like 5-10 gallon pots for this reason.
How do all of you think switching to smaller pots with smaller root systems will affect my grow? I am not trying to be an ass but I would like more than someone just saying its better simply because they use coco. I want to understand how smaller root systems can be better/faster/produce more so I can make an educated decision before deciding to switch to coco or not switch.
lusidghost
Well-Known Member
Multiple waterings. Smaller pots dry faster, allowing more feedings a day. You can grow a monster plant out of a 4" rockwool cube if the watering is on point. Recently I filled a 4x4 with two huge plants that were in roughly half gallon pots of coco while using blumats.
King Avitas
Well-Known Member
But wouldn't a bigger root mass use even more water?
crimsonecho
Well-Known Member
good thread good thread i’m inclined to do coco/compost/aeration mix in 4 20 gallon pots in my upcoming run. do any of you guys have any experiences on doing living organic soil with coco? looking at you @McShnutz
i’m trying this mix out with a couple of small plants in my 2x2 right now straight 12/12 and they seem ok for the time being but they havent started flowering yet so who knows whats gonna happen when they do.
lots of people say no organics with coco but i feel like why not. it has perfect ph, its inert, properly treated coco has very low sodium so it seems like a great media for organic farming. maybe not bottled organic nutes in coco is what people mean? no microbes in it originally to break down the organic inputs but i think adding some ewc and compost can solve that problem wouldnt it?
i’m trying this mix out with a couple of small plants in my 2x2 right now straight 12/12 and they seem ok for the time being but they havent started flowering yet so who knows whats gonna happen when they do.
lots of people say no organics with coco but i feel like why not. it has perfect ph, its inert, properly treated coco has very low sodium so it seems like a great media for organic farming. maybe not bottled organic nutes in coco is what people mean? no microbes in it originally to break down the organic inputs but i think adding some ewc and compost can solve that problem wouldnt it?
lusidghost
Well-Known Member
Sure, eventually. If I were going to grow in big pots, there would be a lot of transplanting before the final destination. My point is a plant doesn't need a huge root mass to perform well. They just need a balanced, steady nutrient regiment. The smaller the pot the most chance of screwing up though. A large pot is sort of like insurance.
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speedwell68
Well-Known Member
My problem with coco is one of cost and it not being very good for the environment. 90L of organic peat free soil ready to go is £10. 60L of coco is £15 + delivery. Plus, living in northern Europe means wherever that coco fibre was produced was a very long way away.
Then there is the increased water and nutrient costs. At the moment I can go at least 4 weeks on plain water, if I pot them up I can go 8 weeks on plain water. If I used coco I'd be feeding multiple times a day from the off. That would increase my workload. At the moment I am watering 3 times a week.
People claim that coco is the best medium ever, but in reality it is a compromise, just like any other medium.
Using coco gets faster growth rates over a traditional soil mix, however the trade off is more work and higher costs. Soil is super cheap and minimises workload, but the trade off is slower growth.
Then there is the increased water and nutrient costs. At the moment I can go at least 4 weeks on plain water, if I pot them up I can go 8 weeks on plain water. If I used coco I'd be feeding multiple times a day from the off. That would increase my workload. At the moment I am watering 3 times a week.
People claim that coco is the best medium ever, but in reality it is a compromise, just like any other medium.
Using coco gets faster growth rates over a traditional soil mix, however the trade off is more work and higher costs. Soil is super cheap and minimises workload, but the trade off is slower growth.
Wastei
Well-Known Member
Coco coir is hydro. It's basically inert. Happy for your success. Enjoy the stretch and flower. Cheers!
lusidghost
Well-Known Member
I agree with you on the the price. Coco should be a lot cheaper. It's in abundance, not terribly hard to process, and is light weight and compressible for shipping. It should be the least expensive part of the grow, regardless of where you live.
King Avitas
Well-Known Member
Probably going to try coco. Eventually peat will be banned , not because of a peat shortage. Canada has some of the largest peat bogs in the world but I suspect it will be banned because of the carbon it releases into the atmosphere when it is harvested.
I am going to admit that I just can't buy into the smaller 3 gallon pots though. I have always tried to grow big roots as the base for all of my grows. Bigger roots make bigger fruits sort of thinking.
I will still mix in 40-50% perlite but I just can't do smaller than 5 gallon pots. Not trying to say everyone else is wrong, but it's just what I feel more comfortable with.
I will also be switching to the hard plastic air pots. This should help prevent the coco on the bottom of a bigger 5gal. pot from becoming over saturated.
Who knows maybe I will fail but with every failure there is an opportunity to learn.
Wastei
Well-Known Member
You don't have to have runoff with coir at every watering and you don't have to feed multiple times a day. Coco coir lasts longer than peat and is in many ways more sustainable because you can reuse the medium for many grows successfully.
Coco nuts grow year around while it take years and years for peat to grow and age to be usable for growing.
lusidghost
Well-Known Member
Use whatever works best for you. To me 3 gallon pots are a perfect balance for coco. At least with fabric pots. I've used 5 gallons and they were chronically soggy, even on elevators. I've never tried Air Pots, but @twentyeight.threefive seems to like them a lot. I'm running rockwool slabs now, but if I do decide to go back to coco they will be 3 gallon pots. Or those plastic net pots that Bk uses. They seem like the best of both worlds.