Coco watering

Proper basic stuff and know no doubt has been covered plenty of times but hear me out.

I got given some cuts and shoved them in some small round pots n watered to run off. Week later plants are up and can see a few roots. Go and visit my friend who got the same cuts at the same time. His blow mine away, twice the size and way more roots.

Now only thing I can think that I have done different is. Perhaps I am letting the coco dry too much and treating the coco more like a soil grow? I know you shouldn't let the coco dry out and I feel I always end up with decent roots. The thing is my vegging to get there does always seem to take longer than my friends. A few times he has visited me and lifted some pots n said it needs watering. Yet I have said nah it needs another day or two. Starting to think may be I am being to cautious? What you guys think?

Now two of my cuttings I potted up into 3 litre pots and can see they have put out plenty of roots. Pots are still heavy but yeah can see way more roots. I am thinking as its a bigger pot they are staying wet longer and so giving the roots more chance to grow. I know everyone says you can't over water in coco. I have had plants go droopy in the past though. Course by the time it gets to flowering I agree can water them every day no issues. My struggle to me it seems to take much longer to get there and at first I always have poor roots. I got two cuttings I'm basically just playing around with to see if I can nail it n get it right. Watered one while the pot was still quite heavy in the small pot and didn't go droopy so gonna do that every day or so n see if the roots improve.

Don't worry, you're on the verge of "getting" coco. I had a hard time with my first seedlings and cuttings in coco because I too treated it like soil, ended up letting it get too dry which drives up the EC, and burned my plants. Never just give them water, always give them a nutrient solution with your target PH and ppms for the size of plant. You can overwater coco, especially when you transplant a small plant into a big pot, or start a seed/clone in a pot that's too big. Coco works best when you start in a small pot, and then "pot up" a couple of times when the roots fill out. Once the roots fill out a pot, THEN it's pretty much impossible to over water. Your friend is probably more used to coco and was probably feeding it with nutrient solution at least once per day. Small plants don't really need more than once per day. I have plants in coco right now in 3 gallon pots, roots totally filling them out, and I feed twice per day, and I like a LOT of runoff (BUT, if I was so inclined, I could feed 3 or more times per day with no issues, and probably much better growth). Runoff is important for new coco growers, as long as you are giving the right PH and nutrient solution PPMs, runoff helps avoid a lot of issues. Coco gets MUCH easier as your plants/root ball get bigger since they just drink so much more.

I have done plenty of grows in coco already. In fact know have always yielded more than my mate too. I just seem to take longer than he does with getting the roots to really take off. He had these cuts in the pots just over a week and has plenty of roots. Where as mine didn't have much and plants was half the size. I asked him in that week how many times did he water. He said when put in the pots then once after that.

I just think I have fucked up at some stage and size then been too cautious like its thrown me off. I end up with grows going alright but yeah just slower with the roots. Same way I notice the roots take off way faster if in the wilma system getting drip fed every day.

Think most the cuts I got given look so shit compare to his that I won't even bother with them. The ones I potted up are catching up size size but focusing on putting roots out for now can see that they are taking off. Seems much happier roots in the 2litre pots I potted up into. I can only think that's because the coco stayed wet longer. Anyway gonna use cuts mate gave me and depending on how mine look weekend will decide how many I have. Rather just get it over with then fuck around with watering when started some extra spare seeds next grow.

It's hard to over water coco!

At the start though I thought is possible? I know once roots are established its impossible. Tbh like I say I end up getting plants to where I want them. It is just it also seems to take longer for me to get the roots to really take off.

Tonight one of my cuttings still in the first pot I watered way sooner than I usually would and to my surprise it didn't go droopy at all. I'm gonna keep that up just as bit of an experiment for myself and check the roots after a few waterings. If it improves then I guess I have been letting the coco dry out too much.

I've got 4 of my mates cuts which are way better looking than mine. Loads of roots and was watered Sunday night n gonna need watering again later today. They are in 1 litre pots n have been for little over a week. Then I potted 4 of my own with not so good roots from half litre pots into 2 litre pots. All of them are already showing roots out the holes n way more than they had I'm the first pots wrapping around. Bigger pot holds moisture longer and the roots are looking way better. So yeah leaning towards me letting them dry out too much. Not so much that the plants go droopy but just it's rooting more like in soil.

Are you using the same nutes? Or rooting nutes even? I get massive differences depending on what I use and the strengths as well

Yeah both using using the same nutes n strength. Both got cuts at the same time actually I got mine a couple days earlier. It's not just this time, my plants always seem to make it n finish with plenty of roots n watered daily. Just at first they seem to take far longer to get going and veg.

Tbh I look at his compare to mine and pisses me off so much that I ain't even gonna bother with mine other than 1 of them to make it a nice number for under the one light. Rather just speed up with them n get a crop down.

I got 3 of my cuts still in their first pots and I ain't bothering with them for sure. Just fucking around with watering them at different times to see what works.
I usually water to run off, wait till the pot gets light but not dry completely and then do it again. How shit my roots look though now has me questioning about doing that tbh.
I
know some say water every day and I do get to that like I say. I have used a Wilma in the past and remember thinking the pot is still heavy those drippers watering daily the plants gonna go droopy. Was pleasantly surprised that actually they didn't at all. Would also say plants n roots grew faster too. So one of the 3 cuts I still have in the first pot. I am watering daily just enough to get a bit of run off. Will see what of the 3 has the best roots over the coming days.

For me, root development improved with higher temp and humidity. 85f 70%. Keep feed temp just below root zone temp.

Yeah you don't need to feed the clones daily at the start. Once I got roots coming out of the jiffy (5 days or so) I transplant into a solo cup, but only enough coco to cover all the roots and jiffy. Then I feed every couple of days, till I notice it drying out quicker, after up the feeding to once a day with run off. Within a week or two they're ready for their final pot.

Humidity plays a big part, when I don't use a dome it takes a couple days longer to root, but the clones drink more sooner and are stronger if they surrive that way (most do, but some seem to not make it up to my standard)

Best of luck, you will suss it. But a good rooting additive can make the world of difference, i use canna rhizo as its the best my local shop has, the nutrifeild and other ones stocked are shit, we don't have much here

I nigh on impossible to over water coco, you want fresh nutrient pissing out of the bottom every day, do that and you'll have epic roots.
With the proviso that your humidity, temperature and lights are right enough.

Star Dog said:

I nigh on impossible to over water coco, you want fresh nutrient pissing out of the bottom every day, do that and you'll have epic roots.
With the proviso that your humidity, temperature and lights are right enough.

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I been fucking around with 3 cuts I tend to bin anyway like I say. Watering one until I get run off every day. Another just giving a few ml every day. Only as done similar years ago with a freebie n it had the best roots I'd seen. Think well why didn't I carry on doing it like that lol . Was literally just keeping the top wet with a few ml as it'll dry out sooner that the bottom half of the pot. The roots was even better than my mates by the end n would have to increase the water each time. Other cutting I'm just watering to run off when light but not letting it get as light as I have been.

I have to say I did expect the cutting getting watered until run off every day to go droopy like she's been over watered. I usually get watering every day till run off but yeah way too slow for my liking. I know everyone advices water daily until run off but I'd done it once n ended up with droopy seedlings. I don't wanna jinx it but it's got me feeling quite hopeful lol because I know everyone says to do it like this.

Now for another discovery n eye opener. I potted up the cuttings my mate gave me. When I took them out I noticed lovely roots but you know what else I noticed. The coco felt way more fluffy. I have heard my mate mention before he has had water run out down the side of the pot. Now I thought letting it get too dry n come away like with soil. Every time I've seen him water plants though I've thought too heavy for a watering. So I know he ain't ever letting it dry out that much. The coco feeling fluffy made me think, I think I have been pressing down on the coco too much when potting up. Lift my coco out and it doesn't feel anything like his tbh. Thinking pressing it too much I'm fucking up with the coco being able to hold oxygen. So when I potted up my mates cuts I didn't press on the coco just tapped the pot type thing to level it out n watered.

Sorry such a long post lol . I think I am on the right track though. Will see how the roots look on this experiment but deffo feel step in the right direction to finally treating coco the way it should be m actually feeling much happier

Think the 3 experiment cuts are beyond saving lol which is fine as I didn't plan too anyway. Just interesting they aren't really growing but the roots are. The one getting just a few ml daily as if drip feeding has the worst roots. The one I watered and am gonna let get light but not light as usual has okay roots to be fair. The one watered daily seems to be putting out the most though. Honestly after reading about coco all this time n being told water it daily. I thought nah I will just over water it and I have seen that in the past. Now though I kinda feel like after years I've only just discovered coco lol . At the first stages of potting up I will probably give it a couple days to get the roots searching but yeah I think this is the way to go. Just wish these cuts wasn't in bad shape so could see them start growing. I did water one the decent ones I potted up even though pot was still heavy. Hoping tomorrow notice some growth on her.

Long story short I will have enough to flower under 1 light no matter what. But I actually feel happy just because finally have opened my eyes. Should now be able to speed up my veg process n yeah looking forward to next grow already lol.

nz_420 said:

Yeah you don't need to feed the clones daily at the start. Once I got roots coming out of the jiffy (5 days or so) I transplant into a solo cup, but only enough coco to cover all the roots and jiffy. Then I feed every couple of days, till I notice it drying out quicker, after up the feeding to once a day with run off. Within a week or two they're ready for their final pot.

Humidity plays a big part, when I don't use a dome it takes a couple days longer to root, but the clones drink more sooner and are stronger if they surrive that way (most do, but some seem to not make it up to my standard)

Best of luck, you will suss it. But a good rooting additive can make the world of difference, i use canna rhizo as its the best my local shop has, the nutrifeild and other ones stocked are shit, we don't have much here

Click to expand...

Yeah have used rhizo in the past and will do again I'm the future. Was just out of it this time round. I get clones to root no problem but was just seeing slow root growth in the coco. I would get to watering them daily but would just take way longer than my mate. Also noticed using the Wilma system with drippers. I would see the plant growth every day and the roots growing way quicker. Given that waters daily and my friend a few times saying I should water pots when he sees them. I would reply nah still needs a couple more days until I water. So I think I have just been waiting to long to water the plants. Treating it more like a soil grow than coco.

I also have been pressing the coco to hard when potting up. Which no doubt effects the oxygen in the coco. Could be why I have seen over watered plants in coco in the past. Also why I wasn't as keen to water as often as my mate. I noticed my mates plants that he gave me, when I took them out the first pots to pot them up. The coco was well rooted but felt way more fluffy and able to crumble. Where as mine is always solid. Also check this...I threw away a couple plants that looked shit. Just binned the plants and tipped the coco out the pots but that coco has dried faster than my plants coco. I think that's where it's more airy being as its broken apart type thing. The plants my mate gave me n I potted up, I didnt press it down this time I just tapped the pot on the floor. That coco is already drying better than plants I potted up a week ago lol . Deffo due to being pressed down n fucking up the oxygen imo.

Sorry this is a long message but yours touched on what my mate said. He said he wanted the plants once he they went into the first pots then again a few days in. So not daily at first and also said he didn't even water until run off just bit of water so they stay wet. Now I know I can water daily n they won't go over watered. Is it best at first though to let the pots dry about half way so the roots go searching more? Just my train of thought on it. All new to me this watering more often lol. Thinking as those roots grow more and more it'll be less time between watering n taking more water.

Seems hard to mess it up tbh but just wanna get it optimal for the growth.