Organic coco grow - ideal pH?

[Dee9]

Hi all -

I have decided to go organic with my coco - using Efficient Microbes (lactococcus and such...) and organic nutrients - and I was wondering where on the scale should my pH be?

When I wet my coco-brick, the pH is 6.8 to 7. This is good for organic, no?

Thanks,

Grow well...

 

[Mr Celsius]

You haven't provided enough information to answer that question.

What is your exact mix and exact nutrients?

Goto the organics for beginners in my signature, you'll see an ideal mix that works well.

 

[HeadyPete]

I recently revamped my methods, switching to straight coco from a homemade cocosoil with dry nutes (last batch was too hot and almost killed my garden - plus ph swung too much) and I have been adjusting my nute/water solutions to 5.8 and everything has been beautiful. I use BioBizz nutes and Floralicious Plus.

As I understand it, coco will trap calcium and magnesium and in return give up potassium and sodium, so you want to flush out new coco with a water/calmag type solution and feed cal mag regularly, or you will encounter cal and mag defs.

Also, unlike soil, the more watering the better with coco. It drains perfectly and has beautiful air retention properties, meaning you don't need perlite or anything and you can't overwater as long as it is a drain to waste type setup.

 

[Dee9]

I
...you want to flush out new coco...
.

thanks for your input HeadyPete,

to wash/flush or not to wash/flush...

so many people, so many opinions...

my first coco pot-ups was with flushed coco, my latest batch was with unflushed coco - time will tell me what works as I am utterly confused due to all the opinions. I use compressed bricks exported from SriLanka. I am migrating to coco slowly, my last soil-grows are halfway into flower..Mouth watering stuff...

I ...will trap calcium and magnesium and in return give up potassium and sodium...

thanks for clarifying that one up for me, sometimes I just need it spelled out nicely ...I think all my brain grooves are gone...

...Goto the organics for beginners in my signature, you'll see an ideal mix that works well...

Thanks mr Celsius, good information on organics! Nice and readable ...
I am making do with what I have at the moment. Pure coco as growing medium and the following..

1.- a liquid organic fertilizer - formulated with blood bone and carcass meal and another

2. liquid organic fertilizer formulated from hydrolyzed deep-sea fish - seems this one has more P than the previous mentioned one

3.dry powder of EM containing lactococcus lactis, lactobacullus casei, lactobacillus helveticus and bifidobacterium bifidum - this I add to my veg concontainer apon wetting the coirbrick mixed up with warm water, molasses and 1., 5. and 2.

4.dry powder EM containing Aspergillus Oryzea - I mix this in with my flowering coirbrick on wetting the coirbrick with 2. and 5.

5.trace element solution containing Iron, Copper, Manganese, Zink, Boron, Molybdenum, and Magnesium

6.molasses as mentioned above always with every mix

I use both 1 and 2 slightly weaker than recommended on the bottle half half during veg (max 2 wks) and during flowering I use the latter. I think if it is true that coco gives up potassium during flowering, I might not want to ad any more.


My set-up at the moment incorporates hand watering for veg - 750ml containers which I water every second/third day and then a 5 liter container wick system for flowering.

How does this sound? dunno if it will give me maximum yield yet, but they are alive and growing so far...

I am always open to suggestions!

 

[Mr Celsius]

I use BioBizz nutes and Floralicious Plus.

I don't consider these to be the easy/ideal way to approach organics, you can get the same/better results from a much less labor intensive method. To each their own.

use both 1 and 2 slightly weaker than recommended on the bottle half half during veg (max 2 wks) and during flowering I use the latter. I think if it is true that coco gives up potassium during flowering, I might not want to ad any more.

Can you give me the NPK's?

Your approach is going to be more difficult because the only thing that will buffer the ph in your soil is going to be the microbes you listed. You lack any humates to help buffer. If you don't mind ph'ing your water/mix, then you should have plenty of success. Ph your water to 6.3 and see if any deficiencies occur. Make sure to check the runoff of your water.

If you're using a low quality coco, there may be an excess of salt build up within it. This will cause problems for the microbes that are attempting to thrive in your medium (salt kills bacteria and fungi, thats why they salted meat on boats back in the day).

I worry about the amount of K in your mix, but I don't know if the fish is providing that. If you start to see purpling stems, you might want to start using liquid kelp.

 

[Dee9]

Can you give me the NPK's?

LiquidOrganix1 :80g/kg N
20g/kg P
58g/kg K
7g/kg Mg
6g/kg Ca
4g/kg S
60mg/kg Fe
1mg/kg Cu
1mg/kg Zn
40mg/kg Mg
23mg/kg Bo
15mg/kg Mo

LiquidOrganix2: 26g/kg N
25g/kg P
57g/kg K
1g/kg Mg
8,54g/kg Ca
2,5g/kg S
37mg/kg Fe
100mg/kg Cu
353mg/kg Zn
256mg/kg Mg
151mg/kg Bo
47mg/kg Mo


Guano: N – 0,8 %
P - 0,5 %
K – 0,3 %
Ca – 1%
Mg – 0,1%
Na – 1,8 %
Fe – O,1 %
Cu – 1mg
Zn 15 mg

Efficient Microbes: Lactocuccus Lactis
lactobacillus casei
lactobacillus helveticus
bifidobacteruim bifidum

Molasses - 1 tbs per 5 litres

Liquid organix1 formulated from blood- and carcass meal
Liquid organix2 formulated from deep-sea fish

I wet the coir with a mix of all of the above - slightly weaker than indicated on the bottle

cutting- no nutrients

during veg I feed 1,2 and guano to the plant in coco via a wick system in 750 ml containers – 2 weeks.

During flowering I feed 2 and guano to the plant – same setup – 5 litre containers – 8 weeks.

Mostly sativas being grown

The plants are not dying as of yet. They actually look OK! Some cuttings seems to be doing better than others, but I suspect that is due to different mothers...

 

[Mr Celsius]

Lacking a little bit of P, but I think you should be fine with the guano

 

[Dee9]

...forgot to mention the bonemeal...

...forgot to mention the bonemeal...

Lacking a little bit of P, but I think you should be fine with the guano

...yes, I noticed that too now - although I do ad 1tbs bonemeal and 1/2 tbs dolomite lime per 5 litres of coir.
Sorry, forgot to mention it. That should push the P up a bit, no?

Will the bonemeal have any real effect, as the crop is so short (3 months)?
Mothers which are kept for longer, might benefit more from the bonemeal.


Cheers!

 

[Mr Celsius]

Bonemeal will work and will be plant available within two weeks of being in an active soil biology.

 

[Dee9]

Bonemeal ... two weeks of being in an active soil biology.

Thanks Mr Celsius