DWC: Using coco to fill netpots rather than hydratron?

[zlock]

Seeds are germinating in rockwool cubes, going to be growing DWC in 5 gal buckets, and I'm planning on using coco coir to support the plants in the netpots, will I run into much trouble doing it this way?
Do I need to worry about the roots staying healthy as they grow through the coco? Will my pH be way of by growing this way?
Using the coco bricks from the pet store, so I know I need to flush them good.
Would soaking them in distilled water, draining the water, and repeating the process two or three times be sufficient?

Thanks!

 

[FreezerBoy]

You want to flood the upper roots in oxygen, coco will flood them with water. Coco will defeat the purpose of DWC and probably make a huge mess. If you want to avoid Hydroton, just lose the net cups all together.

 

[GuerillaAk]

I have used this method for single bubble buckets with success. I am by far no hydro expert but I liked this method. I kept the water level barely touching the pots till the roots started entering the water. Then I lowered Just a little bit. I just Watered a little from the top every now and then when the coco started to look wet. At first you might get a little bit floating around in the water which could be a problem with recirculating but I wasn't recirculating. Chunky coco would be the best to keep it out of the water. After a couple waterings from the top debri will stop coming thru. I was just looking at some pics from that grow I realized that I started the seedlings in 16 ounce cups and then transplanted to the net cups surrounding the coco with hyrdroton. So it wasn't straight coco. Im sure straight coco would work though. No PH issues maybe a little bit more messy. I'm not saying that it would be better than hydroton but if your a coco freak like me it can defiantly work.

 

[zlock]

Nah I've never done anything with coco before, but was under the impression that it was one of the several mediums you could use to support a plant in a net cup in DWC....
meh, maybe I'll play around with growing in coco by itself just for fun!

 

[FreezerBoy]

You can use it and it will work but, again, the point is to flood the upper roots with oxygen, Soaking wet Coco doesn't have as much air in it as air alone does.

 

[zlock]

Would I be better off approaching this a different way? If I were to support them a different way, could I simply let the rockwool cubes sit in the net cups by themselves, with support (and protection from light) further up the plant?

 

[thoughtcollapse]

like freezer said, just going to be a huge mess in your bucket. waste of time imo too.

 

[FreezerBoy]

What's wrong with Hydroton? What's wrong with using equipment in the manner it was meant to be used?

With hydroton, use the net cups. No hydroton, loose the net cups.

 

[slowandeasy]

Bucket, pool noodle, water, nutes, plants, done. Coco is useless for DWC. Like Freezer said, if you wanna use Coco...use it the way intended. Flooding it will lead to problems, and a dirty rez. Good luck.

 

[FRANKENBLUNT420]

well what freezerboy is saying is correct. you know that coir is gonna hold that moisture at the top, and you dont want that too happen, BUT you dont wanna use hydroton, BUT you need something to support them right?

you were mentioning an alternative to coir and hydroton, so then why dont you just use perilite instead and call the whole thing a day? or is there some aversion to perilite that you have that we dont know about yet?

you mentioned that using lump coir would keep bits from going into the system, but your still gonna have the problem of a soppy wet medium in a system that is meant to have the medium moderately moist to dry.

if your heart is dead set on using coir then go ahead, your grow may be the exception to the rule

 

[*mistress*]

Seeds are germinating in rockwool cubes, going to be growing DWC in 5 gal buckets, and I'm planning on using coco coir to support the plants in the netpots, will I run into much trouble doing it this way?
Do I need to worry about the roots staying healthy as they grow through the coco? Will my pH be way of by growing this way?
Using the coco bricks from the pet store, so I know I need to flush them good.
Would soaking them in distilled water, draining the water, and repeating the process two or three times be sufficient?

Thanks!

when ran 1st dwc, transplanted from soil & left a nice portion of soil on top of silica stone... there was huge worm in root mass upon harvest. plant didnt mind... it should work.

a good 1-plant experiment to see the pros/cons will be ok... would not use entire garden as test grounds.

the water vapor from the 100% rh of the bucket should permeate the coco, to some degree.

however, agree w/ other gardeners that lose the efficiency of straight dwc when add coco. coco alone can hold lots of water, depending on mfg & type. want lots of oxygenation in dwc.

can tell difference in coco, when run 100% coco vs coco + perlite... coco w/ 2" top dressing of perlite will grow roots just below the surface; roots branch+expand like a topped plant... these roots gradually turn into hardened vessels that take on stem+root-like characteristics...

this is possible due to increased aeration of upper root-zone... hydroton, lava rock, perlite, pumice, aquarium stone, silica stone, etc will all facilitate increased air capacity over the same volume of coco; due to water-holding capacity of coco...

if getting coco from pet store, may as well get aquarium stones/pebbles for your dwc system. they are cheapo & work excellent for dwc & aero w/ minimum media, wont affect ph & are re-usable...

You want to flood the upper roots in oxygen, coco will flood them with water. Coco will defeat the purpose of DWC and probably make a huge mess. If you want to avoid Hydroton, just lose the net cups all together.

enjoy your garden!

 

[mister c]

I would stay away from the pet store for coco. It is meant for lizards and shit, and has not been steamed...flushed...buffered...innoculated.

Try canna/bcuzz/sunshine100%coir/or basically any coir that is used for plant growth. You will be much happier with the end result. And its 15-25 bucks a bag. The closer to coffee grounds...the better it is. Micro-pores my friend.

 

[GuerillaAk]

I didnt have any problems with my coco holding too much water especially if you got a half inch of rocks in the bottomed . I just barely let the water touch the bottom of the pot. or keep it an inch away and let the splashing of the bubbles water the coco a little. If it gets too dry water a little from the top. Thats what I did. I had a great root structure. I think the coco's ability to create that fine, super complex root structure that will enter the water and start doin its thang( seeking nutes or what not). Could help I don't know. I used the hydrofarm 5 gal bucket lid with the large net pot but I had lava rock around the outside of the coco. B'cuzz bounce would probly work by itself. Its pretty course and chuncky.