the Hand Watering coco thread

[Greyskull]

I've tried doing a search in this thread for using B-Cuzz nutrients with coco. I use B-Cuzz A&B along with most of the supplements. I am making the switch from soil to coco. I was just curious if B-Cuzz will still perform for me in coco like it has in soil. As well as should I just use the same formula I have in the past?

i spoke with a certain nutirent guru about that exact same question... and did a little research too...

where im moving canna isnt available but bcuzz is...

apparently bcuzz and canna are the same thing both designed by the same guy. the canna coco nutes have extra cal/mag mixed into them to make them suitable without having to add more cal/mag... you just have to give full dose as reccomended by the manufacturer...

so the bcuzz hydro a/b may need some cal/mag added for growing in coco but it should be aok.

the atammi website isnt really up yet but theres some info there you may want to check out - you just have to navigate it hahaha. i sent an email to erwin (go to the website - youll see what i mean by 'email erwin' lol) asking him for the latest and greatest info.... no response yet...

 

[Backward_Z]

nice thread

 

[irene]

I am new to coco and have been having a lot of problems using GH nutes. I planted clones in rapid rooters into 3 gal smart pots. I use tap water @ about 180 ppm. I was planning on switching to coco specific nutes but I don't know which ones to use. Any suggestions on what I should try. I think the cones I already planted are too bad to salvage.

 

[gaiusmarius]

i would get canna coco A+B. as soon as you plant them in the coco they need a feed with about 1/3 of recommended dose. very easy always use equal amounts of each.

 

[MaynardG_Krebs]

I am new to coco and have been having a lot of problems using GH nutes. I planted clones in rapid rooters into 3 gal smart pots. I use tap water @ about 180 ppm. I was planning on switching to coco specific nutes but I don't know which ones to use. Any suggestions on what I should try. I think the cones I already planted are too bad to salvage.

I highly recommend House and Garden (VandeZwaan). I know a lot of guys will recommend Canna nutes.. I'm not sure, but you'll have to amend them with CalMag. You can use almost any nute line with coco, but if it's not coco specific, you'll most likely have to add the calmag.

mgk

 

[gaiusmarius]

yeah house and garden aqua flakes has a good rep too, same for their coco line

 

[Greyskull]

I highly recommend House and Garden (VandeZwaan). I know a lot of guys will recommend Canna nutes.. I'm not sure, but you'll have to amend them with CalMag. You can use almost any nute line with coco, but if it's not coco specific, you'll most likely have to add the calmag.

mgk

cal/mag is like a staple additive.
i dont know if you "need" it when running canna coco nutes - after some emails with their ca rep, he told me that feeding at reccomended dosages (no matter how high the numbers look on paper!) nullifies the need for supplemental cal/mag.

^^^makes sense to me as alot of the folks (myself included) whove been adding cal/mag arent runnign the nutes at full strength.
Except for member blindate (he goes full dose!). and the reason hes not is becasue he had the same questions a few years ago... check out his pics of the buds next to full roll of paper towels...

btw - i know a few different ehads (online & off) that are using H&G and are also adding c/m.... but again, not at reccomended doses..... hmmmmm

 

[Justin_Credible]

i spoke with a certain nutirent guru about that exact same question... and did a little research too...

where im moving canna isnt available but bcuzz is...

apparently bcuzz and canna are the same thing both designed by the same guy. the canna coco nutes have extra cal/mag mixed into them to make them suitable without having to add more cal/mag... you just have to give full dose as reccomended by the manufacturer...

so the bcuzz hydro a/b may need some cal/mag added for growing in coco but it should be aok.

the atammi website isnt really up yet but theres some info there you may want to check out - you just have to navigate it hahaha. i sent an email to erwin (go to the website - youll see what i mean by 'email erwin' lol) asking him for the latest and greatest info.... no response yet...

HOLY SHIT! Thank you soooo much! That is why I have to buy cal/mag from botanicaire! I appreciate you clarifying this for me. Much respect...

 

[irene]

I started my rooted clones in 3 gallon smart pots. Could this be a reason they seem to be showing major signs of deficiency? Or would you say it's probably an incorrect concentration of GH nutes?

 

[Dr.NO]

This looks like a good place to ask coco questions, an I have one. I'm looking online at the hydro shop I frequent for coco coir and the only brand they seem to have is Sunleave brand. Is that any good?

 

[Justin_Credible]

Hey Greyskull,
Thanks for the +rep..I don't know if it is out of line to post a pic in this thread or not, but I am sure if it is someone will let me know....so you wanted to know how B-Cuzz and coco do? Well, here is a pic of my sweetest c99 I purchased from DGS. I popped the beans and my 1st try at coco is right here, as well as being used with the B-Cuzz hydro line. Check her (hopefully) out. I think that my plants are loving it....it is very exciting (trying something new) changing the grow medium since I have been in soil the whole time...let me know what ya think, only 2 weeks in, one topping. IMO I need to lower ppms a bit, slight leaf curl, no burnt tips. Or could I just hit them once with 5.8 water? Stay at same ppms? Any info greatly appreciated.


Over head with the floro taken just a few days ago.


Overhead without floro

 

[Greyskull]

looks pretty good to me thus far...
do i see some perlite there mixed in the coco (from the overhead shot)?

 

[Justin_Credible]

looks pretty good to me thus far...
do i see some perlite there mixed in the coco (from the overhead shot)?

Thanks for the kind words....I am happy thus far...
90/10% coco/perlite. I was told that even though it is coco I should still use perlite for proper oxygen. Judging by the root shots I took, I think I might go 15% perlite....not sure. Do you use the bricks or loose coco? I did not wash my coco like people in here have been saying, and it does not seem to have an adverse effect. But is that because the coco I used was brick?

 

[MaynardG_Krebs]

Thanks for the kind words....I am happy thus far...
90/10% coco/perlite. I was told that even though it is coco I should still use perlite for proper oxygen. Judging by the root shots I took, I think I might go 15% perlite....not sure. Do you use the bricks or loose coco? I did not wash my coco like people in here have been saying, and it does not seem to have an adverse effect. But is that because the coco I used was brick?

I use the bricks.. specifically the CocoTek from General Hydroponics. I use the 'mixed' brick that contains chunks, fiber, and particles. I did 2 pots worth yesterday. It's interesting to see the variability between bricks. The first one's initial flush started out at about 350 ppm on the run off after the initial soak. The next reading was up over 700 ppm.. then it tapered off after 2 more flushes to around 120 ppm which is about 30 pts over my tap water. The next brick never approached the 700 ppm level and barely got over 500 ppm and only required 4 flush cycles. Anyway.. I do rinse my coco and take ppm readings of the run off until it's in that low 100 range. That way, I know I'm starting on a blank slate and can control my nute levels accordingly. Sorry for getting so wordy, but that's the way I am when I've been smoking weed.. and I smoke weed all the time.. lol..

mgk

 

[Justin_Credible]

I use the bricks.. specifically the CocoTek from General Hydroponics. I use the 'mixed' brick that contains chunks, fiber, and particles. I did 2 pots worth yesterday. It's interesting to see the variability between bricks. The first one's initial flush started out at about 350 ppm on the run off after the initial soak. The next reading was up over 700 ppm.. then it tapered off after 2 more flushes to around 120 ppm which is about 30 pts over my tap water. The next brick never approached the 700 ppm level and barely got over 500 ppm and only required 4 flush cycles. Anyway.. I do rinse my coco and take ppm readings of the run off until it's in that low 100 range. That way, I know I'm starting on a blank slate and can control my nute levels accordingly. Sorry for getting so wordy, but that's the way I am when I've been smoking weed.. and I smoke weed all the time.. lol..

mgk

350-700 ppms of what though? I had no idea that coco had anything in it. So, I should take the bricks and initially soak them, then rinse out all the coco? Confused? I did not do this at all and everything turned out fine. I will be breaking down some more bricks soon, but I will be using 1/2 strength nutes to do my soak.

 

[MaynardG_Krebs]

350-700 ppms of what though? I had no idea that coco had anything in it. So, I should take the bricks and initially soak them, then rinse out all the coco? Confused? I did not do this at all and everything turned out fine. I will be breaking down some more bricks soon, but I will be using 1/2 strength nutes to do my soak.

I don't really understand the 1/2 strength nute thing, but a lot of guys do it. What the ppm reading from the run off is just salts and minerals that reside in the coco fiber. It's just a 'rinse' cycle that gets you to a base of good clean medium. I've done it both ways.. not flushing will work, but with the variability of every brick, I feel better knowing that I'm starting with all that crap rinsed out.

mgk

 

[Justin_Credible]

I don't really understand the 1/2 strength nute thing, but a lot of guys do it. What the ppm reading from the run off is just salts and minerals that reside in the coco fiber. It's just a 'rinse' cycle that gets you to a base of good clean medium. I've done it both ways.. not flushing will work, but with the variability of every brick, I feel better knowing that I'm starting with all that crap rinsed out.

mgk

Sooooo, I'm sorry to beat a dead horse here, but what do you do then? I read in the coco forum to use 1/2 strength nutes at 5.8-6.0 ph 5-6 gals for each brick, soak and use. So, you just use straight 6.0 water? Then what do you do? Strain it or something? The reason I ask is that I am getting ready to break open 1-2 bricks over the next day or two to do some transplants. Thanks for the help....info....

 

[MaynardG_Krebs]

Sooooo, I'm sorry to beat a dead horse here, but what do you do then? I read in the coco forum to use 1/2 strength nutes at 5.8-6.0 ph 5-6 gals for each brick, soak and use. So, you just use straight 6.0 water? Then what do you do? Strain it or something? The reason I ask is that I am getting ready to break open 1-2 bricks over the next day or two to do some transplants. Thanks for the help....info....

I transplant my plants into the rinsed coco and proceed. I'm not saying using the diluted nute solution is bad, I just don't see the benefit and as expensive as nutrients are, well.. It's hard to mess this thing up.. if I can do it, anyone can.. Once you get used to it, you'll love it..

mgk

 

[mosthi]

I began my first coco grow after receiving a complimentary kit from House & Garden. From research it seemed like a solid brand and proved itself so. I transplanted a few ladies originally veged in hydro. They took easily and rather quickly although I did experience deficiencies early on. I now attribute these deficiencies to an abundance of magnesium. When transplanting the coco was treated with Cal-Mag. I later found that my local water has a high amount also. This led to calcium and phosphorus lock. At this point I had to throw hand watering out the window and flush flood and drain style by hand, dipping my pots into a clean resi and testing runoff until acceptable salt levels were once again reached. I'm now near harvest and all ladies made a recovery. Quality wasn't hurt too much as all have good numbers of trichomes and a pleasant smell. Yield? well that's the moral of the story. Do your homework. These past couple months were mostly a learning experience because it doesn't seem like it will render much. I'll try to update at the end.

best of luck

 

[Justin_Credible]

I transplant my plants into the rinsed coco and proceed. I'm not saying using the diluted nute solution is bad, I just don't see the benefit and as expensive as nutrients are, well.. It's hard to mess this thing up.. if I can do it, anyone can.. Once you get used to it, you'll love it..

mgk

Hey mgk
So, I do not think that the bricks of coco I got I have to rinse, i will try straight (6.0??or 5.8btw?) water to break them up. If I had a ppm problem with the first 2 bricks I would've seen it in the plants right? I am just wondering if this is a necessary step. Shit, I do not even know the brand of coco I have, I would have to go look.
Speaking of how expensive nutes are, I HAVE noticed that I am feeding alot more than I used to. The coco dries up fast...but I also noticed the results are fast too. If I see some curling of leaves, 5.8 water the next feeding...boom...back to normal...i am basically hand watering every two days with nom temps and humidity...and every three feedings they seem to need water at the fourth. Loving it so far, except again..compared to soil...wow...some days at same temps in soil I could go 3 or even four days before they need a feeding or water.
AAAaaaannnnd, another thing I love about coco, running at 5.8ph. I mix up my nutes and they always fall in at 5.8-5.9...lovin it!