Canna Coco - Not available on East Coast?

[InvisibleEmpire]

Ok so I have found that a mix of 50% Canna Coco and 50% FFOF seems to provide a very habitable environment for weed, have never seen a plant with nutrient burn in that mix and it's perfect to start seeds off as well.

Problem is, location. I'm in PA and almost all online distributers of Canna Coco are on the west coast. Prices range from $18-25 a bag, but here's the kicker...

Total for 4 bags: $75-90.
Shipping: $80-150!

Each bag is ~45 pounds, so UPS just charges an insane amount. I can't be spending $200 on 4 bags of coco...just not reasonable...$75 yeah, $200 no. Does ANYONE know of any places within PA or the east coast that ship canna coco, their website shows no online dealers close to me that won't charge $100 to ship me a few bags...

 

[InvisibleEmpire]

Edit:

Fundamentally the reasons I am using Coco Coir is to increase volume of medium while increasing aeration, water flow, root growth, etc. I hear Canna has a beneficial bacteria in their coco, but here's another question...does Canna Coco have something other coir doesn't? This place HTGS is within driving distance and has this:

http://www.htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=51205

Is the Classic Coco Coir Brick (fine) the same or on par with canna coco or would be worth spending that much in shipping to get the canna again?

 

[ArcticBlast]

i go to that htg supply in cranberry, and have picked up their sunleaves coco bricks i dont have any other coco experience, but i do know that rinsing this stuff (the sunleaves brand) is a must! but its cheap and it seems to work just fine for me!

good luck bro, maybe i'll see you down there lol

ArcticBlast

 

[robbiedublu]

They say a bag weighs 45 lbs? Really? It doesn't seem that heavy.

 

[fishing time]

Where do I buy any brand of coco in New England?

 

[InvisibleEmpire]

i get my FFOF and heavy things (fans, carbon filters) from them to avoid shipping charges...i've been dumb and went their in my personal vehicle, but this time around a buddy who lives 45+ mins from me is going to ride me out just to ensure if any plates are ran by any cops, theres no worry about them inquiring about the grow site as he doesn't grow.

everyone swears by Canna Coco, and I love it, but at the same time don't know if there are other options with shipping or if it's even worth going through the hassle.

 

[The Wild Eep]

I'm not even close to you so I can't comment on availability, but B'Cuzz Coco is just as good, and many think better, than Canna. When I lived in the Midwest I couldn't get Canna either, so I feel your pain, but I could get B'Cuzz.

Personally, if your only option is compressed coco bricks, go with the "green" GH Piece Coir. You should still pre-rinse, unlike your bagged Canna and B'Cuzz, but the product is really a good compromise of quality v. cost. Shipping on dry coco is MUCH cheaper than loose, bagged coir!

 

[jamesmarshall]

If your just trying to cut your medium to make it go farther with better aeration and you already use ff then i would go with the ff light warrior.Run 1/3rd ff ocean forest 1/3 light warrior and 1/3 big chunky perlite as the base. peace

 

[InvisibleEmpire]

The 50% ratio cuts back the nutrient burn with some strains and FFOF, at least in my experience. I like the mix of Coco / Soil, because you get the best of both worlds in a sense and i think Canna is my best option, but i can't spend $200 just to get the damn stuff...that's insane. I might have to get the bricks...then rinse...then use.

Anyone else...know of any way for a pennsylvanian to get canna, not just 1 or 2 bags...without paying a ton in shipping?

Looks like i'm left with either getting the bricks shipped to me or paying an arm and a leg...

 

[zor]

I'm not even close to you so I can't comment on availability, but B'Cuzz Coco is just as good, and many think better, than Canna. When I lived in the Midwest I couldn't get Canna either, so I feel your pain, but I could get B'Cuzz.

ive never used canna because like you, its not available where i am. The bcuzz is quality stuff though and i dont think you'll be disappointed. It is available near you.

 

[ThePizzaMan]

You are right. The East coast loses. However......

any compressed coco product you can pick up at your local hydro shop will be ok to use as long as you rinse it. If you do not rinse it, you run the risk of burning your plants from the salts contained in the coco.

I hear the botanicare cocogrow is great compressed stuff..and can be sent to your door for around $25.00 a 5kg bale. When this is cut with perlite...it will give you a shit load of media to use.

I once tried the B'cuzz...and it is quality stuff...but I find the compressed coco to be just as good...cheaper...and a lot easier to bring up the front steps if you catch my drift.

Again..canna may not need to be rinsed...which is a huge pain in the ass......but you have to use what you have in this case.

http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/cocogro-coir-fiber-organic-grow-media-5kg-bale-p-1680.html

Oh...and Invible..I felt slighted just like you when I found out that I can't get Canna products anywhere. Shipping will kill you on anything Canna....my local shop doesn't even carry their nutrients. It freakin sucks. So I just use H&G and buy the compressed stuff and give it a good rinse. You really do not have to rinse it..but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

that link above is for you...in case you want to order the botanicare cocogrow. No need to drive way far to get some compressed coco..it is light...and easy to ship. Plantlightinghydro is my go to source...they are the quickest and cheapest anywhere on the net.

 

[stonedar]

if you see a bag of bio-bizz coco-mix anywhere it's pretty snazzy

I use sunleaves classic coir (just cause thats whats my nearest shop carries) it's perfectly good stuff. just needs to be rinsed, like the above poster said. using Florakleen/Final Flush/Clearex or any other flushing agent makes rinsing it faster if you are doing alot.

 

[ZENARCADE]

If you can find the bagged Botanicare, IMO its the closest thing to Canna, I've never used Bio Bizz but I've heard its good too. But again, from all the coco growing I've done Botanicare and Canna are damn close/ almost identical. Very very fine, not clumpy.

 

[SCROG McDuck]

This is funny.. I'm running around south central florida looking for B'Cuzz and all I can find is Canna.

Same senerio on-line ordering.. $25/bag, $30-$50/bag shipping.

 

[InvisibleEmpire]

Thanks for the tips guys, I think I'm going to give Cocogro Coir a run in my first grow under the 2,000w. Mix will more than likely be 50% FFOF (for nutes) and 50% coco. I've had great success and healthy plants with this mix, never encountered nute burn until i used straight FFOF. Perlite would be nice if you had a thick/dense medium, but 50% coco + 50% FFOF doesn't really need perlite IMHO as FFOF already has a ton of perlite...

I buy most of my stuff from PLH, actually have to place 1 final order with them for my 1000w ballasts, pots, etc. Will add the coco to my list and it'll save me a nice load of cash.

When you guys say rinse the coco...the cocogro description says:

Cocogro Premium Organic Coir Fiber Grow Media 5 kg Bale

100% organic coir fiber
5 kg bale expands to 70 liters when hydrated with water
3/4" double-sieved long fibers to reduce dust and give ample space within the mix
Aged 18 months and has finished its decomposition stage
Flushed of excess sodium
Optimum 30% air to water ratio
Superior plant yields versus conventional potting soil


I understand an additional rinse is common sense, but when you say rinse is that simply meaning just dump the brick coco into a rubbermaid, fill with tap water, mix around a bit, drain, rinse, drain...etc?

 

[Guywithoutajeep]

You probably need to buffer it and give it a quick flush to check the ppms of the run off. Better safe than sorry. BCuzz says its buffered and flushed and I tell you my good sir that it is most certainly not 100% flushed. Its nearly destroyed a whole crop.

On the map of Canna dealers it looks like they're only located in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Texas, Florida, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine.

 

[InvisibleEmpire]

You probably need to buffer it and give it a quick flush to check the ppms of the run off. Better safe than sorry. BCuzz says its buffered and flushed and I tell you my good sir that it is most certainly not 100% flushed. Its nearly destroyed a whole crop.

On the map of Canna dealers it looks like they're only located in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Texas, Florida, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine.

None close to PA ship out online....and even if they did, I would've liked to be able to drive there and pick it up...all those places would cost me on gas and risk getting pulled over with 5 bags of shit in my truck..

sounds like i'll have to flush and rise it pretty good...shouldn't be a problem afterwards especially since it's not the entire medium...

 

[dunkydunk]

When I couldn't get Canna coco anymore I wound up using the the Botanicare Cocogro 5kg, and I think I prefer it. Easy to store and hydrate in a rubbermaid. I don't rinse mine, I just hydrate with 100 ppm tap water, and give the medium a good run through when I pot up. I've never had a problem, because of the coco that is.

Cocogro is good stuff, a lot of the other coir bricks are garbage.

 

[!!!]

Nearly all coco these days will work just fine. The only difference is in texture, so look around at your local hydroponic shop (or pet store) for something with a "mixed" texture (croutons + fibers) or whatever texture you like. Canna is good but the hype is primarily nothing but marketing for both their coco and their nutes.

If you're worried about getting pulled over with coco then we're all in BIG trouble.

 

[dr.greenbum]

i don't grow in canna coco, i use the terra line, but i have been looking into it. but here in colorado there is a chain of grow stores that are big canna distributors and the guys at the store in my city claim that you can reuse most of the medium as long as you soak it in cannazym. but idk, i've never used it and my buddy that does is too lazy so he just buys more.