yah Ive done It , and I may do it again , easy to shake out the old root balls , n just save clean coco , lots of u guys re-use ?
TS
TS
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RE-USING COCO
- Thread starter teemu shalanie
- Start date
FreedomTRAIL
Member
I use it once inside then it goes in the veggie garden outside.
B
BB420
I might try reusing it any tips for the 2nd run ?
UNREGISTRD
Active member
Been running the same coco for over a year or so now! We make sure the last flush gets under 200ppm about the same as the tap water so there ready to go for the next round..Empty all your pots out into a clean trashbarrel or similiar and shake out the old root balls and mix everything and break everything up to look like new coco.
Sometimes we have to add a fresh bag or two from losing some to the root balls..we just mix that in with the old coco then replant like its new dirt!!
Sometimes we have to add a fresh bag or two from losing some to the root balls..we just mix that in with the old coco then replant like its new dirt!!
simple green
Member
I reuse it...
Tips?
Like you said, shake out the rootball.....break up any clumps....This is easiest for me to do when I let it fully dry...then it just flakes apart back into loose coco.
Some people would recommend a "zyme" to "eat up" remaining roots from the last run....I've done it...I've done without it.
I like to give it a good flush (in case there is heavy feed or p k boost in there) then run a light (as in .4-.5 EC)general feed with a little extra cal mag through there before replanting....(kind of a de-charge/re-charge kind of thing)
I dont' know if others do it differently....This is what I do
I end up losing maybe 20-25% with the rootball or however else, so I just mix the little bit of new in with the old each run.
Tips?
Like you said, shake out the rootball.....break up any clumps....This is easiest for me to do when I let it fully dry...then it just flakes apart back into loose coco.
Some people would recommend a "zyme" to "eat up" remaining roots from the last run....I've done it...I've done without it.
I like to give it a good flush (in case there is heavy feed or p k boost in there) then run a light (as in .4-.5 EC)general feed with a little extra cal mag through there before replanting....(kind of a de-charge/re-charge kind of thing)
I dont' know if others do it differently....This is what I do
I end up losing maybe 20-25% with the rootball or however else, so I just mix the little bit of new in with the old each run.
Simple to to reuse if in pots.
Step#1 Cut out root ball/trunk.
Step#2 Make sure new start will fit in hole.
Step#3 Insert new plant and fill around edges with additional coco.
Step#4 Watch grow.
Step#1 Cut out root ball/trunk.
Step#2 Make sure new start will fit in hole.
Step#3 Insert new plant and fill around edges with additional coco.
Step#4 Watch grow.
I also run drip clean during coco runs , keeps salt build up in medium down
TS
TS
I like to re use, but I mix 60/40 new and old.
I guess a small portion of my mix may be 4 years old!
I love coco so much if I could I would take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant.
I guess a small portion of my mix may be 4 years old!
I love coco so much if I could I would take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant.
i used to dump out all the pots onto a screen in the back yard and hose it down till it ran clear.
Then soak it with some light nute solution.
Then soak it with some light nute solution.
B
BB420
cheers every1 I will give it a go at harvest
I find that the 3rd run is the best run with reused coco. I'll add a little fresh coco in for the second use - maybe 10-20% is new. The third use I do the same thing, adding back in about 10-20%. After the third run I flip that, go with more like 80-90% fresh coco and 10-20% reused coco.
This does depend on having a very clean run. I currently have spring tails (something new every damn time) and while not necessarily harmful I don't want them back. So this coco has got to go. The run before this one had more than just a problem with gnats. So that coco had to go too. And the run before that I dumped on the garden after a single use.... I guess I haven't reused my Coco that often lately... Not that getting fresh coco has had any impact on the pest situation on my room. Shits dirty yo.
This does depend on having a very clean run. I currently have spring tails (something new every damn time) and while not necessarily harmful I don't want them back. So this coco has got to go. The run before this one had more than just a problem with gnats. So that coco had to go too. And the run before that I dumped on the garden after a single use.... I guess I haven't reused my Coco that often lately... Not that getting fresh coco has had any impact on the pest situation on my room. Shits dirty yo.
I do it the no muss no fuss way that Third Coast uses. Works great. Saves a ton of labor and mess. Also in my set up, it's a security thing. Less exposure.
I recharge the coco with Ca, Mg, trace before planting, and I feed 5 ml Hygrozyme throughout till flush, every crop. I'd prefer to grow in a water only organic soil, but the labor and exposure savings with coco are too valuable to pass up. -granger
I recharge the coco with Ca, Mg, trace before planting, and I feed 5 ml Hygrozyme throughout till flush, every crop. I'd prefer to grow in a water only organic soil, but the labor and exposure savings with coco are too valuable to pass up. -granger
I do the same as Third coast also , but i only use the same pot of coco twice so far , haven't tried to use it a 3rd time yet . the rootballs on the second use have been like big hockey pucks & don't think there could be much more room for more roots . but i could be wrong 
i just toss the rootball after the second grow in it . i don't have space to save it , so they go to my buddys house for his veggie garden .
i just toss the rootball after the second grow in it . i don't have space to save it , so they go to my buddys house for his veggie garden .
Let them dry out for a few days, and the roots die and shrink. Yeah it's hard digging in most of my 3 gal bags, but the old roots apparently decay while the roots from the new transplant are growing, and the new roots elbow right on thru the medium. Hygrozyme helps with that. I used the last batch of [Canna] Coco80/perlite20% for 4 crops, but the next I'll probably just do 3. Couldn't tell any difference between crops. Good luck. -granger
I just make a huge mess banging root balls around until they are all shook out. But I'm a lunatic.
I just make a huge mess banging root balls around until they are all shook out. But I'm a lunatic.
Right?
Aint no fun if you dont get at least one piece of coco in your eyes...lol
Must not be any gold miners on here. I found the best, easiest, fastest way for me. I take a big knife and cut the coco/roots into about 3"x3" blocks and let them dry for a few days on some black plastic. I made a sifting tray out of 1/2" plywood (it's light) 4" walls 16"x16" and put a screen 1/2"x1/2" square mesh on the bottom. Grab the blocks squeeze them once and put a bunch in the tray and shake and sift the coco through fast and dump the roots left in the tray into a tub. The only way faster to physically remove the roots would be if I had a motor driven rocker box (gold mining type). There is a post on here somewhere a guy says he has "THE" method for removing roots from coco- he sits there with a little shish kabob stick and twirls it around collecting the roots in small clumps. When I'm blazing through root removal with my gold mining method all I can think of is some guy who is either a tweaker or has OCD sitting on a pile of coco twirling a little stick for days on end
