Plants look good. If you want them to grow faster handwater them twice each day during lights on. Do you have some scrap wood? Cut some pieces and elevate the pots off the tray so they don't sit in the runoff. Get rid of the hydroton next grow
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The power of coco multifeed
- Thread starter stevewinthrop
- Start date
Plants look good. If you want them to grow faster handwater them twice each day during lights on. Do you have some scrap wood? Cut some pieces and elevate the pots off the tray so they don't sit in the runoff. Get rid of the hydroton next grow
stevewinthrop
Member
Your plants look great man, I think I'm probably just using more light than you.
Hey sticky -
Im on my 1st coco, hand watered too. Growing in 2 gal fabric pots. I handle runoff by watering in a 10" net pot/bucket. I set my plants in it and slowly water until I hear it running into the bucket. When I cant hear anymore dipping, I move it to a saucer while I water the next plant. By the time the 2nd plant stops dripping, the 1st plant has let go of all the excess. Im usually left with an ounce or 2 in the saucer that I dump in the bucket before setting the 2nd plant in the saucer. Repeat, repeat...
Thinking of building a tray with a couple degrees of pitch to 1 corner with a drain hole that empties into a bucket to avoid the constant shuffling. Of course it helps that my grow space is over a stairwell putting the floor of the footprint at knee height.
Im on my 1st coco, hand watered too. Growing in 2 gal fabric pots. I handle runoff by watering in a 10" net pot/bucket. I set my plants in it and slowly water until I hear it running into the bucket. When I cant hear anymore dipping, I move it to a saucer while I water the next plant. By the time the 2nd plant stops dripping, the 1st plant has let go of all the excess. Im usually left with an ounce or 2 in the saucer that I dump in the bucket before setting the 2nd plant in the saucer. Repeat, repeat...
Thinking of building a tray with a couple degrees of pitch to 1 corner with a drain hole that empties into a bucket to avoid the constant shuffling. Of course it helps that my grow space is over a stairwell putting the floor of the footprint at knee height.
stickyuser
Member
Allright guys, just given all the ladies food.
The runoff had a ph value from 7.1 to 7.3.
Could this have anything to do with the hydroton?
I always keep the water at ph 5.8-6.0.
Might just build something tomorrow to elevate the ladies.'
The runoff had a ph value from 7.1 to 7.3.
Could this have anything to do with the hydroton?
I always keep the water at ph 5.8-6.0.
Might just build something tomorrow to elevate the ladies.'
stevewinthrop
Member
I don't measure the ph of runoff. As far as I'm concerned as long as it's low going in, they take what they need and ditch the rest. I will test ppm of runoff occasionally just to make sure they're not being overfed too much. (ppm in vs ppm out)
Your ladies look healthy. What kind of light are they under?
Your ladies look healthy. What kind of light are they under?
stickyuser
Member
Im runnin a 600 watt gavita hps.
But back to the runoff, since they have soaked and sucked up all the runoffs..
Does that mean that there is probably salt buildsups in the coco?
First true flush on week 7
But back to the runoff, since they have soaked and sucked up all the runoffs..
Does that mean that there is probably salt buildsups in the coco?
First true flush on week 7
stevewinthrop
Member
Don't flush with pure water. Mix up like half strength or quarter strength nutrients and flush them out.
I haven't flushed my coco yet, and don't plan to, but I have been watering til runoff every time. I've just heard in coco to flush with weak nutrients.
I haven't flushed my coco yet, and don't plan to, but I have been watering til runoff every time. I've just heard in coco to flush with weak nutrients.
No probable about it. Salts don't evaporate. What ever went in to the coco and wasn't used by the plants is still in the coco. While not optimum it doesn't have to mean big problems, this weed can take some abuse and still put out fruit.
stickyuser
Member
Could i get ride of salt by givin it some more aggresive flushin? (With lowe dose nutes)
Really want the ladies to put out as much as possible of this lovely fruit.
But to the actually feeding, been following the gold label feeding shedule.
But this is general guidelines for plants right?
Im just curious what dose i actually could run?..
Not gonna try with this grow, just kinda playin with the thought.
Really want the ladies to put out as much as possible of this lovely fruit.
But to the actually feeding, been following the gold label feeding shedule.
But this is general guidelines for plants right?
Im just curious what dose i actually could run?..
Not gonna try with this grow, just kinda playin with the thought.
Sure, run a lot of 1/3 strength through them then the next day go back to regular feed. Stay with the schedule they recommend all the way through this grow and read lots on here and you'll have a good idea how to maybe use boosters next grow. It's too easy to add too much
stickyuser
Member
I will do this next feeding..
Thing is, im goin back to soil!
First grow was soil, went allright during the circumstances.
Then i tried Coco and soil next to each other.
Must say that soil went alot easier..
coco might be able to yeild higher but right now it feels like soil would be alot easier to controll, not as advanced?
Got a few clones of the Criticals 2.0 + and the Th Darkstars,(10 clones)
Just sprouted another 5x Burmese Kush, 5x Sage n Sour, 5 x Mk Ultra and 2 freebies, 1xWhite Widow and 1xBlue Widow.
Gonna try to fit them all in 2 tents,
120x120x200
120x120x180.
Its gonna be tight
All of them are goin in to soil, with nutes from biobizz.
Thing is, im goin back to soil!
First grow was soil, went allright during the circumstances.
Then i tried Coco and soil next to each other.
Must say that soil went alot easier..
coco might be able to yeild higher but right now it feels like soil would be alot easier to controll, not as advanced?
Got a few clones of the Criticals 2.0 + and the Th Darkstars,(10 clones)
Just sprouted another 5x Burmese Kush, 5x Sage n Sour, 5 x Mk Ultra and 2 freebies, 1xWhite Widow and 1xBlue Widow.
Gonna try to fit them all in 2 tents,
120x120x200
120x120x180.
Its gonna be tight
All of them are goin in to soil, with nutes from biobizz.
cocos not so bad. keep EC levels around 1.2 to 1.6
use quality coco like canna. the past year i have been using brick coco and im starting to think this has a bad effect on me
ph 6
10 mins it takes me to get my stuff ready for watering.
i never grew in soil so i dont know :
th seeds line your running ?
ran dark star a few months ago, i really like th seeds line
use quality coco like canna. the past year i have been using brick coco and im starting to think this has a bad effect on me
ph 6
10 mins it takes me to get my stuff ready for watering.
i never grew in soil so i dont know :
th seeds line your running ?
ran dark star a few months ago, i really like th seeds line
stickyuser
Member
Ive been usin GoldLabels Coco.
ive mainly bought Th seeds and Dinafem.
Im abit botherd about the space issue, got way to many plants in such small room.
Gonna see if i get around to make a journal about it
ive mainly bought Th seeds and Dinafem.
Im abit botherd about the space issue, got way to many plants in such small room.
Gonna see if i get around to make a journal about it
stevewinthrop
Member
I honestly don't think growing in coco is any more complicated than growing any other style. It's very similar to using a soilless mix like you would in a normal soil grow. The only differences are in watering frequency and having to pH the water to 5.8. Your plants are normal looking, just because they're not growing as fast as mine doesn't mean you are failing.
Mine are growing fast because they're clones from a vigorous mega commercial strain and they're multi fed.
You can grow however you want, but I have been doing soil for 10 years and I'll never go back.
Mine are growing fast because they're clones from a vigorous mega commercial strain and they're multi fed.
You can grow however you want, but I have been doing soil for 10 years and I'll never go back.
I did 10 years in soil also. I would quit growing if I had to use that nasty crap indoors again.
stevewinthrop
Member
Yeah, I have tried pretty much everything, dwc, rdwc, soilless, organic, hempy, aero, nft, etc. But nothing beats the simplicity of multifeed coco. It's a keeper, and it works really well to boot, I'd say growth is the same as with dwc, very quick.
What would you guys say in regards to multi feeding:
My 11L (4 gal?) smartpots hold 2.5L of water (Thats just more than half of 1gal i think). I usually feed once per day with drippers/timers. I've got pretty much complete control over the flow, so it can be a quick 10m feed or a nice long 20m feed, all whilst getting the same run off.
No matter how slow-a-flow during 1-feed per day, the pots are almost bone dry by the next watering, which as you coco growers know is bad shit.
So I have been reading up on multi feeds/playing about etc and what I can't work out is - do I feed the half a gallon split over a period of so many feeds, so by the last feed they get the total half gallon? Or do I feed half a gallon EVERY feed, to run off?
Hope Ive not derailed anything.
My 11L (4 gal?) smartpots hold 2.5L of water (Thats just more than half of 1gal i think). I usually feed once per day with drippers/timers. I've got pretty much complete control over the flow, so it can be a quick 10m feed or a nice long 20m feed, all whilst getting the same run off.
No matter how slow-a-flow during 1-feed per day, the pots are almost bone dry by the next watering, which as you coco growers know is bad shit.
So I have been reading up on multi feeds/playing about etc and what I can't work out is - do I feed the half a gallon split over a period of so many feeds, so by the last feed they get the total half gallon? Or do I feed half a gallon EVERY feed, to run off?
Hope Ive not derailed anything.
stevewinthrop
Member
If you multifeed you would do like this: lights on = X*2, halfway through the day feed for X, then an hour or two before lights off feed for X one last time.
So in my dropper setup, I feed 30 seconds at lights on, then 15 seconds mid day and 15 seconds before lights out, this gives me an even amount of runoff each time.
In other words, the more often you feed, the less volume you have to feed each time.
So in my dropper setup, I feed 30 seconds at lights on, then 15 seconds mid day and 15 seconds before lights out, this gives me an even amount of runoff each time.
In other words, the more often you feed, the less volume you have to feed each time.
All of the above will work fine
You can even do no runoff with some dripclean added but you can't add that safely in the middle of a grow. If you are set up to handle the runoff easy I would do half gallon every feed and lower the ec of the nutes because a lot will be going down the drain unused. What ec are you at now? The only reason for not doing the 1/2 gal each feed would be nute waste.All of the above will work fine
Thank you for getting back to me mate.
I've just today upped the tank to 1.7 ec, its rare I go over 1.6 tbh but these plants are asking for it.
Doing half gal feeds every time would be problematic for me, I use a 45L res and change it twice a week - I do this incase the plants want something (e.g more cal mag) mid-week, I'm wasting less nutrients that way and can act on things a little quicker too.
I like the idea of doing 3x feeds per day, one at lights on, mid way through, and one a wee while before the lights go out.
So if a 10 min feed does the plants till run off at full dripper flow, am I right in assuming 3 x 4 minute feeds would be more than enough to allow for run off on the last feed? With an extra minute feed each time to allow for uptake/evaporation?
Sorry for 100001 questions, my previous method has been pretty dialled in, and usually get around the 20oz mark from a 600w (give or take an oz or two) but usually the 1 x feed I apply is usually enough... so the multi feed thing has thrown me a bit, and I want to get it right lol
