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"Newbies Guide to Growing in Coco" thread/sticky

KosmoKramer

KosmoKramer

Member
Hey all

Been doing some research on this Coco phenom here at IC. Seriously thinking of making the switch, but I'm planning a few hand watered test plants first before going all out.

For a coco newbie there's lots of info to find, absorb and reading hundreds of posts to find the diff bits and pieces is a daunting tasks. So in a nutshell I'd like to purpose this.

Is it possible to post a sticky here on just the basics for newbies or peeps looking to make the switch? Things like pre-treating the coco, proper flushing technique, how to clean/reuse it. Lockout/deficiency issues to watch, ect, ect. I also think I remember something about someone having some knat/flying bugs emerging from out of the coco.

Not looking for a full blown, every possible nute combo type thread. Just a "how to start", "things to be careful of" kinda thread.

Sure would make making the switch much easier. Would be nice to get a clean trouble free start when switching.

Or maybe a sticky with a bunch of links to the above mentioned topics?

:thank you::tiphat:
 
M

mg75

Member
ph 5.8 - 6.2 no less no more.
some days i do 5.8 some days i do 6.0 and some days i do 6.2

availability of nutes at different ph values will affect growth.

i also use drip clean with every feeding. it's worth every penny.
 
E

efeldmaz

Member
Should I use cal mag in my water for coco? I don't use RO H2O and the water up here in the mountains is pretty hard?
 
L

Lain

Member
Kosmo I hear ya.. It was a PITA when I was looking for the same info for my first coco run.

When I get back from vacation in 2 days I have a few coco growing guides/resources I can post up in here.

Juskin, Coco is a hydro medium. Hydro can be defined as any medium that is soil-less/inert and uses water to transport required nutrients. Mg75 has it right.

It's always safer to allow pH to start off at a lower value instead of a higher one. In a healthy setup, pH slowly rises as nutrients are used up by the plants. If watering at a pH of 6.0-6.2, and the coco is feeding heavily, pH will rise and be out of the golden zone faster than if watered with a pH of 5.6-5.8. Plus, the effect of nutrient availability at a lower pH level is less important than a high pH. In short, lower pH is safer than a higher one.

Efeldmaz, it depends on what your waters PPM is. When you drink tap water, what does it smell/taste like? Leave a clear glass of water out for a few days and see if the evaporation leaves any residual rings on the glass (calcium deposits).

Or, you can be on the safe side and use a small dose of calmag every watering. 2.5ml/gal (1/2 tsp) will be safe to use if your tap has little.
 
OPT

OPT

Member
If your using hard water from the tap, and using Canna Coco brand, you shouldnt have a problem with magnesium or Calcium for the first run. After reusing your coco a 2nd and 3rd time you need a additive like Cannazym, along with extra magnesium like Epsom Salts.

In my personal opinion, CalMag CAN overdo it for you when using hard water, and with hard water there is more then enough calcium, so go with the cheaper alternative....epsom salts.

Some of the most important aspects I've learned with dealing with coco over the past year are as follows:

1. Don't treat it like soil, Coco likes to stay moist. (once the roots have been established.)

2. Put a good 2 inch layer of perlite on top of your coco to ward off Gnats from being able to breed.

3. Use smaller pots then you normally would with soil, it's better if there are tons of roots to uptake as much nutrients as possible.

4. Don't worry too much if you see a slight def. here and there, it happens to the best of us, just don't overthink it.

5. If using non-coco specific nutes with hard water, be sure to get the ones that are for hardwater that have less calcium then normal in them. (ex. Flora Micro for hardwater)

6. Aim for a PH anywhere between 5.5-6.2 (I personally like to PH mine to 5.7-5.8)


It is true plants thrive like crazy in coco, and after you try it once, you will understand why it is such a hot topic these days in the growing world!

GL to you.

OPT
 
KosmoKramer

KosmoKramer

Member
Thanks for the input OPT. A few more questions.

Are knats a problems when using coco, as in, are there some that emerge from the coco? Or are you refering to them breeding being a problem IF you get them. Could have sworn I read somewhere that some peeps were having them emerge FROM the coco.

Does the coco need to be pretreated or flushed before planting your plants? Some info seems to point to it having high salt content and some flushing is required. Or will a simple soak in a nute solution before use sufficient? Thinking of using either BioBizz Coco Mix or Sunshine Just coir. Like the fact they are broken up ready to rock, not a compressed brick that needs to be soaked first.

Thanks all. Hope to get a few more responses and/or links to check out. Really starting to peak my interest!
 
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D

Dubya

Member
Great advice here from eveyone. I agree 100%. Treat it like soil, coco specific nutes, and I keep my ph at 6. The only difference from soil is that you water more often when it goes in the flower room, and you use a nute mix every time you water. Aside from that, the only difference IMO is in the results.
 
KosmoKramer

KosmoKramer

Member
Got a bunch of hempy style 2gal buckets that I made a few months back. Never used em so might as well give em a try.

Lots of GH nutes too. Guess its Rez/Head's 6/9 formula till I use em up and then refill with some coco spec nutes. Plenty of Cal/Mag+ on hand too if that becomes an issue as well. The H&G nute line seems to be gettin rave reviews so maybe try those out first.

Got some young seedling just rooted now. Starting them off in perlite until I get another trip to the hydro store.
 
smoke1sun

smoke1sun

What Goes Around Comes Around. But Am I Comming Or
Veteran
Coco is not soil.
Dont treat it like soil.

Some folks water the coco at least once a day. If you did that with soil, I would think you would have some issues.

A good thread to read is the Rez thread were he talks about is GH recipe he uses for coco.
 
L

Lain

Member
Good coco starting point:

http://www.integralhydro.com/cocoscience.html

-Coir has a very strong cation exchange ability, which means it can hold and release nutrient elements based on the plants needs.
-Coir tends to release potassium and to withhold calcium.
-Coir tends to retain nutrient salts. because of this, less nutrient (lower ec) is required.
-On a less positive note, coir can also contain high levels of sodium (salt)....If your growing in coir be aware that this can be a potential problem.
-Either purchase a pre-flushed coir product or flush ph (5.5-6.0) stabilised water through the coir prior to use.
-Measure the ec of the water and then measure the ec of the run off. When they are the same, it is ready for use.
-Large amounts of potassium are naturally present in coir.
-Potassium competes with calcium and magnesium... buffering and plant nutrition needs to compensate for this!!

-------------------------------------------------

This is the basis of a killer coco regime imho:
(Stuff in italics is what I use)

1. Base Nutrient - I prefer Canna Coco A+B, Hesi and H&G are also good. As long as it has a suitable NPK and a full range of chelated trace elements it will work in coco, I've used all kinds of stuff with success, even Tomato Feed.

(GH Micro/Bloom 6/9 H3ad Formula)

2. Seaweed Extract - I like Vitax, Maxicrop will also do, plenty of trace elements, aminos, vitamins etc.

(Floralicious Plus)

3. Humic/Fulvic - my current preference is for DutchMaster Max Bloom as it also has phospholipids giving it an NPK of 0.114-2-3

(Rare Earth/Floralicious Plus)

4. Liquid Silicon - AN Barricade is the most concentrated, I've used several brands with success

(Rare Earth)

5. PK Booster - Canna PK13/14 is good although I find AN Hammerhead gives a little bit more resin.

(GH KoolBloom Liquid/Dry)

6. Molasses - Enhances flavour, acts as chelating agent, feeds good microbes, has trace elements and a fair bit of K, just fantastic stuff.

(Crosby's Blackstrap Molasses)

To me that is all you need to produce top notch product in coco, handwater daily ensuring at least 15% runoff, keep PH around 5.7-6.0, just don't need to complicate it beyond that.
Click to expand...
 
R

R3ZIN

Member
I think this is a great idea. I would love to see this put together in a logical format that is easy for newbs (such as myself to follow)

I also think a flippant answer such as "Treat it like soil, ph to 5.8 and watch your plants explode" is perhaps not the guide / sticky he was looking for.....sigh.
 
maxmurder

maxmurder

Member
Veteran
nope - sorry, i had to read hundreds of pages to get some answers, so do you- no shorties here.
really tho it would be nice but there are alot of different answers to the same question. most would agree for example- do NOT treat coco like soil, do NOT let it dry out. most agree but some guy will always pipe up and swear he dries his shit out, has for years, gets 3# a light, we're all crazy wastin nutes, etc...
 
R

R3ZIN

Member
LOL just cause buddy here had to invent the wheel, you do too. Makes no sense at all. There are no shorties because of your attitude. If everyone thought like that then no FAQs or any new optimizations would ever happen. I love the interweb!
 
maxmurder

maxmurder

Member
Veteran
R3ZIN said:
LOL just cause buddy here had to invent the wheel, you do too. Makes no sense at all. There are no shorties because of your attitude. If everyone thought like that then no FAQs or any new optimizations would ever happen. I love the interweb!
Click to expand...
if that was about my post- i was just trying to be funny, that's what i do, try.... :wave:
 
G

GIS

Member
I've had some really good results using coco as a medium with GH 3 part nutes, just hand watering with a watering can. It's really forgiving as far as over/under watering from what I noticed. If someone new to growing asked me what was the easiest hydro system out there, I'd tell them to put straight coco into pots and hand water it. It doesn't get much simpler, and the results are great.
 
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