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Infected coco- Mold/fungus

Veggia farmer

Well-known member
Hola!

Was at the shop today for equipement and some coco. The coco was stacked on top of each other with plastic around. It was clearly a little moist, and had some mold/fungus on the bag. Opened some of them up and I saw some on the coco coir, blue/greenish mold/fungus on it. Not much. Maybe started to heat a little in the middle of the stack. Unsure because of the temperatue differention with outisde vs inside temp .

I plan on using it in a grow doing both salt fertlizer and organic methods...

Have somebody tried to compost coco? I know it doesnt break down SOOO fast, so you can re-use it, BUT how fast? And how will this mold/fungus affect it all?

I wondered to kill the infection before it continues...? To have a more "clean" start..

I got it for free.....
 

Fixer

Active member
I had the same problem recently. I returned the coco to the grow shop. If I was going to use it I'd hit it with some hydrogen peroxide. Then I use Azos & Mycos to inoculate it.
 

Veggia farmer

Well-known member
Right, I have a lot so I thought about cholrine since it cheap and more available for me, what do you think? Whats the benefit for hydrogen peroxide over Cholorine?

Or could some PH up or down materials work?

What about spores? How much would they survive?

Azos I think I have, atleast a big bag of beneficial bacterias and Mycos at storage.

Thanks.
 

ridoo

Active member
if you can, never ever use fongus infected materials, ever

return this to the shop

spores are going to fly everywhere around and you might get fongus later in your plants, your containers, your buds...

if you wanna clean use peroxide at high concentration and flush the coco batch several times and clean everything around

molds is a grower nightmare and it can destroy your crop easily...
 

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
Blue can be bad. Have you tried Stilton?

It does well in dryer material so you may find it's colonised the outside layer while a more harmonious society lives within the core of the bag. I have seen it removed manually before mixing the coco, never to see it again. Coco grows can be bio or inert so your expected use of the substrate may guide you to sterilise it or re-colinise it. Or you may choose to burn it and buy some more. Every situation is different. I wouldn't open it in my home though. As Ridoo says, it will be over everything.
 

Veggia farmer

Well-known member
Never tried Stilton, but other bluecheeses, I love it ,f-e!

Will think it over what to do. Got coco worth 1250 dollars for free so if I will reject it as a substrate for cannabis, I will use it some were else on the farm. Nothing is waste at a organic farm, so no returning, just have to change were the usage of it willl be...

Thanks for the inputs!
 

indocult

Active member
Sounds like trichoderma, do you know the brand? I'm pretty sure botanicare fortifies their Coco with trichoderma..
 

Veggia farmer

Well-known member
This is DNA mills. Now I remember what I forgot at the shop. I thought about too buy it seperat, but forgot.
 
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Veggia farmer

Well-known member
Checked out some pics now, yes it look like trichoderma, the bluish things. Now I dont remember isnt the coco incolated with it? to prevent other stuff infecting it?

Have not used a lot of coco before....
 

indocult

Active member
Yes some brands inoculate with trich. It's beneficial to roots.
I'm not familiar with that brand, but by the sounds of it that's it, Coco is pretty benign and not a whole lot can grow on/from it without another nutrient source.
It should be fine to use imo
 

Veggia farmer

Well-known member
OK, didnt manage to find some info if its inoculated with trichoderma. Im pretty sure its some others stuff there aswell. Think I wil try to clean the coco then inoculate it with some benefials and try a few bags too see how it turns out.

Thanks for the help!

Later :tiphat:
 

ridoo

Active member
brands who put Trichoderma in the coco advertise about it most of time, it make the coco brick or bag look more fancy and so on... if they don't it means they don't use them

in any doubts just clean the coco by flushing it, good ph, and peroxide, peroxide is a good help for inside gardeners even if must be use carefully...

good luck and good grow
 

ExoticsRus

Active member
Just like stated above, Inless blue I wouldn’t be too worried bro

Look at leafs or barks for example = great bennies or fungi populations

Or insect poop/worm poop

if soil and plants were so sensitive to nature , how would it be here for soo long . It’s the plastic and human based things that fuck it up.

just saying , when I see fungi and white fluff on my coco I goo = I am correctly brewing and it’s obvious my populations are there
 

HGCC

Member
I have grown fungus when trying to do organics in a mostly coco medium. Mine was a yellow/orange color if i recall. If it was just a few bags worth I would take it back, but sounds like you got the hookup in it so would just try it small scale and see if there are any adverse effects.
 
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