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Mistakes I've done with Coco? Help me if you can

NOF

Member
Hello guys, how are u?

After while since my last log in ICmag, I decided to
start this thread, to discuss my last run, when I decided
to try Coco Coir and Hydroponic setups.

I've always been growing with organic soil and my buds were really
tasty at that time.

My setup is a 2 x 600W.

In one bulb I let

2 x 5 gallons DWC with Violator Kush (love this strain).


In the other bulb I let

4 x 17 gallons bucker with 4 Violator Kush (following Greenhouse's grow videos).

I was feeding them whit General Hydroponics Maxi Grow & Maxi Bloom and Calimagic.


During Veg time, the plants were doing great in coco and hydro.
No nute defiency at all and in flowering also.

The plants were green all the way down...
But at the 5-6 weeks, I started to notice that the plants in coco coir, stop getting fat as the flowering went down.

At the end of this run, I realized that the buds grow up to 50-60% of their cappacity with this strain. Violator Kush is a nice yielder strain, wich I've been growing for years.

Do you guys have any idea, what could cause stunt growing in flowerings? The 4 plants went so well on veggie, turned into nice treess supported by a "vertical cilinder screen", but at the end the buds where skinny.

How did I feed them?

I use water from a natural source wich is good quality.
The pH of this water is about 7.3 and 0,150 microS or 80 PPM.

So I put 1.0 - 1.2 microS of Maxi Bloom and 1 ml per liter of Calimagic. The water ends up to 1.7-1.8 microS and something between 750 - 800 PPM.

And then I lower the pH with nitric acid up to 5.7-6.1.

Some people told me to water every single day with coco which I could not done. It was so hard to mix nutrient everyday and water the plants mannualy.

When I bilt an reservoir with pump to mix the nutrients and to feed the plants, things became easier.

But I realized that I was using so much nutrient to mix the solutions, compared with the hydro ones, which I changed the solution every 7-10 days.

So I watered once time with nutrients, once with water, once with nutrientes once with water. Not everyday.

This was a kind frustrating, because it was doing so well, but at the flowering I did not achieve the buds results I want.

Every grow is a lesson to a grower, and I am thankfull for this last run.

But does anyone have deal with this kind of stunt flowering with coco coir?

I realize that the hydro went so fine, that I am wondering to explore more the hydro than coco. The coco coir is fine to keep mother, clone, veg. But to flowering...I did not go well with it!

Anyway my goal is to learn with my mistakes and improve my grow skills.

If anyway could help me, it would be great!

Sorry about the bad english....trying to do my best!


Greetings
 
I’m not an expert by any means but one thing I do no is that you should always feed with coco. Meaning no plain water feedings at all, my guess would be that you starved your plants at the most important time of flower. They most likely were fine on that feeding schedule while small but when mature they needed food at every watering. I personally hand water every other day but always with food never water only.
 

AgentPothead

Just this guy, ya know?
:yeahthats You definitely need to feed them every day in coco. If you don't want to mix nutrients every day I'm pretty sure you can just make more, weekly. My first grow was coco, and I was mixing a 5 gallon nutrient bucket every week, maybe twice a week during flower, and it seemed to work quite well. Also your english is fine bro. :huggg:
 
Last edited:

Chappi

Active member
Never feed straight water unless you’re trying to flush them-because that’s essentially what you’re doing. You’re wasting nutes and starving your plant every other day. In order to not have to feed everyday use less drain holes so the medium stays wet longer and wait for it to dry out a little before feeding again, just the very top of the coco can dry out there’s still moisture in there tho.

Disclaimer: I’m a coco newb too but a hydro veteran. I’m pretty familiar with soilless mediums but mainly stick to hydroton.
 

Speed of green

Active member
If the pots were getting too dry then you probably expierienced a lockout at week 5/6 that stalled the plants, checking runoff weekly to make sure you are not Building up salts.

Perhaps a larger reservoir so you don’t have to mix so often.

Maybe also a drip system so you can feed multiple times a day.

Coco is a beast once you find the groove.
 

MickFoster

Active member
I feed twice a day when the plant is in flower. If I waited a day while deep into flower, the coco would be nearly dry.
 

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Reduce the size of the pot. A 17 gallon pot of coco can grow a thirty foot monster plant.

For your room, I think 2-4 gallon would be much better. You will use less nutrient to achieve run off daily.
 

NOF

Member
Thank you guys!

I realize that coco grows requires automatic watering system.
I'll try it again, do it more carefully and see what it seems to be!


About the flushing?

I stopped feeding at day 49. The solution was by 1.6 microS
Only water until day 70 when all them was chopped.

Did the same with the hydro's.

I'm tasting them as they dry. Poor flavour ...



Next run I should go with lighter solution, every day and start flushing
gradually in the end! When do you guys stop cali-mag feeding?

About the runoff on automatic feeding, what do you do with it?
Just throw away or it could be reused?



All the best
 

MickFoster

Active member
You can easily grow a 6' plant in a 2 gallon container with coco. 17 gallons is a total waste and possibly part of the cause of your problem. Not only are you wasting coco but you're wasting nutes because you're having to feed a 17 gallon pot, which is 8 times the size you need.

I use MaxiBloom as well only - no grow. Use 1 tsp of MaxiBloom with tap water.
 

Granger2

Active member
Veteran
Yes feed half strength every time, and make sure there is no N in the CaliMagic or elsewhere. EJ Microblast has no N. Kick up the K in bloom. Good luck. -granger
 

al70

Active member
Veteran
i've never grown in soil, just canna coco, sometimes, if i'm in a hurry n don't have time to mix nutes i just water plain PH with calmag, no worries, goodluck.
 

Miraculous Meds

Well-known member
You have some good info in here. Lets see if I can sum it up for you a bit.
With 4 plants per 600w, and watering with a pump and timer, id only use a maximum of 2 gal pots. They can get 10oz plus in that amount of coir.
Keep the coir wet.
1 to 1.2 ec base nutrient is all that's needed. Water with it every time till leaching at end of flower. Maxi bloom should work fine. I liked gh 6/9, and now using jacks, but all major hydro nutrients should work fine. Master that at 1gpw plus, or really healthy grown herb, before playing with additives imo.


Feed cycle, water daily, till they ask to be watered twice a day, then work your way up to 6 times a day in flower. Never let them get more than 50% dry while stretching roots, and not below 30% dry after the roots are dominant, to avoid nutrient salt build up problems.
 

FunkBomb

Power Armor rules
Veteran
Most coco base nutrients are all you really need other than a bloom booster if you'd like. Make sure you get runoff to keep the salts from building up and keep your ph around 5.8-6. Watch out for massive growth.

-Funk
 

Sharkbite

New member
Over water coco

Over water coco

Is it possible to over water coco so that the bottom of the pot is saturated. I don’t seem to be getting run off, or maybe I’m not watering enough
 
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