Talked to some peeps down at the grow shop today and they have completely spun my head around. Saying that this coco stuff is just plain superior to rockwool in every way. Could anyone enlighten me? Im going to start reading this forums from the top down. Starting with the stickies.
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Is coco superior to rockwool?
- Thread starter STFU
- Start date
yeah everyone here seems to love coco, even the heads seeds and reservoir seeds breeders have switched to it and promote it
what i like about it is the simplicity... its a hydroponic soilless medium that you can water by hand, use with a drip system, or some other type of irrigation system. so you can keep it simple, or rig up a fully automated system.
don't have to worry about pumps failing and stuff.
but i have never tried coco or rockwool so i cant comment on the comparison, but i too have been researching coco for awhile now and like what i've read and the results i've seen
what i like about it is the simplicity... its a hydroponic soilless medium that you can water by hand, use with a drip system, or some other type of irrigation system. so you can keep it simple, or rig up a fully automated system.
don't have to worry about pumps failing and stuff.
but i have never tried coco or rockwool so i cant comment on the comparison, but i too have been researching coco for awhile now and like what i've read and the results i've seen
R
rick shaw
Coco coir is a renewable medium,it can be reused,is compostable/recyclable,you can get it compressed so it is easier to carry,has a better water retention,is it cheaper then rock wool and it has the same cation exchange. A simple test to check for quality is to flush distilled water through the coco and measure the runoff. Tried it once didn't go back
I agree with the above posters, yes in every way. Better for the environment, healthier product to make, and much cheaper/more portable (compressed bricks are COOL.)
I even clone into coco/perlite, I can generate a tray of cuttings for about $0.50 of coco, vs $8 a slab for rockwool cubes. So now I do tons of extra clones cuz they're damn near free to make!
I even clone into coco/perlite, I can generate a tray of cuttings for about $0.50 of coco, vs $8 a slab for rockwool cubes. So now I do tons of extra clones cuz they're damn near free to make!
Coco is usually more expensive to run,, but has a better taste than NFT
Otherwise the cats at the shop will usually tell you anything,, if they stock it!
(normally ,, a bunch of ****s , the lot of them!)
peace
Haha yah thats for sure. Seems like every time I go in (which is rare I go with a list of shit i need) they have some sort of new product that is a must have for my grow. But all this talk of coco is getting me excited. I've heard that some types of coco husks may have too high salt content. But I assume you would only get screwed this way if you bought coco that wasn't specifically marketed for growing. I've seen bricks sold at stores and I've always wondered how much water would it take to fully expand one of those bricks? Im trying to figure out if I need a bathtub to get the job done or a large trashcan etc. Thanks for all the responses guys
Most all coco except the expensive bagged stuff needs to be flushed before use. Sounds like a pain in the ass(and it kind of is), but it allows you to 'charge' the coco with the proper nutrient levels and the plants love it.
The bricks take about a gallon of water to moisten and expand into about 2.5 gallons of medium(pick the biggest bricks at the store and you'll get more for your money... not sure why they are slightly different sizes). I like to expand the bricks in a 5-gallon bucket and then flush the coco in the containers that I am using for planting. Flushing one brick properly takes about 4 gallons of solution.
STFU, it would depend on how much you need. A brick takes about 3/4-gallon of water to expand and gives 8 or 9 liters of expanded product. A five gallon bucket works great for this. Once it has absorbed the water you will need to break up any large chunks by hand but it is easier than breaking dirt clods.
I just expanded a 5kg block and I used one of the plastic mixing tubs from Lowes(the ones you see people using for DIY ebbnflow setups-the larger one24"x36" roughly). Put the block in, add around 5 gallons of water and let it soak it in and expand and break up into a uniform mix. That 5 Kg block fills that container just a couple inches shy of the top (70 liters or so). It filled 15 1 gal smart pots, plus 3 x 3 gal smart pots plus still have some left over and had used some already.
And that block cost $10 from the local hydro shop. As long as you don't have diseases/infestation of the coco it can be used again up to 3x's.
Get yourself a brick of a good quality product (Botanicare or GH for bricks) for a couple bucks and give it a try on a small side project. I promise you will be hooked if you do.
I just expanded a 5kg block and I used one of the plastic mixing tubs from Lowes(the ones you see people using for DIY ebbnflow setups-the larger one24"x36" roughly). Put the block in, add around 5 gallons of water and let it soak it in and expand and break up into a uniform mix. That 5 Kg block fills that container just a couple inches shy of the top (70 liters or so). It filled 15 1 gal smart pots, plus 3 x 3 gal smart pots plus still have some left over and had used some already.
And that block cost $10 from the local hydro shop. As long as you don't have diseases/infestation of the coco it can be used again up to 3x's.
Get yourself a brick of a good quality product (Botanicare or GH for bricks) for a couple bucks and give it a try on a small side project. I promise you will be hooked if you do.
kushbanana
Member
HERES THE FACTS:
Rockwool more stable, consistent, no bugs, less prep, etc etc...
really only beenfit to coco over wool is that it is re-usable... both are HIGHLY oxygenated mediums that will end in the the same results.. There is no better currently information that is FACT than that LOL.
COCO has some antifungal properties that some say make it a better choice than wool as you can use beneficials that you can't use in wool, but you can sterilze wool which is arguably as effective as a myco laden rootzone, per the proper nutrient ratios and levels being available to the plant.
Rockwool more stable, consistent, no bugs, less prep, etc etc...
really only beenfit to coco over wool is that it is re-usable... both are HIGHLY oxygenated mediums that will end in the the same results.. There is no better currently information that is FACT than that LOL.
COCO has some antifungal properties that some say make it a better choice than wool as you can use beneficials that you can't use in wool, but you can sterilze wool which is arguably as effective as a myco laden rootzone, per the proper nutrient ratios and levels being available to the plant.
OldMan&theWeed
Member
For me coco wins because of its forgiving nature.
If I am away for the house and miss a day of watering (or two. . . or three) everything is okay. With rock wool on an automatic drip system, if a pump fails, or a hose breaks. that's then end of your grow.
I still use rock wool for cloning though, but many people report better results with cloning in coco as well. I'll have to try it some day.
If I am away for the house and miss a day of watering (or two. . . or three) everything is okay. With rock wool on an automatic drip system, if a pump fails, or a hose breaks. that's then end of your grow.
I still use rock wool for cloning though, but many people report better results with cloning in coco as well. I'll have to try it some day.
RaNgEr RiCk
Member
Ask poopyteabags, apparently he's had great success with coco
Benefits of Coco vs Rockwool (External Link)
http://www.livestrong.com/article/282260-benefits-of-cocoa-fiber-vs-rockwool/
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https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=201293
Good coco starting point:
http://www.integralhydro.com/cocoscience.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/282260-benefits-of-cocoa-fiber-vs-rockwool/
------------------------------------------------
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=201293
Good coco starting point:
http://www.integralhydro.com/cocoscience.html
Mr.Tortoise
Member
Not necessarily transferable but for what it's worth, all the tomato greenhouse growers where Im from switched to coco from rockwool. With them bottom line is increasing yield and minimizing cost, so if everyone switched you know damn well there is a reason.
rock what???
