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Help me make the switch to coco!

InducedSerenity

InducedSerenity

Member
Hello all,

I’m a new grower, and I’m about 2 months into the start of my perpetual medical grow. I’m a newbie but am obsessive about researching and learning – I read for a year before spending a few months building my room. I originally set it up to run DWC SCROG tubs but am getting a little tired of constant daily adjustments and unpredictable pH swings.

Setup:
~3’x4’ veg box
9’x5’x7’ high flowering box with a 1000w HPS on each end of it, split into 2 ~4x5 halves
Here’s a pic of my 4x (really 3x + a ridiculously tiny 10” runt) Hogsbreath at day 14 of flower:

picture.php


You can see my smaller veg frame butted up against an extender. Not ideal, but it works for my space and plant number constraints.


I’ve been doing some reading and am quite interested in switching to a coco setup with Blumat auto-waterers to give me less stress and allow me to actually leave my grow alone for more than 24 hours.

Day 6 for PPP clones in 1" rockwool cubes in DWC tub with screen attached:

picture.php



So—How to best switch to coco? Is there a good reason to use 4 separate pots or can I just use my existing tub, fill with coco and use it with the same screen attached? I plan on only running one strain per side of the flowering box so mixed nutrient and flush needs shouldn’t be an issue.

I'd love any input and guidance here. I assume that if I were to go that route, I would start off the clones in smaller pots before just putting them into the big tub?

Thanks for any help, and happy growing!

iS
 
opt1c

opt1c

Active member
Veteran
use separate pots if you switch; sounds like u have more reading to do ;) it'll be best to handwater your coco with a drain to waste setup

if you're having issues with your dwc ph swings and whatnot look into dutch master gold nutes; i've ran em in dwc before and they're very stable

you can take the plants out of the dwc and transplant them into coco no prob; i've done it before.... bury the netpot with the rest of the plant.... basically u make a pyramid of coco on the bottom of the pot ur transplanting into... spread the roots of the dwc plant around the sides of the pyramid with the netpot on top... fill around the sides with coco.... water in and you're done

:joint:
 
benzo

benzo

Active member
Use blumats! buy the deck and patio kit.

and use different containers. don't use one for all of them. use smart pots. 1 or 2 gallons.


aaaaaaaand. MAKE THE SWITCH! Once everything is setup, its like those rotisserie chicken sets.. "set it and forget it!!"

peep out my thread. Round 2
 
High Country

High Country

Give me a Kenworth truck, an 18 speed box and I'll
Veteran
I've tried aeroponics, DWC and SCROG'S. Now I just do a small 3x3 ebb/flow table and grow SOG, single cola style. Very simple method but effective. Just need mum's and a reliable cloning method. That system you made looks good though.
 
InducedSerenity

InducedSerenity

Member
opt1c said:
use separate pots if you switch; sounds like u have more reading to do ;) it'll be best to handwater your coco with a drain to waste setup

if you're having issues with your dwc ph swings and whatnot look into dutch master gold nutes; i've ran em in dwc before and they're very stable

you can take the plants out of the dwc and transplant them into coco no prob; i've done it before.... bury the netpot with the rest of the plant.... basically u make a pyramid of coco on the bottom of the pot ur transplanting into... spread the roots of the dwc plant around the sides of the pyramid with the netpot on top... fill around the sides with coco.... water in and you're done

:joint:
Click to expand...

Hey opt1c, thanks for the response!

The pH swing issues I'm having problems with are as a result of "brown slime algae," and I may have compounded them by adding too much molasses to a batch of tea I brewed to fight the problem. Either way, I'd like a less labor-intensive system and I think Coco + Blumat [ https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=111046 ] would be a fantastic answer.

I will always agree that I need more reading! I've only really researched hydro, so this is new for me. Forgive my ignorance, but why wouldn't the 15-gal tub be a good idea? I like it because it's only one thing to move from veg to flower and it already has my screen mounted to it, but if it's not ideal then it's not ideal. I'm just wondering since it seems comparable to a soil bed. I was thinking I could start with small smart pots and then work my way up to transplanting into the tub.

If I were to use individual pots, I'd have to make individual PVC scrog screens for them which go down into the pot, obviously possible. Maybe end up with four 5 or 7-gal smart pots?

Thanks for any input!
 
InducedSerenity

InducedSerenity

Member
benzo said:
Use blumats! buy the deck and patio kit.

and use different containers. don't use one for all of them. use smart pots. 1 or 2 gallons.


aaaaaaaand. MAKE THE SWITCH! Once everything is setup, its like those rotisserie chicken sets.. "set it and forget it!!"

peep out my thread. Round 2
Click to expand...

Hey benzo!

Don't forget I'm filling a 4'x5' SCROG with only 4 plants, so I don't think finishing up with 1 or 2-gal pots would be sufficient, but maybe starting with them and transplanting to larger ones with scrog screens would work?

Love the quote, that's what I'm hoping for! The blumats look awesome - I'd love to not have to come home to check on my res every single day, sometimes twice a day.
 
slowandeasy

slowandeasy

Active member
Veteran
InducedSerenity said:
Hey benzo!

Don't forget I'm filling a 4'x5' SCROG with only 4 plants, so I don't think finishing up with 1 or 2-gal pots would be sufficient, but maybe starting with them and transplanting to larger ones with scrog screens would work?

Love the quote, that's what I'm hoping for! The blumats look awesome - I'd love to not have to come home to check on my res every single day, sometimes twice a day.
Click to expand...


Smart Pots are made to grow big plants in a small container. The roots never get root bound. 2 Gal would be perfect for you, but if you want a little more base for training purpose go with 3 gal. I used 2 gal with excellent results, but this time I am trying 1 gal...to see if there is a difference in yield. I have 4 plants in a 3x3 Scrog in 1 gal Smart Pots. They are 10 days into flower, and are huge and perfect. The screen is full and I have 8 more weeks to go.

Blumats and Coco will grow huge plants, at explosive rates. They are the best investment I have ever made on grow gear by far...and they are cheap! Switched from DWC to hand watering Coco to Blumats. I can leave for a week with the Blumats and come back to huge healthy plants. I could not do that before. Good luck.
 
benzo

benzo

Active member
InducedSerenity said:
Hey benzo!

Don't forget I'm filling a 4'x5' SCROG with only 4 plants, so I don't think finishing up with 1 or 2-gal pots would be sufficient, but maybe starting with them and transplanting to larger ones with scrog screens would work?

Love the quote, that's what I'm hoping for! The blumats look awesome - I'd love to not have to come home to check on my res every single day, sometimes twice a day.
Click to expand...

Yeah as slow and easy said, smart pots are constantly trimming the roots so they don't get root bound.

& coco can grow HUGE plants in very small containers..

Hey, why don't you throw 4 plants, each in a 2 gallon smart pot container, and throw them into that 15 gallon tub ya got. that way it will catch the run off (if using blumats, it will be next to none) and you can still use your spiffy trellis screen. just my :2cents:
 
InducedSerenity

InducedSerenity

Member
slowandeasy said:
Smart Pots are made to grow big plants in a small container. The roots never get root bound. 2 Gal would be perfect for you, but if you want a little more base for training purpose go with 3 gal. I used 2 gal with excellent results, but this time I am trying 1 gal...to see if there is a difference in yield. I have 4 plants in a 3x3 Scrog in 1 gal Smart Pots. They are 10 days into flower, and are huge and perfect. The screen is full and I have 8 more weeks to go.

Blumats and Coco will grow huge plants, at explosive rates. They are the best investment I have ever made on grow gear by far...and they are cheap! Switched from DWC to hand watering Coco to Blumats. I can leave for a week with the Blumats and come back to huge healthy plants. I could not do that before. Good luck.
Click to expand...


Thanks, slow. I had no idea that coco + smart pots was so efficient.. impressive! I'm definitely going to go this route, and certainly with the blumats.

benzo said:
Yeah as slow and easy said, smart pots are constantly trimming the roots so they don't get root bound.

& coco can grow HUGE plants in very small containers..

Hey, why don't you throw 4 plants, each in a 2 gallon smart pot container, and throw them into that 15 gallon tub ya got. that way it will catch the run off (if using blumats, it will be next to none) and you can still use your spiffy trellis screen. just my :2cents:
Click to expand...


Benzo, I stand corrected about the small pots, thanks! :D

I thought about that and measured it out, and it won't fit. But, I just realized that my city allows for more plants than I originally thought, so I might be buying some more blumats and a tray and figure out what to do with the screen.. I only have 4 clones in veg right now so it'll have to be next run before I get more plants.

Should I just bury my 3.75" netpots in 3 gal smart pots? I'll be physan flushing the res but I don't want any problems with the problematic algae that may be harbored in the hydroton. Of course the only alternative would be to stress / break small roots by removing them from the pots.. they're only 2-3" long though.


thanks! :wave:
 
InducedSerenity

InducedSerenity

Member
Well, I made the switch! Thanks to all of those whom offered suggestions. I eased the clones out of the netpots by filling a bucket with a gal of RO and 9ml Hygrozyme, and encouraging the hydroton and roots out very slowly. Rinsed the algae well with this solution as well.

I used coco pots as small airpots for now, filled with unwashed Canna bag coco. I put some botanicare ZHO directly on the roots and root sites, and watered them with a .8ec solution of Floranova Grow with a bit of calmag and ZHO.



Their growth stayed slow for a few days after the transplant, until the effects of the algae and shock of medium switch were gone and they took off around day 4.

Turns out I should have given the canna coco a quick rinse, because my runoff was 2.6 ec when I watered them. Flushed them out with some RO and a half strength 6/9 flora micro flora bloom and a ml or so of calmag.

They're pretty happy now! Here's a pic from a few days ago, but they've grown a couple of inches since then.



Cheers :tiphat:

iS
 
InducedSerenity

InducedSerenity

Member
BTW - I just found out I can actually have many more plants than I initially thought due to where I live, so I'm trying to decide what growing style to use - 3x3 veg space and 4x5 flower space, wanting to go perpetual. Advice would be gladly accepted . I liked scrogging a lot but I need to only veg for a month or so, not two... thinking of going with 6 to 9 plants at a time. Should I veg little untrained bushes and then flip into flower with a scrog screen?

Another idea would be to make compact little defoliated bushes, but I'm concerned about the veg time needed as I want to pull a harvest every month [1 veg box, 2 1k sides to flower box]


Link to grow journal, with the same questions asked:

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=185952
 
Last edited:
InducedSerenity

InducedSerenity

Member
They're doing quite well! Here's a shot, they're moving to flower in a couple of days. Say hello in the log linked in my sig - hogsbreath DWC day 36 in there too.

picture.php


iS
 
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