Coco + vermiculite?

[Formaldehyde]

Hey all

I'm just starting my first run with coco and whoa, this thing drains FAST.

So I thought of adding vermiculite to the coco, instead of perlite. With the coco's super fast draining I don't think the roots would have any trouble getting oxygen.... or would they?

Since almost no one seems to use vermiculite, I figured there must be some kind of side effect so I thought I should ask before doing anything stupid.

I have to water my plants everyday now. They OWN me. I can't even go away for a 3-4 days trip or something... and no, I don't want to invest time & money on a drip system before I see some results.

Thanks.

 

[Ono Nadagin]

coco drains fast yes, but it also retains water well, so there is no need for Vermiculite, and it will also make a mess of your rez water if your doing a more hydro run and iirc it will through your ph/ec redings off

Are you sure it isnt just the tops of your coco drying out?... it should remain damp further down into the coco, if it is drying out to fast you can get covers that fit around your plant and over the container stopping the lights and airmovement from drying out so fast

 

[Guest]

I can't even go away for a 3-4 days trip or something... and no, I don't want to invest time & money on a drip system before I see some results.

Thanks.

God forbid you spend $20 on a drip setup.. which eliminates your problem.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Yes, and god forbid you just give me a straight answer about the pros and cons of vermiculite.. without throwing in some sarcasm.

Ono Nadagin, thanks for your suggestions... I'm sure it's the whole pot that's drying out, I judge by the weight. But my seedlings are only 5 days old so they're still in the 16oz. cups, I hope the waterings become less frequent after I transplant (at least in soil they always do).

But anyway, I'm still curious as to why people don't use vermiculite with this medium at all.... seems pretty logic to me, why not hold some water in there a bit longer?

Maybe I'll do the test on my own... later, with some clones...

 

[Guest]

People use coco for its amazing air/water ratio. Adding vermiculite kind of defeats the purpose, people buy coco mediums because it doesn't retain a shit load of water allowing the roots to get plenty of oxygen =] If I am wrong, please correct me

 

[-VT-]

i_score cut his coco bed mix with vermiculite (and other stuff)...wasn't a 50/50 mix. And he didn't have drainage...treated it like a soil application (been much debate and varying views on soil vs hydro applications)

going crazy in the COCO!! 250watts coco grow(N.Y.C.D, critical mass, arjen´s haze)

No reason why you couldn't try it out.....see for yourself...

 

[AbaZabba]

If you're hand watering daily, I suppose it could not hurt to try and experiment with straight coco vs. a couple plants with coco & vermiculite combo.

This coco forum is still in it's early stages here at IC, so if you can prove the vermic. helps retain moisture for those who hand water, I say go for it :cheers:

But like Indica has said, people love coco for its ability to exchange lots of oxygen to the root system and most use a drip or flood system to achieve this quality of exchange

 

[Maj.PotHead]

vermiculite

helps to retain moisture and giveing the roots a time release of moisture. perlite dosent retain water like vermiculite. personally perlite would be a better choice, currently im tryn coco/perlite 50/50mix and what was left of my fox farm ocean forrest soil. 3 grape krush clones i placed in the mixture seem fine

 

[Caligrown]

What brand/type of coco are you using? That could make a huge difference in your drainage.

What I have done is added more of the loose coir dust if I wanted water retention.

 

[gaiusmarius]

What brand/type of coco are you using? That could make a huge difference in your drainage.

What I have done is added more of the loose coir dust if I wanted water retention.

very good point, the finer the coco the longer it will keep the water.

but like was said, why not experiment, it seems like no one has done it yet. most have been using things that help aerate, like hydroton or perlit to mix with their coco.