Up until now I have always just thrown my used coco away and started with fresh stuff, but since my new set up is going to be using a bunch of coco each round I have been debating if it is worth it to reuse it. Is it worth it to reuse coco? What is your method for reusing it? Do you see any differences using it the second, third time, etc.? Does it hurt/impact growth, health, yield?
Is it worth it to re-use coco?
- Thread starter louie
- Start date
S
snoopytime
Awesome quetions thread, I am around 1/4 into my first bag o' canna so I was wondering the same thing tho I dont know bout shit for answers lol.
always worth it to reuse coco if you can, who doesn't love not having to haul a fuck ton of coco away.
Run some enzymes through the bitch, don't use any clearing solutions when you flush your plants and you should be able to get at least 2 uses out of the coco at least, more if you're adventurous
Run some enzymes through the bitch, don't use any clearing solutions when you flush your plants and you should be able to get at least 2 uses out of the coco at least, more if you're adventurous
I think so.
I just cut enough of the stump out so that I can stick a new plant in. I don't use any enzymes or do any cleaning or flushing. I think old roots are good for aeration, drainage, and as a habitat for microbial life. I'm on my first run recycling with this method.
I haven't noticed any drop-off or increase in performance, but honestly it would be hard to tell as I'm not running the same plants as I did with the fresh coco mix.
Pine
I reuse my coco all the time. No special treatment--I just dump it all in my storage bin when I'm done with it and scoop it out when I need it again. I pull out the old roots when I come across them but I'm not too particular about it. Never had a problem doing this.
Best of luck.
Best of luck.
jescowhite
Member
it works better the 2nd time, nice an charged!
CoCo_Crazy
Member
Just flush it, i think you can use it up to 3 times. Just make sure you get rid of all the roots!!!
Think you can eat them up with h2o2 or a similar product.
Think you can eat them up with h2o2 or a similar product.
R
Rysam
My used coco goes to the compost pile to be reused on the next seasons OD crop.
coco is cheap enough and I'm rural enough to be able to do that.
A solid rinsing should do the trick indoors though. maybe add another handful of perlite to increase the porosity and replace the broke down chunks.
coco is cheap enough and I'm rural enough to be able to do that.
A solid rinsing should do the trick indoors though. maybe add another handful of perlite to increase the porosity and replace the broke down chunks.
have re used the same coco slabs for 7 runs before now. that was my record being too lazy to get new and knowing it will keep working a long time. basically 4 grows should be possible with the same coco. just use some zym product after the second run and your plants will love it, maybe even more then the first run. just make sure you do a great flush before harvest so the coco is nice and low ec again to start the new plants.
L
LouDog420
I have no problem running reused coco/perlite, even with bits and pieces of roots. 4 runs are a commonplace and my current one is actually on the 3rd round of reuse. If you're worried about issues with the old roots, run some SM90 or enzymes to clean it up and keep the bad stuff down.
For me, Standard GH 3 part with some cal-mag and drip clean to keep the salt build up down. No problems whatsoever.
Reuse that coco, save yourself a few bucks, and a trip to the dumping grounds
For me, Standard GH 3 part with some cal-mag and drip clean to keep the salt build up down. No problems whatsoever.
Reuse that coco, save yourself a few bucks, and a trip to the dumping grounds
Appreciate all of the info! So it sounds like I should be good reusing it a few times, nice. I just started using drip clean and am liking what I see ( I use drippers). So as far as enzymes to break down the roots, what should I use? I remember reading a thread about cheap enzymes (I think they were used for ponds), are these as effective as others?
jescowhite
Member
Is it worth it to re-use coco?
There not bad. This is farming, half the dorks on here are trying to hide a pc.case grow from their mom or roomate.
There not bad. This is farming, half the dorks on here are trying to hide a pc.case grow from their mom or roomate.
dgr
Member
lol jesco
pinecone, you use a core drill to plant your new plants? My pots are FULL of roots. There isn't space to put a new clone.
I throw my stumps/squares of coco into a bin o' water. When I get around to it, I swish off the coco and toss the root mass. It doesn't seem to be a 100% recovery so while I reuse my coco, it is supplemented with new as I fill pots.
pinecone, you use a core drill to plant your new plants? My pots are FULL of roots. There isn't space to put a new clone.
I throw my stumps/squares of coco into a bin o' water. When I get around to it, I swish off the coco and toss the root mass. It doesn't seem to be a 100% recovery so while I reuse my coco, it is supplemented with new as I fill pots.
Honestly, the rootmass when I grow in my little airpots is so dense that I can't even break it up! Months later they're still bricks on the compost heap.
So I throw mine.
And old roots can be bad if they've started to rot or carry any pathogens from the previous grow. Cannazym and other enzyme products are used to break down the dead roots into usable nutrients.
So I throw mine.
And old roots can be bad if they've started to rot or carry any pathogens from the previous grow. Cannazym and other enzyme products are used to break down the dead roots into usable nutrients.
I use a dry wall saw to saw enough of the rootball out to make space for the new cutting. The roots are dense, but not too dense for the the saw to cut through.
I also use a large final container (22 gallons) and transplant in small plants from a half gallon container; its not like I'm trying to get a plant from a 3 gallon pot into a 5 gallon pot.The pictures below were an hour apart.
Pine
B
bonecarver_OG
same here - the solid root lumps makes me put it into the compost for the outside garden. the garden loves it. it even works well as a mulch.
but coco works fine to recycle!
i have also recycled coco various times, but the lime build up and salt issues makes me only recycle coco from the veg area, where i only recycle the coco from unwanted males etc. im sure if i would have normal tap water the deal would be different.
coco is developed for multiple harvests, if not it would be a quite useless hydroponic medium in agricultural aspects.
but coco works fine to recycle!
i have also recycled coco various times, but the lime build up and salt issues makes me only recycle coco from the veg area, where i only recycle the coco from unwanted males etc. im sure if i would have normal tap water the deal would be different.
coco is developed for multiple harvests, if not it would be a quite useless hydroponic medium in agricultural aspects.
