RE-USING COCO

[Vash]

I've reused it so many times I've lost count. I use a coco/perlite mix - 65/35. I get out as much of the root as I can, then leach out the nutrient down to about .4EC. I've leached with tapwater and rainwater. No problems. Just add new coco when you feel it necessary.

 

[noyd666]

I dontunderstand how u can have so much re usable coco in them pots by the time i chop my pot is like a solid rootball when i pull the stumps out i got what looks like a white sponge of thick tangled roots...

= like these, manage to save some of each corner.

 

[Dropped Cat]

Part of my process is a sifting through 1/8" steel mesh before
I boil it.

Sifting out the finer bits gets me a more stable product. Helps
separate the root tangle too.

Did I mention how much I love coco?

 

[ortsa1]

i reuse the coco every time and cut it with a few bags of new stuff, been going on about 3 years in some places with the same coco.

i run 5x the gallons of tap water threw the pots as the medium size and then throw them all out on the drip tables pick the roots

take the fabric pots to the laundry matt get shit from the korean for washing them then fill them and then recharge with 10ml/gallon of calmag

the 10ml/gal is the key i wasn't doing that before and the plants would always look shitty waiting for the calmag to build back up in the medium

 

[DJXX]

if you can afford it buy new coco...i used to reuse it but i am telling you my grows are way better with new...you can never get all the roots out of it....don't get me wrong i grew some fire with recycled medium but its so much better if you can afford new...DJXX

 

[10ftGanja]

People who do the teas and add bacteria tend to recycle their coco beds, but they don't even break up the rootballs. They usually just plant in the same bed.

 

[Granger2]

You don't have to get all the roots out. They decay, faster if you use a zyme product.

If you flushed the previous crop you'll need to reg-charge the coco, like ortsa said.

If I had to do all the stuff some people do to re-use the coco, I'd just put it outside and use new coco. To me it's all about labor saving and keeping the neighbors happy. Just me. To each his own. Good luck, how ever you do it. -granger

 

[ortsa1]

hauling out garbage bags of medium is more heat then reusing what you already have in the house.

but flushing coco is definitely a bitch but its like 27-30 dollars a bag here so if you pay someone for the day to replug its definitely worth it

 

[moritzst]

no problem with reusing, i just give the coco a good flush and let it sit for two weeks, then i can take out the old stem with very little rooots like it so much, easy as it goes
greez

 

[VonBudí]

any one used a drill/paint mixer to break up their roots, saw an add for this in soft secrets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsWEZ1ynhro

http://rootcrusher.com/

 

[ElusiveQuark]

I recently contacted Canna re: reuse and they sent me an email suggesting leaving Coco in sun at depth of 1 inch. Make sure it is completely dry and recharge with CalMag. Their email also stated to avoid using PK boost of any kind and check EC prior to reuse.

 

[Lung.Butter]

I toss my rootball's in a greenhouse round the back which at the moment is like 100f at least, go back in a week and it just crumbles back into the coco bin.

 

[Ichabod Crane]

I do the same as Thrid Coast. The cut out root balls get sifted or composted. Depends on how much sifted is sitting around.

New cuts get new coco. But that is just a solo cup worth.

Don't know how many times I have reused it. If I have to many pots sitting around they go to the compost.

I let the pot dry completely out then rehydrate when I need a pot. Makes the stem pull out easier.

 

[Gry]

All coco that I use old and new, goes in a five gallon bucket in the sink with 135 degree water for 20 minutes. I had root thrips and that was a means of getting rid of them. I read many posts were people were concerned that the coco they were buying had bugs it, and the soak was easy to do so ...

 

[sureshot66]

i run beds and have roots everywhere, i just add back what gets pulled out in rootballs which are more like rootmasses...i dont worry about the old roots the beneficials feed off of them so they serve a purpose