the Hand Watering coco thread

[bonecarver_OG]

1 ok
2 ok
3 - well i woundlt go over 20 in veg nor over 25 in flowering - but go below if uncertain. try you limits softly.

4 - pk 13-14 in the 4-5 weeks of flowering depending on flowering times...



answers;
1 my cloning procedure today; cut a clone - stick it in rockwool. nothing else. no products. no misting. i found misting it counterproductive. when rooted i transplant to coco. i use ligther feeding at first untill clearly growing well then normal veg nutes.

2 flushing is a ongoing process - that i think is best done watering plain water every 2-3 waterings. means NO nutes.

if uncertain dont use CO2 - it might give troubles if you over do it. and be very carefull that gas can kill...

with EC i dont know much because i really dont measure it - but to simplify -
obviouosly a base-water for nutes with a lower salt level will give more HEADROOM for the plants before they feel there is too much salt.

i think you conclusion might be correct although a bit confusing to follow

but yeah - if y got a tapwater of ec 0,4 and you water it down 1/4 you will have maybe about 0,3 if you understand what i mean. this does maybe not sound too much - but in the continuety of aplying nutes during the lifetime of the plant it means less salt build up - by 1/4!

i woudlnt raise the nutes - what i mean is giving the same nutes the plant will be able to use it better having a lower EC in the base. do you understand my thoughts?

all this is mainly built on research and observation - other people might come to other conclusions - but then again i dont say my conditions are universal - BUT i think there is something you can use of my way - but DO experiment a bit to see how it goes.

just be carefull and go low with the aditives - a little goes is better than a lot

my tip is WATCH your plants -THEY will tell you better than an EC meter if they got enough or not. better watch them for signs of need to raise the nutes before raising it.

for example - in veg a constant nute level is good (unless you veg to really big bushes) - while in flowering obviously during stretch more nutes are used - and just before stretch it is an idea to raise nutes slightly AND THEN LOWER IT AGAIN when stretch is slowing down - better stop a week or so before - better not OVERFEED NUTES IN FLOWERING

not all strains react the same. experiment!
peace!

 

[repuk]

1 ok
2 ok
3 - well i woundlt go over 20 in veg nor over 25 in flowering - but go below if uncertain. try you limits softly.

That's for Canna A+B I guess...

answers;
1 my cloning procedure today; cut a clone - stick it in rockwool. nothing else. no products. no misting. i found misting it counterproductive. when rooted i transplant to coco. i use ligther feeding at first untill clearly growing well then normal veg nutes.

Guess you soak the RW in PH'd water first?

2 flushing is a ongoing process - that i think is best done watering plain water every 2-3 waterings. means NO nutes.

Ok, I get the point, you'd better not contribute to salt buildup rather than having to dissolve that salt later on... when is it advisable to start with flushings? I mean, on the 3d, 4th week from germination?

if uncertain dont use CO2 - it might give troubles if you over do it. and be very carefull that gas can kill...

I know, I know... have too much to learn before even thinking on using CO2.

but yeah - if y got a tapwater of ec 0,4 and you water it down 1/4 you will have maybe about 0,3 if you understand what i mean. this does maybe not sound too much - but in the continuety of aplying nutes during the lifetime of the plant it means less salt build up - by 1/4!

i woudlnt raise the nutes - what i mean is giving the same nutes the plant will be able to use it better having a lower EC in the base. do you understand my thoughts?

I got it... the lesser the EC for a given amount of nutes, the better/more efficient the assimilation and less salt buildup... great.

all this is mainly built on research and observation - other people might come to other conclusions - but then again i dont say my conditions are universal - BUT i think there is something you can use of my way - but DO experiment a bit to see how it goes.

just be carefull and go low with the aditives - a little goes is better than a lot

Less is more, ok!

my tip is WATCH your plants -THEY will tell you better than an EC meter if they got enough or not. better watch them for signs of need to raise the nutes before raising it.

for example - in veg a constant nute level is good (unless you veg to really big bushes) - while in flowering obviously during stretch more nutes are used - and just before stretch it is an idea to raise nutes slightly AND THEN LOWER IT AGAIN when stretch is slowing down - better stop a week or so before - better not OVERFEED NUTES IN FLOWERING

not all strains react the same. experiment!
peace!

Ok!! now I have to learn what to look for when watching

thanks!

 

[bonecarver_OG]

Guess you soak the RW in PH'd water first?

nope - works anyway - ph is for taking up nutes - there is no nutes in the rockwool - alas i think ph is not necesary to control.. my clones root from 5-6 days to 2 weeks. a lot depend on temps outside..

when is it advisable to start with flushings? I mean, on the 3d, 4th week from germination?

as soon as you start with nutes..

Ok!! now I have to learn what to look for when watching

dark green is not good - better to try to keep at a lush green tone - NOT DARK. think FOREST green

other color example - pine leaf green is too dark - but a green like a maple or something in summer is good.

the dificulties start with multiple strains etc - instead of making lots of mixes i try to find something that works for all.


peace!

 

[repuk]

I just started a thread on my grow including pics

 

[THC123]

I also used cocos for the first time. I always make organic soil mixtures.

This time i used the same ingredients i just used cocos insteda of perlite and soil.

So i used 10 L cocos
8 spoons of npk pllets
1 spoon of blood and one spoon of bonemeal and a spoon of lime
1 liter of worm castingd
For the rest i only fed them clean water.

I also flushed the cocos with 3/1 ratio water/soil and the plants didn't receive liquid nutes

The grow really went well , but i prefere the taste that soil gives to cannabis.

I have the idea that cocos made for a harsher taste , did i do something wrong?

Cuz i have noticed they grow faster on cocos but taste is also imprtant

 

[bonecarver_OG]

i think you NPK pellets most likelly is the reason.

in general the flavour is stronger (and better!) in coco because the increased resin production etc. but using the method you mentioned i honestly dont know.

its impossible the coco is the reason for the harsh taste.

in the first place coco is a hydroponic medium, and excells used as so, be it hand watered or with pumps etc.

 

[THC123]

"it is impossible that cocos is responsible for the harsh taste""

Yeah ur right , but i mean indirectly it is responsible cuz of the method i used





my "theory" was that cuz cocos has a greater retention capacity then soil it has retained more nutes and salts then the plants grown in my regular soil mix.

So even after flushing my 50 liter pot with 150 liters of water i think it will have retained some nutes making for the harsher taste.

I know u can't use cocos as soil but hey i tried

Anyhows i am gonna experiment more with this cuz they grow wonderfully in cocos. I will just have to adjust my recipe

The npk pellets don't give a harsh taste(xcept f course when u add them before harvest) , the npk pellets are mixed in with the soil and for the rest they only get plain water(no liquid nutes). By the end of the harvest(as the plant has been 4 months in the same pot) they will have been, consumed(in soil at least)

I jused the cocos as soil cuz here in the garden center they sell it as a kind of soil so i thought what the hey , it's easier cuz if i want to buy perlite i gotta go to Holland.

 

[jws0007]

Can a coupla you guys slide over here http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=104197 and give me a hand. Thanks in advance all.

0007

 

[MHHSP]

hey guys

I just started using a coco based mix, as such...
5 parts coco
3 parts perlite
2 parts EWC

I'm vegging in 1.6 gallon pots under a 400 watt cmh, how often do you suggest I be watering? And then how often should I be feeding? I normally use a peat based mix that required watering prob every 5 days.

I will also be flowering with the same mix in 5 gallon pots.
However, the flowering mix with have mix-in ferts, blood/bone/kelp, and I plan on watering with a tea of EWC, liquid karma, and cal-mag plus. Will this be an ok route for ferts in a coco based mix?

Thank you for the help.

 

[bonecarver_OG]

cant help you on that one...

 

[vindiesel]

I just transplanted into 3gal pots & was simply BLOWN away by the rooting the COCO promotes... 1gal pots for 3 weeks prior to the transplant

that does look like an ice cream cake! kinda gives me a hard on for some strange reason. what kinda yield u been pullin and what light? nice!

i'm starting a few sensi stars soon in coco with cana nutes only. switching slowly from promix. excited.

 

[nuggiespl]

Bonecarver,
you said just plain water after every 2-3 feeding, is this exluding the cal mag for those of us that use r/o water or is calmag ok,

Also am considering swithching to a hydor setup using 70/30 coco/pert recirculating drip system, am I asking for problems? could u give me some pointers. what nutes to use, was thinking canna coco nutes, right now I'm using bio bizz nutes and hand watering. I'm in 3 gallon pots u can check it out at 2.4k Hindu Sk in this forum,

I've been watering about every other day about 1/4-1/3 gallon or when ever I get 10-15% runoff, sometimes the pots are still quite heavy, I saw u rec watering daily should I switch

 

[GET MO]

^All my hydro folks do the dripper, resivore, recirculating thing with 2:1 or 3:1 cocoerlite mix and have real good results. Im switching to that system soon as I move to a spot where I have more space.

 

[nuggiespl]

What nutes?

 

[GET MO]

Canna. Pretty sure they just fallow the canna feeding regimen, with a couple extras during flower like bat guano.

 

[AppleFarmer]

So I am super new to this hand watering coco business. I have five trees in 7 gallon pots.I am using straight organicare coco...the outdoor moisture formula. I have been watering every 3-4 days with about 1.5 gallons of water. My plants don't look so hot though. I've got yellowing and clawing and all around poor health.

I am not clear on when to give water or when to feed. Should I be feeding every time or should I be doing a water-water-feed cycle like I have in the past with dirt?

I am flowering under 3000 watts feeding floranova bloom following the lucas formula. My ph is usually between 5.8 and 6.4. I use straight tap water. I live in the bay area and the water quality seems to be excellent. My truncheon labs ppm meter doesn't even register when i test the water, which seems to be a pretty good sign.
I will post some pics tonight or tomorrow once the lights have turned on.
af

 

[N-P-Kali]

Sounds like a solid setup AppleFarmer. I myself am also gowing in 7 gallon pots(30) with a 50/50 mix of Botanicare Ready Grow CoCo moisture and aeration formula under 6kw. I have been feeding 1-3Ltr every other day using AN 3 part as my base ph 5.8 - 6.2. Also I do just feed plain water once a week with some enzymes plus humic and fulvic ph 5.8. If I may make a suggestion about your feeding schedule. Try feeding every other day with 1-2 Ltr rather than every 3-4 with 1.5 gal. This works well for me. Again just a humble suggestion.

The plants are between 22"in. to 28"in. I'm running Blue Dream Haze, OG, and Master Kush. I would post a picture but I'm a "noob" and havent learned the way of the IC world.

Good thread Bonecarver!! I have been reading it for months now and I am honored I can finally post here.

 

[NiteTiger]

I learned the hard way that coco needs to be watered daily. Learned it in this forum from the coco gurus Hell, may have been this thread.

 

[N-P-Kali]

Tiger: I have read in this thread that the larger the container, the less frequent you have to water it. Since I'm in 7 gallon containers, feeding every other day 1-3Ltrs, is that sufficient or am I under watering? On my off days should I still be watering my "ladies" with a small volume just plain ph balanced?

 

[bonecarver_OG]

npkali - in pots that big, most of the time u dont need to water more than every two days.

over watering coco gives smaller yields ..

peace all