thanksDr.RedWhite
Active member
About using Peat moss in Hempy buckets. I never liked vermiculite because of the dust and that it is a one trick pony, holds water. Peat moss will help keep PH from rising if you have high alkilinity water. My water PH is in the mid to high sevens and I find a mix of 4 to 1 perlite to peat mix works very nicely and I don't have to PH ever! In fact I can run the same mix for two or three grows with no issues.
i'd say use coco instead of peat . peat can hold to much water & get & stay soggy in a hempy situation where coco is defenatly a better medium for wet feet .
use the perilite for the rez & straight coco on top .
coco will buffer the PH to where ya need it just as well or better than peat too .
use the perilite for the rez & straight coco on top .
coco will buffer the PH to where ya need it just as well or better than peat too .
Dr.RedWhite
Active member
I tried coco and had a super gnat problem both times. Seems the local coco is too buggy. Will coco help keep your PH in line?
like hush said , the loose bagged coco seems to be alot cleaner & more user freindly . but a 1/2 cup of powdered DE per gallon of coco will eliminate those critters right from the start !!!
& yes coco will keep your PH in line as long as your feeding at the correct levels .... 5.7 to 6.0
N
noyd666
G`day Noyd
Diatomaceous earth .
Will do the job . Plus add silica to your mix .
Easy to access in Oz .
http://www.onlinehorsesupplies.com.au/shipping_quotes
Thanks for sharin
EB .
Diatomaceous earth .
Will do the job . Plus add silica to your mix .
Easy to access in Oz .
http://www.onlinehorsesupplies.com.au/shipping_quotes
Thanks for sharin
EB .
Just FYI: I have seen numerous posts about how diatomaceous earth adds silica to your mix. However, this is an urban myth. Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. It is used as a filtration aid, mild abrasive in products including toothpaste, mechanical insecticide, absorbent for liquids, matting agent for coatings, reinforcing filler in plastics and rubber, anti-block in plastic films, porous support for chemical catalysts, cat litter, activator in blood clotting studies, a stabilizing component of dynamite, and a thermal insulator.
The myth is that using DE somehow adds silica to your mix, as liquid silica would. However, the silica in DE is not water soluble, and is not absorbed by the plants. It has no effect on PH, as liquid silica would.
Not ragging on you. Just want to dispel a common myth.
Fungus gnats. Ugh. How I hate those little farkers. I've never tried DE or Gnatnix. The only plant-and-smoker-friendly treatment I've come across are sprays of pyrethrin + sulphur dilutes. But you have to actually spray the insect to kill it, which is a pain. The solutions I've come up with over the years are:
1. Don't overwater or otherwise leave exposed moisture lying about. Let soil and soil substitutes dry out a bit between feedings. Cover the res. in hydro. Mop up the leftovers in a flood and drain environment. I generally use hand-watered rockwool, and I've found that I can fight fungus gnats by letting the rockwool get dry(ish) on the outside before soaking it again.
2. Take a break after a few grows and wipe everything clean and dry it out. Fungus gnats need moist organic material to reproduce, and this breaks the cycle. Not feasible for those whose systems call for a permanent grow op.
3. Keep an eye on them, but don't freak out. If adhering to #1 (and #2 if you can), you won't get a really nasty infestation, just a few annoying little bugs who don't eat too much. Wet soil or coco coir in a pot, if it remains damp full time, is a breeding ground. But if you keep things reasonably dry and clean, the fungus gnats you see won't be too numerous. And they aren't all that destructive in smallish numbers, just a nuisance. It's when you let them get out of control by not maintaining your grow area/grow pots that you get them in harmful numbers.
1. Don't overwater or otherwise leave exposed moisture lying about. Let soil and soil substitutes dry out a bit between feedings. Cover the res. in hydro. Mop up the leftovers in a flood and drain environment. I generally use hand-watered rockwool, and I've found that I can fight fungus gnats by letting the rockwool get dry(ish) on the outside before soaking it again.
2. Take a break after a few grows and wipe everything clean and dry it out. Fungus gnats need moist organic material to reproduce, and this breaks the cycle. Not feasible for those whose systems call for a permanent grow op.
3. Keep an eye on them, but don't freak out. If adhering to #1 (and #2 if you can), you won't get a really nasty infestation, just a few annoying little bugs who don't eat too much. Wet soil or coco coir in a pot, if it remains damp full time, is a breeding ground. But if you keep things reasonably dry and clean, the fungus gnats you see won't be too numerous. And they aren't all that destructive in smallish numbers, just a nuisance. It's when you let them get out of control by not maintaining your grow area/grow pots that you get them in harmful numbers.
N
noyd666
GOD ONE ALMER .THANKS.
Gnats are in loose bagged coco like Canna which is why they have said they are going to start making 5.5 kg blocks for sale to avoid the gnats. GH and Cocotek don't have gnats in their blocks. The manufacturers use steam in the compression process.
N
noyd666
first lot of canna I have used, no trouble with other loose bag or block coco at all ever. maybe thrips, not sure .
N
noyd666
Never had gnats from Canna bagged, and they NEVER said that was why they are going to make 5.5 Kg blocks.
Using steam in the compression ruins the coco, IMO, as it kills the beneficial microorganisms which are a big part of why Canna and some other bagged cocos are so effective. Trichoderma would be killed by steaming. Just another reason not to use blocks.
N
noyd666
nutrifield bricks contain thrichioderma, don't think I have seen any coco that hasn't got it. my plants are growing quite well in canna, just picked up a bug or two ,i'll get em tonight with my spotlight.
