Coco and Organic?

[ShuShu]

Just wondering if anyone has done an organic soil and coco mix. I'm curious of the negatives. I also plan to use organic amendments as well

I'm thinking a 50/50 ratio of soil and coco should be plausible

If you have any experience with this subject.
I'd love to know

Much appreciated

 

[Corum59]

Just wondering if anyone has done an organic soil and coco mix. I'm curious of the negatives. I also plan to use organic amendments as well

I'm thinking a 50/50 ratio of soil and coco should be plausible

If you have any experience with this subject.
I'd love to know

Much appreciated

I often mix coco into my soil mixes around 20-25%, i cannot say if its any better or worse for doing so, you know, 'cos I am not all sciency and stuff, but I feel it helps to absorb and store liquids and adds a nice fibery feel to the mix..

Normally i would soak a few bricks in nute mix, drain any excess liquid and then throw it in with my start up mix.

 

[Bob's Auto's]

Yup, I can confirm that adding 25-30% coco to organic soil doesn't harm it in any way. Just make sure you flush the coco and reload with cal/mag before adding it. At least that's what I do. I buy my coco as blocks in a thrift store. One block is 10L of coco once hydrated. I then pour off the liquid and refil the bucket with warm water and 25gr Calcium Nitrate and 30gr Magnesium Sulfate. Let it seep for 24 hours, pour off the water. And flush once more.

Hope this helps

 

[ShuShu]

Thanks for the insight guys. One more question. Do I need to flush if it's buffered? I'm using mother earth coco.

 

[Corum59]

Thanks for the insight guys. One more question. Do I need to flush if it's buffered? I'm using mother earth coco.

i would say "no need to bother' but you might want a second opinion on that.

 

[JP1]

Thanks for the insight guys. One more question. Do I need to flush if it's buffered? I'm using mother earth coco.

Test it. I never trust coco manufacturers. Hydrate a handful. Put it in a plastic cup with holes in the bottom and check the ec of the runoff. I've had coco that's 900+ppm out of the bag and that's too hot for seeds

 

[Bob's Auto's]

Thanks for the insight guys. One more question. Do I need to flush if it's buffered? I'm using mother earth coco.

Flushing can't harm the coco. During the loading process with the cal/mag the coco gets saturated on a molecular level until it can't hold no more. Everything else can be rinsed off, the coco will still be loaded as water alone can't break the bonds between the coco fibres and the cal/mag, savvy?

Oh, something else I'm adding to my soil is Biochar. It's not that hard to make, but it takes time. Look it up on YouTube...If you don't want to make it yourself, go to a petstore and buy yourself a bag of active carbon. It's the perfect size granulate, but needs to be loaded with bennies/myco and nutrients. If you have an aquarium or know someone with an aquarium you can ask for the waste carbon as it's filled with bacterial life!!

 

[ShuShu]

Thanks Bob, I appreciate the info

I do have a bag of bio char. How much do you recommend using per gallon?

I also have a bottle of Alaskan Fish Fertilizer. I think the fish should provide enough bacterial life to break down the amendments i apply. I occasionally add honey for the sugars as well

 

[Bob's Auto's]

I do have a bag of bio char. How much do you recommend using per gallon?

In terra preta charcoal can make up 25% of the soil. But I'm adding it as I go, since I have about a 1000L of soil to work with. The 10L bag of Biochar is a drop on a hot plate, but it's a start
The cool part is, it will be in the soil long after I have past away, each granulate providing a football field of space for bennies to colonize...