New Grower Coco and dry amendments?

[HashFlags]

Hey guys!

Was curious if any of you had run coco/perlite as a medium with dry amendments and teas just like a typical soil grow. I got the idea from Mr canuks grow on YouTube specifically and have come across a handful of others doing the same

I have little experience growing in this realm but quite a bit with typical vegetable and herb gardening. 100% organic with dry amendments, my own vermicompost, yard scrap compost, aerater teas, etc..

I had originally planned to do a typical soil building grow to start things off but when I went to my local hydro store for amendments, they also recommended the coco/perlite mix as a medium and said it was more forgiving with watering indoors so I gave it a shot

Noticing some deficiencies and not sure if maybe I'm not feeding the girls enough or if the coco base is the culprit and causing issues. The girls have been doing fairly well growth wise and continue to grow well every day.


Specific details on my grow

All amendments were added to coco according to the label, also added roughly 1-2 cups of worm castings to each 3 gallon pot



CYCO Coco Pearl 70/30 coco/perlite


Down to Earth brand - Seabird Guano, Bat Guano, Oyster Shell, Vegan Mix, Kelp Meal, Azomite, Xtreme Mykos/Azos, Insect Frass, vermicompost from my personal bin(worms eat my organic vegetable scraps from home garden) - compost tea also consists of these ingredients plus compost from my outdoor pile and molasses. Occasionally I use Boogie Brew tea


Weekly tea feedings began end of week 2, they received their second feeding this morning along with a diluted tea foliar spray(boogie brew with bat guano and molasses added). I'm noticing some yellowing of the lower leaves. New growth has had white tips for a couple weeks now but the leaves grow in fine. The girls have also been fairly droopy the last few days, I believe letting them sit in run off was the culprit so I've added racks underneath the pots for airflow.

Watering with filtered tap water Phd to 6.3-6.8 and a little molasses when the coco is dry. Rh - 50-60% temp - 78-83F, HLG-600H roughly 40" from canopy pulling 525w from the wall

I believe I'm dealing with a nitrogen deficiency but I'm still fairly new to growing cannabis so looking for some help. What should I continue to look for moving forward? Am I not feeding them enough?


Day 23(taken this morning after feeding and foliar spray)

Toof Decay

SODK 1

SB x DBC

Sour Stomper

SODK 2

 

[HashFlags]

For anyone who takes the time to read and give some advice, I greatly appreciate it!

 

[Overboard]

How'd this turn out? Or is it still going?

I'm new to both cannabis growing and organic dry amendment in coco/perlite. Currently in week 7 of my first grow with flowers just starting. I am not doing any foliar feeding. So far it's doing great with the Dr. Earth dry amendments and Cal/Mag in the correct ratio and most importantly proper watering (water to moist, let dry out, repeat).

 

[HashFlags]

How'd this turn out? Or is it still going?

I'm new to both cannabis growing and organic dry amendment in coco/perlite. Currently in week 7 of my first grow with flowers just starting. I am not doing any foliar feeding. So far it's doing great with the Dr. Earth dry amendments and Cal/Mag in the correct ratio and most importantly proper watering (water to moist, let dry out, repeat).

Its still going. I'm coming up on harvest for all of them. I've ran into major issues with all but one, but all of them are severely stunted. Extreme yellowing across the board. I'm not 100% certain where the main issue was but I know it was a mixture of everything. coco will shrink slightly as it dries which can break roots and cause lockout. Amendments need time to break down and compost. I believe I turned my light up too soon, too fast as well which caused stress itself.

I'm ditching coco for my next round and have started a few 10 gallon no tills. Will be expirementing with some 5 gallon super soil mixes as well. I had 3 autos in a 50/50 OF/coco mix that turned out fine and I have a random cookies auto I planted in a promix hp/compost mix that is also doing well, coco is just too unexplored in this methodology for me

 

[Arthur]

Issues with treating coco as soil. Not at all uncommon. Old rule is pick one. Issues with coco and soil are addressed differently. PH needs of each medium is different as well. Soil grows 6.2 to 6.8
Coco 5.8 to 6.2

Which to use?

Issue with following some guys advise on YT, if it's out of the norm, is you end up needing that guy to help with issues.

 

[Arthur]

Coco is a fantastic medium... but it needs to be treated as hydro.

 

[HashFlags]

Also MULCH and keeping a consistent moisture level is critical, no "dry out" period.

 

[HashFlags]

Coco is a fantastic medium... but it needs to be treated as hydro.

Agreed. Definitely not the right tool for my job but people have had success with it for a long time. Lesson learned. My girls did still turn out okay. Stunted but dense as hell and very stinky

 

[Arthur]

Agreed. Definitely not the right tool for my job but people have had success with it for a long time. Lesson learned. My girls did still turn out okay. Stunted but dense as hell and very stinky

Can be done. Have run organic in coco myself, I found for the increase in labor the yields don't weigh out. I'd rather just add 1 more plant.

Now in a recirculating system, with automation, it shines once dialed in.

Any harvest that finishes with something you'd smoke with your friends is a success!

 

[HashFlags]

SODK and SB x DBC

The SB x DBC is my healthiest girl in the tent by far. Has such a faint smell, 100% bubblegum. SODK reaks of citrus and diesel, the rest of the plants are looking very similar. Will take a group shot later. The stomper is my favorite by far