How do you ideally precharge coco coir?

[thebombhaha]

I think I used nutes+calmag before. Might buy+use Greenleaf Megacrop for the run, so this will be included as one.

You go til it wastes in any size pot you're starting in right?

Then leave it for 24 hrs before you plant the seeds for germ?

How long must you wait to feed them again when the seed is already planted? Going to be growing autos this time.

 

[AutoWonders]

I use Rhizotonic and calmag. A lot of people have different methods. You don't need to water/nute before planting. Many water/nute just a little bit with seed/seedling.
Don't let plant sit in run off, so be sure to dispose of it.

 

[Arthur]

Depends on your source of coco, many nutrient companies will pH and pre charge their coco to what they want in their line. Cheap blocks of coco need to be broken up and rinsed before a precharge.

I precharge the day prior to dropping, then 250 ml daily for the first couple weeks, then to 20% run off until harvest.

Coco is an inert medium, it contains no nutrition on it's own. Treat as hydro, ph and ppm are your guide to success.

 

[thebombhaha]

Depends on your source of coco, many nutrient companies will pH and pre charge their coco to what they want in their line. Cheap blocks of coco need to be broken up and rinsed before a precharge.

I precharge the day prior to dropping, then 250 ml daily for the first couple weeks, then to 20% run off until harvest.

Coco is an inert medium, it contains no nutrition on it's own. Treat as hydro, ph and ppm are your guide to success.

I'm reading that people pre-charge with nutes. So, that's what I'm planning on doing with the 3G pots I start in. Pre-charge for 24 hours with pH'd Greenleaf Megacrop nutes mixed in water, then make 10-15mm holes and plant the seeds in for germ under my t5 fluorescent. I'm wondering how I'll gauge when to water them next. Autos move way faster than photos, and it's going to be my first time starting in such big pots. I'm planning on keeping the t5 3 inches above the plants like I did for the photos.

I guess I'll have to keep an eye on the Coco's dryness. I know what it looks like when it's dry now. That part doesn't change. I've been advised to buy this pH and EC meter kit off Amazon. Amazon product

A potential issue I might have is actually fitting the pots properly under the light. I hope the 8-9 plants I run will be able to get good lighting. Someone directed me to this overpriced tray, and a lot of people confirmed my suspicions by telling me it's not worth the 70 bucks it's being sold for. I have sturdy 16 inch saucers. I might try to fit two 3G pots in each of them while they're in early veg. Later on, I can put each pot under a single 16 inch saucer as they grow out and I shift to the 1000w MH.

I'll still buy a cheap pH droplet tester kit to be completely sure on my pH. I don't trust these meters from my experience with the cheap eBay ones. Hopefully though, this EC meter will give me an accurate ppm reading.

 

[Arthur]

Using coco you are growing hydroponically, you'll feed every time you water.
When small, watering I do daily, but in small amounts to get the roots growing, by the third week I'm feeding every day till run off, and twice a day mid flower on.
Coco you do not let dry out. It becomes pretty hydrophobic.

pH is fairly critical, and drops with a color chart will not keep you close enough. ( that said, that meter set is junk.)
No idea of the space you have available, unless your starting small strains, 9 seems like an awful lot under 1000w.

 

[thebombhaha]

Using coco you are growing hydroponically, you'll feed every time you water.
When small, watering I do daily, but in small amounts to get the roots growing, by the third week I'm feeding every day till run off, and twice a day mid flower on.
Coco you do not let dry out. It becomes pretty hydrophobic.

pH is fairly critical, and drops with a color chart will not keep you close enough. ( that said, that meter set is junk.)
No idea of the space you have available, unless your starting small strains, 9 seems like an awful lot under 1000w.

Yeah. Do you think 7 plants is fine in a 5'x5'x2m? I was told 9 was good for this space.

This is what I suspected with these meters.. It's just that someone told me they worked well for him, and they're a different brand from the eBay ones I bought previously. Honestly, I'm just trying to find a reliable ppm reader here. The color chart did me well for my first run. I know a lot of people have pH issues with their plants. This should save me just as it did for my first run with photos.

 

[Arthur]

Yeah. Do you think 7 plants is fine in a 5'x5'x2m? I was told 9 was good for this space.

This is what I suspected with these meters.. It's just that someone told me they worked well for him, and they're a different brand from the eBay ones I bought previously. Honestly, I'm just trying to find a reliable ppm reader here. The color chart did me well for my first run. I know a lot of people have pH issues with their plants. This should save me just as it did for my first run with photos.

This is really going to depend on your genetic choices.

I grow in 3 gallon bags of coco, small strains I could get 9 in a 4x4. Medium to large 3 to 4. There's a few XL strains out there too, where 1 or 2 would easily fill my 4x4...

On that note, I do like to cramp them in, and as long as there's not a great height difference (old SOG grower), they can be trimmed up to give you nothing but tops.

 

[thebombhaha]

This is really going to depend on your genetic choices.

I grow in 3 gallon bags of coco, small strains I could get 9 in a 4x4. Medium to large 3 to 4. There's a few XL strains out there too, where 1 or 2 would easily fill my 4x4...

On that note, I do like to cramp them in, and as long as there's not a great height difference (old SOG grower), they can be trimmed up to give you nothing but tops.

Suppose I go with White Widow. Those are what autoflower seeds I'm probably going to buy. I'll be starting in plastic 3G pots. I'm hoping to be careful on feeding/watering initially with these big pots like I said. My current worry is how I'm going to lay the plants out under the t5 for early veg. I hope they'll all be fine. I remember with the photos I did, 5 3G pots barely fit under this t5. I wonder if it matters if the plants are directly underneath the light or a tad to the side of it. Nine is going to be way more than I ever did. In this case, perhaps I should start them in 1G pots so they all fit under the light adequately? What do you think bro?

 

[BII]

...

I wonder if it matters if the plants are directly underneath the light or a tad to the side of it...

Rarely is the sun ever directly over plants (wouldn't that only be at the Equator?), and the sun is constantly moving. So don't worry about these weeds needing to be directly under a light source (as long as they are getting needed light).

 

[thebombhaha]

Rarely is the sun ever directly over plants (wouldn't that only be at the Equator?), and the sun is constantly moving. So don't worry about these weeds needing to be directly under a light source (as long as they are getting needed light).

Yeah. I just don't want issues like the plants growing to the side or something. It's all gonna be in a tent. I cant use my reflector light because that's what attaches to my MH/HPS 1000w bulbs I plan to switch to later.