Grow Mediums How often do you usually need to water in coco?

[RandomTask30]

Doesn't that largely depend on the types of feed you use?

I wouldn't think so, because you don't want to let your coco dry out and it does dry out much quicker than soil. But of course, depending on your nutes, you will have to dial in the dosage/ppm for those nutes.

How would I establish the roots before would "actiavate" our autopots? I am confused, would we transplant / place a seedlings and water/feed the plant for 3-4 weeks till we can use our Autopots?

You have to top feed manually until the roots are established. Autopots recommends 15 days of manual top feeding before turning on the Autopots and letting the plants begin drinking from the bottom. I've been told by another Autopot user (who also grows autoflowers) that he waits until the fan leaves touch the edges of his pot, and thats when he knows to start using the Autopot to feed, and he says this is often times before day 15.

 

[Highstreet]

Once a day when lights come on

 

[Bantersaurus]

Thought I'd update you all on what I went with.

I ordered some Roots Organic Coco Palms off Amazon, per the recommendation of dr cannabis coco for cannabis coco or whatever his name is. I have enough for 3x 3 gal fabric pots and that's a good step up from my first grow of 1 plant. I bought a seed heat mat, some Root Riot cubes, and a tray. I lost 3/4 seeds last time and I think it was due to low temps. I'll be going with Mega Crop + Recharge every feeding. You start feeding from like a few days in, right? When I transplant the Root Riot cube I can start feeding right away? I'll probably do 100% coco and go with daily feedings until I feel more comfortable. pH should stay around 5.9, 6.1 - 6.3 at start and finish (according to the coco doctor).

Any good beginner coco tips?

 

[Cringer]

I'm considering siwtching to coco for my next run, but I don't want to be watering 2+ times a day. If I go with just 100% coco, will watering once a day be sufficient? Can I use a hard container like a plastic pot with 100% coco to really retain moisture?

Feeding in Coco multiple times is kye. I

 

[Serious Home Breeder]

Are you using 100% coco with no perlite or pumice? 70/30 is the industry standard.
When transplanting, try add some worm castings around root area and see how that goes, I prefer to do that.
I'd tend to disagree with others that water every second day. Growing in coco is vastly different to growing in soil, made that mistake myself when I first started in coco, having come from soil and DWC. You risk salt build up when allowing coco to dry out.
It should be watered to runoff, personally I run mine on auto drip timers, fed three times a day plus I hand water twice a day.
I could go a day without watering but I would then just water with a very light nutrient solution and flush out any residual salts.

After years of growing in coco/perlite with HnG Nutes, I'm finally getting around to building a drain to res/recycle system.
Might post a log on it as I'm quite excited.
Good luck man, growing in coco is great (Even tho I prefer organics )

 

[Mir]

Or you can go with Coco Loco which carries amendments. Right now I am watering every two to three days. PH 6.3-6.8.

Coco Loco is such an awesome medium. I've been able to grow beautiful ladies using it with MegaCrop, Bud Explosion, and nitrogen-free CalMag, watering every three days after the first four weeks.

 

[Geordiejesus]

There's a pure art to watering coco. I've managed to get abit of a eggy smell. By over watering. People say you can't over water coco. But I disagree. Your coco can be too wet where it doesn't allow oxygen in which can lead to bigger issues, same goes with it being too dry you can cause salt build ups ect... Theres a pure art to coco and as a new grower I haven't sussed it. Soo im sticking with soil until I know what the hell I'm doing lols

 

[Bantersaurus]

Growing in coco is vastly different to growing in soil, made that mistake myself when I first started in coco, having come from soil and DWC. You risk salt build up when allowing coco to dry out.

I'm using Mega Crop, so there are no salts. I can water her until just a tiny bit of runoff so that I know she's full whenever I see her about half way dry so that she's never actually dry.

 

[HazyTrichomes]

This is day 78 of a Mephisto autoflower bonus seed. I watered 3-4 times daily during veg then 5 times daily during flower using automated watering system. Total water intake per day is about 2-2.5 gallons. 15% runoff. This is keeps the soil wet at all times. Also using a wetting agent.

One thing I've learned is to keep coco soaking wet and never let it dry.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

After years of growing in coco/perlite with HnG Nutes, I'm finally getting around to building a drain to res/recycle system.
Might post a log on it as I'm quite excited.
Good luck man, growing in coco is great (Even tho I prefer organics )

@Serious Home Breeder
Unless you have a way to test the individual components of recycled nutrients this is a system doomed to kill plants. I know because I killed some. Just use your waste in the outdoor gardens.

I'm using Mega Crop, so there are no salts. I can water her until just a tiny bit of runoff so that I know she's full whenever I see her about half way dry so that she's never actually dry.

@Bantersaurus
uuuhhmmmm Mega Crop is the definition of a salt based fertilizer.

Coco is Hydro. You feed nutrients from day 1. You need to condition it (wash and pre-charge it with Cal-mag) then add 10 - 50 PPM of cal-mag to every feeding depending on how many feedings per day. You have nutrients in every feeding - It is hydro. Never let it dry out. It can become hydrophobic if it gets dry. This will lead to dry pockets in the pot and dead roots in the dry pockets. If this happens to you use a surfactant to help re-wet the coco. Fertigate to 15% run-off to waste every day.