Wazzzzup AFN !!
I'd like to catalog all the things I learnt about using coco. Actually, the things I learnt by making terrible mistakes. Some are obvious to the more experienced folk, others no so much to a novice info searching young grower.
First mistake... information overload. I thought I was smart enough to dive deep into it.... the more I read, the more doubts I had, the more I thought I knew sh!t, the closer I got to killing my plants! :twist:
Coco is as simple as it could be! Basically hydroponics, but without all the bells and whistles (ergo, pumps, recircs, timers, etc etc)
Please do learn from other's mistake, but DO NOT fear making mistakes. Just don't be a hero.
Lets get to it !!
- Don't read too much if you're new to growing! Use the BASIC nute line, reduce 50% on whatever the label says, and work slowly up. In the meantime, make a diary, engage, read... but don´t go all cowboy hero thinking you've got it figured. On your second run, if the first went well, then yes! Experiment!! Explore!! Increase your yields!
- Coco is virtually hydroponics. Invest all your efforts in the best pH and EC meter, calibration buffers and a proper cleaning/calibration schedule - pH can be a bitch at first. Here are some pointers. Let the probe in the liquid you want to measure 2 to 10 minutes BEFORE making the reading.
The probe has to compensate for temperature, and only then will it give a good reading. For example, mid summer the probe could be 28ºC ambient temp, but the water around 19ºC, the probe will initially think its 25-28ºC and give you wrong readings! (the exact same opposite mid-winter) - let it sit for a little while and then turn it on. Never ever be in a hurry. Shake the probe a little in the liquid, and let it sit. It works by averaging, so initially it could go fast, like
7.18 ... 6.98.... 6.54.....6.42.......6.38.....6.32.....6.32......6.32 SHAKE IT ..... 6.30....6.28.... 6.20.....6.19.... 6.20....6.19.... 6.20.... (this was first 3 minutes) SHAKE ....6.19 .....6.17....6.15....6.14.....6.13... and 20 minutes later its finally stabilizes at, for example 5.8
- NEVER wash commercial grade coco, like Canna, Biobizz etc. I made that mistake and almost KILLED my seedlings. These guys wash, pre-buffer and treat with trichoderma mould (among others). This coco is NOT inert. This was usual advice for coco blocks that need to exapanded in water and are, in fact, inert and dirty. Hence the wash and the pH buffering. With Canna Coco and Biobizz you MUST NEVER do that!
- Before potting to coco, feed the coco 24h before with a light 0.6 to 0.8 EC feed. This will activate micro life and your roots will love it!
- Algae also loves coco. It is natural to get green top layer. That is a clear sign of overwatering. Overwatering is very hard to achieve in coco, but at the same time easy if... well... if you keep on watering. Dont worry, that algae is not harmful. This "it is impossible to overweater coco" is usually refered to in automatic feeding systems, drips etc. Get it wrong and coco is VERY permissive. Easy to adjust, easy to calibrate. But when hand watering, if you dont know coco you will think " geez, I haven't watered for 2 days, I MUST water".
No, you dont! You need to let the top layer dry our considerably! Feel the weight of the pot. Let it dry, roots love it. Look at the plant, is it wilting? No? Dont water! Overwatering will also lock out nutes, making you think you have a pH/deficiency problem, and start compensating giving extras and all hell breaks loose...
- Bugs!! Fungus gnats love coco. Top layer of (well washed, preferably boiled) sand helps prevent it. Whiteflies are also very very common. Although not harmful, extremely annoying!! arrrg!!
Learn to distinguish the two, not difficult.
- Bugs part 2. Springtails!! Google them. 95% are extremely... let me say that again... extremely beneficial to roots. 5% will kill your plants. Dont panic if you see tiny little <1mm little white crawlies that jump around when you water or scrape the coco. I'll make a video soon...
- You can re-use coco. It is actually better the 2nd and 3rd run. Heavily feed used coco with the old roots with enzymes (Canna Cannazym or Sensizym) and 24-48h later dead roots and pant matter will dissolve. Just be sure to remove the bigger chunks outs before.
Thinks it is all for now, if I remember anything else I'll be sure to post.
I'd like to catalog all the things I learnt about using coco. Actually, the things I learnt by making terrible mistakes. Some are obvious to the more experienced folk, others no so much to a novice info searching young grower.
First mistake... information overload. I thought I was smart enough to dive deep into it.... the more I read, the more doubts I had, the more I thought I knew sh!t, the closer I got to killing my plants! :twist:
Coco is as simple as it could be! Basically hydroponics, but without all the bells and whistles (ergo, pumps, recircs, timers, etc etc)
Please do learn from other's mistake, but DO NOT fear making mistakes. Just don't be a hero.
Lets get to it !!
- Don't read too much if you're new to growing! Use the BASIC nute line, reduce 50% on whatever the label says, and work slowly up. In the meantime, make a diary, engage, read... but don´t go all cowboy hero thinking you've got it figured. On your second run, if the first went well, then yes! Experiment!! Explore!! Increase your yields!
- Coco is virtually hydroponics. Invest all your efforts in the best pH and EC meter, calibration buffers and a proper cleaning/calibration schedule - pH can be a bitch at first. Here are some pointers. Let the probe in the liquid you want to measure 2 to 10 minutes BEFORE making the reading.
The probe has to compensate for temperature, and only then will it give a good reading. For example, mid summer the probe could be 28ºC ambient temp, but the water around 19ºC, the probe will initially think its 25-28ºC and give you wrong readings! (the exact same opposite mid-winter) - let it sit for a little while and then turn it on. Never ever be in a hurry. Shake the probe a little in the liquid, and let it sit. It works by averaging, so initially it could go fast, like
7.18 ... 6.98.... 6.54.....6.42.......6.38.....6.32.....6.32......6.32 SHAKE IT ..... 6.30....6.28.... 6.20.....6.19.... 6.20....6.19.... 6.20.... (this was first 3 minutes) SHAKE ....6.19 .....6.17....6.15....6.14.....6.13... and 20 minutes later its finally stabilizes at, for example 5.8
- NEVER wash commercial grade coco, like Canna, Biobizz etc. I made that mistake and almost KILLED my seedlings. These guys wash, pre-buffer and treat with trichoderma mould (among others). This coco is NOT inert. This was usual advice for coco blocks that need to exapanded in water and are, in fact, inert and dirty. Hence the wash and the pH buffering. With Canna Coco and Biobizz you MUST NEVER do that!
- Before potting to coco, feed the coco 24h before with a light 0.6 to 0.8 EC feed. This will activate micro life and your roots will love it!
- Algae also loves coco. It is natural to get green top layer. That is a clear sign of overwatering. Overwatering is very hard to achieve in coco, but at the same time easy if... well... if you keep on watering. Dont worry, that algae is not harmful. This "it is impossible to overweater coco" is usually refered to in automatic feeding systems, drips etc. Get it wrong and coco is VERY permissive. Easy to adjust, easy to calibrate. But when hand watering, if you dont know coco you will think " geez, I haven't watered for 2 days, I MUST water".
No, you dont! You need to let the top layer dry our considerably! Feel the weight of the pot. Let it dry, roots love it. Look at the plant, is it wilting? No? Dont water! Overwatering will also lock out nutes, making you think you have a pH/deficiency problem, and start compensating giving extras and all hell breaks loose...
- Bugs!! Fungus gnats love coco. Top layer of (well washed, preferably boiled) sand helps prevent it. Whiteflies are also very very common. Although not harmful, extremely annoying!! arrrg!!
Learn to distinguish the two, not difficult.- Bugs part 2. Springtails!! Google them. 95% are extremely... let me say that again... extremely beneficial to roots. 5% will kill your plants. Dont panic if you see tiny little <1mm little white crawlies that jump around when you water or scrape the coco. I'll make a video soon...
- You can re-use coco. It is actually better the 2nd and 3rd run. Heavily feed used coco with the old roots with enzymes (Canna Cannazym or Sensizym) and 24-48h later dead roots and pant matter will dissolve. Just be sure to remove the bigger chunks outs before.
Thinks it is all for now, if I remember anything else I'll be sure to post.
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