Grow Mediums Tips for 1st time coco grower?

[pop22]

That's really odd, I had my only real success with coco in auto pots. And I've seen people have issues with it though in auto pots. The problem I think is the placement od so called "drainage material" in the bottom. this is a myth. the laws of hydraulics says, the interface between dissimilar materials will resist the flow of water until over come by gravity. Which tells you its even more of a problem when trying to wick against gravity! What happens is that the wicking of water still occurs but is greatly reduced, to the point that the surface of the coco drys out too much. In the process, it leaves salts behind... i never used "drainage material" in the bottom of any of my pots, it never made sense to me and I find I was right. With reasonable PPMs, coco in auto pots works very well. Didn't Hansbrick run coco?

ive been using it since 2016 and i find i only ever have issues with autopot bottom-fed plants with top-fed like my airport i find as long as you always feed to run off its pretty easy to keep your plants happy but even though I've grown in coco in every size pot or container solo cups 2 litre bottles but try not to overfeed your plants but @Mañ'O'Green knows id say more than most of us regarding it

 

[pop22]

Good quality coco should not be flushed, you'd just be flushing out the cal/mag that the coco has been buffered with. Good coco has already had the salt flushed out of it. Keep your PH between 6.0-6.3. Everyone who runs low PH ( 5.5-5.8 )in coco runs into issues sooner or later.

Personally, i'd do DWC before I'd run coco again, it's less work.

Do I need to flush the mother earth coco before using? Or just plant and water and good to go? Thanks again

 

[St. Tom]

[

That's really odd, I had my only real success with coco in auto pots. And I've seen people have issues with it though in auto pots. The problem I think is the placement od so called "drainage material" in the bottom. this is a myth. the laws of hydraulics says, the interface between dissimilar materials will resist the flow of water until over come by gravity. Which tells you its even more of a problem when trying to wick against gravity! What happens is that the wicking of water still occurs but is greatly reduced, to the point that the surface of the coco drys out too much. In the process, it leaves salts behind... i never used "drainage material" in the bottom of any of my pots, it never made sense to me and I find I was right. With reasonable PPMs, coco in auto pots works very well. Didn't Hansbrick run coco?

your totally right pop but more times than not i end up with lockout or build up on at least 1 plant per run and i end up either flushing the media by top feeding for say a week and then once they're back on the res there good as gold then

 

[St. Tom]

Good quality coco should not be flushed, you'd just be flushing out the cal/mag that the coco has been buffered with. Good coco has already had the salt flushed out of it. Keep your PH between 6.0-6.3. Everyone who runs low PH ( 5.5-5.8 )in coco runs into issues sooner or later.

Personally, i'd do DWC before I'd run coco again, it's less work.

as i said I'm more about the top feeding if my autopots go out or wack but I've done it with both my sssc fat petes cookies also I've never flushed ever with just water its always say feed with an ec of about 1.0 but the top feed got both these 2 back on track here's the pic of them now

 

[Trichome farmer]

Good quality coco should not be flushed, you'd just be flushing out the cal/mag that the coco has been buffered with. Good coco has already had the salt flushed out of it. Keep your PH between 6.0-6.3. Everyone who runs low PH ( 5.5-5.8 )in coco runs into issues sooner or later.

Personally, i'd do DWC before I'd run coco again, it's less work.

il definitely say since i heard you say to keep the ph around 6.0-.6.2 iv been doing much better than trying to stay at 5.8

 

[Trichome farmer]

as i said I'm more about the top feeding if my autopots go out or wack but I've done it with both my sssc fat petes cookies also I've never flushed ever with just water its always say feed with an ec of about 1.0 but the top feed got both these 2 back on track here's the pic of them now

heres a question for you tom when your feeding your air pot to run off what sort of e.c are looking for in the run off so for example im feeding in at 1.6-1.7 e.c and it comes out around 1.4 e.c does that sound about right slightly under the input what do you shoot for
anyone else with some thoughts please chime in

 

[JSH1973]

Water... Water... And More Water... Coco can only be under watered not over watered... And feed nutrients every single time..

Remember that and THIS could be YOU in 90 days :smoking:

 

[St. Tom]

heres a question for you tom when your feeding your air pot to run off what sort of e.c are looking for in the run off so for example im feeding in at 1.6-1.7 e.c and it comes out around 1.4 e.c does that sound about right slightly under the input what do you shoot for
anyone else with some thoughts please chime in

i only check it when i have problems but if you give me a day or so i can check also @JSH1973 i do agree but seedlings can be overwatered and starved of oxygen that's why i start mine in solo cups

 

[JSH1973]

Of Course seedlings should be treated with care.. They are babies after all
@St. Tom

God I'm looking forward to having seedlings again and not watering big three times a day lol

 

[Trichome farmer]

i only check it when i have problems but if you give me a day or so i can check also @JSH1973 i do agree but seedlings can be overwatered and starved of oxygen that's why i start mine in solo cups

yes please just for my curiosity i agree with the seedling thing had to throw out some i stunted badly by over watering