Grow Mediums what nutes would you recommend for a newbie using coco?

[Exotic Flower]

Has anyone used the AN regular ph perfect in coco? Or is it required to use their coco line? If so what other additives of their line would you recommend apart from the calmag?

I used the coco AN Sensi A+B plus CalMag for a grow a while ago.
It was only about 50% coco, with remainder potting mix with a bit of perlite.
Went well, and had no Ca or Mg issues from start to finish.
I did soak the cheap expanded coco in a good mix to buffer when I started.
Same mix also did very well for ghost peppers.....

 

[Odissey]

I used the coco AN Sensi A+B plus CalMag for a grow a while ago.
It was only about 50% coco, with remainder potting mix with a bit of perlite.
Went well, and had no Ca or Mg issues from start to finish.
I did soak the cheap expanded coco in a good mix to buffer when I started.
Same mix also did very well for ghost peppers.....

Thanks! Did you always water to run off? I wouls like to avoid watering to run off due to severe space requirements making moving the plants difficult. Is this likely to lead to salt build up?

 

[Exotic Flower]

Thanks! Did you always water to run off? I wouls like to avoid watering to run off due to severe space requirements making moving the plants difficult. Is this likely to lead to salt build up?

Run off ... hard to say. Let me explain...
This was outdoors. Guerilla mountainside for the herb and balcony for the peppers.
Heavy, heavy rain in this area. Averaging maybe 300+ mm = 12"+ per month.
So, just from the rain there was always run off.
This of course washes the natural nutes out of the soil.
So I tried to feed fairly heavy concentrations, to balance the rain water wash off...
I grew in cloth pots though, which helped with water drainage.
Still, pots never got dry on the top, always wet. So damn wet... meh...

Have read many places to keep coco moist though, not let it dry.
Best to do many light waterings, keep pH and ppm even and constant.
Whether you need run off for that, depends. Maybe no absolutely essential.
But would help keeping pH and ppm on target...

 

[Odissey]

Run off ... hard to say. Let me explain...
This was outdoors. Guerilla mountainside for the herb and balcony for the peppers.
Heavy, heavy rain in this area. Averaging maybe 300+ mm = 12"+ per month.
So, just from the rain there was always run off.
This of course washes the natural nutes out of the soil.
So I tried to feed fairly heavy concentrations, to balance the rain water wash off...
I grew in cloth pots though, which helped with water drainage.
Still, pots never got dry on the top, always wet. So damn wet... meh...

Have read many places to keep coco moist though, not let it dry.
Best to do many light waterings, keep pH and ppm even and constant.
Whether you need run off for that, depends. Maybe no absolutely essential.
But would help keeping pH and ppm on target...

I see. Did you still manage to pull some decent buds despite the rain? I am also using smartpots, the problem is since I have such a microspace it becomes very difficult to take the plants out and put back in their original position. Tang does not water to runoff, but I have read coco is more prone to salt build up. Maybe I should do a 50/50 soil/coco mix?

 

[Exotic Flower]

I see. Did you still manage to pull some decent buds despite the rain? I am also using smartpots, the problem is since I have such a microspace it becomes very difficult to take the plants out and put back in their original position. Tang does not water to runoff, but I have read coco is more prone to salt build up. Maybe I should do a 50/50 soil/coco mix?

Given the rain / fog / mist / clouds / more rain, the buds were not too bad at all.

I'm thinking of starting in mainly soil, then moving into mainly coco.
The main root ball will be in soil, which will buffer the pH and Ca Mg better,
but then the roots can get into the coco and really expand out.

I'm also micro now (though hoping for an outdoor guerilla, too), but can move things fine.
If you can give them enough time and attention, little to no run off should be ok.
Just keep an eye on them, and watch for deficiencies, esp the old Ca Mg.

 

[Odissey]

Given the rain / fog / mist / clouds / more rain, the buds were not too bad at all.

I'm thinking of starting in mainly soil, then moving into mainly coco.
The main root ball will be in soil, which will buffer the pH and Ca Mg better,
but then the roots can get into the coco and really expand out.

I'm also micro now (though hoping for an outdoor guerilla, too), but can move things fine.
If you can give them enough time and attention, little to no run off should be ok.
Just keep an eye on them, and watch for deficiencies, esp the old Ca Mg.

Thats interesting. So if you have soil and coco outside it, do you treat it as hydro or soil? Initially I thought of adding coco because I had too much soil compaction last time. But then, I was kind of interested in the explosive growth coco gave me when I had a bigger setup so I am still deciding what to do for my 80 cm tall tent

 

[Exotic Flower]

Thats interesting. So if you have soil and coco outside it, do you treat it as hydro or soil? Initially I thought of adding coco because I had too much soil compaction last time. But then, I was kind of interested in the explosive growth coco gave me when I had a bigger setup so I am still deciding what to do for my 80 cm tall tent

Don't know what I treat it as... I'm just hoping the rainy weather here will keep it moist most of the time as I can't visit to water daily.
That's outdoors.

Indoors, can water daily, and will aim for a weird hybrid method of organic amendments in mainly coco,
plus watering with some basic Peters A+B hydro nutes that I run for my little DWC vegetable unit.

Short answer -- making it up as I go along / don't know what I'm doing...
I know it'll get me some nice buds, though.

Height -- yeah... coco, big growth, but indoors I don't want them too tall either. Aiming for a compromise / balance.

You have a grow thread / journal? Please tag me.

 

[Odissey]

Don't know what I treat it as... I'm just hoping the rainy weather here will keep it moist most of the time as I can't visit to water daily.
That's outdoors.

Indoors, can water daily, and will aim for a weird hybrid method of organic amendments in mainly coco,
plus watering with some basic Peters A+B hydro nutes that I run for my little DWC vegetable unit.

Short answer -- making it up as I go along / don't know what I'm doing...
I know it'll get me some nice buds, though.

Height -- yeah... coco, big growth, but indoors I don't want them too tall either. Aiming for a compromise / balance.

You have a grow thread / journal? Please tag me.

I don't, but if I do one I'll tag you! Thanks for your input, much appreciated!