Perlite cut vs. straight coco - a documented trial w/ clones

onegreenday · May 11, 2009

Nice test Mr.BJ , very articulate in presentation.

Evidently the perlite gives more air space & nutrient holding
than straight coir.

Is that your conclusion also?

Would pumice or silica rocks instead of perlite offer similar results (your opinion)?
Thanks.

ureapwhatusow · May 11, 2009

invaluable research 4 the community

High Jinks · May 15, 2009

thanks for going all the way

thatguy · May 15, 2009

onegreenday said:
Would pumice or silica rocks instead of perlite offer similar results (your opinion)?
Thanks.

You know, there may very well be something to adding silica rocks instead of perlite, for the added silica :2cents:

All the best,
TG

forty · May 15, 2009

i like big n chunky perlite.

onegreenday · May 19, 2009

Canna felt the need to add more airspace to their coco,
so now they make a coco mix of fines, threads & chunks of coco fibre,
then compress into slabs.

It's called Canna COGR.

onegreenday · May 19, 2009

that CocoTek looks like it is already a mix of fines, chunks & threads.
Not sure where you used that in the "study"

onegreenday · May 19, 2009

thatguy said:
You know, there may very well be something to adding silica rocks instead of perlite, for the added silica

All the best,
TG

TG, pumice has some good micro nutrients.
Hawaii has pumice soils and may help their prolific plants.
I know they've studied pumice in grow situations
and it helps in a mix of the right proportion.

Mr. Bongjangles · May 19, 2009

onegreenday said:
that CocoTek looks like it is already a mix of fines, chunks & threads.
Not sure where you used that in the "study"

The CocoTek was just a bonus plant, not really part of the trial. It's the plant labeled "mixed" in the pics.

onegreenday said:
Evidently the perlite gives more air space & nutrient holding than straight coir.

Is that your conclusion also?

Would pumice or silica rocks instead of perlite offer similar results (your opinion)?
Thanks.

I'm hesitant to make any real conclusions about why exactly the perlite/coco did better. A few possibilities, mostly soil benefits I believe hold true for coco, but which ones really made a difference is hard to say at this point.

About silica rocks or pumice - both are pretty similar to perlite structurally, very porous, so could likely have the same benefits. Looks to be about the same cost for pumice too.. I'm actually pretty interested in the pumice.. May have to order a bag or 2 and do another trial down the road, put it up against the coco/perlite.

onegreenday · May 19, 2009

nice.........pumice plays a big part in Hawaii herbs....
and how did the cocotek stand up?

guest5703 · May 19, 2009

looks like I'm gonna have to try some perlite!

thatguy · May 20, 2009

onegreenday, nice point about the pumice! I never thought about how volcanic soils are so rich!!!

onegreenday said:
that CocoTek looks like it is already a mix of fines, chunks & threads.

Actually just started using that stuff on my most recent run I've put in flower. I use it in a recirc system, and so far I'm liking the cocotek more than any other type of coco I've used. It drains REAL well, and it doesn't need any flushing before use!

All the best,
TG

John goodman · May 20, 2009

defo try some perlite with my top drip coco system.. may even try a few without for your test...great info bro..thanks for sharing... hmm come to think of it always used it in soil back in the day lol

onegreenday · May 21, 2009

I imagine chuncky coco could be a substitute
for perlite,
if you want to stay OMRI all organic & coir.
It would have the air space and nutrient holding power of perlite.

jordas · May 24, 2009

Maybe I missed it........but what were the mix amounts of the coco and the perlite??
I mean was it a 50/50 mix of each or some differnet amount of each??
Thanks for the info Mr. B

Mr. Bongjangles · May 24, 2009

jordas said:
Maybe I missed it........but what were the mix amounts of the coco and the perlite??
I mean was it a 50/50 mix of each or some differnet amount of each??
Thanks for the info Mr. B

Yea its in the first post, but no worries.. 30% perlite on the coco/perlite plants.

crtoker · May 25, 2009

Brilliant work Bojangles! I learned something of value bro. Thanks

dirkdaddy · May 28, 2009

great, great thread. thanks for the work!

whodi · May 29, 2009

thanks for testing it all out.

I've heard all perlite or 60% perlite / 40% coco is best... especially on a drip

simple green · Jul 27, 2009

Nice test...I had usually used Perlite cause I was used to it with soil and get it cheap....

Nice little research project !

Perlite cut vs. straight coco - a documented trial w/ clones

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