coco fiber thread

[Guest]

Coco fiber is becoming more and more widely used as a replacement for ground.Most hydroponics agree to say that coco has all the benefits from both ground and hydro techniques.It has great water and air absorption abilities, is almost totally organically/chemically neutral when sold, easy to transport, cheap.

I always was a bio grower and recently started replacing my ground with coco fibers.
I've had quite much trouble getting used to it: I almost killed the plants by overwatering them.I also almost killed a few seedlings by underwatering them.
It ended up in providing my plants with more root stress than ground ever did.

It seems that coco is very different from both hydro and soil growing.

I thought a thread specialy made for coco growing/techniques/experiences would be good.I hope you do to.I'll start with this very interesting piece of information I found some time ago :

texas hyrdroponics' info about coco

 

[Eazyman]

I love the coco. but i don't use it alone. I grow in soil; specifically Fox Farm Ocean Forrest blend. I never added any other soils or anything to make the total volume greater, UNTIL started using Coco Choir in the mix. Now I add it to the Ocean forrest and i amend it with seabird guano, Earhworm castings, blood and bone meal. it makes for great drainage and areation.
I know that the coco can be used in either application. THe people i know who use it for hydro keep it packed tight, almost to a rockwool texture in their net pots. I dont know anyone that uses it alone as a soil replacement, without using it in a mix.
Peace

 

[Old Soul]

I use just straight coco and I love it. Pure Blend Pro and coco is all you need. I am still a newb and have tons to learn but I have had great success with coco.

Peace

Old Soul

 

[Guest]

I use the coco straight with hydrton, and or perlite. It blows away any peat based mix. It's cheap and reuseable...and very forgiving. Keep it moist....and you'll have very few problems.

Cheers,
SH

 

[Guest]

sorry I just noticed there was already a coco thread...

 

[stikky budz]

Theres been a few coco threads. What we need is a coco FORUM!!

 

[Guest]

I agree 300% !

 

[the cult]

i think coco is harder to grow in compared to soil, at least for beginners without much equipment. when growing in coco you really need to keep a good PH (in my experience 5.2-5.6) constantly and a perfect set of nutes. soil is MUCH more forgivin for a newbie grower, it contains enough of the macro nutrients for the first weeks of a grow and its more forgivin of PH fluctuations (although a constant PH there is just as important for maximum yield.)
i love growing a straight coco and i do it with Hesis nutes and the aid of good PH measuring equipment! i wouldnt recommend it for the first grow tho.

 

[Guest]

I use straight coco in 12L pots with PBP

 

[pinecone]

i think coco is harder to grow in compared to soil, at least for beginners without much equipment. when growing in coco you really need to keep a good PH (in my experience 5.2-5.6) constantly and a perfect set of nutes. soil is MUCH more forgivin for a newbie grower, it contains enough of the macro nutrients for the first weeks of a grow and its more forgivin of PH fluctuations (although a constant PH there is just as important for maximum yield.)
i love growing a straight coco and i do it with Hesis nutes and the aid of good PH measuring equipment! i wouldnt recommend it for the first grow tho.

I'm interested in trying this. What are the main benefits of coco relative to other soiless mediums - such as peat? Also - how do you know when to water in a coco-perlite based medium?

Pinecone

 

[Bongojaz]

i grow in a coco/perlite mixture. great stuff!! i water/feed 2 or 3 times a day. i like canna coco specific nutes. i have used pure blend pro and it works very well. i'll never use soil again. gonna try advanced nutes the next time with the coco. i want to see if this is just hype, or if advanced really are superior nutes.

 

[Guest]

pinecone : benefits are, imo : much more root space (air) than with soil.
the medium is sterile.
the medium is cheap and eaaaaaaasy to carry.
the medium stays dry at the surface, reducing risks of mold on plant, somehow.
Personnaly, I dont have no PH meter.I know how to adjust tap water ph.Looking at your plant is a good way of knowing how to adjust your ph.I'd buy one if they were cheaper though.