coco question

[sophisto]

1. How many times have all of you re-used your coco before you felt it was time to change????

2. How often do you flush ???

3. How many of you add perlite????? And at what ratios????

4. Run off or no runoff????? (The debate continues)

5. What size pots ??? Any one ever run 5 galllon pots before??????

 

[rooted]

in a recirculating top drip system.........

1. How many times have all of you re-used your coco before you felt it was time to change????

i haven't thrown any away yet, but........in my experience i seperate about 75% of the coco and 95% of the perlite out of the roots and back into action. of course there is dead root matter in there; that can't be avoided......pull out the big clumps and use enzymes to zap the rest

i'll keep re-using it until it breaks down enough to compact and choke the roots.....if ever ??




2. How often do you flush ???

once before harvest.....in a recirculating system flushing requires extra work and IMO it isn't necessary unless you have a toxicity.




3. How many of you add perlite????? And at what ratios????

i do, 50/50




4. Run off or no runoff????? (The debate continues)

i don't believe there's any debate here.....there should always be runoff. the amount of runoff is what people seem to argue about.....don't worry about a percentage of runoff unless you run to waste , any runoff you get is taking away excess salts from the rootzone....the more the better.

if you run to waste 10% should be good....unless you like pouring money down the drain



5. What size pots ??? Any one ever run 5 galllon pots before??????[/QUOTE]

plastic cups for the clones, then in 5.5" pots til harvest.....2-3 week veg

coco roots get very dense and they can take much smaller rootzones than soil.......small pots will still cause stretching if the roots are bound so stay within reason.

the smaller the pot, the more you'll need to feed, 5.5" get fed 4x with lights on, next step up (about 1 gallon) i'm only feeding twice a day because it stays wet longer

coco roots like to expand outward, think wide, not deep when planting





i hope this helps sophisto, we need more coco growers here, it really is an amazing medium.....remember though, this system is recirculating so take advice as such.

 

[gdawg]

hey sophisto i recirculate drip, 2 gallon bags, this is my first run with reuse coco, with perlite, i flush good once every 10 days or so, and i always have at least 10% runoff. my new coco which has no perlite seems to have better root systems and i'm cuttin perlite out all together in the future, its not nessecary and looks bad in the flower bed out back. i'm only going to do reuse one time on coco, its a great medium and i know it can handle one run no problems.

 

[Kosmo]

100% Coco Coir, modified drain to waste, top drip fed, bedding style

1. How many times have all of you re-used your coco before you felt it was time to change????

Up to a year so far, But iam hoping to make it last 3years(if not more). I'll reuse tell its pure coco dust and nothing less...

2. How often do you flush ???

Normally last week of bloom. or unless a burn or imbalance happens, then i flush. something like "in doubt flush it out"...

3. How many of you add perlite????? And at what ratios????

100% Coco for me. Makes it even easier to reuse, and IMO their is no need for perlite. But we all do things differently, just another reason i love growing...

4. Run off or no runoff????? (The debate continues)

atleast 10% runoff. But if u keep a nice low e.c. level i couldn't see the harm in no runoff(might need a flush now and again tho)...

5. What size pots ??? Any one ever run 5 galllon pots before??????

100% coco beds, 3x3ft bed, 6in. deep...

 

[Guest]

ive had a drink i'll answer in the morning

 

[gdawg]

sober up hazy!

 

[sophisto]

Very nice

Drink one for me..

 

[duddits]

Great thread! Hope that poor guy sobers up too.

Would this be the right place to ask for help getting started? I don't want to hijack. My first two grows were in soil and I now have a case of B'cuzz Bounce coco and b'cuzz nutes, a 3x3 flood tray coming. I would like to do a dripper recirc.

Can't wait to do it! Lot of questions.

 

[sophisto]

Great thread! Hope that poor guy sobers up too.

Would this be the right place to ask for help getting started? I don't want to hijack. My first two grows were in soil and I now have a case of B'cuzz Bounce coco and b'cuzz nutes, a 3x3 flood tray coming. I would like to do a dripper recirc.

Can't wait to do it! Lot of questions.

Maybe start a new thread for that if you wouldnt mind..

I really want to collect information from the fellows and fellas out there on this one subject/subjects............Thanks


Keep it comin grow brothas and sistas.......

 

[gdawg]

on my earlier post i said i use 2 gall bags but on the next run may 1 gall, i think the coco can handle it. i kinda think after the second run (reuse) the coco would lose the fibre sponge feel that makes it so good like butter, i can't believe its not butter.

 

[BlindDate]

1. How many times have all of you re-used your coco before you felt it was time to change????

I've gone 4 times without a problem.

2. How often do you flush ???

End of cycle 1-2 weeks

3. How many of you add perlite????? And at what ratios????

No, there is no point in adding perlite. All Perlite does is reduce the size of the container imo.

4. Run off or no runoff????? (The debate continues)

10% runoff

5. What size pots ??? Any one ever run 5 galllon pots before??????

I use 5 gallon buckets, but my plants are 7 ft tall at harvest.

 

[sophisto]

1. How many times have all of you re-used your coco before you felt it was time to change????

I've gone 4 times without a problem.

2. How often do you flush ???

End of cycle 1-2 weeks

3. How many of you add perlite????? And at what ratios????

No, there is no point in adding perlite. All Perlite does is reduce the size of the container imo.

4. Run off or no runoff????? (The debate continues)

10% runoff

5. What size pots ??? Any one ever run 5 galllon pots before??????

I use 5 gallon buckets, but my plants are 7 ft tall at harvest.

Nice, Do you feel the rate of growth is faster in the 5 gallon as opposed to smaller pots??? In your case you clearly need the room for roots.... I am asking about just general growth rates??? Curious.

 

[BlindDate]

Nice, Do you feel the rate of growth is faster in the 5 gallon as opposed to smaller pots??? In your case you clearly need the room for roots.... I am asking about just general growth rates??? Curious.

I don't think that I can grow trees in smaller pots so I've never tried.

 

[Guest]

1. How many times have all of you re-used your coco before you felt it was time to change????

I haven't re-used my coco but I'll probably start after this harvest. Currently using B'Cuzz coco. Used Canna till this grow. Both do not require a pre-flush. It'll color the res water a little but no harm.

2. How often do you flush ???

Recirc drip with a 30 gallon reservoir. I water for 6 minutes twice a day 10 hours apart and get a 200% runoff so technically I flush every time I water. I flush for a week or two before harvest with plain water at a pH of 5.8. I flush with plain water and adjust the tank if I run into a problem and so far I haven't.

3. How many of you add perlite????? And at what ratios????

Never. No need for it. And as previously stated, it does take up space.

4. Run off or no runoff????? (The debate continues)

200% each watering in a recirculating drip system.

5. What size pots ??? Any one ever run 5 galllon pots before??????

3 gallon pots. Kali Most in current grow are at a severely tied down 6 feet. If hand watering, 5 gallon pots would mean the grower could definitely get by with once a day waterings. In an emergency, he could probably even go a couple of days but he'd probably need to do an initial light flush and get some higher percentage runoffs for a couple of days afterwards.

I'm at day 65 of 12/12 and vertical growth stopped a couple of weeks ago. I go straight from the solo cups to the big pots and they're under Halide lighting two and a half weeks from bean pop though so mine have a tendency to hit the afterburners early on. I've been growing based on the "little pond=little fish - big pond=big fish" way of thinking. So far, so good so if I'm full of shite, don't tell me, please. lol Ignorance is bliss and all that.

Peace

 

[reddy1]

i'm not experienced. so don't just take it from me.

1. How many times have all of you re-used your coco before you felt it was time to change????

only on my second run. it's pretty cheap to buy so maybe 1-2 more times.

2. How often do you flush ???

once a week.

3. How many of you add perlite????? And at what ratios????

did in the past. coco is however cheaper and perlite didn't make a difference.

4. Run off or no runoff????? (The debate continues)

nope. a little bit sometimes. i think it's hard to overwater coco. to save money on refilled ro water and nutes i don't runoff. i do flush once a week.

5. What size pots ??? Any one ever run 5 galllon pots before??????

got some in 5 gallon pots right now. thick ass stems. water every 3 days or so. 2 gallon seems to be better suited for future runs.

here's a large chunk of coconut i found inside a bale of botanicare. makes me wonder about their quality control......

 

[sophisto]

at least you didnt find a turd

 

[Guest]

OK I'm stoned and I come to the last page in this thread and all I see is "at least you didn't find a turd." I immediately had to ask myself if I'd shit my pants and if I did, how sophisto would know I didn't find a turd. lmfao.

I love weed.

Peace