Does coco need something extra in bottom for drainage?

[Tomatoesonly]

It was mentioned in hempy buckets as well as autopots, that everyone seems to run some sort of layer of "drain" material like perlite or hydroton, before coco. Far as I can tell, coco drains pretty darn well. What am I missing here?

 

[Creeperpark]

No. That's the best part about coco, it has super drainage. Coco may need hydration more than once a day.

 

[Switcher56]

I 2nd that!

 

[goingrey]

That bottom layer is more like a water reservoir to extend time between waterings, not to improve drainage. This is how I've understood it at least.

 

[Bush Dr]

The purpose of a layer of hydroton in the bottom of the pot is to stop the rootball sitting in water and re absorbing it, thus reducing the chance of root rot, as I explained to HGO all those years ago

 

[goingrey]

The purpose of a layer of hydroton in the bottom of the pot is to stop the rootball sitting in water and re absorbing it, thus reducing the chance of root rot, as I explained to HGO all those years ago

But the roots grow there as well. And in hempy buckets (drainage hole on the side instead of the bottom) there is a lot of water... But I guess it's better than just water. Which is actually what I use (self-watering pots). LOL I wonder if filling the rez with some substrate like this would work well.

 

[Switcher56]

The purpose of a layer of hydroton in the bottom of the pot is to stop the rootball sitting in water and re absorbing it, thus reducing the chance of root rot, as I explained to HGO all those years ago

Soil mechanics

 

[HalfArsedFarmer]

Listen to Bush Dr. Geezer knows more about CoCo growing than most....

 

[realityisntwhatitusedtobe]

Soil mechanics

Its not soil. Whats the point?

 

[coldcanna]

Absolutely doesn't need anything in the bottom! I do think that coco with perlite at 25-50% is superior to straight coco.

 

[unnamedmike]

Coco coir can vary greatly in its capacity to retain liquids, and it can certainly absorb a lot of water, in many cases much more than what the plants need. One of the worst urban legends with marijuana is that plants in coco coir need to always be moist... the roots need the drybacks as in soil.

Edited: Responding to the topic of the thread, if I were to grow hempy style always submerged, I would put a layer of stones / clay / perlite to avoid total saturation of the coco, and maybe mix coco+perlite. Or I would add drybacks, thats would be perfect.

 

[Switcher56]

Coco coir can vary greatly in its capacity to retain liquids, and it can certainly absorb a lot of water, in many cases much more than what the plants need. One of the worst urban legends with marijuana is that plants in coco coir need to always be moist... the roots need the drybacks as in soil.

Edited: Responding to the topic of the thread, if I were to grow hempy style always submerged, I would put a layer of stones / clay / perlite to avoid total saturation of the coco, and maybe mix coco+perlite. Or I would add drybacks, thats would be perfect.

Understood
Folks missed the point. It is the saturation point that raises. For example... Will use coco as a medium, nothing else. We will place 3" of that in the bottom of the pot. Now fill the remainder of the pot with a finer substrate, the saturation zone is now in that substrate or 3 inch higher than what it was.

 

[Gooseman23]

It was mentioned in hempy buckets as well as autopots, that everyone seems to run some sort of layer of "drain" material like perlite or hydroton, before coco. Far as I can tell, coco drains pretty darn well. What am I missing here?

In auto pots you do need a layer. For example first time I ran auto pot in coco perlite mix I didn’t use perlite in bottom and I thought I didn’t need it but in flower the plant showed it wasn’t getting air to the roots. I didn’t have perlite on hand so I switched them over to fabric pots and put the fabric pots in the auto pot system and plants grew just fine because they were able to get air from sides of pot. Well atleast that’s why I think it worked. But I’m no scientist and that’s just my observation. I never used Hempy buckets so can’t speak on that. Now if you’re just growing in coco perlite mix in pots with holes at bottom and hand watering or something you don’t need a layer at the bottom as the pot will dry some and have air available or if you’re in fabric pots especially you won’t need it as roots always have access to air from all over the pot.

 

[Tomatoesonly]

In auto pots you do need a layer. For example first time I ran auto pot in coco perlite mix I didn’t use perlite in bottom and I thought I didn’t need it but in flower the plant showed it wasn’t getting air to the roots. I didn’t have perlite on hand so I switched them over to fabric pots and put the fabric pots in the auto pot system and plants grew just fine because they were able to get air from sides of pot. Well atleast that’s why I think it worked. But I’m no scientist and that’s just my observation. I never used Hempy buckets so can’t speak on that. Now if you’re just growing in coco perlite mix in pots with holes at bottom and hand watering or something you don’t need a layer at the bottom as the pot will dry some and have air available or if you’re in fabric pots especially you won’t need it as roots always have access to air from all over the pot.

Very interesting observations. Can you expand on what your were seeing with your plants? The root growth I've seen in the coco is rather impressive.
I'm still trying to figure out how long roots can be in "standing" water. In the autopot system, the very bottom will stay wet for the whole grow if you don't do any dry backing. But, I had some root rot take hold because the pot was in solution for an extended period of time. I now use UC Root as a preventative measure. I'll switch to homemade stuff once it runs out.

 

[Gooseman23]

Very interesting observations. Can you expand on what your were seeing with your plants? The root growth I've seen in the coco is rather impressive.
I'm still trying to figure out how long roots can be in "standing" water. In the autopot system, the very bottom will stay wet for the whole grow if you don't do any dry backing. But, I had some root rot take hold because the pot was in solution for an extended period of time. I now use UC Root as a preventative measure. I'll switch to homemade stuff once it runs out.

Sure what I mean is my plants weren’t growing… they just seemed stalled and started yellowing. As soon as put them in fabric pots they could breathe in they greener up and grew.

 

[Switcher56]

Sure what I mean is my plants weren’t growing… they just seemed stalled and started yellowing. As soon as put them in fabric pots they could breathe in they greener up and grew.

That's all I use from the beginning.

 

[StickyBandit]

I too was guilty of overwatering root suffocation
Just ordered some more 5 and 3 gallon fabric pots