giving organics one last shot. I need input on a 5k grow.

[surfingrob]

I was reccommended a soiless coco mix by my local hydroponic shop because I was told it would yield much more than my 18 site recirc DWC setup. I tore down my dwc and put in BATO (aka dutch buckets) buckets, with a mix of coco chips, organics alive, and fox farms light warrior. I was told this setup would yield me enormously but unfortunately I was told to water it at the incorrect PH by the very person who reccommended the setup. Therefore, I have uprooted 16 enormous plants that if flowered properly, would have yielded ALOT. These plants were northern lights, Green crack, sensi star, skunk #1, and train wreck. All dead by week 6 of flowering so they are all getting turned into hash.

Now I am switching over to soil simple because I have a massive perpetual cycle in which I harvest every 2 weeks, so soil containers sound pretty damn easy and convenient. I will be going with MoonShineman's mix, which is almost guaranteed to work.

However, I have HUGE amounts of coco chips leftover from my failed attempty at coco growing. Does anyone know how I can use the extra coco in moonshine mix? Maybe in place of perlite? It seems like a great medium so I dont wanna give up on it completely.

Any help in this direction would be much appreciated.

-rob

 

[jaykush]

i don't know about using the coco chips in a moonshine mix as i dont grow that way, but it makes for excellent compost material (grows great fungi cultures),mulch ,soil amendment (as it is broken down by microbes and eventually food for either the organisms or the plant). i wouldn't replace it for the perlite as it tends to compact a little as its broken down.

 

[Suby]

Surprise surprise another poor grower ****ed by some know-it-all in a hydro shop, join the many on IC that have been.

Soil is the medium of choice for a perpetual cycle, are you stagering the cycle so as to harvest a few plants every week or two?

What you can do is use the coco chips in the bottom of your containers, about 3 inches worth, it will increase oxygen to the roots and keep them fromm having "wet feet".
It is not a replacement for perlite but it still has good drainage and could be used at about 10% of your soil mix.

MM mix is an excellent choice and you'll do fine with it no doubt, use a good water source but not 100% RO or distilled, alot of coco growers think it's good for soil but it's too easy to sway ph in low EC water, your shooting for ~100 ppm s for your strating water.

S

 

[jaykush]

im not to sure about the 3 inches of chips suby. If there the same ones im using and have seen all over. when constantly wet they get VERY soggy and break down pretty fast in a healthy soil and as a mulch. when i added some to my compost tumbler they were gone in a week all down to black gold and i added quite a bit. and as a soil mulch i have to replace it every few weeks to a month, but it creates the best top soil crawling with life.

for a perpetual indoors i would go with tubs and sea of green it. the yields will be high if you tune it to the strain. start a new every 2 weeks if you want 2 week harvests or more or less, which is a lot of work trimming.

 

[Suby]

Coco quality and texture vary ALOT from brand to brand, I'm assuming he's using the really big chunky coco that I use on my orchids.
I would not bottom stack with coco if it where too fine, it really needs to be about a 1" square or ~ to use as a bottom drainage.

I've been composting some soil mixes but none with coco, I have some "dirty" coco that i'll rinse out and try to compost.

I still find coco peat to be a good addition at a reasonable rate in the mix but it dries out so damn fast.

Suby

 

[jaykush]

i get what your saying, some of the coco ive seen is usable for drainage, the coco fiber and coco peat would work im assuming you mean stuff like this which would be better for giving the plants some air for the feet. this stuff would not do well im the compost.

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11974280/Coco_Peat.jpg

i am using stuff like this sorry its small its all i could find ill snap a pic later. this stuff comes in huge bags for 9$ excellent mulch or for adding organic matter to the soil. when wet it gets soggy. this stuff is great for the compost.

http://www.sivanthijoecoirs.com/images/chips.jpg

i have a feeling were talking about completely different types of coco.

surfingrob what type of coco chips do you have?

 

[surfingrob]

I have coco chips that are about a 1/2 inch X 1/2 inch square. It came in compressed bales but im not sure on the brand. I have 5 bales worth of this stuff so it would be great if I could put it to some use. I pre-rinse my coco about 8 times before using it.

My perpetual cycle is setup to harvest every 2 weeks. However I haver to restart my cycle because I put everything on this coco gamble and it didnt work.

 

[Suby]

Yeah JK, nice find, I have the chunky stuff, even after a year in my orchid pots it's still in chunk form.

SR it takes awhile to dial coco in, you need a good coco designed fert like Canna in a run to waste or hand watering system, you have to water daily or so with coco until 10% runoff.
If you want to use the coco I can help you get your coco setup rocking, I've grown with it before and would be happy to help.

If not soil is the way to go and just cut your loses and skip the coco, the biggest mistake I made when growing was skipping from system to system without getting a real feel for it and dialing it in, soil is easy to dial in though and coco can be challenging when you start out.

You've had enough problems already, follow one of the key recipies in this forum and know your starting waters ph and your garden will be rocking in no time, a few bags of coco isn't worth messing up grows when your trying to dial a room in.



Suby