Organic Coco Possible?

[jolene]

That is very interesting - I know that tomatoes have a surface network of feeder roots and the deep roots are for mining water so it doesnt surprise me that weed does the same.
Fuggit - I'm going to try it as well - I have enough cuttings to run a good trial with a couple of controls. Nice one!

 

[MCMC]

I have NO complaints about my method. with graphic!

I have NO complaints about my method. with graphic!

Hi MCMC,
I read about your experiment/tech and i think it's worth a shot! How long have you grown in coir/perlite, with the FFOF top layer? it's a really good idea! as long as the drainage/water retention is consistent throughout the pots/grobags/whatever. have you noticed any specific advantages to this tek as opposed to using just straight coco/perlite and liquid nutes?? also i figure with this method you could do away with the need for Veg nutes, since the FFOF supplies that, and then all you would really have to worry about would be Bloom nutes and micros or other supplements.

I didn't use any FF during veg. I wish I would have. It would have cut out the difficulties of a liquid feeding regimen making it much less exact.I always take a while to get the veg nutes perfect. Then, when I get it right, it's time to bud!
You wouldn't have to feed much at all during veg. Maybe some Epson salt for mag or some other minor nutrients. Depends on the individual plant.
This is the first time I am trying this so I was worried about the drainage changing too much and slowing down growth to soil grown plant speed instead of hydro/coco quickness.
There wasn't much change at all!
I have plants in straight coco that need twice the fertilizer of the mixed pots without Much quicker growth. The straight coco plants look like hydro.
The organic fertilizers present in the soil have made a huge difference in the looks of the plants also. It didn't make them look soil grown, but definitely took away that hydro look. Organic buds look different, it's the leaves or something. I hope you know what I mean!
I don't think any more that 25% fresh dirt is needed for this method. I think Anymore would retain too much water and slow down growth. I have been using 1/4 strength food and have notices some signs like leathery green shiny leaves. My point is the FF is being eaten very efficiently. I was worried about having enough soil life to break down organics into processable food for my ladies. Seems to be working better than I hoped!

That is very interesting - I know that tomatoes have a surface network of feeder roots and the deep roots are for mining water so it doesnt surprise me that weed does the same.
Fuggit - I'm going to try it as well - I have enough cuttings to run a good trial with a couple of controls. Nice one!

There isn't many commercial Mary Jane farmers doing research like they do on Tomatoes. It's a shame!
I read about how "Most" plants that flower have the same type of root systems. Top/feeder roots to take the food from the forest floor while the thick "Tap" root gets the water from deep underground. It would make sense that almost all plants, that aren't relatively normal, are like this.
Here is a visual to better understand...

Questions, Comments?

 

[Ziggy420]

There isn't many commercial Mary Jane farmers doing research like they do on Tomatoes. It's a shame!

It's a shame MCMC, but in a way ain't that what we're doing here?

Trial, error and documentation is all research is anyway.

 

[gaiusmarius]

i love it, there are so many ways to use the coco, it's cool.

great discussion really interesting and thought provoking.

 

[MCMC]

Need to tell some advice

Need to tell some advice

I would use hardly any dirt at all if you are considering trying my technique with a fert sensitive plant! Almost every one of my ladies lover her food! They will take lots of high doses. Since I feed every day, I can accurately gauge how much they have drank. If the pot is still heavy, wait to see if something is wrong and correct it, asap! The sativa of my bunch was seriously burnt by my only 20% Fox Farm I added to her outer top layers. I didn't even think it would make a damn bit of difference!
I was also recently warned about using organics like Guano on coco. 1/4 strength almost killed a garden!
All I am saying is read up on it and be careful!
If I find any info I will let y'all know.
More research to be done!

 

[Ziggy420]

So I've had this plant for a couple of months and it just didn't want to grow! I have it in a mesh pot but not in my bubbler because there seemed to be a bad reaction.
I've had it sitting in a shallow bowl and been watering and ferting every other day - run to waste.
I didn't have a baby sitter for the Memorial Day weekend and at this point I really didn't care.
Friday morning I dumped some Terra Cycle Profusion, Fish Emulsion, Molasses/Super Thrive/Epsom Mix on it. I came home Wednesday night and the dang thang grew a whole 6 inches. The coco was not quite dry so now I'm thinking that every day or every other day watering may be too much. I'm gonna fert heavy and water every 5 days or until the pot gets on the light/dry side for now and see how it goes.

 

[MCMC]

The difference in strain can be night and day!

The difference in strain can be night and day!

So I've had this plant for a couple of months and it just didn't want to grow! I have it in a mesh pot but not in my bubbler because there seemed to be a bad reaction.
I've had it sitting in a shallow bowl and been watering and ferting every other day - run to waste.
I didn't have a baby sitter for the Memorial Day weekend and at this point I really didn't care.
Friday morning I dumped some Terra Cycle Profusion, Fish Emulsion, Molasses/Super Thrive/Epsom Mix on it. I came home Wednesday night and the damn thing grew a whole 6 inches. The coco was not quite dry so now I'm thinking that every day or every other day watering may be too much. I'm gonna fert heavy and water every 5 days or until the pot gets on the light/dry side for now and see how it goes.

I had something similar happen last grow.
I had 1 Runt that didn't do a damn thing. I fertilized weekly with no improved growth. She was small and shrubby. I put her to the side and forgot about her since she wasn't even half her sisters size.
After 3 days in coco that's supposed to be watered a few times a day. She popped up 2 inches! 2 inches in 3 days. I had been way over watering. I cut back on the water and the food and got a nice 14 gram bud off of her in the end. Nowhere close to the 30 grams I got from her sisiter, what I now call "Gump"
I guess some plants like it dry while some like to swim.
Keep her on the dry side and see how it goes. I think you actually get faster growth staying on the dry side and watering more often. It would be too hard for me to water more than 1 or 2 times a day by hand. Maybe I will hook up a feed system since I have all the stuff?

 

[Ziggy420]

Thanks for sharing MCMC.

After a week of staying on the dry side I started to see roots in the mesh pot so I dropped it in my bubbler which has been working for a month. It's apparently biologically active cus it foams up nicely every time I add molasses. 2 days in the bubbler now and it's got 1-2 inch roots poking through the mesh. I'm gonna let it eat whatever is in the bubbler while top feeding with my organics and just add water to the res from now on or until I see any problem. There is a deficiency of some sort which some dolomite may cure. I just want to be sure I'm not dumping the wrong thing on my baby. I'm gonna have to go to flower soon cus I need to be curing by week 2 in August or maybe I just sex it (still don't know, m/f?) and leave it with a sitter while I'm on vacation and take clones when I get back.

 

[MCMC]

you sound like a man with a plan

you sound like a man with a plan

You know what you need to do, get to it!