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Perlite cut vs. straight coco - a documented trial w/ clones
- Thread starter Mr. Bongjangles
- Start date
pedrodepaco
Member
I have found that adding part perlite, part chunky, and part fine coco helped air retention alot. Plants with just coco would stay wet for days. I like to let em not dry out but you know get a little light before i feed. With the mix above they get light every day. Also you can pour more water on young roots without drowning them.
Castelvetro
Member
im suprised most coco growers dont add something, anybody thats grown with it soon learns how much of a water log it can be if the temps arent warm, as well as the fact that in the center of the container minimal activity happens since just below your rootball is a wet piece of coco mush, im looking to go 50/50 coco in perlite in as big of containers as i can and maybe even about4 inches down to 8 inches scoop out the medium about the size of a 20oz of soda an put in 75 % perlite 25%coco, i dont think coco has shown us how big of a plant she can really grow in a small container as even though its part of her reputation to do so, were mostly not even getting what we can out of it as it needs to be cut to stop suffacating the roots in the middle of are pots.
I'm running about 50/50 coco perlite in smart pots, ebb flow with an occasional hand top watering as well to flush any salts down. So far the media seems almost impossible to over water, yet retains perfect amounts of moisture for rapid root growth and expansion.
if I take a handful of the media and squeeze it, it drips, but not massively so, yet it springs right back to its original volume, very open and airy, tons of room for roots and the root hairs to explore.
I find that two days between waterings is working out so far, going to increase to once a day easily once full size plants. I just transplanted a bunch of new clones into 2 gal coco/perlite smartpots and within one week have all kinds of root tips coming out, very vigorous rooting. Using tap+PBP with molasses only once a week in the top watering.
so far I'm REALLY liking the 50/50 coco/perlite, also I use the fine coir, not chips, however the 5 kilo bricks I get do have quite a bit more fibrous material than the smaller bricks. The fibers add to the volume and make for a nice lofty media mix.
if I take a handful of the media and squeeze it, it drips, but not massively so, yet it springs right back to its original volume, very open and airy, tons of room for roots and the root hairs to explore.
I find that two days between waterings is working out so far, going to increase to once a day easily once full size plants. I just transplanted a bunch of new clones into 2 gal coco/perlite smartpots and within one week have all kinds of root tips coming out, very vigorous rooting. Using tap+PBP with molasses only once a week in the top watering.
so far I'm REALLY liking the 50/50 coco/perlite, also I use the fine coir, not chips, however the 5 kilo bricks I get do have quite a bit more fibrous material than the smaller bricks. The fibers add to the volume and make for a nice lofty media mix.
You know, there may very well be something to adding silica rocks instead of perlite, for the added silica
All the best,
TG
Plus the CEC of silica is high. I believe I read it was 26, which would put in the same class as coco. Holds it weight in water while still retaining good porosity(air). I'm thinking a 2:2:1 coco/silica/perlite. And to really pimp it out, substitute Growstones for the perlite.
Know I won't doc. it as good as Mr. B. But if a small run looks good, I'll report back.
Thanks for your effort!
CB
I've been wondering how I should get my plants some more silica. I never even thought to add it directly to the medium for them. 
Can plants use that in the same way they would use a liquid silica feeding?
Edit: To add, I'm using a 2 parts coco to 1 part perlite mix this time thanks to this thread.
Can plants use that in the same way they would use a liquid silica feeding?
Edit: To add, I'm using a 2 parts coco to 1 part perlite mix this time thanks to this thread.
CannabisTHC
Member
Thanks for the thread, interesting results.
I've been wondering how I should get my plants some more silica. I never even thought to add it directly to the medium for them.
Can plants use that in the same way they would use a liquid silica feeding?
The way I understand it, there is plant available silica. The Growstones are made of glass -- again silica and they make the same claim that "Rok" people do -- available silica.
I'm not sure either. And we all know how tricky measuring the run-off PH of coco is anyway. Should have everything this week to put a batch together and at least see. I think I'll try to maintain a low to mid 6 PH range for the first go.
CB
just a little input on the silica issue. i've been growing in turface 8 yrs on and off. it has approx 6% silica. i've taken some new turface, washed it heavily with tap water and then ro water to try to get all fine particle out, and then put it in a jar of ro water. ro water 004. at 1 week 012. at 3 months 30 something ppm. the water did not pick up anything else so i think the silica is not released into solution very much. however, i do think that it acts as a contact prophylactic. the bad guys don't want to grow on silica.
Thank-you for sharing your test,
invaluable results for coco nuts.
Thanks for this!
I've always used the red mixed CocoTek bricks, even supplementing those with perlite. They drain FAST and require constant watering (at least once a day, but would likely benefit from more.) I'm going to be trying a non-mixed coco because of your results.
I know your mixed coco plant wasn't part of the trial, but here's what I think: It would make sense that the mixed cocotek brick doesn't perform as well because it's very airy, so the rootball is ultimately smaller in mass than it would have been in a denser coco mix. It's basically less coco per pot, but taking up the same volume. I try to avoid keeping the big woody coco croutons in the mix, when I'm prepping the mixed cocotek bricks. Also worth noting is that I actually compress the coco when transplanting, something you NEVER wanna do with soil.
on the other hand, adding a little perlite to a finer coco mix might provide some aeration, which is beneficial and resulted in the perlite subjects outperforming the non-perlite group. A balance between air vs root mass
but did you notice any difference in rate of growth between each group?
I noticed this too, as long as I kept the top from drying out. I add sand to the top of my coco pots to keep fungus gnats away, and I noticed I have roots right below the sand. The surface of the coco (again, below the sand) becomes dense.
I've always used the red mixed CocoTek bricks, even supplementing those with perlite. They drain FAST and require constant watering (at least once a day, but would likely benefit from more.) I'm going to be trying a non-mixed coco because of your results.
I know your mixed coco plant wasn't part of the trial, but here's what I think: It would make sense that the mixed cocotek brick doesn't perform as well because it's very airy, so the rootball is ultimately smaller in mass than it would have been in a denser coco mix. It's basically less coco per pot, but taking up the same volume. I try to avoid keeping the big woody coco croutons in the mix, when I'm prepping the mixed cocotek bricks. Also worth noting is that I actually compress the coco when transplanting, something you NEVER wanna do with soil.
on the other hand, adding a little perlite to a finer coco mix might provide some aeration, which is beneficial and resulted in the perlite subjects outperforming the non-perlite group. A balance between air vs root mass
but did you notice any difference in rate of growth between each group?
I noticed this too, as long as I kept the top from drying out. I add sand to the top of my coco pots to keep fungus gnats away, and I noticed I have roots right below the sand. The surface of the coco (again, below the sand) becomes dense.
I'm running 50/50 Botanicare CocoGro and #3 Perelite
in 5 1/2 Pots on a Flood & Drain 4x8 table. And am very happy with results. I flood 3 times a day for 10 minutes...
