Simply Can't Get Coco to Work!

[ChenBenTz]

I've been trying to use Coco/Perlite for a couple months now and it simply does not work.

The plants won't die, but they also don't grow. They simply stay in statis, zombies.

I've tried:

Watering every 3 days.
Watering every 2 days.
Watering every day.
Watering twice a day for 15 minutes.
Watering twice a day for 30 minutes (with run-off)

I use pH 5.8 water with the recommended amount of Dutch Pro nutes.

I don't get the run-off thing anyway. For run-off, the pot has to be basically full of water (not quite, but close - a regular 'soil' watering). Now, coco/perlite definitely drains and dries quicker than soil, but not THAT quick. Not quick enough to be watered every day, let alone twice a day without over-watering.

Everyone seems to think that coco/perlite is some magical medium that water just goes through like hydroton, but in reality, it's closer to soil.


Honestly, I could tell this was never going to work from the start.

If there was ZERO growth while watering every single day, it was just not possible.

I am going back to soil ASAP but until then I have a batch of plants I am counting on and I need to at least get something out of them.

Is there anything I can do to take them from their cactus-like existence?

 

[noyd666]

seems we got it wrong.

 

[maimunji]

Make some pics.

 

[Baron Greenback]

Coco is a fantastic medium, but can cause a few problems if you're not used to it. Ph can range from 5.8-6.1 or so and depending on the size of the plant, your ec may go from around 1 to 1.6 or so.
Problems that I have (in any medium, not just coco) are usually either roots or ph. How developed are your roots? Without a strong root system, growth will be minimal/non existent.
I have run off but it's a recycling system so there is no waste.
If roots are a problem, start foliar feeding a very dilute root booster (Canna do one, as do House and Garden and Biobizz). This can be done every time you see them, my solution is around 25% strength.
Pictures are essential really, anything else anyone can tell you without is just guess work.
You could also perhaps try a foliar feed with Epsom salts in case of the by now traditional calcium/magnesium deficiency.
Good luck.

 

[ChenBenTz]

COCO GOOD no run off.

What could have possibly made you think that this would be helpful?

My plants are dying and with them my future and this is your response?

Also, it seems like you're using JUST coco, not Coco/Perlite.

 

[superx]

What size pots did you start your seeds / ladies in?

And what size pots are your ladies currently in?

 

[ChenBenTz]

What size pots did you start your seeds / ladies in?

And what size pots are your ladies currently in?

I actually started in soil and on the advice of a friend (which I should NEVER have taken), I chose to repot them in coco for their final pot size.

18L pots. Some plastic, some fabric.

 

[superx]

Have the roots filled out your final pots yet,

What size pots did you repot from in to your finals...

Do your girls look happy "lush green"

A picture tells a thousand words

 

[ChenBenTz]

Have the roots filled out your final pots yet,

What size pots did you repot from in to your finals...

Do your girls look happy "lush green"

A picture tells a thousand words

These plants are like 3 months old. The roots are totally full.

Went from 8L to 18L.

Yes, they look good. If you saw them you'd think "Those are some decent 5-week old plants.

 

[superx]

Have the roots filled out your final pots yet,

What size pots did you repot from in to your finals...

Do your girls look happy "lush green"

A picture tells a thousand words

They could be stunted, if the transition was from small pots in to 18lt pots, then they would need time to root the pots out....

 

[ChenBenTz]

They could be stunted, if the transition was from small pots in to 18lt pots, then they would need time to root the pots out....

That was two months ago. They've grown since then, just very-very slowly.

There was one time when I first started drip-watering them that after two days of watering, they started to pick up.

But then nothing, again..

 

[Ganja baba]

What brand coco do you have is it from a hydro shop or garden supply shop , is it buffered , most coco holds a lot of air even though it feels saturated , most people don't feed enough either low ec is commen in poor coco grows , you should plant cutting out at around 1.4 ec then move to 1.8 towards peek flower ,
If you have a quality coco bread and nutrients then all you need to do is ph 6 and all ways feed with nutes not water on its own , if you flush them out them back on nutes , if your temps and every thing else is fine then human error is Normaly the issue , of course don't over water at the start of planting out just like in soil ,

If all of the said above is perfect then I'm
Going to say you have fusarium or Pythian broad mites or God know what , but it's Normaly human error if all peramitors are maintained, coco how ever had trichoderma in it and normally helps plants that have fusarium , good luck

 

[Granger2]

How much do you water/feed? Frequency? Runoff? What determines your decision to water? How much N? Again can't you post pics? -granger

 

[maimunji]

What size is your plants? I think your biggest issues is 18 L pots. Are you growing trees? If not growing trees there is no need that bigger size pots with coco.

 

[dansbuds]

I've been trying to use Coco/Perlite for a couple months now and it simply does not work.

The plants won't die, but they also don't grow. They simply stay in statis, zombies.

I've tried:

Watering every 3 days.
Watering every 2 days.
Watering every day.
Watering twice a day for 15 minutes.
Watering twice a day for 30 minutes (with run-off)

I use pH 5.8 water with the recommended amount of Dutch Pro nutes.

I don't get the run-off thing anyway. For run-off, the pot has to be basically full of water (not quite, but close - a regular 'soil' watering). Now, coco/perlite definitely drains and dries quicker than soil, but not THAT quick. Not quick enough to be watered every day, let alone twice a day without over-watering.

Everyone seems to think that coco/perlite is some magical medium that water just goes through like hydroton, but in reality, it's closer to soil.


Honestly, I could tell this was never going to work from the start.

If there was ZERO growth while watering every single day, it was just not possible.

I am going back to soil ASAP but until then I have a batch of plants I am counting on and I need to at least get something out of them.

Is there anything I can do to take them from their cactus-like existence?

yeah , let it dry out so the roots can grow . you've saturated the coco so much i'm surprised they're still alive .

coco can only be fed daily or multiple times once the roots are established in the pot . untill then you treat it pretty much like soil . it needs the dry cycle for roots to grow out looking for nurishment .

5.9 PH is the sweet spot where all nutrients are available to the plant , but a drift of 5.5 to 6.2 is better so they uptake the nutrients at their desired levels .

there is ALOT to learn about coco before you jump in & use it like you did . i suggest you do some reading before you try it again . theres a cation balance that needs to be considered , its a salty medium , so there NEEDS to be runoff or toxic levels of salts can build up & kill your plants .

Do some reading here my friend before you come in slamming a medium that does very very well IF used correctly !!!


EDIT : oh , & 1 last thing i forgot to mention ...... perilite in coco is a complete waste of time & money !

 

[Grassachusetts7]

Yeah what Dan said u can't drown them at first. You also crossed 2 mediums which isn't great for feedings. Let that shit dry out a good 75-80% (never dry) Then watch the magic happen.

Peace

 

[fishinnutt]

I can assure you that coco is as magical as it gets. I think you may have gone to too big a pot and kept it too wet at first. Coco can grow some big plants in only 1 gallon or so of coco. Once the roots consolidate whatever size container you can water the plants 5 times a day if you want, for sure don't let the stuff get as dry as you might let normal soil. The ph is critical as well as run off and once in a great while you get some crappy coco which is why I love my Cyco Platinum coco.

 

[noyd666]

I actually started in soil and on the advice of a friend (which I should NEVER have taken), I chose to repot them in coco for their final pot size.

18L pots. Some plastic, some fabric.

have repotted two foot plants grown in coco then the roots washed clean of coco then replanted in ground which grew into big trees but dirt to coco might be no go ? I would say to much watering . coco is very easy, I stopped using perlite when I stopped growing in hempys.

 

[mowood3479]

Ya, what dansbuds said...
My hypothesis is that u watered to heavily before the roots had a chance to fill the pot..
I use 2-3 gallon pots for 6-8 ounce plants..
The first 3 weeks in the 3 gallon I hand water when once they've out most of the way.. Could be every 3-4 days initially... Once they start needing water daily I put them in flower and set up a drain to waste drip system where they are watered 3-5x daily.
Coco (like anything else) is bad ass if u do it right.... Good luck

 

[ChenBenTz]

I really don't understand what you guys are talking about.

What gave you the impression that I over water?

1.) I underwater like crazy. Just keep them dry for days. I wrote about how they won't die even when bone dry in my OP.

2.) Everything I've read has told me that you can't overwater Coco/Perlite because it doesn't retain water and even when wet it still holds a certain amount of air.

At the same time you're saying I should water with 20% run-off..

So, I should water until the entire pot is drenched, which is far more than I have so far, but not over-water.. Right.

I also have no idea what you guys are on about my roots. They filled the 18L pot months ago.