The Coco-Coir Experiment Thread

[bonecarver_OG]

why just not use bigger containers?

the roots never grow out of my 3 gallon pots and upwards. and coco is not that expensive

if i see roots in the bottom area of the pot getting close to the holes - i usually transplant. but that does mean - bigger plants and less pots etc.

IF the mat is easy to clean etc - it should be a very good option for many. i can see the use of it. - BUT i have used a much cheaper method for rooted clones before - i just put the smal pots on a bed of coco about 4 inches deep. i make sure to not leave them too long though - since the roots easilly get tangled

just get a bag of coco - a lady stocking (ur gf's or any other very fine mesh)

cover the drain holes with the mesh

put a good layer of coco all over ur TRAY. put pots on top of it.

thisway it gets much cheaper and u can flush it out or change it when ya want - coco is cheap - no need to get fancy mats. i asure u the coco in it self works well.

peace

edit - (i also tried vermiculite layer in the bottom - also works well. maybe a bit too humid for my liking though)

 

[Guest]

why just not use bigger containers?

Very simple.. I don't have the luxury of long veg times. Small pots, more plants per table, less veg time. The layer of coco underneath is a great idea, it just seems like a little more of a hassle for my liking =]

Neptune, like you can't fork over a $100

 

[bonecarver_OG]

Fair enough

 

[clowntown]

I'm having an extremely difficult time trying to understand the difference between... say, 1 cu. ft. of roots inside of a larger container, and 0.75 cu. ft. of roots inside a smaller container with 0.25 cu. ft. of roots on the outside.

I mean, roots are roots right? And the point of having a mat is to give them more medium to grow into right? So why not put that more medium inside of the container instead... and use less expensive medium while you're at it?

Am I confused?

 

[-VT-]

This thread is really picking up steam! Thanks for all the replies and the dialogue everyone

Plant #1 - Water when the plant becomes borderline bone dry if not completely dry. This leads to another question/experiment.. less watering and more food, or less watering and less food? Which will provide the better plant?

Plant #2 - Water 3-4 times a day, same time every day... whether hand watering or dripping, I think the amount of runoff should be equal between the two..

Someone else should be able to chime in, im a little braindead right now

That's one experiment. Then there is the rootzone size....as I believe the two are related....and pose a couple questions...one being:

Can a smaller root mass (rootzone) yield equally well or better than a larger rootzone? I believe root zones treated hydroponically do not need as much rootzone for fat yields and rapid growth.

I'd love to see a "rootzone size" side by side....I might be able to pull it off...but not sure when I can have four clones of two strains rooted for it....could be as soon as tommorow though....never know

Glad to have you along Bubble~licious :smile: Feel free to share your personal experience...it's a good way to turn a negative into a positive...so...you're experience is as valuable as anyone esle's...don't hold back my coco sista'

High! Super Thread!

I’d love to offer the results from my experiments, but unfortunately at this time they only involve vs. even more, and I’d like to keep positive vibes in your thread. I’d sure love to watch though, I love experiments and I love learning about growing in coco.

are you really gonna just sit there...and watch?


I'll look forward to seeing folks experimenting with the coco mats and seeing some comparisons, results etc..
....I agree with clowntown and bones on this one...

When I get my tables setup I'll post a pic of what I do with coco mats in 2 4'x4' ebb n' flo tables with net pots on top of the mats. Can you guess?

I hope you keep your word and do that bro...I'd love to see that. Hopefully someone (someday) may show some results with some alternatives to the mats...if one can achive the same with less expensive alternatives...it's worth exploring IMO...

It's not about suppressing or discrediting certain practices and ideas etc...just about options....having more viable options (options that produce desirable results) is a good thing...I hope we can provide said options through collective efforts, and experiences of folks who contribute in this thread....

(I could keep typing all night and continue not to make any sense lol...I am high right now lol.....Sativas take me there )

Thanks everyone!

 

[clowntown]

Anyone have experience rooting in coco? I tried it once and it appeared to work wonderfully, but I didn't time it or compare it or anything... just set it and forget it, came back a random number of days later to healthy white roots.

I've been looking for an alternative to Rapid Rooter's, and have been practicing with rockwool a little more and thinking of other mediums. (Not interested in aerocloning at the moment.) Coco is even cheaper than the 98-pc count rockwool sheets for $3. And at least my Canna Coco is fine grained and absorptive enough to hold enough water long enough to have given me roots, yet held enough air that I could water it as much as I wanted and still have it automatically drain to an airy enough state... whereas Rapid Rooter's in my opinion require a light little squeeze every time, and don't necessarily stay wet enough, long enough, 'til roots come out (avg 10-14 days for me; as little as 6-7; as long as 21 days).

 

[NPK]

Yep clowntown, coco is an effective rooting medium. I've used it that way with good success. In addition to its good aeration, it also contains a hormone that encourages roots. I'll probably give the stuff another go when I've used up my rockwool cubes.

I found a gardening center (American Soil Products in El Cerrito, if you're interested) that sells coco in all sizes, from 1/8-1/4 inch pieces to larger one-inch chunks. The bales expand to 4.5 cubic feet of medium, and for a mere $12 or so, that can't be beat! It does need to be rinsed, though.

Anyway, I've been experimenting with mixing these various sizes with fine-grade coir, trying to find the perfect mix. Not side-by-sides with the same clones, but fun and interesting just the same.

 

[bonecarver_OG]

It's not about suppressing or discrediting certain practices and ideas etc...just about options....having more viable options (options that produce desirable results) is a good thing...I hope we can provide said options through collective efforts, and experiences of folks who contribute in this thread....

very well put

 

[bonecarver_OG]

Anyone have experience rooting in coco? I tried it once and it appeared to work wonderfully, but I didn't time it or compare it or anything... just set it and forget it, came back a random number of days later to healthy white roots.

I've been looking for an alternative to Rapid Rooter's, and have been practicing with rockwool a little more and thinking of other mediums. (Not interested in aerocloning at the moment.) Coco is even cheaper than the 98-pc count rockwool sheets for $3. And at least my Canna Coco is fine grained and absorptive enough to hold enough water long enough to have given me roots, yet held enough air that I could water it as much as I wanted and still have it automatically drain to an airy enough state... whereas Rapid Rooter's in my opinion require a light little squeeze every time, and don't necessarily stay wet enough, long enough, 'til roots come out (avg 10-14 days for me; as little as 6-7; as long as 21 days).

glad u brought that up it is an interesting topic also

i used to use only coco (tried coco only, coco with perlite, coco with vermiculite) in small plastic drink glasses (BIG holes cut in bottom) for rooting - for a long time untill i even found out they had the rockwool plugs in the grow shop. i started with the rockwool plugs last year.

i have to admit - as long as humidity levels of air and temps etc is kept at an ideal, it does little difference maybe it is a bit more messy with the coco - and also the cylinders are more expensive.

the biggest benefit (IMHO) is the size of the rockwool plugs. using the trays they come in (cut to size for my containers) - i can fit many more clones than before. thus - as i see it its more economical - since the same light goes further.

for making only a few clones - it doesnt really matter - BUT if u have to do 100's quick - i think the plugs do save time and they make up for the price.

right now i got 4 small clones of my sleepy cascadia pheno rooting in coco and also in rockwool plugs. clones were made the same day, i can update with news about wich rooted first.

all my clones get misted with rhizotonic. i dont use any hormones etc like clonex etc - since i find the sticky liqiuds to make it more difficult for the cut to get the water it needs.

i dont cut the leafs etc.

just my 2 cent


edit - forgot to write i used to have less success rate with the coco cloning experiments mixing the coco with other stuff. with the rockwool its pretty much 100% when the temps allow it. mid summer here its not possible - and mid winter it takes longer time.

 

[bonecarver_OG]

some thoughts on PK 13-14

some thoughts on PK 13-14

thoughts on PK 13-14:

a lot of tap-water has lime, the P binds with the lime and makes an insoluble compund = plaster. basicly a non-soluble form of lime-stone(Cal), once the reaction is over.

most of the time during flowering the Phosphoric ACID is used to lower PH - BUT at the very moment u start with PK - do first a small flush - then make NEW NUTE MIX with NITRIC ACID. also lowering the ec of the water of the nute mix should help (ad distilled water) to get down the levels of Calcium/lime/Cal - and that way minimize the chemical binding of the P to the Cal.

RO-water should be lime free too.

how do u guys use ur PK?

i find full dose will burn most plants under most circumstances.. but going low on the dosage, i find its great

i have tried slowly increasing the PK from 2-3week of flowering untill the 5th week - with hesi PK13-14. it works ok but gives incredible salt build-up

im considering swapping completelly (almost) to use bio-boost untill 5th week and then a lower dose of PK. for a change i thought of giving 75% dose,, lets see if this way they like it more

 

[Bubble~licious]

When I started my grow, I started something like 12 seeds in rapid rooters and 12 seeds in coco plugs.
11 of the 12 in coco sprouted 1st before any of the rapid rooters. I think maybe I had a bad batch of rapid rooters because not many of them took and after about a week I threw most of them away. What I can say about the coco plugs is they were a bit messy, they are too small for plastic cups (assuming 1 plug per cup) so I put them in one of them seedling trays which worked out nicely until time to transplant.
I picked up some coco cups with the intention of starting all my future cutting and/or seeds in them adding straight coco, my cuttings for clones were started in loose coco and never have cloned before, 18 of 22 ended up rooting.

 

[bonecarver_OG]

nice!

it seems worth using the coco plugs - i just got to wait and see if the shop gets em

coco is excellent for clones 18 of 22 is a great result - i bet next time u get 100%

 

[OsWiZzLe]

My clones in Rapid Rooters exploded when they got their feet wet in COCO

 

[clowntown]

Perhaps the seeds in the Rapid Rooter's weren't making as good of a contact with the water? The hole is rather large, in relation to a cannabis seed.

When I cloned with coco (Canna Coco), I filled in the tray insert cells with coco, used gel and a dome. Tried with perlite, but that seemed to drain too fast and I ended up having to re-moisturize the cell before the cut was done rooting. Here are some pics:

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the info, clowntown. Started my seedlings in coco and cut down solo cups. Providing my mom will reveg, this info has kinda helped me to decide to clone directly in coco.

Peace

 

[clowntown]

Oops, left out a detail or two.

The solution that I soak my coco in is 0.5mL Coco A, 0.5mL Coco B, and 4mL Rhizotonic per liter. I'm unsure whether the A+B is beneficial or counterproductive (or neutral), but I do recall that with rockwool it is good to soak with very light bloom nutes (which contains P) to help with root growth. I doubt it'll make much difference in the amount of time it'll take for the cut to initially form roots, but instead in the amount of time to build a certain amount of root mass. What I do with Rapid Rooter's, when I germinate seeds (I've been using rockwool lately) is pinch some tiny, tiny little pieces off the RR, drop the seed in, and cover the top with this. It's probably completely unnecessary, though.

What else... so I bought three of these 4" round coco baskets / pots to test out and see what they're all about. They're pretty expensive, I think it was $0.38 a piece compared to the $0.05 a piece I pay for 4" plastic square pots that are reusable. Not exactly an experiment, but I kinda wanna see what these are all about.

 

[Bubble~licious]

 

[stevr59]

hey vt you seen my work on growing trees in a coffee can need i say more

 

[cough_cough_eer]

.great thread VT

.great thread VT

I'm fairly new to coco, but I would like to see the difference in using old coco and new coco.. Right nowI'm on my 5th grow with the coco70%perlite/30 %(large FF) I've read that it reusable up to 3-4 times, but at this point I see no reason to get new. I'll do a side by side when I get some new...

 

[bonecarver_OG]

right now im flowering my reveg moms in the same pots they once were put into for flowering in february. it means same pot and coco (12 liters) for realy 3 separate growth periods. there is no difference inbetween them and the ones in fresh coco.

as long as the coco is regularly flushed there is no problem as far as i can see.

gaius swears by it

the ONLY "NO-NO" as far as i have experienced is to take in coco from a greenhouse to an indoor.. hehe bugs o rama! but it went fairly well in the end

peace all