Spong Ease

[Vasdef]

I bought this growing medium called Spong Ease. Its coconut fiber in a brick. You soak it and it expands.
Can I use this as a medium? If so, can it be improved by mixing it with another product?

Thanks.

 

[Bill284]

I bought this growing medium called Spong Ease. Its coconut fiber in a brick. You soak it and it expands.
Can I use this as a medium? If so, can it be improved by mixing it with another product?

Thanks.

Welcome to 420magazine my friend.
That is most likely unbuffered coco.
You will have to rinse it and add perlite. I also add mycorrhizae, Bokashi, and insect frass. I'll see if I can get someone to drop an article on washing coco.
@NuttyProfessor do you have a article you could give this gentleman?
Bill

 

[NuttyProfessor]

the best thing to do is read the label , see if its well washed in low ec and nutrient buffered , the nutrient buffer is soaking the coco in cal-mag to wash out some of the excess potassium , if its not nutrient buffered the coco will draw out the cal-mag causing defs in your plants and it becomes a nightmare , there is a few videos online how to do this , its no rocket science so do not fear

or organic you can add worm cast , compost , and some dry amendments , i still like to have the coco buffered though using synthetic or organic and perlite as Bill has said

 

[NuttyProfessor]

remind me to delete the video before 420 mins lol

 

[Bill284]

remind me to delete the video before 420 mins lol

Thanks mucker your a wealth of useful knowledge.
Bill

 

[SmokingWings]

I bought this growing medium called Spong Ease. Its coconut fiber in a brick. You soak it and it expands.
Can I use this as a medium? If so, can it be improved by mixing it with another product?

Thanks.

Looking on-line I found the web site for the company and photos of the packages. The company says to mix the stuff, after getting it properly wet, with compost or to add fertilizer with it.

Then I found a photo of the back of one of the packages or maybe a photo of a promotional brochure of SpongEase which says that they have rinsed all salts off the coco coir several times. Might not need to do anything but another rinse or two should not hurt.

If you want you could use the coco all by itself as the growing media but that leads you down the road to growing hydroponically. If you mix it into quality compost, probably 3 parts compost to one part coco you are headed down the road to a regular soil growing experience.

 

[Vasdef]

Looking on-line I found the web site for the company and photos of the packages. The company says to mix the stuff, after getting it properly wet, with compost or to add fertilizer with it.

Then I found a photo of the back of one of the packages or maybe a photo of a promotional brochure of SpongEase which says that they have rinsed all salts off the coco coir several times. Might not need to do anything but another rinse or two should not hurt.

If you want you could use the coco all by itself as the growing media but that leads you down the road to growing hydroponically. If you mix it into quality compost, probably 3 parts compost to one part coco you are headed down the road to a regular soil growing experience.

Thanks for your response. Yeah, im doing hydro. Going to mix Perlite with it.

 

[Vasdef]

the best thing to do is read the label , see if its well washed in low ec and nutrient buffered , the nutrient buffer is soaking the coco in cal-mag to wash out some of the excess potassium , if its not nutrient buffered the coco will draw out the cal-mag causing defs in your plants and it becomes a nightmare , there is a few videos online how to do this , its no rocket science so do not fear

or organic you can add worm cast , compost , and some dry amendments , i still like to have the coco buffered though using synthetic or organic and perlite as Bill has said

So, I should rinse it with water, then add calmag, wring it out? Thanks.