Ase's Perpetual Fun With Coco

[Van Stank]

I am not saying that its not important....but when you are growing in organic soil and not adding anything, you need a big enough pot that it holds enough soil to get you successfully through that grow and depending on how long you plan on vegging, a 3 gallon pot won't cut it. Growing in coco, you won't ever have to worry about not having sufficient nutes to make it through.....you just might have a smaller plant.

Anytime you are in a bigger pot, your have potential for a bigger plant and as it relates to yield, a better yield.

 

[Asesino85]

Yeah pot sizes aren't as important on coco grows. I dont blame you for wanting to keep them in 3 gallon pots in coco. How often are you watering? More than once a day?

Twice a day in flower and once a day in veg. Try to get to them at about 2pm and 9pm for feeds but often times its just "around" those times. There were days where I would feed the Cherry Bomb Auto 3 times a day but that plant was massive and those were on really hot days.

I would argue that plants in a 7 gallon would end up very much bigger than plants in a 3 gallon pot. Pot sized matters because root size matters

Much less important in coco. Especially when you are doing more than one feeding a day. Coco is more like hydro in that regard than soil. At some point the potential does get limited but I feel like that is when veg times are really long. I am trying to keep my veg times at 6 weeks or less.

 

[Seaweed Farmz]

Twice a day in flower and once a day in veg. Try to get to them at about 2pm and 9pm for feeds but often times its just "around" those times. There were days where I would feed the Cherry Bomb Auto 3 times a day but that plant was massive and those were on really hot days.



Much less important in coco. Especially when you are doing more than one feeding a day. Coco is more like hydro in that regard than soil. At some point the potential does get limited but I feel like that is when veg times are really long. I am trying to keep my veg times at 6 weeks or less.

If you say so .

 

[Van Stank]

Twice a day in flower and once a day in veg. Try to get to them at about 2pm and 9pm for feeds but often times its just "around" those times. There were days where I would feed the Cherry Bomb Auto 3 times a day but that plant was massive and those were on really hot days.



Much less important in coco. Especially when you are doing more than one feeding a day. Coco is more like hydro in that regard than soil. At some point the potential does get limited but I feel like that is when veg times are really long. I am trying to keep my veg times at 6 weeks or less.

Sheesh, thats a lot of work LOL. That would be reason enough for me to avoid coco. I love the ability to water, and depending on the pot size, leave it be for 5 or 6 days and not do anything if I don't want to. Guess thats the main reason I love growing in soil. I lose a bit of yield potential, but worth it to me (once you get your soil dialed in)

 

[Asesino85]

Sheesh, thats a lot of work LOL. That would be reason enough for me to avoid coco. I love the ability to water, and depending on the pot size, leave it be for 5 or 6 days and not do anything if I don't want to. Guess thats the main reason I love growing in soil. I lose a bit of yield potential, but worth it to me (once you get your soil dialed in)

Yup! Although I just keep my feed in buckets and dip a pitcher in the buckets. Not too much time. However I keep saying I'm going to build an automated drip system. Maybe when it gets to be too much but for me it's fine for now.

I've wanted to do my own soil and might next year but I enjoy how fast these things grow and the numbers I pull off them in coco.

 

[Van Stank]

Yup! Although I just keep my feed in buckets and dip a pitcher in the buckets. Not too much time. However I keep saying I'm going to build an automated drip system. Maybe when it gets to be too much but for me it's fine for now.

I've wanted to do my own soil and might next year but I enjoy how fast these things grow and the numbers I pull off them in coco.

Yeah my brother grows in Hydro and Aeroponics and pulls in some monsters. But after smoking stuff grown in organic soil I can't stand smoking his stuff. Too harsh for me. I know I sacrifice harvest size but I am ok with that. Its a sacrifice I am happy to make!

 

[DobeWan]

I was surprised at how much of a pain a 5 gallon smart pot is relative to a 3 gallon. 3 gallon definitely seems to be the sweet spot in my setup as well, for how long I veg and how much space I allocate.

I did an inch or so of perlite in the bottom of the pots for the same reason as you with the hydroton, and I've had a similar feeling that it's helping me ensure the pots are draining well.

I have a pretty similar drainage solution to you on the way Ase - I ordered 4 adjustable 14"x15"x14" wire stands. I figure they'll easily fit the 3 gallon smart pot with its 10" diameter and then I can put a tray under each to catch runoff, and adjust the height of each individually as well, which is important as I've been managing flip to flower times individually, so plants will come out and new plants will go in one at a time. If I like the stands I'll get them for the veg tent as well.

Have you always watered twice daily in flower Ase? I'm putting about 2.25L of water through daily at this point in the 3 gallon pots and they're pretty light at feeding time. Automating that is the next logical thing for me to address as well.

 

[Asesino85]

I was surprised at how much of a pain a 5 gallon smart pot is relative to a 3 gallon. 3 gallon definitely seems to be the sweet spot in my setup as well, for how long I veg and how much space I allocate.

I did an inch or so of perlite in the bottom of the pots for the same reason as you with the hydroton, and I've had a similar feeling that it's helping me ensure the pots are draining well.

I have a pretty similar drainage solution to you on the way Ase - I ordered 4 adjustable 14"x15"x14" wire stands. I figure they'll easily fit the 3 gallon smart pot with its 10" diameter and then I can put a tray under each to catch runoff, and adjust the height of each individually as well, which is important as I've been managing flip to flower times individually, so plants will come out and new plants will go in one at a time. If I like the stands I'll get them for the veg tent as well.

Have you always watered twice daily in flower Ase? I'm putting about 2.25L of water through daily at this point in the 3 gallon pots and they're pretty light at feeding time. Automating that is the next logical thing for me to address as well.

Nice! I really dig my setup. Coco is already a lot of work and anything that makes life easier and more stable is worth it in my books. The wire racks really help with that. I am trying to stick with flipping 4 plants every 10 weeks. That way I can make up large buckets of feed and use it for a few days and just checking the PH of it every day to make sure it doesn't jump around. Basically that is what you would do with an auto feed system so I should really just build one for each tent, but I do like hand feeding them. Something therapeutic about it for me.

The nice part about using hydroton vs perlite is the hydroton is so much easier to sift out and re-use. I'm done with perlite altogether. Just slowly started becoming a pain to me in coco. Your concept is right though and Hydroton is more just an ease of use product for me but everything that makes life easier all adds up!

My first attempt in coco I used the Lucas Formula without a P-K boost and got the same red stems you did. Thinking it was other problems I tried to adjust it the adjusments never really did anything and I didn't have a booster, just the 3 base nutes and cal-mag. I also didn't have a ppm meter, just a PH one. Then I watched a couple series on N-P-K on Youtube and read a bunch of articles and forums and unloaded some money on additives and enhancements. I was in week 3 or 4 of flower with my next girls and when I used my new additives the red started going away and my bud smelt way better and my bud was bigger. However, I knew I had already missed the window of when I needed to start using them in week 3. The following grow is when I really did well and was able to use everything to the full effect. Best yields and quality yet. It was nice to see both things go up together.

I have not always watered twice in flower. I noticed if they got too dry in flower then my pots got salt around them and the plants started to get nute burn. Seemed crazy as I wasn't giving them that much in nutes but if the coco gets dry in flower then salts are left behind and just the water absorbed and that will create just salts in the coco and really high PPMs. That's why I got nute burn. I started watering twice in flower starting at about week 3 and going until the end. I feed (in volume) with about what you do for my first feeding and then about 3/4 that for my second one in the day. If you ever wonder then do a large feeding through the plant and collect some runoff. If the ppm is higher than going in and the PH is lower your plants are probably getting too dry. If it is the same or close then you are on the money!

 

[DobeWan]

Nice! I really dig my setup. Coco is already a lot of work and anything that makes life easier and more stable is worth it in my books. The wire racks really help with that. I am trying to stick with flipping 4 plants every 10 weeks. That way I can make up large buckets of feed and use it for a few days and just checking the PH of it every day to make sure it doesn't jump around. Basically that is what you would do with an auto feed system so I should really just build one for each tent, but I do like hand feeding them. Something therapeutic about it for me.

I like the hand feeding too - the time I spend with the plants is never stressful. I just need a way to spend less of it when I choose to! I like the way you have things set up too, and in fact I was looking at a 4x4 flood table to see what I could put together. I'll go with what I have (and have coming) for now but a flood table with everything draining without my intervention would be ideal and a likely evolution.

The nice part about using hydroton vs perlite is the hydroton is so much easier to sift out and re-use. I'm done with perlite altogether. Just slowly started becoming a pain to me in coco. Your concept is right though and Hydroton is more just an ease of use product for me but everything that makes life easier all adds up!

I can see how it's a pain. I'm constantly dealing with perlite mess since I started to use it to line the tops and bottoms of pots. I put my round 3 plants into coco with only a bottom layer of perlite and none mixed through for that reason.

My first attempt in coco I used the Lucas Formula without a P-K boost and got the same red stems you did. Thinking it was other problems I tried to adjust it the adjusments never really did anything and I didn't have a booster, just the 3 base nutes and cal-mag. I also didn't have a ppm meter, just a PH one. Then I watched a couple series on N-P-K on Youtube and read a bunch of articles and forums and unloaded some money on additives and enhancements. I was in week 3 or 4 of flower with my next girls and when I used my new additives the red started going away and my bud smelt way better and my bud was bigger. However, I knew I had already missed the window of when I needed to start using them in week 3. The following grow is when I really did well and was able to use everything to the full effect. Best yields and quality yet. It was nice to see both things go up together.

I'll keep an eye on it with the PK boost now happening and see where they go. I still haven't gone back to reread your list. I did have a look at the Floralicious Plus in the hydro shop - the guy there recommended it as well. Figured I'd do some more reading before pulling the trigger, and I'm still thinking I want to tinker as little as possible with the formula on this grow until I've found my stride. I'm getting there.

I have not always watered twice in flower.I noticed if they got too dry in flower then my pots got salt around them and the plants started to get nute burn. Seemed crazy as I wasn't giving them that much in nutes but if the coco gets dry in flower then salts are left behind and just the water absorbed and that will create just salts in the coco and really high PPMs. That's why I got nute burn. I started watering twice in flower starting at about week 3 and going until the end. I feed with about what you do for my first feeding and then about 3/4 that for my second one in the day. If you ever wonder then do a large feeding through the plant and collect some runoff. If the ppm is higher than going in and the PH is lower your plants are probably getting too dry.

I'm going to give it a try and see. I'm pretty sure this happened in round 1, and it wouldn't surprise me if it's happening to some extent in round 2. Having to water twice a day would be tough now but easier when my shelves come.

 

[Asesino85]

Day 64 Flower - Day 3 Flower

My main 3 girls are about ready to be pulled. I was aiming for next weekend when I have more time but I may just chop them down one at a time throughout the week. The leaves are all starting to lighten up just a bit. I will check the trichs at some point again but I think I am able to read the plant pretty well to know when it looks ready. I'm trying to test myself by not checking the trichs everyday and see if I am right. At this point they look like they are getting a little plumper to the eye but the pictures will probably all look the same until I chop them.

White Castle on the left. Jack Herer on the right and Amnesiac in the back. I tried to just let my White Castle grow out without doing anything to it when it started falling behind and it will be a lot of small buds. Not a fan of that and usually I don't let it just grow like that. Much more focus on lollipopping with the girls in transition.

The other tent is on day 3 of flower. Won't see too much growth for a couple more days. They are still in transition. They did look pretty perky and happy today. Seeing a lot of bright green on the Lost Coast OG but it's still small. I hope it can get a decent stretch with at least some good colas. Right now this one is being finicky. I can't way to try another as I have seen great results. I'll likely head to TheBlaze's old journal and see where mine started to fall behind and think of if I did anything at that point to cause it. That POTM winner was a beauty.

Still feeding balanced nutes. I am going to put together a pretty detailed post on my feeding and the explanations behind it. I think there are a few people that are beginning to dive into N-P-K and understanding nutrients and additives rather then just following a manufacturer's schedule. It's one thing to grow in coco but it's another thing to fully understanding the medium and what you are doing. Unlike in soil, you are 100% in control and if you make a mistake, understanding what you are doing and how to fix it is huge. One problem can compound another problem and leave you completely confused and your plants a mess. Going too basic will give you weed, but limited weed. Anyways, looking forward to putting that together sometime soon.

Here are the girls in transition. The Purple Envy in the back left isn't the tallest but so even and I she keeps catching my eye over the others. Both the Cali OG (front right) and the Purple Kush (back right) from Crop King Seeds are the thickest and tallest. It has me hesitant because my Tangerine Dream was this size and hermied. Of course that is in the back of my head. Maybe these are just better quality seeds than I am used to. Hoping no problems with this batch.

 

[Pennywise]

Very interested in the purple Envy, i may do some soon.

 

[Lady G2HM]

Great update Ase! I am learning slowly but surely.

I sure envy the purple PW.

 

[Pennywise]

Loves me some purple lol

 

[Asesino85]

Very interested in the purple Envy, i may do some soon.

From above. My goodness she is so even. All of those colas are about the same height and spread out very proportionately. It's pretty cool to see. TheBlaze's ended up really even as well. Maybe the strain just likes to be naturally even but it's been a cakewalk and she is gorgeous!

 

[TheBlaze]

She is looking beautiful Ase, and yes I agree, an easy strain to grow.

 

[Pennywise]

What kind of training have you done on the PE?

 

[Asesino85]

What kind of training have you done on the PE?

Topped them once and tied down the 4 main branches. That's pretty much it. I haven't adjusted my ties for weeks now.

 

[Pennywise]

PE is on my to do list for sure.

 

[Asesino85]

PE is on my to do list for sure.

Haven't smoked any but from a pure growing standpoint it's got to be the easiest and most even plant I grew. Great marketing by Gorilla Seeds (sponsor). Give away a couple freebies to some POTM winners and when they grow them other people will see it and want to do it, or the grower will recommend it. TheBlaze I think went and bought more because he liked them so much if I remember right? Anyways, thumbs up to those guys. I'd get it for sure if I was you.

BTW congrats on your first POTM win last month!

 

[Pennywise]

Thanks Ase, felt like the underdog at first and it didnt really sink in until Teddy pm me.