Growing with Coco: Questions, Answers & Scuttlebutt

[HorseBadoritz]

Here's one for the question column:

I've seen folks using OC+ in a coco hempy, but I haven't seen anything about reusing the OCd coco. I've read you can recycle straight coco a few times... does anybody know if that would work with OC+... or any TRF?

Thanks,

 

[Setting Sun]

If the coco, or other medium with CRF, has been sitting around for a while before you re-use it, you need to flush it well because nutes will continue to build up.

The other issue is knowing how much CRF to add to the next grow, because you need to sort of account for any active prills that are left over.

If you use a 3-4 month CRF, in typical grow temps, there's probably not going to be much left, but if you use the 8-9 month formulation, you'd want to take that into account.

 

[Setting Sun]

I'm having a mag def issue with my clones in the coco that I prepped by flushing thoroughly with my tap water.

After testing my tap water with 3 different ppm meters, I've got a reading of 245, not 145, so there's probably too much calcium in my tap water and it's causing a mag lockout.

not a deal-breaker, but bums me out.

I was hoping to use tap water.

 

[Bandit420]

Interesting stuff SS.
I still need to get a handle on what kind of relationship my tap water will have with the coco. I should have a good idea over the next few days.
After i know what to expect w/ base ph and ppm what do you think of doing the presoak of coco w/ a mild calmg @ 1/4- 1/2 strength or a mild Liquid Karma soak to maybe get ahead of the curve on defs later on?

 

[HorseBadoritz]

If the coco, or other medium with CRF, has been sitting around for a while before you re-use it, you need to flush it well because nutes will continue to build up.

The other issue is knowing how much CRF to add to the next grow, because you need to sort of account for any active prills that are left over.

If you use a 3-4 month CRF, in typical grow temps, there's probably not going to be much left, but if you use the 8-9 month formulation, you'd want to take that into account.

I also imagine that watering schedule and temp need to be accounted for. But, since OC+, for example, "can't burn your plants", maybe it doesn't matter.

I can't find Dynamite in any of our big box stores. Lowe's has their own stuff, made by Florikan (sp?), do you think that's why Dynamite disappeared?

 

[Setting Sun]

It can burn your plants if allowed to build up in soil before you re-use it.

Scotts website has the specific amount of time that is safe before you have to flush it, but I can't recall exactly how long.

I would guess that's why Dynamite's gone. Florikan is the company that made Dynamite, which is the consumer version of Nutricote.

If the Lowe's stuff is made by Florikan, it's good stuff, just check the specs.

 

[HorseBadoritz]

I'm having a mag def issue with my clones in the coco that I prepped by flushing thoroughly with my tap water.

After testing my tap water with 3 different ppm meters, I've got a reading of 245, not 145, so there's probably too much calcium in my tap water and it's causing a mag lockout.

not a deal-breaker, but bums me out.

I was hoping to use tap water.

I'm not totally TDS meter savvy. Mine has an ec reading and ppm. My tap water has an ec NaCl reading of 278, ppm NaCl of 139. How would I interpret that in terms of pot?

Did you prep the coco with cal/mag? How are you going to treat the Mg deficiency?

Have you checked your TA? Mine is so high it seems to have caused a mag deficiency. Cutting it with distilled and a little epsom salts help, but not to the damage that was done.

 

[HorseBadoritz]

It can burn your plants if allowed to build up in soil before you re-use it.

Scotts website has the specific amount of time that is safe before you have to flush it, but I can't recall exactly how long.

I would guess that's why Dynamite's gone. Florikan is the company that made Dynamite, which is the consumer version of Nutricote.

If the Lowe's stuff is made by Florikan, it's good stuff, just check the specs.

Guess I'd better get a grow in coco before I start worry about reusing it!

Lowe's has 3 or 4 different different varieties of the same stuff that seem to have the same specs of the dynamite... none have as many micro nutes as OC+, though.

 

[HorseBadoritz]

Interesting stuff SS.
I still need to get a handle on what kind of relationship my tap water will have with the coco. I should have a good idea over the next few days.
After i know what to expect w/ base ph and ppm what do you think of doing the presoak of coco w/ a mild calmg @ 1/4- 1/2 strength or a mild Liquid Karma soak to maybe get ahead of the curve on defs later on?

Man, tell me how your test works... and what it is

Canna makes a coco buffering dealio, too. Someone here was telling me that they use a 1/4 strength Botanicare Cal/Mag with an 8hr soak?

 

[Setting Sun]

yeah, I need to get this sorted out.

I'm going to be setting the coco hempy buckets up pretty soon.

that 8-hour cal/mag soak sounds like a winner.

Does anyone know whether the calcium and magnesium in tap water can be used by our plans as easily as in a commercial product like Botanicare Cal/Mag?

I recall reading something in the past about molecular size and tap water minerals not being as readily usable.

 

[Hash Hound]

Horse,
Florikan sold Dynamite to a company called Black Gold. I emailed them and they said they will still make and sell Dynamite. I found Dynamite on the discount shelf at Home Depot for $3.00 a bottle. I bought 3. I should have bought them all if I had more cash on me.

 

[HorseBadoritz]

yeah, I need to get this sorted out.

I'm going to be setting the coco hempy buckets up pretty soon.

that 8-hour cal/mag soak sounds like a winner.

Does anyone know whether the calcium and magnesium in tap water can be used by our plans as easily as in a commercial product like Botanicare Cal/Mag?

I recall reading something in the past about molecular size and tap water minerals not being as readily usable.

I've also been looking around for how much is too much... no luck yet.

 

[HorseBadoritz]

Horse,
Florikan sold Dynamite to a company called Black Gold. I emailed them and they said they will still make and sell Dynamite. I found Dynamite on the discount shelf at Home Depot for $3.00 a bottle. I bought 3. I should have bought them all if I had more cash on me.

Thanks Hash Hound. I haven't seen Black Gold anywhere. I've been looking for Jack's Classic, and have struck out there, too. Jack's is a spinoff, sort of, from Peter's.

None of the TRFs I've found have the micros that OC+ has... most notably lacking in calcium?

 

[Setting Sun]

High Horse!

I think I mentioned that my tap water turns out to average around 245ppm, not 145, as I previously thought.

GH's recommendation to use their "hard water" micro is for people with 200ppm or higher, so that may be a good general guideline for coco also.

I can tell ya that my clones are doing a whole lot better with RO supplemented with Botanicare Cal-Mag than with my tap water.

Once the CEC of the coco is stabilized, I may be able to back off on the Cal-Mag a little.

In any case, the deficiency was easily corrected.

I need a big-assed rain barrel, that's what I need.

have a green one Horse

 

[HorseBadoritz]

High Horse!

I think I mentioned that my tap water turns out to average around 245ppm, not 145, as I previously thought.

You did mention that. That's where I got cornfused. You're on city water, right? My well ppm is 139, the ec NaCl is 278... from what I'm guessing, your water is so hard you'll never need viagra! Petrified wood!

GH's recommendation to use their "hard water" micro is for people with 200ppm or higher, so that may be a good general guideline for coco also.

Are you going to use the GH hard water micro stuff thru out? I'll have to check that out.

I can tell ya that my clones are doing a whole lot better with RO supplemented with Botanicare Cal-Mag than with my tap water.

Once the CEC of the coco is stabilized, I may be able to back off on the Cal-Mag a little.

CEC ? Anyway, I take cal/mag, why shouldn't my girls?

In any case, the deficiency was easily corrected.

I need a big-assed rain barrel, that's what I need.

Dang, I need to send you a bud, ok, a reasonable facsimile thereof. Rain barrels, son of a beech... Dehumidifiers don't work here in the winter. Summertime, they suck it up, I've been socking away runoff. But, it usually rains in the winter. Fork a bunch of ro sheet... and no mosquitos then, doode... but there was really no reason to swear, this is a family web site, right?

have a green one Horse

It's because of folks like you that I've started smoking pot regularly again, you are a gateway brotherman... thanks

well, okay, that and Mrs. Horse has this kinda habit, ya know...I'm a little toasted, but I can still drive this mac... really!

 

[Bandit420]

I think I got a handle on how i want to do this coco garden.
When my clones are rooted I'll veg them in 1liter Air Pots filled with a mix of chunky and fine coco and simply hand water them until they're ready for bloom.
For bloom I'll peel the 1 liter air pot off the plant and place them in these 12.5 liter air pots that I've cut down to be about 8 liter containers.
The watering plan will be ebb n flo.
I'll line the bottom of the pots w/ coco matting but I was also thinking about laying a mat down over the bottom of the tray for when the roots come out of the bottom of the pots.

 

[HorseBadoritz]

High Bandit, I gotta eat, but have you seen Old Medicine Man's stuff? He's an airpotter

Later,

 

[Setting Sun]

I think I got a handle on how i want to do this coco garden.
When my clones are rooted I'll veg them in 1liter Air Pots filled with a mix of chunky and fine coco and simply hand water them until they're ready for bloom.
For bloom I'll peel the 1 liter air pot off the plant and place them in these 12.5 liter air pots that I've cut down to be about 8 liter containers.
The watering plan will be ebb n flo.
I'll line the bottom of the pots w/ coco matting but I was also thinking about laying a mat down over the bottom of the tray for when the roots come out of the bottom of the pots.

If you put a layer of landscape fabric in there as a root-guard, the roots will stay contained.

Stuff breathes and drains very well, so I don't think you'd be giving much up as regards that.

 

[bud brother]

Hi HB i ve been wanting to try coco i got the GH bricks today for three bucks a piece ..So now im wondering do you have to use special fets designed for coco. and should i mix with perlite the one guy on here grows in straight coco and had beauty plants i would rather use straight coco hate the dust and getting rid of used perlite...Any input much appreciated thanks.BC

 

[HorseBadoritz]

High BC, Cool, welcome to coco land!

Hi HB i ve been wanting to try coco i got the GH bricks today for three bucks a piece ..So now im wondering do you have to use special fets designed for coco.

I don't think so. I've read of folks that do and folks that don't... they all seem to have nice plants. At least one poster here seems to have just incorporated OC+. One thing that does seem important is to flush the coco, and prep it with some cal/mag.

and should i mix with perlite the one guy on here grows in straight coco and had beauty plants i would rather use straight coco hate the dust and getting rid of used perlite...

I've see some good reasons to add chunky perlite, but I don't think you'd have to. I've seen plenty of growers who don't use it.

The coco I've got is pretty fine, and I'm gonna do hempies, so I'm putting like 3" of perlite in the bottom for drainage, then coco mixed w/ some perlite for a little more airspace. Any input much appreciated thanks.BC

If you find any coco info, bring it by this thread