Coco Growers Unite!

[hotboxhatchback]

Thank you for such a fast response! And for the "smart" observation; common sense dictated just light misting using a spray bottle. And yes, I've got drain holes in all my cups, as well as clear cups for humidity domes that also have small holes in them for ventilation; not that I ever forget things like removing a humidity dome a couple times a day to let my clones/seedlings breathe!

Looks like I asked just a tad too soon.... just over 24 hours since I put the AK seed in to germ, and it's already starting to sprout! Nice & thick taproot there already. This Afghan is gonna make me very happy, indeed! And after only two weeks of using coco, I'm in love and will never go back to hydro systems or soil!

no more bubbles?

 

[Katatawnic]

Nope, no more bubbles. I can't grow hydro in the summer where I live: So. CA Mojave. The heat invited a pythium attack and almost killed my babies, but I saved them and kept them going in much cooler soil. Plus, I started out with hydro because I thought it'd be easier on my body than moving around pots, but reservoir changes/cleanings got to be impossible for me, and I ended up having to have my next door neighbor do things like that for me. So it's container growing only from here on out (my initial plan was to return to hydro after summer was over), and now it'll be coco instead of soil.

 

[ZEN MASTER]

Thank you for such a fast response! And for the "smart" observation; common sense dictated just light misting using a spray bottle. And yes, I've got drain holes in all my cups, as well as clear cups for humidity domes that also have small holes in them for ventilation; not that I ever forget things like removing a humidity dome a couple times a day to let my clones/seedlings breathe!

Looks like I asked just a tad too soon.... just over 24 hours since I put the AK seed in to germ, and it's already starting to sprout! Nice & thick taproot there already. This Afghan is gonna make me very happy, indeed! And after only two weeks of using coco, I'm in love and will never go back to hydro systems or soil!

Hip HIp Hooray. i love it when the light comes on in people's head and they get that "Man this is some good stuff" revelation. good to have you on the team. this is just my opinion, but i think that as time goes on, as far as personal grows are concerened not commercial, there will eventually be more growers using coco than those using a rez based system. wait till you get a chance to see how quick the plants start to absorb the nutes when you feed the especially if the leaves are a little droopy. Butters metioned it on his thread too. i posted a pretty good example in his thread on post #33. check it out.


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[Katatawnic]

Hip HIp Hooray. i love it when the light comes on in people's head and they get that "Man this is some good stuff" revelation. good to have you on the team. this is just my opinion, but i think that as time goes on, as far as personal grows are concerened not commercial, there will eventually be more growers using coco than those using a rez based system. wait till you get a chance to see how quick the plants start to absorb the nutes when you feed the especially if the leaves are a little droopy. Butters metioned it on his thread too. i posted a pretty good example in his thread on post #33. check it out.


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

Oh yeah, I can already see a difference! I've got three girls in flower and two NLs in veg that are still in soil; and a clone from my flowering BH and a 5 wk. old WW now vegging in coco. Nothing from day one in coco yet though, seed nor clone. This AK seed and a couple of NL cuttings I took will be my first opportunity to see growth from the beginning.

And for those who talk about the expense of coco.... I paid the same amount for the same size bag of soil as I did for coco. Both purchased at my local retail hydro store: $25 for 25.5 lbs. (Loose coir; I could've paid a little less per lb. for cubes, but I need to keep the physical work as low as possible.) I've filled two 3 gallon pots and nine 16 oz. cups, and there's almost not even a dent made in the bag yet.... it's gonna last me a while!

Also, when filling a pot with soil and then adding water, the soil compacts a lot and you've gotta fill close to half the pot again. Then repeat after adding more water. Not with the coco, though. Fill your pot, and whatcha see is whatcha get.... add water, and the level remains the same as it was when dry.

And my pots are much lighter with coco than with soil! This is a huge deal for me, as I need to move my pots frequently for LST and other maintenance. Now even just after watering, it only strains my back to lift a pot, but doesn't feel like it's breaking my back like the pots with soil do.

Another draw back with reservoir hydro for me is that I'm growing several strains, meaning different doses and/or frequencies of nutrients are often required; separate containers resolves that issue. Also, I've got two sativa dominants and one indica dominant in flower; separate containers enabled me to put the indica on top of an empty storage bin, putting the tops at the same height as the sativas. Not having to fill and empty many gallons at a time (unable to stop for breaks until the entire drain/clean/refill task is done) has made a huge difference in my ability to keep up with my garden, on my own!!! I'm now only needing help for moving large objects in the room (still needs rearranging; gotta get my next door neighbor over here! lol) or installing heavier things such as the exhaust fan for my tent last month. Being that I'm dependent on others for the most mundane of daily tasks, having some independence for once is indeed very uplifting!


My question as of now would be frequency of watering/feeding. I've read several comments about feeding daily in containers with coco, and others every few days or so. I'm a firm believer in there being a problem with many growers over feeding. But of course I don't want to feed too little, either. Currently, in my 3 gallon pots, I'm watering daily, with nutrients added every second or third watering. Is this too much, too little? That's my only problem with switching systems and/or mediums, is getting down the new routines.

 

[hotboxhatchback]

Nope, no more bubbles. I can't grow hydro in the summer where I live: So. CA Mojave. The heat invited a pythium attack and almost killed my babies, but I saved them and kept them going in much cooler soil. Plus, I started out with hydro because I thought it'd be easier on my body than moving around pots, but reservoir changes/cleanings got to be impossible for me, and I ended up having to have my next door neighbor do things like that for me. So it's container growing only from here on out (my initial plan was to return to hydro after summer was over), and now it'll be coco instead of soil.

i totally hear you, i have had all the exact same issues.

i've even had to have my neighbor help a couple times, too. its no security issue - my home is in the middle of a row of 4 homes on this street growing weed and we all honor the second amendment, if you know what i mean. they're all outdoor soil growers and are amazed by coco growing.

i'm in central cali and this last summer peaked at 117F according to the termo on my back porch. my first grow room attempt was reaching 100F+ in that weather and i got root snot too.

i am young and healthy but i got jacked up in an auto accident and my medicann card is for back/shoulder pain and spinal subluxation that add up to not being able to lift much over and over.

i tried dwc tubs first and that was hell. i switched to 5gal bubble buckets and that worked till the roots turned to mush in the heat. i transplanted to soil and havested those plants a couple weeks ago so it wasn't a total loss.

i recently tried dwc in a tub again with an elaborate system to prevent me from having to lift containers of solution but i still ended up working too hard and i was forced to give up on those girls - out of five plants only my og kush survived and its now outside in coco. i'm mothering her to learn how to take cuttings.

i have 3 hindu skunk in 5gal dwc buckets right now and i think i'll continue to run a couple/few that way because my body can handle that but the rest are in coco. my recommendation allows me 24 plants with up to 12 mature so i have 10 under the HPS and i'd have no hope with that many in dwc!

now i'm working on finding some roots organic coco mix to compare to the canna stuff. also, i've been looking at a lot of coco grows on weedbay.net and i'm getting curious about techniflora's pura vida organic nutrients. now that i know its possible (and more importantly practical) with coco, i'd like to transition eventually to organic growing.

 

[jberry]

i wouldnt use plain water... it should have at least a low ec of some sort (0.6) to keep your microlife thriving....

water/feed..... then water again when the plant has lost roughly half its weight.

 

[hotboxhatchback]

for my girls vegging in 12L pots i started out watering 1L once a day, feeding every time. i've since increased to twice a day, feeding every time. i want the highest quality and largest yeild possible so i would think i want to feed as much as i can without hurting the plants - and let me tell you, since switching to tap water they love two meals a day. i have some indicas that are growing just as fast in the coco as they did in dwc while the sativas aren't quite as fast. i think they could handle more food and maybe go faster if i fed them more but i don't mind having control over the sativas like that.

what do you mean that most growers overfeed? are you talking about burning plants or wasting nutrients?

 

[buckd316]

ok im in soil now, but i wanna switch to coco. what am i gonna have to do different and what all should i buy other then coco its self.

 

[ZEN MASTER]

My question as of now would be frequency of watering/feeding. I've read several comments about feeding daily in containers with coco, and others every few days or so. I'm a firm believer in there being a problem with many growers over feeding. But of course I don't want to feed too little, either. Currently, in my 3 gallon pots, I'm watering daily, with nutrients added every second or third watering. Is this too much, too little? That's my only problem with switching systems and/or mediums, is getting down the new routines.

hey kat look here, i know i'm gonna get bombed on when i tell you this, but i use 3gal pot 98% of the time and i water like every 6 or 7 days. now here recently i have been water ing every five to six days on the nose, depending on how the pot feels, and it works out great. i just go by the weight of the pot. trust me over the course of a month or so you'll be able to tell by the weight of the pot, and when you want to water it. seeing that my grow is based on the cheaper scale my nutes usually go me one and a half runs. but it always last for an entire run with some left over, and that is with me increasing the amount every week.

now as far as your other query;NEVER use only water with your coco, at best use a lite A-B solution mix, trust me it just messes things up when you do that, not recommended. secondly, there are a few guys that won't agree with me, but it is ok to use regular water. TRUST ME! PLEASE! seeing your situation and others like yours as well, why would you want to purchase, load, and pack back to the house R/O water when regular tap works just as well as long as it is between 5.6 or 8 and i think 6.2. like i said if you dont believe, check my journal, post #43, i have a short feeding chart and some pics of past and present crops and harvest. so the proof is in the pudding. i just dontwant peolpe spending money they really don't have to. but hey the final decision is yours, but i invite anyone just using the A-B, and a bloom booster in r/o water under 400's with loose coco to show their's, and we can compare. but check it out.


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[ZEN MASTER]

ok im in soil now, but i wanna switch to coco. what am i gonna have to do different and what all should i buy other then coco its self.

check my journal i run all that down, but on a low budget scale.

 

[Corwin]

Hey if any of you UK coco growers use Canna coco A+B or think ya might want to try it, there is a selller on ebay that has listed the 20l kit (10l of A and 10l ofB) for £55.00!!!

With free shipping to UK.
I tried to get him to send it to the US but he won't due to customs.
This price is less than 1/3 of what we pay so I imagine it is a good price there too.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150374402284&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123

 

[madazz]

I have heard good results from the monkey juice, i have not used it though. that would fully suck imagine if canna just stopped with the rhizo or zym that would suck ass.

wonder why they axed the monkey juice? maybe nobody bought it? i know i didnt lol.

it must suck when your using a companies product, and all of a sudden they decide its not worth making anymore.

anyone else here ever try monkey juice?

 

[Corwin]

I have heard good results from the monkey juice, i have not used it though. that would fully suck imagine if canna just stopped with the rhizo or zym that would suck ass.

I agree I think Cannazym and Rhizotonic are the 2 best reasons for using Canna. I am going to drop Boost this cycle and replace it with my own version of Kelp, Molasses, and Yucca extract and see if I find much difference except for the lightness that I feel in my back pocket whenever I use Boost. Don't get me wrong I love to see 14" cola's on a 22" plant but I am not sure it is worth all that extra money.
I will give ya a with Boost pic at 6 weeks now and will post the same strain next cycle with my own and see what happens. I am also considering the use of BMO's product too. It is much cheaper.

 

[snail240]

hey kat look here, i know i'm gonna get bombed on when i tell you this, but i use 3gal pot 98% of the time and i water like every 6 or 7 days. now here recently i have been water ing every five to six days on the nose, depending on how the pot feels, and it works out great. i just go by the weight of the pot. trust me over the course of a month or so you'll be able to tell by the weight of the pot, and when you want to water it. seeing that my grow is based on the cheaper scale my nutes usually go me one and a half runs. but it always last for an entire run with some left over, and that is with me increasing the amount every week.

now as far as your other query;NEVER use only water with your coco, at best use a lite A-B solution mix, trust me it just messes things up when you do that, not recommended. secondly, there are a few guys that won't agree with me, but it is ok to use regular water. TRUST ME! PLEASE! seeing your situation and others like yours as well, why would you want to purchase, load, and pack back to the house R/O water when regular tap works just as well as long as it is between 5.6 or 8 and i think 6.2. like i said if you dont believe, check my journal, post #43, i have a short feeding chart and some pics of past and present crops and harvest. so the proof is in the pudding. i just dontwant peolpe spending money they really don't have to. but hey the final decision is yours, but i invite anyone just using the A-B, and a bloom booster in r/o water under 400's with loose coco to show their's, and we can compare. but check it out.


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

I just switch to coco in my drip. I dont know if I produce more or the same but I can tell you I NEED a R/O filter. Your water might be better where you live some of us have treatment centers that over treat the water and you wouldnt be able to feed your plants enough because the ppm of the water is 400+ out of the tap and full of chlormine.

So yeah some people do NEED filters its not that we WANT to. Who wants to spend $200 on somthing they dont need?

Test your tap water if your treatment center uses chlormine instead of chlorine you WILL need a R/O filter to remove it and the ammonia it leaves behind after.

R/O and deionized are the only ways to remove chlormine and everything in chlormine. Testing your tap will tell you but just saying people dont need R/O is being a little confident that all tap water works. They will grow dont get me wrong but Chlormine is some hard core stuff to humans ,plants and fish.

 

[MzDankity]

I saw this thread today and have decided to switch up my original grow plans and go the coco route. Have a friend that swears by it. This thread made it sound even more interesting. My question is this: I am growing in a 24 x 21 x 45" space. I saw these http://www.hhydro.com/cgi-bin/hhydro/HH00905.html and wonder if I'm growing a plant no taller than 20" if the size is enough for the root mass?

 

[ZEN MASTER]

I just switch to coco in my drip. I dont know if I produce more or the same but I can tell you I NEED a R/O filter. Your water might be better where you live some of us have treatment centers that over treat the water and you wouldnt be able to feed your plants enough because the ppm of the water is 400+ out of the tap and full of chlormine.

So yeah some people do NEED filters its not that we WANT to. Who wants to spend $200 on somthing they dont need?

Test your tap water if your treatment center uses chlormine instead of chlorine you WILL need a R/O filter to remove it and the ammonia it leaves behind after.

R/O and deionized are the only ways to remove chlormine and everything in chlormine. Testing your tap will tell you but just saying people dont need R/O is being a little confident that all tap water works. They will grow dont get me wrong but Chlormine is some hard core stuff to humans ,plants and fish.

sounds like you are using a hydro method with a rez. am i correct? ok, if so the read what i said "LOOSE COCO". i water by hand . so yes with any rez based system, and i don't know if you use Canna, but i do. but even with Canna if you are using coco with a rez based system "YES" you need r/o water. BUT my friend if you are using "LOOSE COCO" Canna tells you that regular tap water is recommended. as long as it is in the suggested Ph range. now if you have an issue with CHLORINE, i dont know about chlormine, but for chlorine issues i just let my water sit for a day uncovered before i mix my nutes in. but like i said i knew i'd get bombed for my OPINION. but that's why i'm trying to get as many people into growing with loose coco with a simple A-B nute mix because it eliminates ALL of the problems, practices, and routines that you guys using rez based systems have to go through. hey dude get some pots, get some loose coco, get the A-B mix, make a watering bottle, and loose the automated stuff, loose the rez. jusy my opinion.


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[ZEN MASTER]

I agree I think Cannazym and Rhizotonic are the 2 best reasons for using Canna. I am going to drop Boost this cycle and replace it with my own version of Kelp, Molasses, and Yucca extract and see if I find much difference except for the lightness that I feel in my back pocket whenever I use Boost. Don't get me wrong I love to see 14" cola's on a 22" plant but I am not sure it is worth all that extra money.
I will give ya a with Boost pic at 6 weeks now and will post the same strain next cycle with my own and see what happens. I am also considering the use of BMO's product too. It is much cheaper.

damn, damn, damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! corwin that's nice man, but i hear you on the boost. the price tag is like, "WOW, really?". dude i grew six plants and grew three with BOOST, and three with GEN. HYDROPONICS Floralicious Bloom. at the end the difference in the dried product was between 1.15 and 1.68 grams, and i'm not trying to spend almost a hundred bucks(about $70 more than the floralicious bloom) for 1.68 more grams. so yea, find something else dude.


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[snail240]

sounds like you are using a hydro method with a rez. am i correct? ok, if so the read what i said "LOOSE COCO". i water by hand . so yes with any rez based system, and i don't know if you use Canna, but i do. but even with Canna if you are using coco with a rez based system "YES" you need r/o water. BUT my friend if you are using "LOOSE COCO" Canna tells you that regular tap water is recommended. as long as it is in the suggested Ph range. now if you have an issue with CHLORINE, i dont know about chlormine, but for chlorine issues i just let my water sit for a day uncovered before i mix my nutes in. but like i said i knew i'd get bombed for my OPINION. but that's why i'm trying to get as many people into growing with loose coco with a simple A-B nute mix because it eliminates ALL of the problems, practices, and routines that you guys using rez based systems have to go through. hey dude get some pots, get some loose coco, get the A-B mix, make a watering bottle, and loose the automated stuff, loose the rez. jusy my opinion.


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

Yeah im sorry missunderstood.

And chlormine doesnt come out just letting it sit you could use regular sediment filter but that leaves behind amonia but if im not mistake amonia goes away after time?

Ive been using R/O because its the only way I know of to get rid of chlormine and the amonia it leaves after the sediment filters.

I have been considering switching to bigger pots and hand watering sence my ph is all over and im using crappy pet store coco husk washed out alot.

You know anything if pet store brand coco works? I just got some guardening kind but it doesnt look much different to be honest imma still wash it if you think i should?

 

[ZEN MASTER]

Yeah im sorry missunderstood.

And chlormine doesnt come out just letting it sit you could use regular sediment filter but that leaves behind amonia but if im not mistake amonia goes away after time?

Ive been using R/O because its the only way I know of to get rid of chlormine and the amonia it leaves after the sediment filters.

I have been considering switching to bigger pots and hand watering sence my ph is all over and im using crappy pet store coco husk washed out alot.

You know anything if pet store brand coco works? I just got some guardening kind but it doesnt look much different to be honest imma still wash it if you think i should?

OH MY GOD, dude NOOOO!!!! no, no, no, man that stuff probably has so much toxic crap in , it's pathetic. go online, go to a hydro store find some coco, for me Canna is the best. but there are alot of other brands out there. google "Canna Coco Coir" they have videos on you tube explaining the process in which it is made. you see the better quality coco is actually the dust and small coconut husk shavings that are produced when seperating the fibers from the shell of the coconut. not to say that others don't work, they just don't work as well to me. but yea that's more than likely the reason your Ph is all over the place. but that's just my opinion. research it thought.



PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[Corwin]

Something I haven't shown in my pics yet is that I grew most of my girls in 6" net pots but 2 were grown in 2 gal regular plastic flower pots. All contained the same media and all were watered when the pot got light.
The net pot plants look amazing compared to the flower pot girls. I will try to do some side by side later on. I have one of the net girls that is wanting her picture taken anyway.