Coco Grow questions

ymustuknow

Active Member
Sooner or later, everything fails. Submersible pumps don't run forever; salt build-up could clog the 1/4" drip lines, manifolds or emitters; timer could short out. Like anything else with moving parts, there's gonna be upkeep involved. When I start coco, I'm definitely going to go automated before long, and I'll be sure to keep a spare of all electrical components on hand just in case.
True. Do you know of good automated componants?
 

Fangthane

Well-Known Member
True. Do you know of good automated componants?
Here is most of the stuff I have saved in my cart. I'm a broke-ass, so I buy the bargain basement stuff. But it'll give a general idea of what you'd need for a DIY automated setup.
Pump: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XYZZ2J7/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A2PQGFJXAT8J9K&psc=1
Water lines, fittings, etc: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BZMF8641/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A3VULQMDJKFHKF&th=1
Manifold: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004RUJ2OE/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1
Timer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Z3F8L4C/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_12?smid=A2PG1NRTR7HFFO&psc=1

You could use any large plastic (black) tote or trash can as a reservoir. Having zero coco experience so far, I can't say whether you should or shouldn't start with coco. I'm sure there are people who started with DWC and did just fine, which would seem counterintuitive to me. If coco is what your heart is set on, I say go for it.
 

PopAndSonGrows

Well-Known Member
If you're "broke" and can afford to be home every day, with the occasional ability to skip one day here n there, hand watering is the way to go. I 100% would not advise overwhelming yourself with fucking with a drip system out of the gate.

Just my 2 cents: you can save yourself a TON of money by getting a cheap off-brand tent and not worry about light leaks, as long as you can ensure the room outside the tent doesn't have super bright lights turned on while plants are in the "nighttime" phase inside the tent. I bought a 4x4 for 85 bucks like 3 and a half yrs ago, still works great. You don't need the expensive brand tents, unless for some reason you can't control brightness outside the tent. Nobody gets a Porsche for their first car, you gotta get the "beater" and hone your skills :bigjoint:
 

Bose

Well-Known Member
Would this apply to an indoor grow too?
In coco indoors ii set my fabric pots on a drain pan with something under them keeping them off the floor about an inch. I then feed gallon to 10 20 percent runoff. I suck up excess water with a bucket head vac. The pot never sit in runoff due to having them an inch off the floor.
 

Fangthane

Well-Known Member
Even if I had money to burn, I'd never blow it on one of those ridiculously priced pre-assembled AC Infinity kits. I already have a 40x40 tent for veg and I kinda dig the size for some reason. Here's a pretty decent looking cheapie I've been eyeing up for when I wanna retire my shitty old 4x2. For $75, it ain't bad.

 

ymustuknow

Active Member
Here is most of the stuff I have saved in my cart. I'm a broke-ass, so I buy the bargain basement stuff. But it'll give a general idea of what you'd need for a DIY automated setup.
Pump: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XYZZ2J7/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A2PQGFJXAT8J9K&psc=1
Water lines, fittings, etc: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BZMF8641/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A3VULQMDJKFHKF&th=1
Manifold: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004RUJ2OE/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1
Timer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Z3F8L4C/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_12?smid=A2PG1NRTR7HFFO&psc=1

You could use any large plastic (black) tote or trash can as a reservoir. Having zero coco experience so far, I can't say whether you should or shouldn't start with coco. I'm sure there are people who started with DWC and did just fine, which would seem counterintuitive to me. If coco is what your heart is set on, I say go for it.
I just here that Coco is a stable way of growing. What's DWC?
 

Fangthane

Well-Known Member
What's DWC?
Deep Water Culture. It's when you grow the plant in a bucket of nutrient solution. There's a small net pot on top of the bucket that holds a small amount of substrate to anchor the roots, but the majority of the root mass just floats around in the solution. Just did my first DWC grow this year. I wouldn't recommend trying it to start out.
 

Kola_Kreator

Well-Known Member
Automation is a good way to go imo. You can grow a decent plant in coco watering once per day. But you will get a lot faster growth if you water multiple times in a day. You can water 10 or more times a day once the root system is established and then you will see explosive growth.

I would choose the pot size based on how often you want to water. Pot goes by how big of a plant do you want to end up with and how long will you veg for. You could easily fill a 4 x 4 with 4 x 5 gallon pots and 5 weeks veg. But you could also fill that 4 x 4 with one plant in a 7 gal and 8 weeks veg.

How big is your flower space and how many plants do you plan to run? Sorry if you already mentioned this. I didn't read through the entire thread.
 

ymustuknow

Active Member
Deep Water Culture. It's when you grow the plant in a bucket of nutrient solution. There's a small net pot on top of the bucket that holds a small amount of substrate to anchor the roots, but the majority of the root mass just floats around in the solution. Just did my first DWC grow this year. I wouldn't recommend trying it to start out.
Good info, maybe some day
 

manfredo

Well-Known Member
If you go with auto watering you need to collect the run off in a decent sized sump and then pump it out every few days.
I use a condensation pump. All ther waste water from my DTW system drains into it and it pumped away to my floor drain gthat is about 30' away. I also have my dehumidifier hose emptying in there, so it can run 24/7 without ever touching a thing

 

ymustuknow

Active Member
Automation is a good way to go imo. You can grow a decent plant in coco watering once per day. But you will get a lot faster growth if you water multiple times in a day. You can water 10 or more times a day once the root system is established and then you will see explosive growth.

I would choose the pot size based on how often you want to water. Pot goes by how big of a plant do you want to end up with and how long will you veg for. You could easily fill a 4 x 4 with 4 x 5 gallon pots and 5 weeks veg. But you could also fill that 4 x 4 with one plant in a 7 gal and 8 weeks veg.

How big is your flower space and how many plants do you plan to run? Sorry if you already mentioned this. I didn't read through the entire thread.
Isn't there a way to auto feed multiple times a day?
I plan on getting a 4x4 tent for 4 plants. :)
 
Top