Coco: Tips, techniques, and the facts you will need

[d0rk2dafullest]

here it is...
http://www.amazon.com/Integral-Hydroponics-Principles-Beginners-Intermediates/dp/1439243220

JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZUS $1639.98 FOR THAT BOOK!? IT BETTER COME WITH A PORNSTAR GIVING ME THE TIME OF MY LIFE!!!!

 

[krakennugs]

Yeah I thought the price of that book was a type o !!!!

 

[tightpockt]

I get that part, I'm trying to figure out how long to run my pump to get 10%+ run-off.

Does GPH/60=GPM? Or is that not an accurate way to judge how much you're watering per minute?

Your run-off is going to change as the plants get bigger...chasing run-off is a waste of mental energy. In other words, it's not that big of a deal it doesnt have to be an exact formula.
Also, flushing and Coco is dumb. Rapidly changing EC levels are stressful to plants.
I use tap water, protekt, dynagro for veg, maxibloom forflower, a little moab at the end and thats it. Never had a Ca deficiency. No need for a nutrient list as long as my arm.

 

[cottee]

Starting the third...
canna a/b
cannazyme
1/2 strength ryzo
1/2 strength roots excel
aptus start boost
aptus fisiltor
orca
carboload
drip clean

If that's house and garden root excel I think it's got peroxide in which will kill or ur microbes

 

[burgertime2010]

So, I am back and have my ebb and flow coco system giving me more to trim each time around and with more, bigger plants, things change. They drink 10 gal per day, salts become an issue that a diluted long top-watering every 2 weeks cleans up. It is not a shock because it is only 25% dilution, my buffer is reset, and is a good time to use a systemic (day 14). I do a prevention systemic at this time. Also, I tried a run where every 3 hours I would flood until roots shot out. I used a sterilizing agent (Zone) and the tray stayed clean full of white roots. I saw the same results without microbes.

 

[cottee]

Standardization means agreement.....don't hold your breath. 5.8 is the recommended and it has worked well in coco. In Coco, you are potentially flushing with each watering. 10-20% runoff helps to curtail salt buildup assuming you water often. I will say this, there are some ideas for a good coco grow. 1. never let the medium dry 2.less is more 3. Coco holds calcium/mag so supplementation is necessary. 4. Flush @ 1/4 strength-never pure h20. 5. Root Vigor will dictate plants appetite, metabolism, and potential for buildup... I go about it drawing a reservoir at 800-900 at the beginning of flowering with A/B, bennies, carbs for bennies, cal-mag, hygrozyme, pro-tekt, liquid seaweed etc. Day 1, feed and go. Day 2, dilute by 150 ppm. Day 3, dilute 150 ppm more Day 4, dilute to 500 ppm. Day 5 repeat. In the 3rd week, I use cal-mag more aggressively and my recipe changes, I increase PPMs by 100-200 but keep the dilution aspect in use. Also, I discontinue beneficials. Essentially, the plant dictates a good amount....I am rambling.

What carbs du use for ur bennies

 

[burgertime2010]

What carbs du use for ur bennies

Carbo load and bud candy at 1/2 strength each

 

[cottee]

Carbo load and bud candy at 1/2 strength each

Tried a cheaper version like molasses?

 

[burgertime2010]

I saw molasses in a grocery store and it was not cheap at all. Carbo load is more than sugar. It has amino acids and I think molasses would attract flying pests. I have not tried it but it has a good amount of magnesium in it.

 

[d0rk2dafullest]

I saw molasses in a grocery store and it was not cheap at all. Carbo load is more than sugar. It has amino acids and I think molasses would attract flying pests. I have not tried it but it has a good amount of magnesium in it.

Use to use grandma's unsulphur'd molasses on coco. great results. but i switched to bud candy because it was less messy, doesnt gunk up my pumps and such.

 

[burgertime2010]

The options are endless, I have had great results using complex and expensive nutrient combos. I have focused on root health and additives that increase the absorption potential lately. I am trying to trade out a lot of expensive and quality products with the same results. Basically, I can't afford it and have to simplify....it is hard.

 

[LeSmileyDash]

Hello, I'm really just looking up a lot of info to starting a future grow.

I have already 1 grow of 6 plants in 5gal pots under a 600W HPS in a 4x4x5 room(it was a quite crowded) under my belt, that was 2 years ago. Had about 0.9gr/w.(it was my first grow)

This time i want to go with a smaller ammount of plants though, 3 to be exact.

I decided to try this technique out because my first grow was quite a mess XD. Some were growing vertically, some bushy, a lot of smaller buds, ...

Does this "plan" sound good to any of you to get the same/higher yield ?(i was quite satisfied with my 500Gr 2nd/third grade bud )

Controlling temperature is no problem. It's always around 18-20°C inside, so a little heater for the night keeps night temp at 20°C. Not growing during the summer. (planning grow for end of summer)

-4x4x6 with a 400W MH and a 600W HPS
-Three 5gal pots.
-Mainlined for 8 cola's
-Use R/O or distilled water
-Canna Coco Pro+ with Canna nutrients & Calmag fed with 20% drain. + a foliar silicon spray(read it interferes if mixed directly with nutrients)
-Starting at 0.4 EC from seed, gradually going up to an EC of 1.1 for a total of 4-5 weeks. Up/lower EC by 0.1 or 0.2 per week according to plant signs. (aiming at aprox 20"-24" at the end of veg)
-Going up from 1.1 to 1.4EC in the first 4 weeks of flowering, adding 0.1 EC/week according to plant signs. Add PK13/14 for the 5th and 6th week of flowering(staying lower then 1.6EC)
-Still reading up on how to gradually decrease feed in the last three weeks and how to flush exactly. (last time i just gave less 2 weeks before harvest and PH'd water the last week lol)

 

[burgertime2010]

The training will be critical, get the three plants to produce a level yet reasonable canopy. Keep flowering within 18in canopy by netting. Nutrients are commonly over applied, especially in coco, and can cause poor flower health. I generally use 1/2recommended doses and watch out for redundancies. Less is more.

 

[eekje]

Has anyone here used the GHE 3-part fertilizer on coco? What dosages do you follow?

 

[d0rk2dafullest]

Has anyone here used the GHE 3-part fertilizer on coco? What dosages do you follow?

Use lucas formula. FloraMicro and FloraBloom . 1:2 Ratio. 1part (micro):2part (bloom)
For Coco though, i think the recommended is 6ml/gal Micro 9ml/gallon Bloom. Remember to use cal/mag for coco for deficiencies

U can even use Maxibloom at 7Grams per gallon. or 1Tspn. per Gallon. (recommended is 7 grams but people say 1 tspn = about 7 grams.)
The maxibloom is also a form of lucas formula but without the water. when u buy micro and bloom, you're actually paying for the water vs just the salts. The salts costs WAYYY less.

 

[horribleherk]

i use the gh 3-part in coco 2 gal smart pots 60/40 coco perlite flooding once a day using cal-mag untill mid bud cycle

 

[QuestforKnowledge]

iHello, I started this thread because I wanted to streamline the process for newbies to Coco by starting with some facts that will help. So, Coco in the bag is typically 6.1ph and depending on the quality and brand has been pre-rinsed, buffered and ready to go. Breaking the buffer is the first thing on your list assuming the coco hasn't been conditioned. Our objective is to rinse the coco with large amounts of water containing Cal-mag @120ppm and 200ppm of Veg solution at a ph of 5.8. This breaks the medium of its tendency to drift towards 6.1PH. So, once 5.8 is reached the runoff will indicate so. Breaking this buffer is an extremely important concept to coco growers to understand in order optimize the process at the very beginning. Periodically, this same technique is used to flush the excess fertilizer(salts) that build up and refresh the buffer to 5.8. PH but more on that later. Next, Coco has the tendency to hold on to Calcium and Magnesium making supplementing more necessary and is one of the few issues with this medium. I usually mix 30% Perlite into my coco to aerate as well as help offset these types of issues. When watering coco, a runoff of 20% is recommended so buildup does not occur...do not top off as a habit. The frequency of watering coco varies upon container size, environmental factors, plant size, and preference. In the early grow, when roots are still small 2x week is standard but periods between feedings can run up to 5-6 days. Late in blooming, when the roots are working to keep large plants up, everyday feedings are not uncommon and over-watering is no longer an issue. Never let the coco dry through!! Use an inoculant, Liquid Kelp as well as Mycorhizzae strengthen your plant in it's infancy against disease and promote root growth making for bigger, faster growing, and more vibrant vegetative plants. The coco has a natural insulation that keeps it from temperature being a real issue. Pest control is a wise investment as a preventative measure. Neem oil, and/or Systemic pesticides are commonly used against pests that thrive in the cocosphere. Keep it CLEAN!! no dead leaves, no gnats, no tolerance!!! In short, Decay brings insects, insects bring diseases and damage plant vigor. Your nutrient selection is a personal decision, I know it is difficult to chose, but with so many to choose from I cannot say what the one to use is publicly. Feel free to message me though. I will continue to add important information, as need becomes evident and feel free to ask questions as well. As for the Coco-pros, please add anything that you find important, fresh, or interesting.

switched over to coco from dwc im using cana A+B,rhizo, an cal mag was wondering havnt seen anything bout SM-90 used it always in dwc just as precaution what do you experienced coco users think????

 

[Screaming trees]

Your run-off is going to change as the plants get bigger...chasing run-off is a waste of mental energy. In other words, it's not that big of a deal it doesnt have to be an exact formula.
Also, flushing and Coco is dumb. Rapidly changing EC levels are stressful to plants.
I use tap water, protekt, dynagro for veg, maxibloom forflower, a little moab at the end and thats it. Never had a Ca deficiency. No need for a nutrient list as long as my arm.

You don't flush?

 

[Screaming trees]

Thanks burgertime2010 for starting this thread. So far I've gotten about 15 complete coco grows from start to finish under my belt as I've been running back to back for testing the best methods. I will say that flushing is one of the most important things to do and veg seems to be my critical point for keeping the roots white and constantly growing. Ive noticed that if I skip a flush they don't drink as much and look disappointed for not getting a bath, lol. All this is at 1.5tsp a gallon until I hit the last week of veg before flip and then I hit at 1.8 tsp per gallon. Id say out of every single thing I've ever done one of best things I done was adding a humate acid in. Diamond Nectar was garbage but I did see a very slight difference compared to when I added Humboldt Flavorful. When I did that, everything exploded! Plus I didn't have to add as much PH down which I like a lot.

 

[since1991]

Using the 500 scale most my strains like 750 ppm at peak flowering. This added to the 110 ppm tap puts me at 860 ppm total. I might ramp up to 900 total when there really doing nice in mid or peak flower. Thats usually with the boost. Rite now iam using Ionic Grow, Bloom and Boost. With greenfuse root stimulator in early veg and bloom stimulator in flower. I continue gi ing grow nutrient until about 10 dYs into 12-12. Then i slowly introduce bloom stimulator and about week 5 or 6 i give them ionic boost. If i have Terpinator on hand i start this off at 5 ml a gallon and ramp this up to a total of 20 ml a gallon by week 6 also. Nitozime and fulvic acid foliar spray once a week in veg always. I pH all my feeds at 5.7 and in the tanks it drifts upwards to about 6.1 throughout the week. By that time my tanks are empty and need refilled and reset. Pretty simple. I dont think much about it anymore. I do use different nutrient brands now and again. Except for nzime and fulvic. I always use them as a foliar. All the brands perform the same as long as i stay within the ppm of total dissolved solids.