im trying to fine tune my watering for mothers in coco. When I grew some sour gorilla to flower I pretty much watered it like I did soil. I want more of the hydro growth speed for my mothers. Want to keep fewer of them so I need them to grow faster. Should I do two 30 sec drips a day? When I watered like soil I wouldn’t have to water for 2 days sometimes
DTW Coco hydro watering
- Thread starter budman410
- Start date
JohnDee
Well-Known Member
Budman,
I've used coco before and it seems you aren't using it as most do. You can't treat it like dirt. No wet dry cycle. The idea is to get around 20% runoff.
Since you have an automated nutrient system, set the timer for one longer watering daily and follow guidelines on your nutrient directions. Only start slow...maybe 1/4 strength and bump it up slowly.
Read how other coco growers are doing it.
JD
I've used coco before and it seems you aren't using it as most do. You can't treat it like dirt. No wet dry cycle. The idea is to get around 20% runoff.
Since you have an automated nutrient system, set the timer for one longer watering daily and follow guidelines on your nutrient directions. Only start slow...maybe 1/4 strength and bump it up slowly.
Read how other coco growers are doing it.
JD
I’ve read about it a couple times I guess my mind couldn’t wrap around always wet coco and the plants not being overwatered
JohnDee
Well-Known Member
Budman,
Ya it seems a little odd. But essentially it's treated as a hydro medium. Coco, like rockwool will only get saturated to a certain point. Always leaves like 20% air.
But by not watering ti runoff...you risk nutrient salt build up so the little flushes it gets keep that from happening.
You can go every two days on feeding too. But also with runoff.
JD
Ya it seems a little odd. But essentially it's treated as a hydro medium. Coco, like rockwool will only get saturated to a certain point. Always leaves like 20% air.
But by not watering ti runoff...you risk nutrient salt build up so the little flushes it gets keep that from happening.
You can go every two days on feeding too. But also with runoff.
JD
MATTYMATT726
Well-Known Member
Royal gold tupar can be watered 1-6 times. It has perlite in it and very good right out of the bag.
I don’t know where I would find that locally. I could ask my shop if he can get it in. I been doing a little more research and if it can stay wet and take 2 short watering a day coco will work
JohnDee
Well-Known Member
Just curious as to why you want to water this way.
Also...regarding your fine coco. I've seen coco sold in three basic grinds. The coarse stuff has fairly large chunks and actually will do hydro nicely. Or you could use it to amend your fine coco before the next run.
Cheers,
JD
I was under the impression being able to keep the plants wet have them that faster growth over soil?.. my shop has the chunky type by itself I thought it was too clumpy but mixing with the fine sound like a good idea.
JohnDee
Well-Known Member
Budman,
Everything is a balance. With that fine coco, one large flood daily should be enough to optimize grow.
I mentioned the watering to runoff thing for a reason. I just don't want you to have plant issues related to accumulated nutrient salts in the rootzone. It causes low ph and poor absorption.
So water how you wish...but if you don't include the little mini-flushes...perhaps do good flush once a week to keep your rootzone balanced.
If your ph does get wonky, you'll see it in runoff ph testing as well as more then one deficiency. This is very common among new coco growers.
JD
Everything is a balance. With that fine coco, one large flood daily should be enough to optimize grow.
I mentioned the watering to runoff thing for a reason. I just don't want you to have plant issues related to accumulated nutrient salts in the rootzone. It causes low ph and poor absorption.
So water how you wish...but if you don't include the little mini-flushes...perhaps do good flush once a week to keep your rootzone balanced.
If your ph does get wonky, you'll see it in runoff ph testing as well as more then one deficiency. This is very common among new coco growers.
JD
TintEastwood
Well-Known Member
What JohnDee said.
My thoughts...
I feed at lights on, then about every 3 or 4 hours thereafter. Just before lights off at times during 12/12 to prevent overdrying during lights off.
Automated irrigation, you want a slow flood, not drip. Simple timer that goes down to seconds, not just minutes.
Prefer bagged, buffered coco.
California substrates, or Canna Coco.
Know your coco.
http://blog.botanicare.com/calcium-magnesium-and-coco/
If you have some bangin lighting, often need epson/cal/mag type of supplement(s).
My thoughts...
I feed at lights on, then about every 3 or 4 hours thereafter. Just before lights off at times during 12/12 to prevent overdrying during lights off.
Automated irrigation, you want a slow flood, not drip. Simple timer that goes down to seconds, not just minutes.
Prefer bagged, buffered coco.
California substrates, or Canna Coco.
Know your coco.
http://blog.botanicare.com/calcium-magnesium-and-coco/
If you have some bangin lighting, often need epson/cal/mag type of supplement(s).
I’m just doing coco for my moms, everything else I flower on flood and drain tables. Now I need to decide on open ended tube or these sprinkler misting heads I use for my cloner
zypheruk
Well-Known Member
if your doing multi feeds per day in coco just reduce the nutrient strength. So if you would feed once a day at say 1.4EC you would reduce that to say 1ec for multi feeding, no need to flush with multi feeds as you get run off , and you should never flush coco with just water always add some calmag and low strength nutrient.
As for sprinkler, just use the bare feed pipe held in place.
As for sprinkler, just use the bare feed pipe held in place.
CannaCountry
Well-Known Member
Budman410, remember watering is not just a function of time, but also a function of volume. Coco has several characteristics that make it ideal for hydro. It has the ability to hold lots of oxygen while wet, it drains very well by itself and it wicks water very well; to name a few. The idea is to take advantage of these traits, and therefor experience the growth you're looking for. As noted above by some of the other members here, if you're watering the coco as you would soil you're missing out on the benefits of this medium and you probably won't see the growth you desire. I use the 'pick up the pot' method early on, checking each plant daily to see how they feel from the last feed. If the pot feels as though it's lost about half its weight in terms of what it weighed when the coco was wet, I feed / water. However, I feed / water in measured amounts. Example: One plant, 2 gallon pot...lets say we water it fully to 10% run off and this amount of water is equal to let's say a Quart. Now let's pick the pot up and mentally gauge its weight in your mind. The following day pick the same pot up, remember what it felt like the day before and compare the weight. If it's still about the same weight as the day before, do this again the following day. Ok, on this day the pot feels about 50% as heavy as the day we fed / watered it last. It's time to feed / water. And here is where you do the math and make your adjustments. You've determined now the plant is using 1 Quart of feed every 2 days or 1/2 a Quart per day. Now you can use this data and combine it with the characteristics I noted above, keeping in mind you want to feed / water as often as possible without causing ill effects to the plant. I like to feed / water twice a day, so if this were my plant I'd feed / water a 1/4 Quart not long after the lights come on and then a 1/4 Quart an hour before lights out. As the plant grows it will require more feed / water and you'll know this by continuing to pick up the plants to see if you need to up your feed or vice versa. As to how long to run your pump to achieve a desired volume of feed / water to your plant, just take your emitters for each plant and put them in a container (I use a mason jar because it's graduated), run your pump for 15 minutes and see how much water has accumulated in your container / jar. Let's say for example if you run your pump for 15 minutes and each emitter puts out a Quart of water (this also equates to 1/2 Quart every 7 1/2 minutes or 1/4 Quart every 3 minutes and 45 seconds), you now know that to meet the needs of this example you'll need to run the pump for 3 minutes and 45 seconds to get the 1/4 Quart feeding you want. Set your timer up to feed twice a day, at 3 minutes and 45 seconds each time and you've accomplished your mission and your girls will get to getting. Make sense? Of course heed the direction of some of the other members here and reduce your feed / water concentration (ppm / EC) when watering daily so you don't goof up your plants...in other words, more light feedings will do you better than one heavy feed. Hope this helps.
SMT69
Well-Known Member
I cant lift my pots because I’m in flowering and have a scrog net. First grow using coco. Any other way to estimate water inside?
I have just been flooding once a day. So far so good, but my ph is is 4.9 on runoff? Plants look fine. I ph to 6.0 going in. Always 20% runoff.
I have just been flooding once a day. So far so good, but my ph is is 4.9 on runoff? Plants look fine. I ph to 6.0 going in. Always 20% runoff.
JohnDee
Well-Known Member
SMT,
Built up nutrient salts acidify things. So I'd lighten up the nutrient strength. I sort of lost track of what your actual feeding schedule is now. I applaud CannaCountry for the length of his post...but I don't agree with some of the things he said. Picking up the pot is a dirt thing. You don't need to let coco dry. So don't worry about it. Just ease up on the nutes and keep following runoff ph.
You checking runoff ec also? Wouldn't be a bad idea.
JD
SMT69
Well-Known Member
Yeah, i been checking ppm, got it wayyyy down to 400ppm, was running high (1600).
been feeding low, and getting 400's runoff (keeping it low) and the ph still 4.7ish even after tons and tons of runoff
nutes have been nice and low for serveral days now. ive been doing 50% runoff everyday to bring ph up, but its not happening.... 6.0 going in and 4.9 coming out, nutes around 450ish
JohnDee
Well-Known Member
SMT,
Since you're getting good readings before...that tells us your meter is OK. I always suspect the meter when getting wonky results. But not the case here.
That was a radical reduction in nutrients but since you're there...I'd suggest just staying there for awhile. Could very well be that you were building up nutrient salts while up at 1600, and you just haven't washed it all out yet.
The concern with that PH in the rootzone is that nutrients that prefer to be absorbed at a somewhat higher level may be locked out.
If the plants look good I'd say carry on doing what you're doing. But if they are already showing deficiencies purple/red stems from P and maybe some yellowing in new growth from Fe deficiency...well then more aggressive action may be needed.
If you're the impatient type and wish to do a major flush...do so but I'd just use the levels that you're at now. You never flush coco with pure RO water.
JD
Since you're getting good readings before...that tells us your meter is OK. I always suspect the meter when getting wonky results. But not the case here.
That was a radical reduction in nutrients but since you're there...I'd suggest just staying there for awhile. Could very well be that you were building up nutrient salts while up at 1600, and you just haven't washed it all out yet.
The concern with that PH in the rootzone is that nutrients that prefer to be absorbed at a somewhat higher level may be locked out.
If the plants look good I'd say carry on doing what you're doing. But if they are already showing deficiencies purple/red stems from P and maybe some yellowing in new growth from Fe deficiency...well then more aggressive action may be needed.
If you're the impatient type and wish to do a major flush...do so but I'd just use the levels that you're at now. You never flush coco with pure RO water.
JD
Last edited:
Why not feed at higher ph, like 6.5?
SMT69
Well-Known Member
I was thinking that. I haven’t read anyone do that. The guides i been reading say 6.0 and keep going until runoff is same going out.
My plants are doin ok, I’m sure not optimal
I’m afraid if i ph high i may make things worse as nobody else has said to ph high
Any thoughts