I'm on my second run with coco coir. Works great. It is not dirt. (everyone says that, so worth the reminder.)
Point 1 - It will not absorb water.
It can look wet, but it isn't really. I use CANNA, just because that is what they carry. It makes potting soil look rather coarse in comparison.
The particles cling water on, but not inside them. OK. That is the main point you will see. Doesn't hold water.
Point 2 - roots grow like crazy in it.
Point 3 - coir has a lot of salt - gotta rinse that out. Rule of thumb for me is at least 3 times the volume of RO water for rinse, before I can get the same PPM out as PPM in, for the rinse water
Point 4 - Coir seem to have an affinity for calcium salt. I've read this. I don't really understand that considering Point 1, but, I see it.
Point 5 - I need to support the Calcium or I see the lack
And I'm sure you know this all works gang busters for roots.
So, here is what I do.
- make solution I intend for the SOLO cup rooting. For clones I start at 90 ppm. ( Water is 70, so not much over)
- I am a reducer of concentrations. IOW, I get all the ingredients in there in proportion and then I set the PPM with dilution.
In there, I have my only plant food, I use throughout. 16-16-16 Sea Kelp based, Sea Grow. I add Cal/Mag and Silicon, to what the label says. It can be as strong as 450 ppm in peak bloom and I start with 90 ppm. Simple.
So, in coir you are hydroponics, still. It won't hold water. So, you have to get roots and then be set up to feed every day. When they get big, like 3 or 4 feet, they need 2 x a day feed. And pot must drain completely, each time.
But, for rooting it is different. The Mix, at 90 PPM is the last rinse of the coir and it will be wet. So, no holes in the SOLO cup. Make the roots follow it down to the bottom. I plant high in the cup, so there is room under.
Then what happens is after about a week, I see the top of coir, get bone dry looking. OK!!!! These roots are getting desperate now. But, another mm of growth gets more water to them....COOL.
Here is the first time through where I planted low in the cup, at 10 days.
First, is the, only Perlite, fail. Then coir after after 10 day and then in a 6" azalea pot and Crumble after just another week. Holy mole!
Crumble is a nick name for 50/50 coir and hydroton. Holds even less water.
I will start seeds soon and I imagine it will need a month to get to where I start with clones. But, even then I won't start seeds in a 16 oz SOLO cup. Start very small. Like 4 oz. It is widely known in Botany, that there is too much water in a large container for a small plant.
So, I will do 3 transplants for seeds, and only 2 for clones.
Hope this helps. Cheers!
