Coco & Perlite Setup

[Matan Elihav]

I want to maximize my mastication by feeding my plants and I want to compile an automated irrigations system. I have equipment suitable for raising with Coco Perlite, and I need some help with setting up.

My equipment - Water pump, digital timer (on/off 16 per day minimum one minute), Water tank, Drips, Pipes, etc..

My questions:
1) How many drips should I assign per plant? (3)
2) Other than the water pump in the water tank, should I add a water mixer - to prevent the salt from sinking to the bottom? (2)
3) How many actions should I add to the digital timer? For how long each time?(7)
4)How can I tell if I'm over irrigsting or not irrigating enough while maintaining the right E.C and P.H?
5)What are the right E.C values for Coco Perlight in each growth stage? i.e per germination, growth, and bloom.
6) Any tips for building a drain try? (4)
7)Any other tip? I would be happy to hear any advice :)

 

[G gnome]

I want to maximize my mastication by feeding my plants and I want to compile an automated irrigations system. I have equipment suitable for raising with Coco Perlite, and I need some help with setting up.

My equipment - Water pump, digital timer (on/off 16 per day minimum one minute), Water tank, Drips, Pipes, etc..

My questions:
1) How many drips should I assign per plant? (3)
2) Other than the water pump in the water tank, should I add a water mixer - to prevent the salt from sinking to the bottom? (2)
3) How many actions should I add to the digital timer? For how long each time?(7)
4)How can I tell if I'm over irrigsting or not irrigating enough while maintaining the right E.C and P.H?
5)What are the right E.C values for Coco Perlight in each growth stage? i.e per germination, growth, and bloom.
6) Any tips for building a drain try? (4)
7)Any other tip? I would be happy to hear any advice :)

@Thejoeybrown shud be able to help ya. Hes doin something similar

 

[CallmeTex]

I'm basically a noob to coco, but I really love your illustration. I'm also setting up an irrigation system for coco, so I'll be lurking. My design is going to have a 500gph wave maker at the bottom to mix. I'm going to put it on a cycle timer.

 

[Thejoeybrown]

I want to maximize my mastication by feeding my plants and I want to compile an automated irrigations system. I have equipment suitable for raising with Coco Perlite, and I need some help with setting up.

My equipment - Water pump, digital timer (on/off 16 per day minimum one minute), Water tank, Drips, Pipes, etc..

My questions:
1) How many drips should I assign per plant? (3)
2) Other than the water pump in the water tank, should I add a water mixer - to prevent the salt from sinking to the bottom? (2)
3) How many actions should I add to the digital timer? For how long each time?(7)
4)How can I tell if I'm over irrigsting or not irrigating enough while maintaining the right E.C and P.H?
5)What are the right E.C values for Coco Perlight in each growth stage? i.e per germination, growth, and bloom.
6) Any tips for building a drain try? (4)
7)Any other tip? I would be happy to hear any advice :)

Man you pretty much got it bro. Haha
So I use 2 drips per plant. Have done 1 with no problems. The coco will wick up the water either way. I prefer straight Coco but nothing wrong with perlite.
I run a smaller pump inside the tank with a pvc actinic as a waterfall on a seperate timer to mix the Rez. I have it run 3 times a day for 10 min. Cheap 10 dollar pump.
You can feed as many times as you want as long as you don’t let the coco dry all the way out. Depending on pot size. With 1/2 gal pots I was feeding every hour. So 12 times a day in flower. Usually no more than 2-3 in veg. Bigger pots like #2 pots maybe 4x at Max in flower. You can’t really overwater coco once the roots are really established.
Ppm is gonna vary and be up to you to read what your plants like. With my nutes I run 1.6 ec as a base and upbit some in flower depending.
All of this is just how I do it but however you make it work bro

 

[Thejoeybrown]

Depending where you’re set up is you can drill a hole in the bottom of your run off tank and run a drain hose to somewhere to drain. Or a shop vac works great if that’s not possible. I also would have a lid on your run off tank with conduit connecting it to the drain. Otherwise the standing water underneath will attract gnats n other bad ish

 

[Matan Elihav]

Thank you, you helped me a lot !
I will keep updating. How many plants do you recommend to put into the 60x100x160 area I want to put 3 pots of 12 liters there, do you think that would be a problem with s.c.r.o.g?

 

[CallmeTex]

Thank you, you helped me a lot !
I will keep updating. How many plants do you recommend to put into the 60x100x160 area I want to put 3 pots of 12 liters there, do you think that would be a problem with s.c.r.o.g?

So it depends, if you're going to scrog them you could get away with 1 plant. You could do 3 plants and a little less veg time. All depends on your goals. More variety from more plants, is what I always choose..:smoking:

@Thejoeybrown I've got a question for ya. If my reservoir is higher than my plants should use some sort of check valve to keep the res from draining into the plants?? Could it be a quarter turn valve slightly opened at the top of the res to make sure it doesn't keep siphoning off? The res is a 50gal plastic tank btw.

Rudimentary illustration.

 

[Thejoeybrown]

So it depends, if you're going to scrog them you could get away with 1 plant. You could do 3 plants and a little less veg time. All depends on your goals. More variety from more plants, is what I always choose..:smoking:

@Thejoeybrown I've got a question for ya. If my reservoir is higher than my plants should use some sort of check valve to keep the res from draining into the plants?? Could it be a quarter turn valve slightly opened at the top of the res to make sure it doesn't keep siphoning off? The res is a 50gal plastic tank btw.

Rudimentary illustration.
View attachment 767779

If it’s a pump and not a gravity system it should be fine. I’ve never had a problem when my drip lines and manifold are higher than the plants

 

[Thejoeybrown]

If it’s a pump and not a gravity system it should be fine. I’ve never had a problem when my drip lines and manifold are higher than the plants

I use a flow valve to adjust the speed thru the lines. So if I’m using 25 lines it needs to be open a lot more than if I’m using 5 lines. But that’s the only reason for the valve in my case.

 

[CallmeTex]

If it’s a pump and not a gravity system it should be fine. I’ve never had a problem when my drip lines and manifold are higher than the plants

Yes sir, with a pump. I'll report back when I build the system.

 

[buttercuts]

Thank you, you helped me a lot !
I will keep updating. How many plants do you recommend to put into the 60x100x160 area I want to put 3 pots of 12 liters there, do you think that would be a problem with s.c.r.o.g?

thats cool to see an old pack of vanilla kush. had one similar back about 10 years ago from amsterdam

 

[Enforcer]

Yes sir, with a pump. I'll report back when I build the system.

Did you get your system up and running Tex?

 

[CallmeTex]

Did you get your system up and running Tex?

Yup running great now. I'll throw up some pics here, but there is quite a bit more info in the Dope Shed thread.

Notice on the far left where the pvc comes out of the blue barrel, after the union and elbows is a backflow prevention valve. I thought it would be enough to keep a siphon from happening, but it wasn't. I ended up having to T inside the barrel and make a small hole to prevent the siphon. System working top notch though after that. Only had to flood my room a little:cry:

First crop in coco, ended up very nice. And now, I'm running in 3 gal pots instead of 10 gal.

I build this drain table since then to drain outside. All my runoff from veg, dehuey, and flower goes to some fruit trees outside. :D

 

[Enforcer]

Yup running great now. I'll throw up some pics here, but there is quite a bit more info in the Dope Shed thread.
View attachment 779957
Notice on the far left where the pvc comes out of the blue barrel, after the union and elbows is a backflow prevention valve. I thought it would be enough to keep a siphon from happening, but it wasn't. I ended up having to T inside the barrel and make a small hole to prevent the siphon. System working top notch though after that. Only had to flood my room a little:cry:
View attachment 779960

First crop in coco, ended up very nice. And now, I'm running in 3 gal pots instead of 10 gal.
View attachment 779965
I build this drain table since then to drain outside. All my runoff from veg, dehuey, and flower goes to some fruit trees outside. :D
View attachment 779967

Nice work. I had to do the same thing and put an elbow with a small hole in the res as an anti-siphon. Your grow room is awesome!

 

[CallmeTex]

Nice work. I had to do the same thing and put an elbow with a small hole in the res as an anti-siphon. Your grow room is awesome!

Thanks Enforcer, here's someshots of those same gurls at about 22days in.

 

[Enforcer]

Thanks Enforcer, here's someshots of those same gurls at about 22days in.
View attachment 783455

Nice node spacing! Those are really gonna stack.

 

[McNaughty]

Thanks Enforcer, here's someshots of those same gurls at about 22days in.
View attachment 783455

Any more updated pics.? The girls are looking sweet

 

[Farmer P]

I want to maximize my mastication by feeding my plants and I want to compile an automated irrigations system. I have equipment suitable for raising with Coco Perlite, and I need some help with setting up.

My equipment - Water pump, digital timer (on/off 16 per day minimum one minute), Water tank, Drips, Pipes, etc..

My questions:
1) How many drips should I assign per plant? (3)
2) Other than the water pump in the water tank, should I add a water mixer - to prevent the salt from sinking to the bottom? (2)
3) How many actions should I add to the digital timer? For how long each time?(7)
4)How can I tell if I'm over irrigsting or not irrigating enough while maintaining the right E.C and P.H?
5)What are the right E.C values for Coco Perlight in each growth stage? i.e per germination, growth, and bloom.
6) Any tips for building a drain try? (4)
7)Any other tip? I would be happy to hear any advice :)

Great drawing!!! Subbed instantly when I saw that. All the questions seem well answered. Good Luck!

 

[CallmeTex]

Any more updated pics.? The girls are looking sweet

Dtw coco run with multiple feeds a day kills it every time. Once you dial it in of course.