The coco challenge.

[Capulator]

I just got some of those croutons as well. I really like the air exchnage in the media with these.

 

[cheech]

Oh yea? Schweet.

I'm interested in seeing how the block compares. Doesn't seem very practical in this situation where it's going to be transplanted in more wool.

But I'm more interested to see how the growth compares to coco. I've got it setup so all the plants under the 'rock wool light', even the coco, are getting gh floranova grow. The plants under the other light are being fed the hg coco ab.

 

[cheech]

I bought a 'sun leaves coir block' from htg because it's the only coco they had in stock...

Sucks. I don't mind the 2 ec, I can flush it out simple enough, but jeezus christ. Talk about puddling up. This stuff might as well have been pure peatmoss.

Just placed an order for 100 lbs of coco off ebay.

 

[TrichromeFan]

Are you gonna start another comparison post on the rockwool in buckets vs the coco, or just add on here? I want to do the same test myself. Dynamite's thread is sweet! I used to be a rockwool guy for years. I hear it calling me. Especially after a bout with the root aphids....

Thanks again for the comparison test, cheech!

-TF

 

[GreenThumbBill]

Are you gonna start another comparison post on the rockwool in buckets vs the coco, or just add on here? I want to do the same test myself. Dynamite's thread is sweet! I used to be a rockwool guy for years. I hear it calling me. Especially after a bout with the root aphids....

Thanks again for the comparison test, cheech!

-TF

Which brand of coco did you get your root aphids from?

 

[cheech]

TF, I'll just add on here probably.

I'm not convinced that rw would have any less problems with bugs than coco, especially the loose wool which they can easily breach. My major concern is growth rate. I really really really like coco, but if RW can veg a plant faster and hardier, I'd change mediums.

I ran across a thread at pg, where dynamite was saying he was at his wits end with fungus gnats in his rockwool, so the pendulum definitely swings both ways.

 

[motherlode]

yeah fungus gnats love rockwool - maybe more then in coco

but if you do like I did and make covers out of a paper plates they cant easily get in and out of the medium and wont easily establish the colony

when it comes to bugs in your root zone it really doesnt matter what the medium is

the issue for me is having the bugs ion the medium that I just paid for

 

[TrichromeFan]

I am in no way certain that any root aphids came from the coco. It is just a possibility. If not from the origin, possibly in transit or storage of the coco. You never know. I just see it as a more likely way for pests to enter. Only more playtime will tell the story.

-TF

 

[cheech]

The plants I have posted on page 1 have been in bloom for a while now. They're looking pretty good. Feeding at 1.6-1.8 every irrigation caught up to me again and they looked awesome for a while with a runoff of 2.6-2.8 but then nute burn showed. Flushed to 1.6-2.0. Just trying to ride it out.

 

[cheech]

Here's a similar room with the same plants, but 2 reflectors are open hood.

Have been feeding lighter in this room, maybe a little too light. Trying to maintain 2.0 ec in the medium for the ss chronics. Going to start a 1.8 ec, 1.8 ec , .8 ec feed routine and see if that works.

 

[UCtheOceanState]

im doing str8 up coco out of the brick, no mix gh coco bricks belive its called cocotek...rinsed once and texted ph of the run off it was pretty much 7.0

 

[cheech]

im doing str8 up coco out of the brick, no mix gh coco bricks belive its called cocotek...rinsed once and texted ph of the run off it was pretty much 7.0

I just browsed through your photos, you're gonna be busy.

Regarding straight coco.... Not a problem as long as you're not transplanting into a large amount of it. Going from a 1 gallon to a 7+ would be a bad idea and the plant would show problems until it was able to spread its roots out and drink up the solution within a few days - but it would take 2 weeks just to do that.

Having good success with 1 to 2.5 to 7 or 10 gallon.