1st Time Coco Grower Help

[BDGrows]

Hey everyone, 2nd-time grower here. 1st time was in hydro, this time I wanted to switch it up and saw the ease of soil with the yields of hydro, so coco sold me. I bought some compressed no name brand coco brick and did the pillow case rinse until the water came out clean (20 min rinse with tap water), then I mixed 60:40 of coco to perlite. The clones after I transplanted them (about a day and a half ago) started to droop. Initially, I thought it could be transplant shock or over watering, so I put them outside to air out a bit and attempt to have them dry off. But as I checked on them again today, they haven't perked up and the soil was dry, so I re-watered and snapped some photos hoping you all can help me out.

Growing them in a 3x2x7 tent with a 400w MH/HPS set up. Only outside cause I thought overwatering might be an issue... No nutes yet due to them being transplanted a day and a half ago, but was planning on starting 1/4 strength tomorrow cause of the neutral medium. And for nutes, I was just going to do heads formula with 1ml Cal-Mg.

Also, how moist should the coco be before I rewater it?

http://i65.invalid.com/og075w.jpg


http://i68.invalid.com/33vjk82.jpg

http://i66.invalid.com/2en0wom.jpg
Thanks again for the help everyone, if this grow goes right; ill do a journal.

- BD

 

[Alaskanman1]

I am on my 4th grow with coco coir, water goes right thru it, you cant over water it, but you can over nute your plant, its best to under nute than to give it too much nutes. I have been using cfl's, but iam going to go get me a hps set up today. I think with hps my buds will come out better. My plant is 27 inches tall, lots of buds and full of crystals, pretty dense too. This is my cfl grow, what do you think?

 

[Farmer P]

Hey everyone, 2nd-time grower here. 1st time was in hydro, this time I wanted to switch it up and saw the ease of soil with the yields of hydro, so coco sold me. I bought some compressed no name brand coco brick and did the pillow case rinse until the water came out clean (20 min rinse with tap water), then I mixed 60:40 of coco to perlite. The clones after I transplanted them (about a day and a half ago) started to droop. Initially, I thought it could be transplant shock or over watering, so I put them outside to air out a bit and attempt to have them dry off. But as I checked on them again today, they haven't perked up and the soil was dry, so I re-watered and snapped some photos hoping you all can help me out.

Growing them in a 3x2x7 tent with a 400w MH/HPS set up. Only outside cause I thought overwatering might be an issue... No nutes yet due to them being transplanted a day and a half ago, but was planning on starting 1/4 strength tomorrow cause of the neutral medium. And for nutes, I was just going to do heads formula with 1ml Cal-Mg.

Also, how moist should the coco be before I rewater it?

Thanks again for the help everyone, if this grow goes right; ill do a journal.

- BD

You probably should've ran some 1/4 to 1/2 strength nutes before you planted and some cal mag if your nutes don't have a lot already. Never put plain water through coco as it needs to be pre-charged because it likes to hold on to a certain amount of nutes for itself and won't share with the plant. If you wash out too much you starve your plant. I would feed it right away with the 1/4 to 1/2 and let there be plenty of runoff the first time. Then water daily to every other day to 20% runoff and increase the nutes as the plants get bigger. Coco is hydroponic so think like you did growing hydro. Would you have let the medium dry out?

 

[BDGrows]

And this one was from this morning,

I ran 1/4 strength nutes through it last night and it still doesnt look like its bounced back. So im going to give em another week and give them 1/4 nutes for 3 more days, then bump it up into 1/2 strength nutes and hope to get them to rebound. Thank you for the help guys.

- BD

 

[Farmer P]

They'll probably bounce back. It could just be transplant shock or adjustment to brighter light. Good luck!

 

[BDGrows]

 

[Farmer P]

Sunlight is pretty strong for the little guys, probably ok in small doses. Maybe a little shade cloth until they get stronger. Putting them outside may also invite pests. Keep an eye out for crawlies.

 

[BDGrows]

Sunlight is pretty strong for the little guys, probably ok in small doses. Maybe a little shade cloth until they get stronger. Putting them outside may also invite pests. Keep an eye out for crawlies.

Yeah, I decided to just keep em inside from now on. Just gave em their nutes for the day, 1/4 strength (EC of .3) at 5.8 pH. Trying to veg them on a 20/4 cycle, head that produces the best growth versus the standard 18/6. Was wanting to flip them in like 4 weeks but by the looks of them im not sure theyre going to be ready... Thanks again for all the help.

- BD

 

[BDGrows]

My plant is 27 inches tall, lots of buds and full of crystals, pretty dense too. This is my cfl grow, what do you think?

This is the type of results im trying to get with coco, haha. Awesome grow!

 

[Nugteq]

few tips. coco best to stay wet but in early stages you need to go through dry stages. this increases root development. after a week or so your new plant should be able to uptake more waterings

you'll see the toplayer of coco start to dry out faster and faster. good indicator its time to bump up watering frequency. low ppm/ec/nutes at 1/2 strength twice a day till runoff shows on bottom.

then increase to full strength once roots are fully devoloped. then you "can overwater" without any damage...coco does need to stay wet tho but not saturated at a level that plants roots can't handle or they will suffocate.

i haven't made my own coco yet but try a prepackaged bag on your first run until you get a good system? try it out

 

[JMcG]

I am on my 4th grow with coco coir, water goes right thru it, you cant over water it, but you can over nute your plant, its best to under nute than to give it too much nutes. I have been using cfl's, but iam going to go get me a hps set up today. I think with hps my buds will come out better. My plant is 27 inches tall, lots of buds and full of crystals, pretty dense too. This is my cfl grow, what do you think?

Man, you should REALLY consider the 315 CMH vs that 600w HPS. If you can do that with those little cfls then you should crush it with CMH!