Aero grower switching to Coco

[bass ackwards]

Well I've decided that since my next growroom will be at a location away from my house that it will be impractical to use an aeroponic system. If a pump goes out I could lose an entire crop within the time it would take to return to the op, even though I will be attending to the grow daily.
So I will try to grow in coco-coir. The problem is that I know absolutely nothing about this method. I need poeple with experience with this method to point me in the right direction. Any threads that you can refer me to would be helpful, I will study them and learn from them. If I can set up a system that could go without watering for a day I will be happy. As I said earlier I will be attending the grow daily but if something happens that I can't I would like to have that buffer. At this point that would be my prime concern, Plants in full flower being able to continue without daily watering if need be.
I am sure there will be other concerns which I will encounter as I research this further. I am really looking forward to learning this method and hope you guys will help me learn. Thanks in advance.

Respect bass

 

[grizz]

bass coca is alot like soil with the exception you really cant over water it as long as it can drain freely. I have missed a day every now and then but as a rule I water every day. get good clean coco, I prefer canna.

 

[boxmunch9]

Im doing a 50%coco/%50 perlite hempy bucket system right now and I water every 3 days, sometime i wait till the 4th day. i use floranova and kool-bloom, cal-mag every other water and I give it water evry 3rd watering. its the easiest system i have ever done. takes me 30 mins 2times a week to water. amazing growth in hempy buckets too

 

[FastForward]

Coco rules...it's sooo easy...so forgiving....and gives amazing results...the roots go crazy....and roots = buds :)

You can handwater daily or every other day, depending on pot size and how thirsty they get in flower. Water until there's a 10% runoff, to ensure you flush any salts out and you'll have no probs. No need to flush every 3rd drink. Just feed and be happy - but use a coco specific nute (e.g. Canna CocoAB). I use Canna Coco and nutes and I get fantastic results. Welcome to a whole new world of loving life :)

You learn very quickly to tell how wet the coco is by lifting the pots - if they're heavy then you're good, if they're light they need a drink...likewise coco colour....if the top is all beige/light brown then it's feed time...if it's dark brown it's all good.

 

[Rootbound]

I was worried about the watering thing too. I am watering no more than I did in soil. I water every 2-4 days depending on size . Get you a very reliable PH meter. That is probably my most important asset. ROOT

 

[mrarslimgoody]

extremely helpful..thx for starting this thread

 

[bass ackwards]

Thanks for all the responses and encouragement. I had been very happy with me aero operation especially since it was in my basement and I could tend to it several times a day. Basically just poking my nose in and "watching the grass grow". Now however when I start again I won't be that close and I have concerns about equipment breakdowns especially with nutrient pumps. I would not be happy if a pump failed or the electricity went out shortly after I left the grow and didn't return until the next day. Aeroponics is not forgiving under those circumstances so I need something better able to function under those circumstances. In addition I need to be able to pick up the system and move it with ease on the odd chance that the city wants to send in a fire inspector. It happens here on a yearly basis. Usually though they give you some notice of an upcoming inspection generally a week or two.
Those are the two major reasons that I want to change over.
Now I need to figure out how to build a system. Any advice you can offer will be graciously accepted.
Are these recirculating systems? Or are they run to waste? What kind of containers are you using? Basically I need to start from square one and go from there. I will be going over every thread I can find on Coco and will look everywhere you guys direct me. I wonder, will I need my aquarium chillers for my reservoir? It doesn't seem as if nutrient temps are as critical as they are in aero. I have so many questions that my mind is like scrambled eggs so I will stop rambling and start seeking information. Thanks for listening and please offer advice!

Respect bass

 

[bass ackwards]

So far I have learned that I can use either a run to waste or a recirculating system. I am leaning towards using a recirculating system. One concern I have is having small pieces of coco flake off and run through the system and clog my drip emitters. Should this be a concern if I use Canna coco? Has anybody heard of or used RioCoco? It seems that they supply a mix of coco that avoids that problem because it doesn't have small pieces in it's mix.

Another question I have concerns container size. How large of a container do I need? In my aero system I would fill the bottom of an eight inch wide twelve foot long trough or channel with roots to a depth of two inches,making it more like an NFT system than aero, and this from only six plants! This time I want to put 36 plants under a six foot by twelve foot light footprint (6x600w HPS) and grow them to a height of roughly 30" and harvest around 4oz per plant. This would bring me around 1gram/watt. Container size will have a huge influence on this, so I need to determine that now. Any direction you can offer will be appreciated.

When it comes to Ph,and PPM's, I should still be able to measure from my reservoir as before shouldn't I?

How important are nutrient temperatures with coco? I am thinking that I still need to use my chillers to maintain res temps at 68F, is this correct?

Well, that should give you enough to work on for now I will be looking forward to your answers or suggestions.

Respect bass

 

[bass ackwards]

Anybody?

 

[bass ackwards]

Things I have learned so far.
Small flakes of coco should not be a concern in a recirculating system,all I need to do is zip tie a woman's knee high nylon onto my return hose to catch them. Set up correctly,so that it is allowed to float in the reservoir this would provide a good place for beneficial bacteria to grow.
I should be able to use coco as a replacement for hydrotron and still use my aeroponic system with some minor adaptations. Possibly just a larger pump. Haven't quite figured that one out yet. I use 5" net pots for my aero system and I believe I can use them with coco also.
What I'm not happy about is the difficulty of tearing the system down should the need arise,more thought has to be in here. Possibly adapting my system to use three gallon
square buckets would address this and also eliminate the need for a larger pump.
While I do agree with most that Canna seems to be the best product as far as coco is concerned what appears to be the deciding factor as far as choice is concerned is the brand available locally. Unless you are willing to pay substantial shipping fees. For my purposes I think if possible I will use Botanicare coco and their line of bio-nutes. Canna,while good seem to be overpriced and I have been satisfied with Botanicare's line in the past.
Well that's an update of my thinking so far. It seems as if I'm talking to myself but if that's the case,so be it. My ramblings may help others to decide on their plans.

Respect bass

 

[punkadc]

hey bass! im a new grower, so i dont have much advice for you, but i have tried canna coco and botanicare coco also, and i can tell you there is almost no difference in the 2. one was slightly...and i mean slightly... more fibrous than the other... i think it was the botanicare that was more fibrous. the canna i believe is slightly more pithy. hope that helps you some, good luck with your grow!:)

 

[Jalisco Kid]

I was in aero before I switched to krusty buckets. I am not really in coir as I mix 60% more hydroton. I have found big dif in coir products. If you use large containers I would not use the pyth coir it is to fine. I like the organic empire chunky but my last 2 batches were full of bugs, 3 kinds. I water 4 x a day. If I watered every other day I would not get my growth. I clean my coir in 40 gal trash cans. If you rinse your coir and it comes out a darker color rinse more and check your ppm of the runoff. There is noway to get the growth of aero but I can go on vacations now. If it was not for the large plant count I would stick with aero. JK

 

[bass ackwards]

punkadc,You say you are a new grower? 1000 post count,I wonder what it will be after you get into growing. Thanks for the info on the coco,much appreciated.
If you don't mind I'd like to ask you an off topic question. Hopefully my state is going to upen up for medical mj,and I am thinking of becoming a licensed caregiver, could you tell me where I can learn how they do this in Cali. How does a caregiver arrange with med patients to supply them? Do they enter into long term contracts? I would hate to start growing under a verbal agreement only to have a patient go to someone else and I would have to destroy the plants I was growing for him. Any info you can point me to would be appreciated.

JK,I loved my aero also but I feel circumstances dictate something else. Bugs in your coco! I presume they were dead,but still not a nice thing to find. What did you do? Just out of curiosity what do you consider a large plant count? Currently my state is talking about seven to twelve plants per person. I am considering two flower rooms with 36 plants each and a clone/mother room with 40 plants.

Respect bass

 

[Jalisco Kid]

No they were live(eggs). The owner suggested baking his blocks. Like I have a huge oven in my back yard. JK
When I ran aero I did a sog so it took about 30 plants for 1 tree to be equal.

 

[MIZZ ELVIS]

hey bro here's my 2cents......If you got the reservoir chiller use it...At the very least it will serve to increase dissolved oxygen levels, and extend the life of your nutrients. Aside from that, I've experimented with coco and coco/soil mixes for awhile now. I personally have had the best results with coco/TLO recycled soil mix. I amend my Recycled soil mix with bcuzz coco, cocotek mix bricks, and cocogro coir bales till I have the desired consistency I'm looking for, wich generally ends up needing water about every 2 days. Along with the coco/TLO soil I add, vermiculite, chunky perlite, Higromite, Lot's of Red wrigglers(Eisenia fetida), bark mulch, oyster shell, greensand, granular dolomite lime, and humes yuuca extract as needed. Recently, following the advice of a friend I bought the new line of Natures Nectar organic organoponic NPK. You can go to organaponics.com to check them out. This line of ferts are amazing. They are the worlds first all natural organic nutrient that is compatible with hydro, soil, coco, and drip irrigation. The N 5-0-0 is completely solubilized, instantly available, with no sediment. 13% of the N formula contains 21 free amino acids, and is friggin awesome for beneficial organisms. The P 0-2-0 is a completely solubilized P source that also contains calcium, the P has many natural organic acids to aid in absorption. Lastly the K 0-0-5 is completey solubilized, and instantly available, The K source naturally contains cytokinins wich increases flower site development. The K also contains simple and complex carbohydrates, alginic acid for potassium translocation, and an array of different kelp species to strengthen the immunity and vigor of the plant. I am absolutely in love with these ferts. I get better yields and qaulity now, than I use to get growin with GH three part flora series, with kool bloom, floralicious plus and D.nectar in promix. I cannot express to you how much I love my natures nectar. This shit is the bomb, Kyle kushman uses it and said "this is what hardcore hydrogardeners have been dreaming of... professional products that work." Danny danko said this of Natures Nectar "truly the nectar of the gods." And last but not least I use 3.1 gallon dutch Maxi pots. Before that I used 2 gallon perfect pots, but opted for the three gallon maxi's as my plants were being deprived of thier full potential.

 

[ukcheesehead]

will be the best move u can make i used to be a soil grower but after trying coco i will neva go back to soil.. bigger yeilds piss easy to feed and very forgiving if u muck up ...
nutes are cheap as chips too ....

 

[bass ackwards]

JK, What did you do? If it were me I would have panicked and thrown the whole lot away.

MIZZ ELVIS, two cents you say. In my book that's more like a buck and a half. You must be some kind of botanist. The mixture you concoct must surely be able to get up and walk away. "Red wigglers"? sounds like worms, please elaborate.
Natures Nectar you say. I have to look into them. Kyle Kushman and Danny danko both have my respect,if they recommend it I will certainly look into them. Thanks for that.

ukcheesehead, I believe it will be a good move also,however I have not found the nutes to be inexpensive but I am just speaking of Canna nutes presently. I will compare others soon.

Respect bass

 

[ukcheesehead]

JK, What did you do? If it were me I would have panicked and thrown the whole lot away.

MIZZ ELVIS, two cents you say. In my book that's more like a buck and a half. You must be some kind of botanist. The mixture you concoct must surely be able to get up and walk away. "Red wigglers"? sounds like worms, please elaborate.
Natures Nectar you say. I have to look into them. Kyle Kushman and Danny danko both have my respect,if they recommend it I will certainly look into them. Thanks for that.

ukcheesehead, I believe it will be a good move also,however I have not found the nutes to be inexpensive but I am just speaking of Canna nutes presently. I will compare others soon.

Respect bass

canna nutes are worth the price you pay for them . 5ltrs A and B costs £35 the only thing what is over priced is the canna boost i wont use it no more i now use headmasta what does the same thing gives me big rock hard buds ..... and its only £13 a ltr unlike canna £45 a ltr

 

[bass ackwards]

uk,5ltrs of Canna A&B costs $90 or 60 GBP probably due to shipping. At the moment I am considering Botanicare,while not inexpensive they are more reasonable than Canna. The company has a good reputation and I have used some of their products before.
Thanks for the input.

Respect bass

 

[moejammin]

aero grow

Diving head first into hydro. Appreciate the thread you can never learn enough!