Coco preparation for living soil mix

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trichonometry

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I've been growing for a year now. Not long but have a basic understanding. I hope to grow as close to organic as possible from building soil to cure. But im still stuck at the soil building stage!

Main problem is preparing coco. I noticed coco is great for drainage, water dispersal, and general soil structure, but not so great with a few other things like coping with variable conditions. So ive added a bit of peat moss which seems to get a good balance. Also added variety of stones to the mix to get some texture etc. Mix feels and works really well.

The coco prep is done by washing through until runoff ppm reaches input water ppm (near 50ppm). coco then soaked for a few days in RO water with some calcium and magnesium additives. Ive tried a few different types of calmag sources including botanicare calmag, epsom salts, seas shell/vinegar mixes. All with pretty similar results.

The main issue is that each time i use the f#cker, it give calcium excess symptoms in plants. clawed leaves, or potassium magnesium and other symptoms all arising from excessive calcium (this is my assessment). So im stuck here. Maybe there is still sodium in coco somewhere that leaches out over time or maybe coco needs calcium nitrate instead...

Currently ive noticed that when i flush and then add a nitrogen based acid to the mix, plants seem to react positively - start praying/reaching etc. Be cool if i didnt have to put the plants through that. So any thoughts on this? Any improvements i can make?

Also to complicate things even further, just found out that after about 9 weeks in grow, coco flushes out a load of potassium...

Really want to get proficient at this. Maybe its not a perfect medium, maybe ill have to develop a system of catering to cocos needs as much as the plant! Doesnt sound good...

Available amendments nearby are bat guanno, home made worm castings (started my own), compost (also home made), buffalo manure (dont have any buffalo yet), and chicken manure (also from unknown farms). dont have anything like foxfarm or buildasoil available.

Setup includes two tents, indoor, 150w led, 300w led.

Conditions are between 25-28°c, 50-75% humidity. First grows so not going to get too obsessive about temps and humidity yet as when the plants grow, they do well.
 
GreenGalaxyFarm

GreenGalaxyFarm

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Main problem is preparing coco. I noticed coco is great for drainage, water dispersal, and general soil structure, but not so great with a few other things like coping with variable conditions
yes
. So ive added a bit of peat moss which seems to get a good balance.
perfect
Also added variety of stones to the mix to get some texture etc. Mix feels and works really well.
hydroton? acts as condominiums for you microbes.
 
GreenGalaxyFarm

GreenGalaxyFarm

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Really want to get proficient at this. Maybe its not a perfect medium, maybe ill have to develop a system of catering to cocos needs as much as the plant! Doesnt sound good...
are you working with the peat coco and stones only as a base? no amendments?
 
T

trichonometry

10
3
too many unknows with homemade compost probably end up giving excess nitrogen doing this
I found that out the hard way! Watching too many youtube posts and thinking it would be straight forward... So I'm concentrating on a solid base mix with no amendments. Then go from there. Then ill be able to add a bit of something and wait for reaction. it will take time but id like to try it out and along the way learn about fixing issues etc. Crash course which takes 20years !
 
GreenGalaxyFarm

GreenGalaxyFarm

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Watching too many youtube posts and thinking it would be straight forward... So I'm concentrating on a solid base mix with no amendments. Then go from there
i agree you cant remove anything during a grow but you can add as you wish. if you dont know whats in it dont add it.
look into rock dust to buffer against the low ph of peat.
 
T

trichonometry

10
3
are you working with the peat coco and stones only as a base? no amendments?
Yes, thought id try to get the base medium sorted first. then i can add home made ferments and other types of composts and manures to see the plants reactions. i dont know npks of a lot of composts etc available and dont have funds for lots of tests. So trial and error atm.
 
T

trichonometry

10
3
i agree you cant remove anything during a grow but you can add as you wish. if you dont know whats in it dont add it.
look into rock dust to buffer against the low ph of peat.
Checked runnoff regularly to make sure it wasnt out of range and its in between 6-7 mostly. Have some other acids or bases to help with fluctuations but havent had any yet. Im adding volcanic rock to supply some minerals and texture which i hear is an ok substitute i hope!
 
T

trichonometry

10
3
simple dont add. npks are cool ncpk is better, dont do organics without c
Recently learned about importance of carbon! Got some molasses and cane sugar. All amendments will be organic forms of ferments or manures and composts. Ill keep check on that - didnt think about that so much before
 
GreenGalaxyFarm

GreenGalaxyFarm

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your home made compost will be full of microbes and carbon, not knowing whats in it is a bother to me, but you may be less worried and get really good results with it
 
T

trichonometry

10
3
your home made compost will be full of microbes and carbon, not knowing whats in it is a bother to me, but you may be less worried and get really good results with it
Ive tried to keep compost away from pests. I only use fruit and vegetables, and monitor drainage and aeration, which i can then test by smell and fungal growth. Its kept in a bin without much contact to soil or many bugs, and then is fed to worms. but the system isnt perfect and still improving it. Using teas are my prefered method of feeding to avoid most problems. I have some juices for keeping bugs in control too - i hope... Tested it a few times and its worked ok... Had fleas in one bag of soil once - bought from a garden shop. That didnt work out well. Trying to avoid that...
 
Last edited:
FrankL

FrankL

6
1
I've been growing for a year now. Not long but have a basic understanding. I hope to grow as close to organic as possible from building soil to cure. But im still stuck at the soil building stage!

Main problem is preparing coco. I noticed coco is great for drainage, water dispersal, and general soil structure, but not so great with a few other things like coping with variable conditions. So ive added a bit of peat moss which seems to get a good balance. Also added variety of stones to the mix to get some texture etc. Mix feels and works really well.

The coco prep is done by washing through until runoff ppm reaches input water ppm (near 50ppm). coco then soaked for a few days in RO water with some calcium and magnesium additives. Ive tried a few different types of calmag sources including botanicare calmag, epsom salts, seas shell/vinegar mixes. All with pretty similar results.

The main issue is that each time i use the f#cker, it give calcium excess symptoms in plants. clawed leaves, or potassium magnesium and other symptoms all arising from excessive calcium (this is my assessment). So im stuck here. Maybe there is still sodium in coco somewhere that leaches out over time or maybe coco needs calcium nitrate instead...

Currently ive noticed that when i flush and then add a nitrogen based acid to the mix, plants seem to react positively - start praying/reaching etc. Be cool if i didnt have to put the plants through that. So any thoughts on this? Any improvements i can make?

Also to complicate things even further, just found out that after about 9 weeks in grow, coco flushes out a load of potassium...

Really want to get proficient at this. Maybe its not a perfect medium, maybe ill have to develop a system of catering to cocos needs as much as the plant! Doesnt sound good...

Available amendments nearby are bat guanno, home made worm castings (started my own), compost (also home made), buffalo manure (dont have any buffalo yet), and chicken manure (also from unknown farms). dont have anything like foxfarm or buildasoil available.

Setup includes two tents, indoor, 150w led, 300w led.

Conditions are between 25-28°c, 50-75% humidity. First grows so not going to get too obsessive about temps and humidity yet as when the plants grow, they do well.
I agree coco may not the great solution everyone hoped. I've noticed some of the "gurus of coco" have gone to reviewing lights and never say anything about coco anymore. At least one of them will probably have to change their "stage" name....
 
FrankL

FrankL

6
1
The planet is in it's current condition because we've been trying to feed billions, for money, and want to see immediate results of anything we do. You're right. It probably will take 20 years to build a natural sample of soil. Not bad, since the "good stuff" took several thousand.
 
ezenzyme

ezenzyme

625
93
thats a wierd way to prep your coco, your thinking that soaking it for days in a ca additive will buffer it? Your not putting lime or gypsum? Thats your problem right there duder. In ogranics you expand your coco with reg non tap water then use as a mix. I like 70 or 80 percent peat with the little of coco in my thirds mix. Thirds being compost/peat coco/basalt pearlite pumice
 
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