Coco vs Soil medium? First Timer

[jguit]

Coco is great if you treat it like hydro and have the ability to automate your feedings (reservoir, pump, etc..). The downside of coco as a hydroponic medium IMHO is it's CEC but you can work around that fairly easily. The pluses are, coco is a very forgiving medium and growth rates are excellent. That said, I'll most likely switch to rockwool in the near future, if only to eliminate the CEC considerations of coco.

If you're going to go the hand watering route, ProMix is an easy medium to grow in and definitely worth considering.

 

[Habosabin]

If growing in a tent there really is no reason to grow auto unless you have a 100w light (DLI reasoning). All the advantages of autos are realized outdoors. I've grown 5 autos and 1 photo. The photo genetics and yeilds were superior. Won't be growing autos for a while though I have some Ethos autos I will eventually to reevaluate autos.

 

[Stonerbudz]

In my opinion if I were to tell anyone if they are very first time growing to go with soil as you won't need to water as much as coco but of course of you know yo ur basics and how to work with nutrients and everything than go with coco you will get better grows and bigger plants 75% of the time unless if u nutrient lock them or keep overwaterimg them and having them sitting in the water from last watering

 

[Buzzzz]

Because it's a big pain in the ass for a new grower. All coco is good for is holding roots,,, thats it. You have to water/feed and measure run off and screw around with it and manipulate it all. It's a manual half ass hydroponics way of growing. Some delude themselves to thinking it's a miracle advanced soil grow. Of which it is not. New growers have so many other facets of growing to master. Why complicate it with a coco baby sitting busy work grow? Can a coco grow out produce a soil grow,,, you bet it can if everything is perfect and the coco grow is managed right. If wrong it's a bunk grow and a waist of time and money. But a true, well setup and managed hydroponics grow will blow a coco grow away. After the setup cost and time for hydro is met it's as easy as a soil grow if not easier. Many of my fellow veteran growers fall in one of two camps now days. We are either soil or hydro growers. We rode the coco grow fad when it started years ago because it was the new thing. We were young and idealistic. Now it's master your lighting and environment and simplify the grow and nutrients.

They figured out away to sell coconut husk You can use any medium for hydroponics or none at all if you suspend. I had some growing in an old seat cushion,plain staw bail, I grew some in plain 3/4 clear limestone gravel and another in plain sand in a small test bed.Just like soil it holds the plant,some better than others. There is a really good book I read many years ago on the army growing veggies in the sahara sands,it even gave salt forumlas and application rates.