PlumberSoCal2
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I don't wanna get off on a rant here but I've seen a new growing trend of using coco coir with a soil grow style. Anyone who's grown in coco coir knows how fast it dries out and the damage that can cause to a plant.
If there's anything that works really good, like growing in coco with 3-5 x's fetigations (Note-You never just "water" coco, always with nutes hence the term "fertigation") per DAY we humans will try to find an easier way of doing it.
While there is an easier way and I'll get to an automatic fertigation in the weeks/months to come I'm going to show you how to grow in coconut coir using hydro nutrients and I'm going to accomplish this by recording a 1 gallon grow competition on these pages.
So enjoy and see if this growing style might be for you.
Growing in coconut coir is a type of hydroponics, not soil. You're running nutrient water over the roots several times each and every day.
Today we'll start with starting seeds. Most of us have seen and/or tried the paper towel method. Wet a paper towel, place seed(s) on towel, fold towel over in half covering seeds, place in plastic bag and put in a dark warm place. Check each day, several times a day until roots can be seen then place seed in soil/coir/rock wool or some type of medium.
Doesn't work for me. If it works for you more power to ya. I'm all thumbs and injure the roots so I sow directly into coir (coco or peat depending on how the plant will be grown, coco or soil) in 2-3" peat pots
After a 24 hour soak
in tap water. I've been adding Super Thrive
a vitamin type supplement developed over 80 years ago for aiding transplant shock and promoting plant health. I used it on vegetables for decades, both for transplanting and seed starting so 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water, add seeds, allow to sit 24 hours. Feel free to skip the the Super Thrive.
I use tap water for almost everything with growing. My water is 7.0pH with 220 carbonate hardness and most of that is calcium which is good for plants. Also the chemicals used to disinfect the water, chlorine and ammonia also help to disinfect seed starting and clone water and containers over say bottled water.
For this grow I've water washed a couple small blocks of coconut coir and chosen my 1 gallon cloth pots
Nutrients I use Master Blend
A three part combination. We're still about 2 weeks away from needing any nutes but I added them here as without them there won't be a grow.
I haven't found anything on the market that costs so little yet grows such large and healthy plants and is so versatile. When we get closer to needing the nutes for this grow I'll explain in detail.
I'm entering 2 strains in the aforementioned 1 gallon grow contest, Auto category: Bobby's Widow x Toof Decay, a cross I made a couple years ago and Regular category: S1 seeds of Sarsparilla, GMO x Pure Michigan I made last year. Both regs and autos are Regular seeds meaning they can produce both boys and girls. I'm hoping for girls but I've started enough seeds of the auto to make a few more seeds which is the plan.
That's it for our first day. Tomorrow the seeds that look good will get buried and then the 3+ day wait begins to see which seedlings will be in the competition.
If there's anything that works really good, like growing in coco with 3-5 x's fetigations (Note-You never just "water" coco, always with nutes hence the term "fertigation") per DAY we humans will try to find an easier way of doing it.
While there is an easier way and I'll get to an automatic fertigation in the weeks/months to come I'm going to show you how to grow in coconut coir using hydro nutrients and I'm going to accomplish this by recording a 1 gallon grow competition on these pages.
So enjoy and see if this growing style might be for you.
Growing in coconut coir is a type of hydroponics, not soil. You're running nutrient water over the roots several times each and every day.
Today we'll start with starting seeds. Most of us have seen and/or tried the paper towel method. Wet a paper towel, place seed(s) on towel, fold towel over in half covering seeds, place in plastic bag and put in a dark warm place. Check each day, several times a day until roots can be seen then place seed in soil/coir/rock wool or some type of medium.
Doesn't work for me. If it works for you more power to ya. I'm all thumbs and injure the roots so I sow directly into coir (coco or peat depending on how the plant will be grown, coco or soil) in 2-3" peat pots
After a 24 hour soak
in tap water. I've been adding Super Thrive
a vitamin type supplement developed over 80 years ago for aiding transplant shock and promoting plant health. I used it on vegetables for decades, both for transplanting and seed starting so 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water, add seeds, allow to sit 24 hours. Feel free to skip the the Super Thrive.
I use tap water for almost everything with growing. My water is 7.0pH with 220 carbonate hardness and most of that is calcium which is good for plants. Also the chemicals used to disinfect the water, chlorine and ammonia also help to disinfect seed starting and clone water and containers over say bottled water.
For this grow I've water washed a couple small blocks of coconut coir and chosen my 1 gallon cloth pots
Nutrients I use Master Blend
A three part combination. We're still about 2 weeks away from needing any nutes but I added them here as without them there won't be a grow.
I haven't found anything on the market that costs so little yet grows such large and healthy plants and is so versatile. When we get closer to needing the nutes for this grow I'll explain in detail.
I'm entering 2 strains in the aforementioned 1 gallon grow contest, Auto category: Bobby's Widow x Toof Decay, a cross I made a couple years ago and Regular category: S1 seeds of Sarsparilla, GMO x Pure Michigan I made last year. Both regs and autos are Regular seeds meaning they can produce both boys and girls. I'm hoping for girls but I've started enough seeds of the auto to make a few more seeds which is the plan.
That's it for our first day. Tomorrow the seeds that look good will get buried and then the 3+ day wait begins to see which seedlings will be in the competition.
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