His And Her 1st Ever Coco Grow Top Fed Dtw 3kw

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What is your preferred method of irrigation for coco coir?


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Nugteq

Nugteq

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Very nice,
did you say this is your first grow? anyway 'Top drip DTW 'For The Win'!
Thanks ya first grow ever. Had a lot of advice and blessed with some great friends and we did a lot of research and decided to go for gold with Coco in a top drip drain to waste setup. Why mess around when majority known farmers say top drip DTW coco is where yields can be compared to deep water culture...

Here's a few things we learned so far...

A. Less is more
B. Unless we're talking time with plants then more is always better lol
C. Plant training and canopy management early on doubled yields
D. Environment mattered more for yields than anything else
E. More airflow better
F. Coco blows up yields when constantly wet
G. Smaller pots are better
H. Perlite or hydroton layer on bottom and play sand on top for better drainage and less evaporation.
Sure we will learn much much more as time goes on!
 
MW7945

MW7945

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I waited 3 weeks for my seeds but finally got them in germ right now.

What would you recommend for nutes? 1/2 the recommended?

I have 5 gallon smart pots, but the more I go I just keep thinking they're flat out too big. Might go down to a 3 or maybe even 2?

Also, random note, not sure what brand you used but Mother Earth COCO + Perlite is awesome stuff. Don't even have to flush it right away. First drainage water was 15 ppm
 
Nugteq

Nugteq

259
63
I waited 3 weeks for my seeds but finally got them in germ right now.

What would you recommend for nutes? 1/2 the recommended?

I have 5 gallon smart pots, but the more I go I just keep thinking they're flat out too big. Might go down to a 3 or maybe even 2?

Also, random note, not sure what brand you used but Mother Earth COCO + Perlite is awesome stuff. Don't even have to flush it right away. First drainage water was 15 ppm
Nutes any will work. I recommend Lucas formula 6ml micro 9ml bloom 1tsp Epson every 5 gal bucket and 3ml cal mag

Try 3 gal.to start then work down as you have your watering system down. I'm assuming your hand watering
Small.pots means you have to water more manually. So a 3 gal is a good fit if your still learning..Don't overwater when younger. Sometimes go a day without feeding until top.is dry..That's when u know roots are growing and drinking more. Let them.hunt out edge of medium . About 2 weeks of wet dry cycles will help ur plants for bigger container better.

Sure it's good. Going to transition to canna bricks.
 
Dutch Jon

Dutch Jon

83
33
Here's a few things we learned so far...

A. Less is more
B. Unless we're talking time with plants then more is always better lol
C. Plant training and canopy management early on doubled yields
D. Environment mattered more for yields than anything else
E. More airflow better
F. Coco blows up yields when constantly wet
G. Smaller pots are better
H. Perlite or hydroton layer on bottom and play sand on top for better drainage and less evaporation.
Sure we will learn much much more as time goes on!

Great guidelines . . I copied to my notes.
I not informed about topping coco with the playsand I have heard of using growstones or extra perlite on top for evaporation but never try any of it . . I think your off to a great start.

BTW, I also jump on the band wagon and grow top drip DTW in a coco/perlite after yrs of basically SOG in soil.
 
MW7945

MW7945

3,269
263
Nutes any will work. I recommend Lucas formula 6ml micro 9ml bloom 1tsp Epson every 5 gal bucket and 3ml cal mag

Try 3 gal.to start then work down as you have your watering system down. I'm assuming your hand watering
Small.pots means you have to water more manually. So a 3 gal is a good fit if your still learning..Don't overwater when younger. Sometimes go a day without feeding until top.is dry..That's when u know roots are growing and drinking more. Let them.hunt out edge of medium . About 2 weeks of wet dry cycles will help ur plants for bigger container better.

Sure it's good. Going to transition to canna bricks.

I already have my nutes, I just got the GH Trio + CalMag. I just see a lot of people saying to not use full nutes essentially with coco. Just checked mine and they've been in the paper towel for a little over 24 hours, one seed is cracked open now and another has a lil tail sticking out so they should be ready to go into the coco tonight I'm hoping
 
Nugteq

Nugteq

259
63
I already have my nutes, I just got the GH Trio + CalMag. I just see a lot of people saying to not use full nutes essentially with coco. Just checked mine and they've been in the paper towel for a little over 24 hours, one seed is cracked open now and another has a lil tail sticking out so they should be ready to go into the coco tonight I'm hoping
GH is perfect. Don't need the grow green bottle. Just use 6micro 3ml cal mag 1/5 tsp gal Epson salt 9ml bloom in that order and your all set. For seedlings dilute this with 50/50 with RO water or regular water. I actually prefer to root my seeds in a grodan rock wool cube soaked for 3 mins in 5.5 pH solution with 20/80 reg nutes /water

You should be good don't overwater until roots established
 
Nugteq

Nugteq

259
63
Great guidelines . . I copied to my notes.
I not informed about topping coco with the playsand I have heard of using growstones or extra perlite on top for evaporation but never try any of it . . I think your off to a great start.

BTW, I also jump on the band wagon and grow top drip DTW in a coco/perlite after yrs of basically SOG in soil.

Ya play sand very cheap from home depot. Compared to grow stones and other stuff meant for "hobby indoor growers" from "advanced grow companies" all bunch of bs. Playsand cheap and works perfectly. Clay pebbles on bottom been favorite because perlite is a mess..

What made you change from soil SOG to coco DTW?

Thanks its getting easier!
 
Dutch Jon

Dutch Jon

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What made you change from soil SOG to coco DTW?

Thanks

Yea, I like using biologicals including tea's, inoculants what have ya. In which having good organics in soil for benies and the need for good cation exchange capacity (CEC) so you right the change to coco is big for me but you can't deny the results people are getting with multi-feedings. So in using Heavy 16's full line and Caps benies in my last soil grow if you want to call promix soil, Heavy 16's product line caters to biologicals IMO. Thus checking how guys are using Capulators biologicals in coco its a given.
 
Nugteq

Nugteq

259
63
Thanks

Yea, I like using biologicals including tea's, inoculants what have ya. In which having good organics in soil for benies and the need for good cation exchange capacity (CEC) so you right the change to coco is big for me but you can't deny the results people are getting with multi-feedings. So in using Heavy 16's full line and Caps benies in my last soil grow if you want to call promix soil, Heavy 16's product line caters to biologicals IMO. Thus checking how guys are using Capulators biologicals in coco its a given.

Can you go into detail your findings on what having a good CEC does for plants grown in coco?
 
Dutch Jon

Dutch Jon

83
33
Can you go into detail your findings on what having a good CEC does for plants grown in coco?

Coco has good CEC as we know it wants to hold on the nutrients a little too much particularly potasium but good coco or conditioned coco that's no longer an issue it's the porosity property's thats benifital coco has so much air available plants thrive and eat up nutes thus making room for more nutes that's the beauty of coco for me but we're in the coco section of the forum so that's basic 101 of coco but all I need to know without getting all complacated.
 
Nugteq

Nugteq

259
63
Coco has good CEC as we know it wants to hold on the nutrients a little too much particularly potasium but good coco or conditioned coco that's no longer an issue it's the porosity property's thats benifital coco has so much air available plants thrive and eat up nutes thus making room for more nutes that's the beauty of coco for me but we're in the coco section of the forum so that's basic 101 of coco but all I need to know without getting all complacated.
Interesting enough im barely learning about all these terms and all this wealth of info after started coco grow for first time. Dont have a comparison grow to anything other than growing in coco so its all valuable info but I prefer the details and stuff people find not interesting or too basic I thrive off of. What makes you get results !
 
Nugteq

Nugteq

259
63
Ok so we use flora GH mostly and for flowering beginning day 10 we start to bump up the potassium and sulfur and phosphorus witb a 2 4 10 blend that is generic Advanced Nutrients Hammerhead formula lmao

Here it is. Enjoy
Hammerhead 2-4-10

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/hammerhead-0-9-18-making-my-own.76527/

To make a liter of the 2-4-10, N-P2O5-K2O percent by weight/weight. It takes 85 grams MKP, 163 grams KNO3, 19 grams K2SO4 and 141 grams epsom salt in one liter final volume, this also gives 1.25% Mg and 1.9% SO4 (combined sulfur). This formula is actually feasible.

85 G MKP (73.6 ML)

163 G KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate) (141 ml)

19 G K2SO4 (Potassium Sulfate) (16.47ml)

141 G Epson Salt (Magnesium / Sulfur) (122ml)
 
20170531 232041
Dutch Jon

Dutch Jon

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" . . I stuff people find not interesting or too basic I thrive off of. What makes you get results !"
Well I could add but you touched on a point or two in that list of what you been learning but I can expand a little on one impressive advantage coco has is being able to multi feed in a day and lower nutrient levels, when using soil sometimes have to wait to feed a couple days, meaning my plants didnt do as well when just watered and you wait till it hits it's preferred moisture which doesn't last long sure you can feed/water smaller amounts but it's not like coco ultimately in my 1/2 gal pots I can realistically feed 4-5 times a day and leaving the medium unsaturated for the night cycle when the plant and roots likes to grow. That's near imposable to time that in soil.
 
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Nugteq

Nugteq

259
63
Well I could add but you touched on a point or two in that list of what you been learning but I can expand a little on one impressive advantage coco has is being able to multi feed in a day and lower nutrient levels, when using soil sometimes have to wait to feed a couple days, meaning my plants didnt do as well when just watered and you wait till it hits it's preferred moisture which doesn't last long sure you can feed/water smaller amounts but it's not like coco ultimately in my 1/2 gal pots I can realistically feed 4-5 times a day and leaving the medium unsaturated for the night cycle when the plant liked to grow. That's near imposable to time in soil.
I believe the main advantage of soil from what I can tell is ability to let it just grow on its own and kind of forgey about it. Coco seems to be much more involved like hydro which I prefer. Results speak for themselves!

Whats your ec throughout flower stages?
 
Dutch Jon

Dutch Jon

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Whats your ec throughout flower stages?
I'm using Heavy 16, it's designed for ml dosing but to answer and give you an idea of what your basically asking, say on Heavy's feeding chart for soil calls for 2.5 ml per gal. I'm feeding 1ml per gallon for multi feeding 3 X's a day for Veg. I add my biologicals (in thus case OGBiowars 'roots' and 'Nute' pack) every 7 - 10 days I reduce or add zero Phosphorus my last feeding then add Heavy 16's roots , Prime and Foilar to the biowars the prime Roots and foilar really help support the Benies.

(haven't flowered yet this is my first run feeding like this in coco and loving it!
 
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Nugteq

Nugteq

259
63
Ok guys completely new changes goin down. 2nd run..we making a few modifications.

Lowering 4x8 down 6 inches

My.recent 4x8 table was limited in space vertically. Burning 25% of my calyx formation led to decrease in yields. This was my 2nd most impactful loss after root aphids.
 
20170606 090846
Nugteq

Nugteq

259
63
Ok guys completely new changes goin down. 2nd run..we making a few modifications.

Lowering 4x8 down 6 inches

My.recent 4x8 table was limited in space vertically. Burning 25% of my calyx formation led to decrease in yields. This was my 2nd most impactful loss after root aphids.
 
20170606 090418
Dutch Jon

Dutch Jon

83
33
Good move Nugs & wife .. I came across the same problem, I knew my last yields weren't right and I saw a post to a friend that's using COB's also that he might reduce his watts per sqft. as the guy giving advice had a reduction in yield running extra lighting. I was able to just lower my plants 6" (like you) thank goodness for the Internet, sometimes I overlooked simple things just like Einstein, lmao
 
Nugteq

Nugteq

259
63
Good move Nugs & wife .. I came across the same problem, I knew my last yields weren't right and I saw a post to a friend that's using COB's also that he might reduce his watts per sqft. as the guy giving advice had a reduction in yield running extra lighting. I was able to just lower my plants 6" (like you) thank goodness for the Internet, sometimes I overlooked simple things just like Einstein, lmao

Simple things. U kno we simple minded people tend to get caveman complicated

And wtf why is it every damn time I press post reply I get a fistfull of advertising pop ups.

When did this start happening?
 
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