Mixing Soil With Coco And Perlite. Ph? Proportions?

[AlbaNinja84]

Some of my plants germinated in very small soil cups. 8 Plants.
Have some coco coir left.
I wanted to test only on one plant if adding coco coir would work better.

What percentage coco/perlite/soil, should I use? Was thinking 30%coco 30% perlite 40% soil
What ph? Can i just use 6.6 ad I use in soil?

 

[JarrettRiggs]

If your doing soil I recommend no more that 15-25% perlite. Adding coco will also aerate the soil but if you do a 50/50 mix of coco with perlite you have some hydro buddy

 

[AlbaNinja84]

If your doing soil I recommend no more that 15-25% perlite. Adding coco will also aerate the soil but if you do a 50/50 mix of coco with perlite you have some hydro buddy

I'm not doing 50% perlite 50& coco. I am mixing soil with coco and perlite.

 

[Rcubed]

I'm not doing 50% perlite 50& coco. I am mixing soil with coco and perlite.

I would use more soil than coco and only about 10% perlite. The more coco and perlite you put in the more you're going to have to use nutes. If go with a 60-30 soil=coco range you'll still get the rooting benefits of the coco but you won't have to feed nearly as much provided you have a good soil mix with earthworm castings, minerals, and compost

 

[MrGreenGreen]

It would be something you would need to play by ear. Coco doesn't have much CEC.

 

[Madmax]

There are hydroponic mediums that are classed as dependant or independant and coco has a higher cec capacity .these are said to b independent ...meaning they are capable of maintaining a more stable ph level as its better buffered than others and can resist a change in ph for long periods of time..

Cheers max

 

[JWM2]

Imo it depends on the soil you use and at what stage you are introducing them to it. Smaller plants need less nutrients and larger plants need more. I use as little as 20% potting soil at times and as much as 40-50% other times. I use some Perlite but many soils have that in it so not much more is needed.

I do like to cut the potting soil with coco to reduce the nutrient content and allow me to feed with liquid ferts and control the application per plant based on its individual needs.

I’ve recently started keeping multiple soil / grow medium mixes handy for when they are needed. A seedling mix, a coco mix and a potting mix. Then I can mix and match them as needed.

 

[oldskol4evr]

I would use more soil than coco and only about 10% perlite. The more coco and perlite you put in the more you're going to have to use nutes. If go with a 60-30 soil=coco range you'll still get the rooting benefits of the coco but you won't have to feed nearly as much provided you have a good soil mix with earthworm castings, minerals, and compost

i agree,to much coco have you feeding daily and most likely twice a day as the plant flowers,never can go wrong with ewc and compost,you can grow right straight threw with just compost,but folk dont like the smell,when building the soil keep in mind vegging isnt as important as flower stage,so on your amends of the soil,add higher P and K meals and have it at bottom of the pot when you transplant,that way it be there in the most important stage of flower,if you are just starting the grow make 2 batchs,one batch for veg and one for flower,let it sit and cook as you veg

 

[AromaticRelease]

I know this thread is a bit old but I've got a question on the subject and I couldn't find any information.

I wanted to make an organic potting mix for 10l fabric pots, but I knew I wanted to make the most of the aeration of Coco.

Because I couldn't find any info I ended up guessing and making the following mix:

Top Crop Coco: 40%
Worm humus: 40%
Perlite: 10%
Vermiculite: 10%

I also had some old soil that I sprinkled in but no more than 5% of total mix.
I found a dry amendment by Plagron called Bio Supermix and I've got biobizz organic nutes.

I feel like this is a good route to go, but I'm yet to see the results. I'm just wondering if you guys have any advice for me as this is my first DIY mix.

 

[Grapefruitroop]

I know this thread is a bit old but I've got a question on the subject and I couldn't find any information.

I wanted to make an organic potting mix for 10l fabric pots, but I knew I wanted to make the most of the aeration of Coco.

Because I couldn't find any info I ended up guessing and making the following mix:

Top Crop Coco: 40%
Worm humus: 40%
Perlite: 10%
Vermiculite: 10%

I also had some old soil that I sprinkled in but no more than 5% of total mix.
I found a dry amendment by Plagron called Bio Supermix and I've got biobizz organic nutes.

I feel like this is a good route to go, but I'm yet to see the results. I'm just wondering if you guys have any advice for me as this is my first DIY mix.

Man i did many soil mixes and aiming for maximum oxigenation but still running soil ill reccomend to cut the vermiculite out (holds too much water)
boost the perlite to 30
reduce the ewc to 10
my recipe is
30% peat
30% coco
30% perlite
10% ewc
It gives you very fast growth to be soil, plenty of beneficials with the 10%ewc...and not picky at all abouth ph...and you can feed every watering if your environment demands it with no runoff....
just make sure your coco is buffered and your peat too
Otherwise for peat add 1 cup of Dolomite ( i actually made a mix of dolomite, gypsum, and calcium carbonate) x cubic foot of raw peat...
Good luck!

 

[AromaticRelease]

Man i did many soil mixes and aiming for maximum oxigenation but still running soil ill reccomend to cut the vermiculite out (holds too much water)
boost the perlite to 30
reduce the ewc to 10
my recipe is
30% peat
30% coco
30% perlite
10% ewc
It gives you very fast growth to be soil, plenty of beneficials with the 10%ewc...and not picky at all abouth ph...and you can feed every watering if your environment demands it with no runoff....
just make sure your coco is buffered and your peat too
Otherwise for peat add 1 cup of Dolomite ( i actually made a mix of dolomite, gypsum, and calcium carbonate) x cubic foot of raw peat...
Good luck!

Thank you for all the info! I opted to not use peat after hearing Coco was a better more sustainable option. Is there a benefit to using peat as well?

I honestly had to look up what was EWC was, never heard of encapsulated worm castings before! Being in Spain they call it humus de lombriz, but I've also seen worm castings, vermicompost, worm humus?? Are they all the same or different?

I feel like with my mix of 40% EWC and the powdered fertiliser (contains worm castings, bat guano, bone meal, feather meal, rock phosphate, calcified algae, lava meal and other trace elements) is too strong with bottled nutrients as well. The powder stuff does say it's an npk of 1-2-0 though.. 0 potassium doesn't sound good now that I've realised it.

Would it be a bad Idea to use some canna PK13/14 to this organic mix? I'm about two weeks from end of grow.

 

[Grapefruitroop]

ahaha! get this!
https://www.lombec.com/
yes i meant earth worm casting, humus de lombrices!
Benefit of heavin peat are water retention and high CEC but is not that great to hold oxigen...
peat has also humic acids...and is a good habitat for soil life

As far as the nutrients, if you wana go just water then try to find a Complete and balanced mix and dont get too complicated...
I remember a spanish brand called vigorhumus that was all purpose all in one slow release organic ammendment
Otherwise u can leave the mix wth no nutrient and feed thru watering...
If you are in europe i think u can order Greenleaf nutrient megacrop....its a complete one, pretty fool proof!

 

[AromaticRelease]

ahaha! get this!
https://www.lombec.com/
yes i meant earth worm casting, humus de lombrices!
Benefit of heavin peat are water retention and high CEC but is not that great to hold oxigen...
peat has also humic acids...and is a good habitat for soil life

As far as the nutrients, if you wana go just water then try to find a Complete and balanced mix and dont get too complicated...
I remember a spanish brand called vigorhumus that was all purpose all in one slow release organic ammendment
Otherwise u can leave the mix wth no nutrient and feed thru watering...
If you are in europe i think u can order Greenleaf nutrient megacrop....its a complete one, pretty fool proof!

Great I'll look into megacrop in the future, I've seen alot about their products in the past on various forums on the web. I do like the idea of watering only as I'd like to tinker with irrigation systems at some point. Maybe the autopots or something similar.

I now just need to work out how to give a potassium boost quickly. Do banana peels really work? Otherwise I'll try to find a liquid kelp feed or something on those lines.

 

[Grapefruitroop]

I now just need to work out how to give a potassium boost quickly.

Potassium Sulphate or Monopotassium Phosphate on amazon....
very cheap

 

[AromaticRelease]

Potassium Sulphate or Monopotassium Phosphate on amazon....
very cheap

Thank you, I actually went ahead and ordered something from Amazon. I decided to go with liquid just so my plants would take it up straight away.

This is the stuff I ordered.

Neoalgae Inicio

INNOVACIÓN Desarrollamos soluciones y productos innovadores. I + D + i. SOSTENIBILIDAD Las microalgas son el eje de Neoalgae: Más de la mitad del oxígeno que respiramos provienen de ellas.

neoalgae.es

Has a little bit of N in it but shouldn't hurt too much.

I will keep your suggestions in mind for next time and I would rather use a powdered form mixed in with everything else.

 

[Dramadon3151]

Some of my plants germinated in very small soil cups. 8 Plants.
Have some coco coir left.
I wanted to test only on one plant if adding coco coir would work better.

What percentage coco/perlite/soil, should I use? Was thinking 30%coco 30% perlite 40% soil
What ph? Can i just use 6.6 ad I use in soil?

Definitely dont be shy with the perlite. I used a 50% super soil mix with 20% coco 10% peat, 20% perlite asthe media base. I feel like i could have used double the perlite and still need more. The coco dries really fast and if you havr a healthy perlite or even volcanic stone ratio, you will have less to worry about with feed schedules...water wise.

 

[Dramadon3151]

Some of my plants germinated in very small soil cups. 8 Plants.
Have some coco coir left.
I wanted to test only on one plant if adding coco coir would work better.

What percentage coco/perlite/soil, should I use? Was thinking 30%coco 30% perlite 40% soil
What ph? Can i just use 6.6 ad I use in soil?

Also i ph my water feed to 6.0 and havrnt had an issue. Use high quality coco and you wont have any issue.

 

[AromaticRelease]

Definitely dont be shy with the perlite. I used a 50% super soil mix with 20% coco 10% peat, 20% perlite asthe media base. I feel like i could have used double the perlite and still need more. The coco dries really fast and if you havr a healthy perlite or even volcanic stone ratio, you will have less to worry about with feed schedules...water wise.

Out of curiosity what is the other 50% of your super soil mix?

 

[Dramadon3151]

Out of curiosity what is the other 50% of your super soil mix?

I made a custom mix with worm casting, compost, bone meal, kelp meal, blood meal, guano, shell, uprising, azos, mycos, epsom salt, and mixed it all into a blank slate soil base. Then let it cool off for a couple weeks. Before use.

 

[Dramadon3151]

I made a custom mix with worm casting, compost, bone meal, kelp meal, blood meal, guano, shell, uprising, azos, mycos, epsom salt, and mixed it all into a blank slate soil base. Then let it cool off for a couple weeks. Before use.

On top of that when it was time to plant i used great white in the hole to inoculate.