Ph adjustment for coco and buffering coco

[newbeegrower]

When im buffering, how do I ph adjust the coco? Do i ph adjust the cal mag solution and do the double 8 hour soak? Or do i do that with just the call mag, and do another soak with just ph'd solution. How do i know the ph of my coco coir, ive also read i should check the ph and adjust atleast once during the grow. Were they reffering to when i transfer? Aside from the ph, is it accurate to do a 150% dose of cal mag for the solution, (tap water being fine to use). and doing an 8 hour soak, draining, making new solution, and doing another 8 hour soak? Then do 5 or so rinses or should i rinse a bunch and then measure the runoff ph, also do i need to rinse in a strainer after buffer or am i good to use the fabric pot i used for buffer and and a strainer for washing before buffer? Can i store my buffered coco or must i put it to use right away? Thanks in advance to any help, ive uploaded a few posts and growers on here are super awesome

 

[Lockebox]

When im buffering, how do I ph adjust the coco? Do i ph adjust the cal mag solution and do the double 8 hour soak? Or do i do that with just the call mag, and do another soak with just ph'd solution. How do i know the ph of my coco coir, ive also read i should check the ph and adjust atleast once during the grow. Were they reffering to when i transfer? Aside from the ph, is it accurate to do a 150% dose of cal mag for the solution, (tap water being fine to use). and doing an 8 hour soak, draining, making new solution, and doing another 8 hour soak? Then do 5 or so rinses or should i rinse a bunch and then measure the runoff ph, also do i need to rinse in a strainer after buffer or am i good to use the fabric pot i used for buffer and and a strainer for washing before buffer? Can i store my buffered coco or must i put it to use right away? Thanks in advance to any help, ive uploaded a few posts and growers on here are super awesome

I’ve only buffered and reused coco a couple times, but it’s worked well for me.

As far as the amount of rinsing you do before buffering, that just depends on how much dust you have in your coco. Ideally you’ll rinse until the water is clear and no longer black, then you’re ready for the buffer. And I use a fabric pot to rinse personally. A strainer would probably be better but it works.

I don’t mess with ph at all until it’s to plant. I just rinse then do a single 8 hour soak in my regular cal mag strength. (3ml/ gal for the botannicare cal mag)

I am reusing pre buffered coco and not starting with a un-buffered brick but after a grow cycle they should be relatively similar.

You can plant right away or store it for later, whichever you need. Hope that helps!

 

[Farmville]

Be careful to watch for nutrient lock out due to cal mag if you use to much cal mag.

 

[newbeegrower]

I’ve only buffered and reused coco a couple times, but it’s worked well for me.

As far as the amount of rinsing you do before buffering, that just depends on how much dust you have in your coco. Ideally you’ll rinse until the water is clear and no longer black, then you’re ready for the buffer. And I use a fabric pot to rinse personally. A strainer would probably be better but it works.

I don’t mess with ph at all until it’s to plant. I just rinse then do a single 8 hour soak in my regular cal mag strength. (3ml/ gal for the botannicare cal mag)

I am reusing pre buffered coco and not starting with a un-buffered brick but after a grow cycle they should be relatively similar.

You can plant right away or store it for later, whichever you need. Hope that helps!

Thanks i appreciate it

 

[newbeegrower]

Be careful to watch for nutrient lock out due to cal mag if you use to much cal mag.

Isnt that what rinsing after is for?

 

[Lockebox]

Isnt that what rinsing after is for?

I only rinse mine before buffering, after the calmag soak I drain and plant.

Not sure if I’m skipping a step but it works for me.

Feeding proper nutrient when I plant of course

 

[newbeegrower]

Its not essential, only if the media ec is too high

 

[newbeegrower]

Its not essential, only if the media ec is too high

I just buffered my coco today, i did 30 litres in a bucket with five 1 gallon pots and 45 ml of cal mag for both solutions the ec was over 1.3 both times , once over night and once for just around 8 hours. Then i rinsed the coco until the runoff was low, then flushed with distilled water phd between 6.4 and 6.0 for each cup, i didnt use these pots for the seeings, just for buffering the coco. I put some coco into solo cups that i drilled holes into, i figure since theyre babys perlite isnt needed in a small container. Then i did my flush with a litre per cup, that helped me get a more ideal runoff ph. Then i put the babys in my dark tent, i figure ventilation isnt needed yet, i have my tent at around 80% rh and 24° C im growing northern lights fast.

 

[hoobastank_enthusiast]

Media (a.k.a. runoff) pH has very little meaning in coco. Like all physical media, coco is solid matter, and the pH of solids can not be determined.
What you're actually measuring is the pH of the liquid homogenously dispersed within that media.
In traditional soil(less) media, where the water hangs around for a lot longer and has a direct effect on the organic ecosystem contained therein, pH actually matters.
In coco, you're typically watering to runoff every day and there are no microbiomes to concern yourself with; the pH of your input solution is adjusted to an optimal level for the sake of nutrient uptake and that is that. Whatever pH you think you can start your coco at, it's going to be completely reset by your first couple waterings.
Runoff EC is another mostly meaningless concern for people but that's a different story.
Also reusing coco is possible but you will find that the fibers break down over time/use, negating the benefits the medium is supposed to bring. Each time you reuse it you will find it performs a little worse.

 

[newbeegrower]

I just buffered my coco today, i did 30 litres in a bucket with five 1 gallon pots and 45 ml of cal mag for both solutions the ec was over 1.3 both times , once over night and once for just around 8 hours. Then i rinsed the coco until the runoff was low, then flushed with distilled water phd between 6.4 and 6.0 for each cup, i didnt use these pots for the seeings, just for buffering the coco. I put some coco into solo cups that i drilled holes into, i figure since theyre babys perlite isnt needed in a small container. Then i did my flush with a litre per cup, that helped me get a more ideal runoff ph. Then i put the babys in my dark tent, i figure ventilation isnt needed yet, i have my tent at around 80% rh and 24° C im growing northern lights fast.

Media (a.k.a. runoff) pH has very little meaning in coco. Like all physical media, coco is solid matter, and the pH of solids can not be determined.
What you're actually measuring is the pH of the liquid homogenously dispersed within that media.
In traditional soil(less) media, where the water hangs around for a lot longer and has a direct effect on the organic ecosystem contained therein, pH actually matters.
In coco, you're typically watering to runoff every day and there are no microbiomes to concern yourself with; the pH of your input solution is adjusted to an optimal level for the sake of nutrient uptake and that is that. Whatever pH you think you can start your coco at, it's going to be completely reset by your first couple waterings.
Runoff EC is another mostly meaningless concern for people but that's a different story.
Also reusing coco is possible but you will find that the fibers break down over time/use, negating the benefits the medium is supposed to bring. Each time you reuse it you will find it performs a little worse.

Media (a.k.a. runoff) pH has very little meaning in coco. Like all physical media, coco is solid matter, and the pH of solids can not be determined.
What you're actually measuring is the pH of the liquid homogenously dispersed within that media.
In traditional soil(less) media, where the water hangs around for a lot longer and has a direct effect on the organic ecosystem contained therein, pH actually matters.
In coco, you're typically watering to runoff every day and there are no microbiomes to concern yourself with; the pH of your input solution is adjusted to an optimal level for the sake of nutrient uptake and that is that. Whatever pH you think you can start your coco at, it's going to be completely reset by your first couple waterings.
Runoff EC is another mostly meaningless concern for people but that's a different story.
Also reusing coco is possible but you will find that the fibers break down over time/use, negating the benefits the medium is supposed to bring. Each time you reuse it you will find it performs a little worse.

I figured since there was no nuteients being input that the ph of the clean water running through shouldnt range much before preperation ive read that balances the media ph which helps with the ph shifting. Also if your frequently fertigating ive read throughout this site from growers that constant 10-20% runoff isnt necessary every water but it seems to be debated. How is runoff ec meaningless? Its a way of having an idea of the salt buildup in your media. I did know that coco can be reuesed but breaks down, but my question was how do i store it before use after being buffered.

 

[hoobastank_enthusiast]

Again, 'media pH' is a misnomer. You're measuring the pH of the water that is (or was, in this case) homogenously distributed throughout the solid media. There is no grand balancing act occurring here in coco; the pH of the water in the media is going to be "reset" to the input solution's pH every time you fertigate. As the volume of that water changes (drained, evaporated, absorbed), the pH is going to change, which is one of the reasons you always hear to keep coco wet throughout the day.

I didn't say runoff EC was meaningless, I said it was a mostly meaningless concern. It has a place in diagnosing certain issues, but it's a misunderstood value that doesn't tell you nearly as much as people like to think. More importantly, it's something that new growers tend to obsess over when they can pretty much ignore it, even if just while getting started. I have a lot of grows in coco now and I can't remember the last time I preemptively gave any kind of shit about runoff EC. If the volume and pH of your inputs are correct, your outputs will follow accordingly.

You can pretty much store it however you want. I've kept it in the original bags as well as 5 gallon buckets. If it's really wet (like you just washed it) you should drain off all the water first and leave it uncovered for some of that to dry out. It's inert but you still don't want it sealed with a ton of moisture.

Also if you decide that coco specifically is something you want to get into, and you're still washing bricks by hand, my very first bit of advice would be stop that immediately and get a bag of higher-quality 70/30 coco/perlite premix. You can find many suggestions for reputable brands on this site and it eliminates much of this hassle and concern.