Pre-charging coco?

[whiskeygirl]

Ok new to this..I'll admit. I'm going to put togethor a hempy bucket using coco and Hydroton. I've been hearing about pre-charging coco first??? What does that mean??
Thanks
WG

 

[Cort]

Charging the coco = hitting it with nutes at or before transplant.

Ill save it for more experienced growers to tell you the pros and cons of doing so and learn from them.

 

[Seamaiden]

Depends on brand, as some manu's pre-charge for you. It will most likely need calcium and magnesium as well, coco makes very strong bonds with those minerals and makes them unavailable to the plant for uptake, so you must make up first by "charging" (forcing or allowing the coco to take up as many ions as it will before you plant in it) and then by feeding additionally through the growing cycle. Failure to do this results in deficiencies and ultimately costs in yield, which undoes the very thing that's so great about coco.

I use Botanicare compressed coco bales, and pre-charge with a mild vegging solution with additional Ca/Mg. Depending on the numbers in the Ca/Mg you use, you may have to use quite a bit of product. Again, this depends entirely on whether or not the manufacturer pre-charges the coco for you.

Another consideration with brands is whether or not you have to rinse before charging.

 

[Bud Spleefman]

I haven't been precharging, but I've been using Atami and Canna, I think they might come charged, and I feed the shit out of all plants when I transplant, so I think that helps... thourough saturation of the medium. I just use Pure Blend Pro Grow and Hormex for the first few feeds.

 

[whiskeygirl]

The brand is Botanicare and it is in a bag, not a bale. I also have cal/mag. What do you suggest I do to pre-charge....

 

[brd]

What brands come pre-charged.

 

[whiskeygirl]

Depends on brand, as some manu's pre-charge for you. It will most likely need calcium and magnesium as well, coco makes very strong bonds with those minerals and makes them unavailable to the plant for uptake, so you must make up first by "charging" (forcing or allowing the coco to take up as many ions as it will before you plant in it) and then by feeding additionally through the growing cycle. Failure to do this results in deficiencies and ultimately costs in yield, which undoes the very thing that's so great about coco.

I use Botanicare compressed coco bales, and pre-charge with a mild vegging solution with additional Ca/Mg. Depending on the numbers in the Ca/Mg you use, you may have to use quite a bit of product. Again, this depends entirely on whether or not the manufacturer pre-charges the coco for you.

Another consideration with brands is whether or not you have to rinse before charging.

What is your best method of rinsing coco first?? Do you have fine mesh screen or some sort of strainer??
Thanks
WG

 

[Seamaiden]

I haven't had to rinse my Botanicare unless I'm reusing it, YMMV. Also remember that I am hardly an expert, but I do love growing in coco.

Get a big plastic bin from Wally World. Put the coco in it. Mix up about 7gals of a MILD vegging solution (if you don't know what I'm talking about you have a lot more reading to do), about 250ppm (very low EC), or quarter strength. Go really hard on the Cal-Mag. If you're using something like GO Cal-Mag+ then go with 20mls-30mls/gal in addition to the vegging solution, this will bring the ppm's up, but I haven't had a problem with that to this point.

The warmer the water the more easily the coco will expand, but sometimes there will be chunks that need to be broken up.

If you feel the coco needs to be rinsed, get an old sheet, fitted are my own preferred, put the coco in that, get out on the driveway and let the hose run through it. I have a friend who's got the bin and she drilled holes in it, then lined it with the sheet. Many options.

DON'T TRY TO RINSE IT UNTIL IT'S ALREADY EXPANDED! (Yeah, there is someone out there who'll try to rinse their Botanicare without expanding it, I am sure of it.)

You can expect the Botanicare bales to expand to about 18gals, give or take.

 

[ganjaluva2009]

seamaidens info is spot on...i use the botonicare bails also, so i second everything he says....nice job bro

Ganja

 

[singingcrow]

Sea Maiden is a girl like me! :P

 

[SofaKingHigh]

You hear that guys? They have vaginas. *swoon*