Questions For Successful Experienced Coco Growers

Bcgrowop · Dec 21, 2017

Hey all! I am making the transition for growing in promix to using canna coco. I've done a fair amount of researching and do have some experience with coco but still have a few questions. Assuming multiple daily feedings and checking runoff to confirm ph and ec levels are where they should be. Even if you want to just answer one question it is very appreciated! Thanks!!

The longer a plant is grown in a certain size container, not an air pot, and bigger and more rootbound it becomes, does it become more important to have multiple daily feedings? A bigger plant must react quicker to nutrient and ph changes?

Lets say we have a plant that has been grown healthy and properly for 4-5 weeks in a 2 gal coco pot. How long is too long for that plant to be fed something lower than 1.0 ec? How soon could deficiencies show up assuming you have a strong root base if you fed something like a .5 ec for a day?

Lots of the stuff I see on Instagram is multiple feedings, but I don't see drip feeding that runs all day as much. Wouldn't a drip system that is dripping all day do better than one that is only 3-5 feedings daily?

In regards to flushing...
For example let's say you have found a happy ec level of 1.5 and ph at 5.8. (plant leafs are happy and showing zero deficiencies) If you just feed at that 1.5 and 5.8 level is there even a reason to flush? Or will your 1.5 ec start to to creep up? If it does creep up, or start to show some ppm burn, can't you just run even 1.5 ec through your coco until it comes down to your happy point? Or would you have to run it down to something lower like 1.0 and then work your way back up?

MidwestToker · Dec 21, 2017

My coir feeds max out at 1.1 ec. Most of my veg feeds are .8 ec. That's with single daily feeds in 9lt pots.

Enforcer · Dec 22, 2017

Bcgrowop said:
Hey all! I am making the transition for growing in promix to using canna coco. I've done a fair amount of researching and do have some experience with coco but still have a few questions. Assuming multiple daily feedings and checking runoff to confirm ph and ec levels are where they should be. Even if you want to just answer one question it is very appreciated! Thanks!!

The longer a plant is grown in a certain size container, not an air pot, and bigger and more rootbound it becomes, does it become more important to have multiple daily feedings? A bigger plant must react quicker to nutrient and ph changes?

Lets say we have a plant that has been grown healthy and properly for 4-5 weeks in a 2 gal coco pot. How long is too long for that plant to be fed something lower than 1.0 ec? How soon could deficiencies show up assuming you have a strong root base if you fed something like a .5 ec for a day?

Lots of the stuff I see on Instagram is multiple feedings, but I don't see drip feeding that runs all day as much. Wouldn't a drip system that is dripping all day do better than one that is only 3-5 feedings daily?

In regards to flushing...
For example let's say you have found a happy ec level of 1.5 and ph at 5.8. (plant leafs are happy and showing zero deficiencies) If you just feed at that 1.5 and 5.8 level is there even a reason to flush? Or will your 1.5 ec start to to creep up? If it does creep up, or start to show some ppm burn, can't you just run even 1.5 ec through your coco until it comes down to your happy point? Or would you have to run it down to something lower like 1.0 and then work your way back up?

All excellent questions. Subbed for the responses.

mastacheeser · Dec 22, 2017

If you drip all day they are gonna be overwatered quick.

What nutrients are you going to use? 1.5 ec with organics is alit different than 1.5 with synthetics(salts)

Bcgrowop · Dec 22, 2017

mastacheeser said:
If you drip all day they are gonna be overwatered quick.

From my understanding, once you have developed a solid rootbase in coco, you cannot overwater. Drip all day (lights on) would only be bringing more and more oxygen into the roots, no?

What nutrients are you going to use? 1.5 ec with organics is alit different than 1.5 with synthetics(salts)

I've used GH 3 part for years and have done some trial runs with coco but I treated it like soil and let dry before watering again, had growth and results that were very similar to dirt. Hoping that getting on the auto feed program will boost growth and results. But am in the middle of making the switch go GH CocoTek in hopes to make feeding program a little simpler.

MidwestToker · Dec 23, 2017

I've found that multiple floods to be better than dripping all day. Easier to set a cycle timer to longer floods than to get your drippers flow dialed in for the stages of growth. When I ran drippers in coir is when I experienced problems with salt buildup.

MidwestToker · Dec 23, 2017

I think you'd be happier with the GH 3 part over the cocotek personally, always seemed like i was fighting with a slight K tox issue with the cocotek. If you're looking for simplicity them I'd look at the CNS-17 or the Kind. Both produced good plants for me. Floranova and Maxibloom where ok but seemed lacking in flower quality.
This is what I run now.
Veg

and for flower

Ro water with no cal-mag supplementation.

MidwestToker · Dec 23, 2017

Shot of plants grown with the Cyco.

Thejoeybrown · Dec 24, 2017

I’ve found that coco really performs the best when the roots have really filled the pot and you can give more and more feedings.
I’ve run 1/2 gal pots that I feed 20 sec every hour. I believe the more you can feed coco the better. It just gives that much more o2 to the roots.
I would suggest some kind of weekly tea or something to get The microbial life thriving. I never flush until the final harvest flush but I feed tea every week which helps clear salts out.

BCrocker · Jan 9, 2018

Recommendations:

What these guys said and

Cocotek is crap
Use The GH 3 part or the knock offs.
Or make your own.

Use RO and supplement camg or test your water.
Always to run off.
Slurry test once per week.
Humic to release bound up nutrients.
MKP

Bcgrowop · Jan 9, 2018

Yup I would agree about the cocotek being garbage, I had deficiencies showing up than I've ever seen before. and as soon as I switched back to gh 3 part everything straightened out. I'm on spring water with about ec of .2 - .3. Maybe cocotek would work fine with RO.

Have a room on day 9 of flower today. Have been doing multiple feedings. Going in is about 5.7ph and 1.5 ec levels. When I first test run off ph is about 6.1 and ec is coming out always lower about 1.2-1.4 depending on whats going in. I check it again after about a .5 litre has run through a 3 gallon pot and ph comes down closer to 5.8-5.9 and ec levels are always staying lower than what's going into plant. Leafs and growth looks awesome! Is there even a point in doing slurry test if my runoff has ph that is on point and ec levels that are lower than what's going in?

Questions For Successful Experienced Coco Growers

Questions For Successful Experienced Coco Growers

Bcgrowop

MidwestToker

Enforcer

mastacheeser

Bcgrowop

MidwestToker

MidwestToker

MidwestToker

Thejoeybrown

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BCrocker

Bcgrowop

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