What do YOU use to amend coco??

[midwestdensies]

oh yeah peat crushes everything...i'd use it if the bugs didn't love it so much. Growing up in commercial nurseries peat/poo mixes is all I ever used or saw used. And yeah coco was just marketed as a growing medium because they use it as a terrace builder in azn countries, and it worked decent. I don't think coco is a perfect medium at all, but the advantages are definitely there so I choose to work with it.

and yeah, keep your coco simple. Remember it's not soil, so whatever you amend will probably be washed out or used up in the first month or so. That's why I like the simple amendments that don't immediately break down, and will contribute more to a "soil" environment for the micros.

also - another good amendment for coco is pelletized calcium carbonate. using standard dolomite or hydrated lime I see weird deficiencies I can't explain, but the prills of carbonate (same idea as slow release fertilizer) last a LONG time and make a good buffer/cal source.

Ever mess with nematodes, i know you use ogbiowar teas (thanks for the well documentation), microbe life bmc? These seem to combat quite well but i know you run some spaces and quite large ones so cost effective and ease are an issue. Interesting ideas kicked around. Thanks for the responses.

 

[LexLuthor]

Peat on right. Same strain, amended the same. Ss4 has lime and perlite. View attachment 298195

My current run is in Sunshine #4, its about 2-3 weeks from harvest. My next run is in coco/perlite, there different strains, but it will still be cool to see which of my runs, coco or peat, yields more per sq.ft. Nothing scientific or accurate, but it'll give me an estimate. I think next time I use Sunshine #4, I'm gonna mix it with extra perlite and coco so I can water more often.


P.S. That Sunshine #4 ain't no joke, so simple I love it, just peat, perlite, and a lil coco.

 

[Seamaiden]

Midwest, that is a REMARKABLE difference!

If I was maiden, what would I be amending my coco with?

Maiden is rethinking all of that, reconsidering peat and other stuff. For coir, and we've gotta remember it's been 2-3yrs since I've done a coir run, I was happiest not really amending the coir, but giving what was required via direct feeds. I'd like to take it in another direction when I'm ready to give the indo a try again. I don't want to lose the rapid growth rate, which was the whole reason for going coir in the first place. But I would like to drop the chem salt-based nutes.

 

[ronvmpc]

I can't bring myself to amend my coco with anything as I've gotten great results doing what maiden did and give my plants what they need through nutes. BUT, I'm liking the look of the peat. Cutting down a room Friday I might try it out under a light. Good info in this thread.

 

[LexLuthor]

I can't bring myself to amend my coco with anything as I've gotten great results doing what maiden did and give my plants what they need through nutes. BUT, I'm liking the look of the peat. Cutting down a room Friday I might try it out under a light. Good info in this thread.

Go for it, peat is great. I'm basically doing the same thing you are, just coco, perlite and nutrient solution.

 

[kushtrees]

Anyone amend SS4? I kind if want to try it with added growstones. With SS4 do you have to do any prep or just start watering with nutes?

 

[LexLuthor]

Anyone amend SS4? I kind if want to try it with added growstones. With SS4 do you have to do any prep or just start watering with nutes?

I'm using it now and my plants are about 2-3 weeks from harvest, I like it. I used it straight, nothing added. SS4 has no nutrient value at all so you can use nutes 1/8-1/4 strength one week after seedlings pop or right away with rooted clones. If I use it again indoors, I'm gonna mix it with perlite and maybe some coco too.

 

[GR33NL3AF]

Anyone amend SS4? I kind if want to try it with added growstones. With SS4 do you have to do any prep or just start watering with nutes?

First run in it I cut it with chunky perlite, nothing more, worked great.

Second and current run, I added All-purpose 5-5-5 organics, dolomite, EWC, and some compost. I vegged for 3 weeks and am 4 weeks into flower, no food needed so far.

 

[kushtrees]

How many times a day, on average, do you need to need to water SS4. I like having to water 6+ times a day, trying to figure out how heavy I would have to amend it with perlite or growstones

 

[LexLuthor]

How many times a day, on average, do you need to need to water SS4. I like having to water 6+ times a day, trying to figure out how heavy I would have to amend it with perlite or growstones

I'm watering every 3rd day in 7 gallon buckets with the roots completely filled in and popping out the top of the media. So I would probably try 50/50 SS4/growstones, but no more then 50% SS4. Even with a 50/50 mix, you probably would only need water once a day, maybe twice, during peak flower.

Just so you know I've never actually done it like that so I'm just guessing.

 

[purpleberry]

I use to run straight coco, Then i started using bigger pots and It would stay to wet in the middle, so I started mixing in amenments and perilite or chow mix, ect. Then i figured out its a big pain in my ass. I just buy ready grow now and Its so much easyer. Not matter what size pot or what soil I use, I get my plants on a every other day watering by week 2 of 12/12
With all the different soil companys and there many mixes I see no reason to be mixing anything unless your just bored and have nothing else to do. LOL

 

[kushtrees]

Maybe ill try 70/ 30 growstones/ SS4. Peat and coco have a very similar water: air ratio so as long as SS4 doesn't have a ton of perlite in it then 70/30 should be pretty similar to 80/20 growstones coco. I'm speculating though since I have never used SS4 and don't know it's make up

 

[LexLuthor]

I use to run straight coco, Then i started using bigger pots and It would stay to wet in the middle, so I started mixing in amenments and perilite or chow mix, ect. Then i figured out its a big pain in my ass. I just buy ready grow now and Its so much easyer. Not matter what size pot or what soil I use, I get my plants on a every other day watering by week 2 of 12/12
With all the different soil companys and there many mixes I see no reason to be mixing anything unless your just bored and have nothing else to do. LOL

Accuracy and overhead.

I want an exact percent of coco, perlite, hydroton or whatever and alot of pre-mixed coco only has 70/30. Even if I find one that has the exact mix I want, its alot more expensive then buying bricks.

Oh yeah, and alot of the loose bags of coco have organic amendments, and/or peat and I don't want that either.

For me it has nothing to do with being bored. Its not hard for me to mix coco with perlite, they are both lightweight and I don't use anything bigger then 3 gallon buckets when using coco.

 

[LexLuthor]

Maybe ill try 70/ 30 growstones/ SS4. Peat and coco have a very similar water: air ratio so as long as SS4 doesn't have a ton of perlite in it then 70/30 should be pretty similar to 80/20 growstones coco. I'm speculating though since I have never used SS4 and don't know it's make up

Ingredients in SS4 are peat moss, perlite, coco, limestone (pH buffer) and yucca extract (wetting agent). Obviously the 1st three are the actual substrate, and based on the way it looks I would say 50% peat, 30% perlite and 20% coco, thats my guess. I know it has between 45-55% peat because it says so on the bag, but it doesn't specify the amount of perlite and coco.

I think peat holds more water then coco, but your right they are very similar. I think 70/30 would be great to try out with growstones, good luck and maybe start a thread, if you don't have time maybe report back with how it works out the 1st few weeks compared to coco.

 

[GR33NL3AF]

How many times a day, on average, do you need to need to water SS4. I like having to water 6+ times a day, trying to figure out how heavy I would have to amend it with perlite or growstones

I added 4cu ft. of chunky perlite per 4x8 bed

I have 3000w over each bed, in a sealed room

I currently have 90 plants per bed and can go every other day with watering

My issue is I can't be at my spot (1 hr away) everyday so I have to water heavy.

Really depends how heavy you water. I have drains on my beds and I have NEVER had run off, this shit holds SO much water!

 

[kushtrees]

I am going to transplant to my 15g pots in a couple weeks... I think it's time for 1 room of coco and 1 room of SS4 chow mix

Ill let you guys know how they look in a few weeks

 

[caveman4.20]

Not sure who said they were too wet in the middle but i had this issue and resolved by starting plants out at 50/50 coco perlite and then the last transplant was str8 coco....you could try whatever percentage you want but i would play around with the smaller containers with adding perlite and then str8 coco at last transplant cuz when i tried this i noticed more consistency as far as how often i had to water......my insides used to hold toomuch and outsides too dry with smart pot so when i changed mix to better drainage near rootball and str8 coco on outside that worked great for me but thats in a smart pot FWIW

 

[LexLuthor]

I am going to transplant to my 15g pots in a couple weeks... I think it's time for 1 room of coco and 1 room of SS4 chow mix

Ill let you guys know how they look in a few weeks

Should be interesting, good luck.

 

[We Solidarity]

i'm coocoo for coco puffs...just sayin. anything that puffs coco, i'm coocoo for.

 

[We Solidarity]

I added 4cu ft. of chunky perlite per 4x8 bed

I have 3000w over each bed, in a sealed room

I currently have 90 plants per bed and can go every other day with watering

My issue is I can't be at my spot (1 hr away) everyday so I have to water heavy.

Really depends how heavy you water. I have drains on my beds and I have NEVER had run off, this shit holds SO much water!

why'd you add perlite if you can't water every day? could pose a problem later in the cycle, esp. with 90 in a 4x8.