What Media is More Sustainable: Coco Vs Peat

bunkerking · Dec 17, 2019

This could go badly but...

Curious to what you all think about the sustainability of peat & coco?

IMO - Coco is a waste by product. Its already being grown and harvested for the nasty shit in coconuts. (i cant stand the taste)
The husks would be burned, composted, or just chucked into a landfill.

Coco can also be compressed and "cheaply" shipped.

Peat - we have to go to the forests with heavy machinery and dig it out of a peat bog.
The excuse of oh, it will grow back naturally. Yah... on a million year time reference. Cool.

That means 13,000 generations later, your Great great great great great great great... great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grand kids can reuse peat from the same bog you did.

imo i wish they didnt sell peat, i dont really see the reason for wrecking natural habitats. (well...outside of capitalism) When we have better alternatives.

Dirtbag · Dec 17, 2019

Is this even a question? Peat is pretty well understood to be a horrible misuse of resources. Its worse than rockwool as far as I'm concerned. Coco has by far the least environmental impact.

MIMedGrower · Dec 17, 2019

Coco is used for a lot more products than growing media. Wisk brooms for one.

Peat is not sustainable.

But peat imparts better flavor and health to the plant in many growers opinion in more than just marijuana growing but food production.

Variety719 · Dec 17, 2019

Not to mention you can grow a 1/2 plant in 1-2 gallons of coco and you probably need 5 gallons of peat...

MIMedGrower · Dec 17, 2019

Trustfall said:
Not to mention you can grow a 1/2 plant in 1-2 gallons of coco and you probably need 5 gallons of peat...

I use about the 2.4 gallons actual volume of a #3 nursery pot of peat mix.

Yield better on average than most coco small pot grows I see too. And I water once a week down to 3 days at peak bloom. Maybe 2 for a huge plant.

bunkerking · Dec 17, 2019

Dirtbag said:
Is this even a question? Peat is pretty well understood to be a horrible misuse of resources. Its worse than rockwool as far as I'm concerned. Coco has by far the least environmental impact.

Perhaps ~ But i dont think alot of new people to soil-less even think about it. Plus maybe i am misinformed and there are some reasons you would go with peat.

bunkerking · Dec 17, 2019

MIMedGrower said:
I use about the 2.4 gallons actual volume of a #3 nursery pot of peat mix.

Yield better on average than most coco small pot grows I see too. And I water once a week down to 3 days at peak bloom. Maybe 2 for a huge plant.

Interesting. Do you also run less water with it?

Dirtbag · Dec 17, 2019

bunkerking said:
Perhaps ~ But i dont think alot of new people to soil-less even think about it. Plus maybe i was misinformed and there are some reasons you would go with peat.

Like MiMed pointed out, it tends to produce more flavorful fruit. Its naturally a high source of humates. The reason so many people use it including very large greenhouse operations, is because it grows extremely healthy plants rather easily. Other mediums like coco and rockwool require a much closer attention to detail and have a higher risk of things going wrong.

MIMedGrower · Dec 17, 2019

bunkerking said:
Interesting. Do you also run less water with it?

Yeah compared to multiple feeds per day for a good coco grow.

bunkerking · Dec 17, 2019

Is it Reusable for a few grows? At-least it has a few things going for it.

MIMedGrower · Dec 17, 2019

bunkerking said:
Is it Reusable for a few grows? At-least it has a few things going for it.

I dont reuse it but many do.

Variety719 · Dec 17, 2019

MIMedGrower said:
I use about the 2.4 gallons actual volume of a #3 nursery pot of peat mix.

Yield better on average than most coco small pot grows I see too. And I water once a week down to 3 days at peak bloom. Maybe 2 for a huge plant.

My original post was meant to say 1/2 lb.per plant., with a #2 smart pot which is closer to 1 gallon. And I can flip them a week from potting them up from a cup.
The speed of growth in veg and early flower in coco out does promix anyday.
I do agree promix has a better taste but doesn’t warrant the speed drop IMO. For my grow anyway.

MIMedGrower · Dec 17, 2019

Trustfall said:
My original post was meant to say 1/2 lb.per plant., with a #2 smart pot which is closer to 1 gallon. And I can flip them a week from potting them up from a cup.
The speed of growth in veg and early flower in coco out does promix anyday.
I do agree promix has a better taste but doesn’t warrant the speed drop IMO. For my grow anyway.

I get that. Im not in any hurry in veg.

bunkerking · Dec 17, 2019

I suppose in areas that dont have alot of water, and don't want to run soil. Peat would be the more sustainable media.

MIMedGrower · Dec 17, 2019

bunkerking said:
I suppose in areas that dont have alot of water, and don't want to run soil. Peat would be the more sustainable media.

When growers say soil they usually mean a peat mix.

bunkerking · Dec 17, 2019

We also cant over look the cost to clean the run off water.

Variety719 · Dec 17, 2019

bunkerking said:
I suppose in areas that dont have alot of water, and don't want to run soil. Peat would be the more sustainable media.

What areas don’t have a lot of water?

bunkerking · Dec 17, 2019

Trustfall said:
What areas don’t have a lot of water?

Cali during the summer lol.

MIMedGrower · Dec 17, 2019

bunkerking said:
We also cant over look the cost to clean the run off water.

What do you mean clean the runoff water. Mine goes into my septic system and feeds my lawn and plants.

I do use a natural based fertilizer.

bunkerking · Dec 17, 2019

MIMedGrower said:
What do you mean clean the runoff water. Mine goes into my septic system and feeds my lawn and plants.

I do use a natural based fertilizer.

Home and commercial growers that are connected to the cities system. Water plants have to process that water. Generally powered by fossil fuels.

What Media is More Sustainable: Coco Vs Peat

What Media is More Sustainable: Coco Vs Peat

What Media is More Sustainable: Coco Vs Peat

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MIMedGrower

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