Further to my Calmag post.....

[Bomber]

So, envious of coco grows and their explosive growth I bought the Brunnings coco peat bricks, washed thoroughly twice, then measured the runoff to zero.
I had two Grandaddypurples sat wallowing in the Searles potting mix, really going nowhere, so 5 days ago I removed as much soil as I could and successfully repotted them into my coco.
The next few days I could see they were happier, with new growth visible almost immediately.
I didn't have any calmag to buffer the coir but had read it can be done in an ongoing basis( although not ideal...). I have a generous member here who ever so kindly offered to ship me his bottle, and I also ordered some Emerald Harvest calmag, just in case...

As an aside, I had been watching YouTube videos of growers using coco where they literally flood the pot till its running off, as you all already know.
The dude implied it was the complete opposite of soil, as you wanna get as much fertigation in there as possible and because of the aeration qualities of coco its not possible to drown em...

Today I go in the tent and find one of the GDP's looking decidedly tired and forlorn.

Yesterday, I had interpreted the light green tinge to new growth as a good sign. Guess not.
The change was literally overnight.
The second picture shows the other GDP.

Thoughts ? Calmag issues?

And if so, can it wait a few days till my order comes through?

Can one drown a plant in coco???

Thanks in advance

 

[HGO]

Yes you can overwater coco
Also theres a good product from professors nutrients
called "Go Green" which is good for preventing deficiencies
as it has calmag , iron and a little nitrogen and can be used as in
hydro , as a soil or coco drench or as a foliar spray its good stuff

 

[Bomber]

Thanks for that. What do you believe has happened to my plant?

Ive since flushed, reducing the runoff EC and then watered with 1/2 strength nutes of Season and Powerfeed.

I realise I need coco nutes, and will endeavour to get some.

Further reading tells me Calmag deficiencies are predominately in late bloom.
then again, twas the same reading that told me I could never overwater coco, so forgiving was it....lots of contradictory shit out there....who to believe??

 

[Deleted member cpr]

I pretty well treat all deficiencies in the same way. Mix up fresh hydro nutes at about 1.0 EC and correct pH and flush the pots with it. Ensure plenty of runoff and don't water again until it's dryish. That's what id do, right or wrong lol

 

[Bomber]

Thanks Cooper, my sense is you know what you are doing, so I'll take that as sound advice, also because its what I did, except went to 0.5 EC approx with the clean flush.

Haven't even started with PH yet, so there's that too...

 

[HGO]

The optimum ph for coco is similiar to the higher range of hydro which is around 5.8-5.9 If the ph is too high it won't be able to absorb the calmag or other nutrients regardless of how much you feed it

 

[Bomber]

Have a PH meter in the mail, along with the CalMag.

Got my eye on the HyGen Coco coir bricks too.

 

[Raniformis]

I would say they're well overwatered, I note they're sitting in trays as well. I don't know, this one's in coir from Bunnings, not flushed or buffered.

 

[Bomber]

Thank you sooo much for posting the above, Raniformis.

That sheds a lot of light on all the things bouncing around my head at the moment....
" its impossible to overwater with coco....its very forgiving"... I read, over and over.

What hogwash!

Although sat in trays, the pots are drained of their run-off outside the tent, if that is what you were querying?

Decent, buffered coir incoming, albeit bricks, along with Professor nutes and cyco ph up n down.

Not gonna lie....quite excited to be buying real products that should ultimately help in improving the grow.

Feels like its Christmas.

 

[frankreynolds]

You can overwater coco, looks like that is a big issue your facing. People often forget about the local enviorment and it's effect on water uptake too, if you got a cold enviorment with sub optimal lighting (not saying your enviorment is like that) you obviously won't be feeding as often as a dry hot climate.

In future don't worry about the run off of coco, just feed it the right ec, at the right ph at appropriate intervals.

When i pot up I allow the coco to go through a large wet - dry cycle to get the roots to spread into the new fresh media. then hit it with constant feeding.

Should have far fewer headaches starting with proper coco and decent nutes. best of luck mate.

 

[Sedge]

The JOYS of using Coco,

have fun.

 

[frankreynolds]

Yeh I use to be someone who would shout from the roofs that coco is a good newbie friendly medium. But I have to say I have changed my toon on that lol

Too much mis information contradicting theories in regards to it. Still a great medium when used properly.

 

[Pedro de pacas]

Fuck I just use it like any other medium, never needed cal mag

make sure the PH is correct is all you need to do

 

[Madmick]

its extremely hard to over water coco,extremely hard
It looks like you don't have enough drainage holes and bigger pots for those plants wouldn't hurt
Coco won't hold excess water unless your drainage isn't sufficient and don't sit the pots in saucers unless you are feeding from the bottom , then you can't over water

 

[Madmick]

looks more like a ph problem to me , they not feeding at all
As stated get your drainage correct , correct size pot and knowing your pH is essential
Lots of hydro nutrients now buffer ph to 6.2 any way , if you ain't got a ph meter at least get nutrients that will sit at the correct ph without buffering

 

[Bomber]

its extremely hard to over water coco,extremely hard
It looks like you don't have enough drainage holes and bigger pots for those plants wouldn't hurt
Coco won't hold excess water unless your drainage isn't sufficient and don't sit the pots in saucers unless you are feeding from the bottom , then you can't over water

Further research indicates once the roots have developed its nearly impossible, but when immature roots, its quite easy to drown em, contrary to this 'rule".

I certainly didn't find it hard.

Plenty of drainage holes in the pots, with the runoff passing through easily, too.

Once I get all the tools required, I should be good, but really appreciate the help from all on here.

 

[Indy]

Never done coco, so i can't add to that subject, but with soil/potting mix i will wait until the pots appear dry (by picking them up and judging weight by hand) before they get another drink. It took a while for me to cotton on to that one.

 

[Bomber]

From someone growing things for many years in soil Indy, that has always been my benchmark...weight of pot.

With coco, or so the coco experts reckon, you mustn't let the medium dry out, which, once you read the reason, makes perfect sense. The pot should be constantly 90% minimum wet...until you read somewhere else that's bullshit. You could do as much research as you want, but, as Frank said above, with all the contradictory info out there, who to believe??!!!!
Bottom line? Dive in and figure it out as I go, with a little help from my friends....

 

[Madmick]

That's the best way mate , you learn more from your mistakes than any reading you do
Correct ph and ec will fix most problems except bugs , someone the just want a drink , plain water , ph though to keep medium correct ph

 

[Bomber]

*gulp* I got this.