That entire album is excellent @GreenThunder you’re welcome, anytime!!
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Hey @Screwauger I’m thinking of making the switch to coco instead of promix can you recommend a good coco coir to use for grow medium? I looked earlier and there are so many kinds to look thru it makes my head hurt… lol. I follow your grows and I see you have great luck with it. And I just ordered my advanced ph perfect nutes. So looking to find good medium
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Hey @Sirsmokes here’s what my experience has been.
I researched a lot before my first grow. The brand I wanted to use was only avail in the UK.
My second choice and recommendation is
https://www.amazon.com/Botanicare-Cocogro-Coir-Fiber-Bale/dp/B005H78ZY4?tag=greenrel-20
I ran out of the botanicare this grow. I filled one autopot and needed more. I ran to the neighborhood Urban Garden and all they had was Canna Coco
https://www.amazon.com/Canna-Expandable-Natural-Substrate-Expanded/dp/B010OG1MVA?tag=greenrel-20
so I bought it and filled two more pots, planted two BBA’s. Both had weird growth problems. I am not sure it had anything to do with the coco brand but…
I repotted one of them into fresh
https://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-CocoTek-Growing-Media/dp/B00U1V7NOO?tag=greenrel-20
and it immediately seemed to like this better than the canna coco. More experienced growers and , even I, think it had nothing to do with the coco brand and everything to do with pH imbalance. That said, I recommend the Botanicare.
It can be a bit ominous to start.
Those compressed bricks require a great deal of water and a large a** container to expand the entire 5kg.
I pried chunks off with a large screwdriver but that was a lot of work too.
That 5kg filled (1) 10 gallon pot and (3) 4 gallon pots.
I also recommend once expanded you rinse it with many gallons of pH’d water (5.8 - 6.1).
This is where it become messy and burdensome to a degree unless you can do it outside with the hose and proper bins. I adapted a 5 gallon pail that I drilled tons of holes into sides and bottom. Then I can lift that bucket out of the other bucket and drain it, dumping it into a tote once drained. Then another batch. And another. The rinsing is important though even if the package says no need, we aint’t growing spinach here and we need pH stable medium.
After draining well and about 24-48 hrs before you plan to sow into the coco, soak it well with ph balanced water and cal mag at a general strength of 1ml/L.
For seeds/young seedlings this would be enough. If an older plant, add your grow nutes in that “pre-charge” soaking at a weakened strength.
I do love the coco so far and the size of these auto’s (if I can keep them healthy) has impressed me!!!
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Ok thank you for the detail I guarentee I wouldn’t get that info on amazon lol. I do not doubt your method as I see your grows… however my only question that you didn’t touch on is I plan on using ph perfect advanced sensi grow and sensi flower (I believe that’s the name) would the ph soak be necessary? And calmag? If so no biggie I just don’t want to mess this up as I plan on growing 5 bba so I don’t want any hiccups so to speak
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I got the botnicare in my cart thanks very much for the info. I might have to grow one in your honor good sir
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As I understand it, because we generally are not giving nutes for the first couple of weeks of a seedlings life, the “pre-charge” of the coco with a pH stable base (water) is necessary to avoid pH probs in those weeks before you apply the pH perfect controls (nutes).
The cal mag is generally required if you use RO water or your tap water is very low in ppm. My tap water reads 45 on a ppm meter so I have likely litlle to no calcium in my tap water.
If your tap water is in the 100+ ppm range, likely no cal mag needed initially.
I stopped giving my BBA’s cal mag because of their issues documented above. After a couple of weeks I saw clear signs of cal mag need (large fans yellowing in center with rust spots. I added it back and bam, all better.
There is a good deal of info online but I am talking auto’s this grow where I sowed the seed right into my 4 gallon pot. No transplanting auto’s for me. I would transplant a fem plant and likely my pre-charge of the coco would include nutes at the rate the schedule called for in addition to the pH’d water.
After that, I agree, put the pH pen away once you start mixing the sensi nutes.
Right on I appreciate your time and knowledge brother. I’m not really digging the promix I had my wife pick up a bag to add into my mix one day, didn’t even think about it and everything was alive just not growing. @bob31 recommended a slurry test and bam 8.1 or something crazy definatly remember it was in the 8s and I know you pretty much have to ph the coco yourself figured I may have better luck and take more variables out of the equation. Then the ph perfect has me all over it. I have a pretty hi ppm in my tap I need to check it after it gasses out but I beleven it was awful like 500s and i havery not had to use calmag yet I don’t even have any yet lol
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My first grow (scrog) I used Gen Hydroponics Grow, Micro, Bloom but used a modified lucas formula (for coco) where you omit the Grow altogether. Use only Micro and Bloom for the entire grow. Sort of a KISS method. I used 6ml/9ml per gallon throughout the whole grow which really went well until I added Kool Bloom in too high a ratio and burnt one of the plant. Otherwise, coco and the modified lucas was a solid grow method. It depends on a low nute mix to avoid needing to flush as the salt build up is minimized by the ridiculously low nute strength, but it works.
I am finding that what I read about coco was correct (larger plants, pseudo hydro grow) and I just need to dial in a nute regimen that works for me and I think I will be set.
That’s not to say I may not try a promix grow down the road…And you’re very welcome.
Yes you may not need the calmag and hopefully that ppm cooperates with your nutes, it’s fairly (no very) high.
I might have some calmag on hand for mid/heavy flower/stretch as coco tends to magnify the need for it although I used epsom salt throughout my entire first grow and it was perfect so that’s at the drug store.
Be sure to keep me tagged in Brother. @Sirsmokes
I will brother!! Now I’m not sire what the method is or would be called lol but I feed, feed, feed, water, and I just started using a microbial tea the day after water I don’t water the following day I have been terrible at keeping my journal updated l don’t water to runoff on feeds or tea only on water and I haven’t had any real issues other than the ph prob. But that was my fault but it’s also only last half of last grow and all 4 or 5 weeks of veg in this one so by no means bragging or gloating but what I will say is I could definatly tell when I started using the nftg but not as much in the vegging but they had a lot of shock to overcome I took them out of the 8. Something ph soil and made a 6.0 mix and transplanted into that but it was only 30 degrees lol but they are starting to take off now
@Donaldj did I say or do somethING wrong? If so I apologize i didn’t realize if you could let me know as so I don’t repete
Never mind I seen it lol sorry auto correct at it again
lol just a little spelling correction no worries not all edits are a bad thing 
I do on occasion fix typo’s
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That’s the best kind of homemade present!
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Ganja Clause!
Even though my first grow was harvested a tad soon, maybe dried a bit hasty and is not what I consider “good pot” but it does work and is not offensive so, I have very much enjoyed spreading the wealth, for once. Thanks Willd.
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Yes ganja, cookies, brownies all the people I know who partake will be getting a little something this year!
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Super. I’ve sent a few mason jars out the door and delivered a few also! Better than a lotto ticket, in my book. @WillyJ
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@Screwauger darn right better than a lottery ticket! Better chances and more rewarding than losing all the time… lol
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