Clones in Coco

[vertexx]

Hi,

 

Believe it or not, I've only been using Coco media for about a couple of months.

Before that I'd always used vermeculite and or perlite.

 

I've found this stuff (coco) to be quite outstanding as far as growth is concerned and

was wondering how it would work with clones instead of rockwool.

 

Has anyone here used coco to strike roots in clones and are there any caveats or

even hints on using this media ?

[Gazza2001au]

you can buy jiffy 7 coco peat pellets to start seedlings in or start clones in

[WantDaChronic]

while you can root clones in coco, you'll have a fair easier and cleaner time rooting them in rockwool

[loylty gets u nothing]

i use the jiffy 7s

they come dry and pressed

u rehydrate them by soaking in phed water

i have great results using the jiffys

u can mould them a bit and shape them well for clones

i dont even ph the water before soaking..

i think they are 20c at hydro shop..

apart from the jiffys,i have success with rockwool cubes

straight vermiculite even...wen cloning i find it vital to use a humiditydome

and daily fan fresh air threw the cuts till the are rooted

all the ebst

bil;

[AussieBudsRoxs]

Hi there vertexx i use coco when i do clones work well never had any problems

[Luke Skywalker]

The Jiffies aren't coco, they're mined peat moss. (decomposed sphagnum and other moss that builds up over centuries). Some of the newer brands like galuku and casetech are doing some coco propogation discs, but the ones from Jiffy are definitely not coco peat.

 

Keeping in mind its source, it's becoming a little more scarce and hard to find good quality mines to provide it. Its renewable, but on long time scales only. Recently theres been a move to sustainability in peat mining, but like most things humans do, it may end up running out anyway.

 

That said, they do work, and at something like 15-25c each they're pretty economical. The pH is a little low, but they work fine provided they're not kept too moist.

 

Coco proper has a far higher air porosity, better particle structure and more stable pH and e.c. It's also renewable for the eco minded. Works great as a striking medium, one of the best tools I've used with coco was the Aquamiser http://www.aquamiser.com.au/ with a base layer of expanded clay or perlite, it worked great. Space has meant that I've removed it but it awaits use soon in the shed.

 

My favoured media is rockwool cubes though, I find them more stable, easier to maintain at the right moisture level, and quick to use. Coco is okay, but I wouldn't generally use it unless I was doing a coco grow. Most of my efforts are perlite based nowadays. I do use it as an amendment for vegetable gardening and in some of my more moisture retentive orchid mixes, but that's about it.

 

I can also highly recommend the cogr or coba slab type media with added bark chips. This is a little freer draining, lighter when wet, (although not by a large amount) and seemed to provide a better result with tomatoes when I used it in comparison. For clones it may still be useful, but I'm a bit biased towards much more free draining media than some.

 

I would recommend thoroughly flushing and draining the coco and then using a root zone buffer solution before use though. Even a mild grow coco solution, (like maximum .6 ec) can work well, this ensures a good mix of macro and micronutrients and keeps the media more stable than it might of otherwise been. Most of the bags of coco out there today are pre-buffered, but they're also stored for long periods, sometimes dry, sometimes more moist. It doesn't hurt to flush and buffer it again. Canna makes a buffer solution, and I have a feeling there are a few others out there too, but they don't come to mind. Like I said earlier though, a mild grow solution would work fine.

 

If bottomfeeding small pots with coco as the rooting media then a base layer of coarse material like perlite or clay, or even good quality river gravel can help to keep moisture levels from getting too high. If just top watering then a simple spray bottle will work for the first week or two, depending on how warm/moist/quickly they root etc. The key to all cloning IMO is cleanliness and the right moisture levels around the roots and leaves.

 

Hope that helps.

[BentBuddha]

High all.

 

Recently I put some babies in the large rockwool cubes and they died. Too much water in the blocks probably. I havent' actually used the large blocks in 2 and a half yrs. I use the smaller ones normally and only quickly dunk them in ph adjusted water. About 2 yrs ago (i think it was) i was fooling around and put some clones into those jiffy 7 peat pellets (bought from bunnings for $9 for 50)and they grew roots. I don't remember how long it took or anything like that so i've done an experiment recently to see which comes up better. Jiffy 7's or small rockwool cubes.

 

Basically, i make up 5 ltrs of ph adjusted water with some rhizotonic in it. I have 8 clones all from the same source. The jiffys were left in the water long enough to expand and the cubes were quickly dunked so as not to soak them too much. I keep the rhizo water for foliar spraying. All babies dunked in clonex. After 3 days i have to say the jiffys look happier but of course no sign of roots yet. The ones in the cubes seemed to of flopped over and made a bit of a recovery. They're all in a humidity dome and temp is about 25deg and humidity is anywhere between 70-90%. Jiffys seem to be less fuss but i will stick to whatever proves first to grow legs on the babies. Will report results on this post with pics.

 

bb

[Samjana]

ive experimented with cloning in coco, flushed coco, ph adjusted, then soaked with a weak mix of clonex and water. left them in a dome and within 2 weeks all clones rooted well. didnt hv a heat mat or m sure wldve been quicker.