Coco fibre

[nouseforaname]

hey,

A fair few people have been asking for this thread so here goes. Ill try to get some pics when possible as usual . If anyone has anything to add feel free....

 

Canna/dutch master/natures own-

250gram compressed block (expands to 2 kg aprox)

5kg compressed block (expands to 40 kg aprox)

20 kg granulated bag

50 kg granulated bag

 

With the compressed blocks you need to expand them into a large rubbermaid style container(50-70ltr). It takes about 30 mins and expands about 8 times. The substrate is too hot to handle during this stage but after a hour or so is bearable with gloves. The coco still needs to be cleaned throughly.

To do this i use the largest pot i have available that fits in bath tub, cover with a chux superwipe in the base of pot. To stop excess coco falling through. Fill pot with coco to 2 inch from the top. After rinsing with plain warm water for about 5 mins per pot or until it runs perfectly clear. If you stop when slightly yellow the plants will suffer lock out after a few weeks. (bottom starts to yellow out) After rinsing the coco it needs to be wringed out so its water content isnt so high. If you are potting up clones you may adjust the nutrients in the coco to suit at this stage.

 

The granulated bags are easier to work with as they dont need to be expanded but are harder to conceal when entering your grow.

 

cocopeat.com.au

250gram compressed block (expands to 2 kg aprox)

5kg compressed block (expands to 40 kg aprox)

20 kg granulated bag

50 kg granulated bag

 

 

 

This is an australian supplier who takes the extra time and effort to rinse the granulated coco fibre to clear and adds some benefical bacteria to the substrate. This saves alot of double handling and mess. The compressed blocks are still same as above thou.

 

Which ever way you have gone above you are now up to the stage of potting the plants up. If you want your substrate to drain better add either perlite, vermiculite or clay balls at 50/50 with the coco. If you want it to hold more water use water crystals or 70 coco 30 rockwool.

 

Depending on what style of watering system you have in mind install it now. If you are going to have individual drip lines or just a few main lines its easier to install them now. This will mean the pots wont be able to be moved about until the end of cycle. If they need to be mobile add snap hose connections on the end of each run.

 

Put your seedlings or clones into position but dont pot them up just yet. Try to space them as evenly as possible and try not to put all the vigarous ones in one area or it will overgrow you. After you have decided where they are all to sit pot them all up nice and tight. If any stakes, screens or plastic pot covers are to be added now is the time.

[nouseforaname]

Heres what the nutrients are run at on all spc female stock. They are kept lean for everyones sake. Only watered with nutrients twice a week, other times plain water.

 

coco fert a+b 5 ml per litre of each a and b

cannazym 2.5 ml per litre

superthrive 1 drop per litre

pk13-14 2 ml per litre ( one week in 12/12)

 

Tests at

ppm - 1620

ph 5.8

temp 24

 

For the first two weeks or until the plants start to take off only use half strength coco fert(2.5 ml a+ and a drop of sperthrive. I only use cannazym when im recycling coco fibre for the second cycle.

 

When they change to 12/12, leave them on the same nutrient forumla up until 4 weeks before harvest. For this week use an extra 2ml of PK13-14 per litre

 

For the third last week go back to the standard nutrient mix without the added pk. Then flush with plain water for the last two weeks.

 

Always try to allow the coco to dry out 75% before watering if possible as you will see better growth rates.

 

If you want to reuse the coco from a previous cycle you need to let it dry right out in the pot if possible. Once it is bone dry remove to your rubbermaid tub and run your hands through it wearing gloves and remove as much root matter as possible. Throw away the root mass around the one inch rockwool cube it isnt worth the effort. After the roots are removed, repot the used coco into a pot with chux to rinse through. Once it runs clean squeeze excess water off and pot up again. Water with added cannazym for first two weeks daily and then once a week there on.

 

That covers most of it ill add some more when i get some pics any qs feel free stonedas

[Guest Urbanhog]

Yeah I like these coconut fibres, I got mine from the supermarket, and you soak it water and rinse, it increase the size massively, you you said it gets "hot" to handle?? The fibre I get from the supermarket doesn't get hot, or it's different product you talking about?

 

I put coconut fibre in the bottom of the pots (about 3-4cm thick) and top up with soil, vericmculture and perlite mix, in the last crop, when I haversted, I noticed a massive root system surrounding where the coconut fibres were.... it was a interesting sight!! I was just doing something different/experiement as some what as "water reserve" at the bottom...

 

Urbanhog....

[delay]

I use coco fibre/perlite pretty much exactly the same system as stonedas described, the stuff you buy from hydro store that is prewashed, nutes I use almost exactly the same except I use a small amount of cannazym all the way through.

 

I think coco is great I've had much better results than both soil and a small flood and drain system I had going, much easier to maintain aswell....

 

Do you have an EC conversion for that stonedas...? I run my nutes (all canna like yours) at 2.8 EC I have occasionaly noticed a tiny bit of nute burn but after that I usually lower it, the SWT#3 so far hasn't shown any such signs, you think they'd like a little bit more nutes or leave it... I'm usually a bit cautiuos about raising the nute levels...

 

Also how do you go about flushing your coco... 1 week, 2 week, do you use plain water or a lowered nute solution...?

 

By the way nice work with the how to, wish I had of had something like this when I first got into coco, its great stuff

 

peace delay

[nouseforaname]

hey,

Sorry for not getting back here earlier been flat out. The coco that needs a rinse if wahsed in boiling hot water expands in about 3 mins and can be washed out if your game to handle it

Coco fibre is supposed to hold more air and water than soil. Rockwool holds more water but mold is also a big problem. Try a 1/1 mix of perlite/ cocopeat.com.au doesnt need to be washed out so that saves alot of time and hassles.

 

The ec conversion for 1620 is 1.62 .. you are at 2800 but that shouldnt be a problem. They have been ran that high before and even higher but I find when i run nutrients that high i need to flush fortnightly with plain water just to leach the coco out. But when i run a leaner mix the coco only runs orange not maroon/red. I do use cannazym when i recycle the coco but not the first time as its premixed in.

 

When you add pk what does it fluxuate to 3200 if so they will need two weeks flush of plain water. Some people use earth juice flush etc but i rather the after taste of pk but each to their own. I had a helping hand in a vhs on how to aswell

[whynot]

Stonedas, thanks for the info.

 

Thank goodness for the 'search' button.

[AzZa-]

Stonedas,

 

Is it suitable to grow your clones in any of these?

 

http://www.cocopeat.com.au/products/easyfil.asp

 

Later,

AzZa