coco and perlite mix question

[Ganja87]

Hey guys and girls

 

I need your opinions/experiences.

 

Im currently planning my first ever grow and easily the hardest hurdle so far is what medium to use. I ended up buying a 70% premium coco 30% perlite mix but im not sure if the coco will hold enough water for a once a day watering or ill need to add a bit of vermiculite to up the water retention properties.

 

What do you guys think?

 

Cheers guys 

 

[Frank Reynolds]

it will be fine mate, Coco has great moisture retention, just make sure pot size isn't too small for plant or else you will need to eventually feed more than once a day regardless of medium.

[Matanuska Thunder]

I use 20/80 coco/perlite and only water every 6 or 7 days (19L pots)

 

No need to water everyday... you will kill them if you do that

and no need for vermiculite either 

[Badseed77]

 

I have been using cyco coco lite  (70/30 mix) and been happy with it , still holds plenty of moisture.

 As already said you will not need to water ever day . Use the lift method and you will be fine . Fill a pot the same size you are using with dry coco straight from the bag and feel the weight of a pot the same size you just watered . Once the plant in the pot you have watered gets to about 50% the weight you then water .

Most people over water at the start , less is usually "more" in the early days . 

 

[Ganja87]

Awesome thanks for the help guys. you guys rock   

 

 

I have been using cyco coco lite  (70/30 mix) and been happy with it , still holds plenty of moisture.

 As already said you will not need to water ever day . Use the lift method and you will be fine . Fill a pot the same size you are using with dry coco straight from the bag and feel the weight of a pot the same size you just watered . Once the plant in the pot you have watered gets to about 50% the weight you then water .

Most people over water at the start , less is usually "more" in the early days . 

 

I've never heard of the lift method but it makes heaps of sense. Will definitely practising it with my grow!  

Edited June 17, 2014 by Ganja87

[ehle_fan]

The more coco the more water retention, cover the top in perlite to make it hard for the inevitable gnats!

[louise]

Gnats aren't 'inevitable'. If you have repeat problems with gnats - look to your general garden husbandry, you must be doing something that is making it an enticing environment.

[ehle_fan]

It's like trying to keep flies from a turd.

 

I'm not in soil though so they're basically a harmless pest, the stick traps help control their numbers bigtime.

[Lenore]

Sticky traps are by no means a way to control gnats. They're only to give you a visual indicaton as to how well you are controlling the gnat population....

[louise]

I use coco and perlite and I don't seem to get gnats... stopped even using sticky traps because all they ever caught was my hair. Spider mites on occasion during the warmer weather, but no fungus gnats.