I'll have to look in to that coco coir business. I made a major move today. I started the Consumption and Darian Gap in a rainforest and they have been really taking off. But this morning I checked the roots and started seeing some brownish colors on them. I should have experimented with some beans I've made myself instead of the real deals. So I made a decision to switch these over to Promix. Transplanted all of them and hopefully it didn't shock them too much. I had to pull some roots off to get them out of the net pots, but I think I was careful enough that they'll be fine. I'll look in to the coco and see about giving that a try. But I'll try it on some self made beans to see how it goes, then maybe run the catpiss in it once I'm comfortable with it.
Never used the rainforest, but have used tons of FFOF and roots organic in the past, along with a few others with excellent results. It's just like anything else your new to, it will have to be "dialed in" so to speak. Some things are more complicating and complex than others, but yet will yield better results than the easiest way once they're officially dialed in. If that makes sense......
I remember, the best results I ever really got was a mix of promix and either ocean forest or roots organic (or both) with added perlite. I used to always buy the promix BX but then fell in love with the consistency and exellent drainage of the promix HP (high porosity). I would do about 60%-65% promix to 35-40% roots or ffof but it just got too damn expensive... Coco is not cheap either, however it's worth every darn penny thus far and is easily reusable (as is peat also).
Now I'm not sure how complicating coco would be if you were measuring EC/PH/PPM etc, as I took the easy way to start
I am using (and probably will become a target for hate when I admit this haha) Advanced Nutrients PH perfect sensi coco line. I love it, it works and it works almost too well. I do check the PH often just to make sure I am one point there, but no longer because it's been accurate thru thousands of gallons of water already and I dont mind the price tag at all, either. It really does pay for itself in the end and so much more!
I see so much hatred with advanced and I (do and don't) see the reason for it. Yes, its flashy and they try and lure you in to buy so many additional products (which do work, but they're not needed). They put tons and tons of investment into real science and imo is in the top 3 cannabis specific nutrients on the market. But I can see how people may not agree with they're marketing techniques. However, I also know why people give up on them so quick... They're not like most other nutrient lines, where you can use 1/4 strength nute mixtures and get by with it, you can but you will have poor results (deficiencies, etc) for some reason in every advanced thread I've seen, I see people stressing to only use a quarter strength mixture up to half, which is automatically a setup for failure...They are designed to use full strength and it seems to hit the plants just right, it's never too much nor too little, all different strains respond to it perfectly where with other nutrient lines I've had to adjust per each plants needs... That's hard as fuck to do when you're working with a single reservoir, with multiple strains and high numbers to depend on.
I found this out the hard way back when I first started using advanced nutrients ph perfect line. I kept seeing threads on how to start with quarter strength, half strength but NEVER over a 3/4s or else you'll burn the shit out of your plants... That info was everywhere, so I took it seriously... [You do however only use quarter strength when they are in the first couple weeks of life, then 3/4 to full (which is best) once they are close to or reach, maturity].
Anyway... I kept noticing my plants were very pale with yellow tips and I was like wtf? They look deficient, yet they look burned (due to tips yellowing) at the same time... They looked like shit, even when I increased them to 1/2 strength. So then I started to believe the hate, wrote up advanced a sorta "nasty" email and basically told them my issue, with pics and was pissed at how much I invested and was everything short of telling them they can shove it up their ass! Lol.
They actually replied, told me to always use advanced at full strength once plants are mature and said the deficiencies I was seeing was due to starvation pretty much... Once I increased to full strength they made a 360° change literally over night! Started pulling the best damn grows I have ever had in my life once I followed those simple instructions and I have not turned back yet... I've tried here and there throughout the years, tons of different nutrients and keep going back to good ole advanced. You simply can't beat them... The ease of it is just simply insane.
I don't use all of their products and additives, although I have, I usually dont... I keep it simple. I use Advanced Sensi Grow ph perfect bases A & B for veg, (with coco I do supplement with calmag although I'm not even sure its needed), Blue Planets Gold Shield Silica as well as their Root Magic. Awesome results, roots so thick that you can barely push a tomato cage into the coco... For flower I use the AN ph perfect Sensi Bloom base a & b, AN nirvana, bud ignitor or bud blood, big bud and this time going to try the bud factor x and that's it... In mid flower I'll also mix in a bit of MOAB or something similar.
Damn... sorry to ramble lol, I'm bored and still awaiting the moment to start transporting these girls to the outdoors so I can flip to flower tomorrow night. Its pouring the rain here and I may just have to wind up working in the rain if it don't slack down soon!
