Growing in coco question

[lusidghost]

The bricks are available in every garden center where I live. The garden centers are usually attached to hardware stores. The bricks are not used very much as it seems, because I only see them on small shelves in the specialty section. I haven't seen bags of coco.

Typical price for a brick that yields 9 ltr of substrate is around €3.
70 ltr bag of buffered coco is €16.
Just pulled those numbers from a quick Amazon search.

Checking some "specialty grow shop" (= online hydro store) gives me €2.40 for a brick and €19 for a 50 ltr bag of Canna Coco. Shipping is usually in the range of €5, unless it's getting bulky (> 20 kg and such), then you pay €20 or some such.

Canna is European and a lot more accessible there. I used to run 24 3 gallon pots, and that adds up quick. Also you're looking at prices right before winter. Spring and summer prices aren't as friendly.

 

[ComputerSaysNo]

Canna is European and a lot more accessible there. I used to run 24 3 gallon pots, and that adds up quick. Also you're looking at prices right before winter. Spring and summer prices aren't as friendly.

The prices in the online grow shops don't change during the year.

Of course I'm reporting prices for my area (Germany), and it appears to be way different in your region (NA, I assume). Apparently the market for coco is a lot better in EU.

Coco fibers are a waste product of the coconut industry, they need to be processed for growing purposes, but the raw material is always available in abundance. Probably NA needs one good supplier, and you'll get the same prices that we get.

 

[A.k.a]

I’ve bought the 5kg bricks for a couple years for mushroom stuff.

the price fluctuates but usually it’s like $10-$16 a brick off amazon.

Everything’s expensive right now though so I’m sure the coir is too.

 

[lusidghost]

The prices in the online grow shops don't change during the year.

Of course I'm reporting prices for my area (Germany), and it appears to be way different in your region (NA, I assume). Apparently the market for coco is a lot better in EU.

Coco fibers are a waste product of the coconut industry, they need to be processed for growing purposes, but the raw material is always available in abundance. Probably NA needs one good supplier, and you'll get the same prices that we get.

There are other brands that are dramatically cheaper. I used them for my first few years, but once I went Canna it was impossible to go backwards. I experimented with different forms of rockwool and also a few types of coco cubes, but I'm back to Canna because it's great.

 

[ComputerSaysNo]

There are other brands that are dramatically cheaper. I used them for my first few years, but once I went Canna it was impossible to go backwards. I experimented with different forms of rockwool and also a few types of coco cubes, but I'm back to Canna because it's great.

I've just used a nondescript brand of "coco bricks" and had no problems with it. Soaked in the nutrient solution I was about to feed, and that's it. I did not wash it or do any other preprocessing. Maybe I just got lucky.

It's probably possible to overthink matters at this front. (That's not to say there are probably bad coco bricks on the market that are not washed enough.)

I guess if you wash the coco once, then pre-soak in nutrient solution you're good to go with any brand or make.

Obviously Canna is very reputable, and that's the safe option to go with. A little sad that you have to import it and it's so expensive for you.

 

[lusidghost]

I've just used a nondescript brand of "coco bricks" and had no problems with it. Soaked in the nutrient solution I was about to feed, and that's it. I did not wash it or do any other preprocessing. Maybe I just got lucky.

It's probably possible to overthink matters at this front. (That's not to say there are probably bad coco bricks on the market that are not washed enough.)

I guess if you wash the coco once, then pre-soak in nutrient solution you're good to go with any brand or make.

Obviously Canna is very reputable, and that's the safe option to go with. A little sad that you have to import it and it's so expensive for you.

I've heard that most are prewashed now, and I'm sure there are brands that are just as good. For now I can live with the cost of getting bricks in the mail like I'm Gucci Mane. The bagged kind will have to wait until I have Gucci Mane money. Or laws change. Whichever comes first.

 

[cobshopgrow]

I've just used a nondescript brand of "coco bricks" and had no problems with it. Soaked in the nutrient solution I was about to feed, and that's it. I did not wash it or do any other preprocessing. Maybe I just got lucky.

It's probably possible to overthink matters at this front. (That's not to say there are probably bad coco bricks on the market that are not washed enough.)

I guess if you wash the coco once, then pre-soak in nutrient solution you're good to go with any brand or make.

Obviously Canna is very reputable, and that's the safe option to go with. A little sad that you have to import it and it's so expensive for you.

which bricks you bought, ebay or garden center? and have you measured their initial runoff? never had some beeing below a EC of 3 which i asume is mostly NaCl and K.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Canna is European and a lot more accessible there. I used to run 24 3 gallon pots, and that adds up quick. Also you're looking at prices right before winter. Spring and summer prices aren't as friendly.

You sure about that? Because it's all over here, and the website says CA for the contact info. I just paid $16 US for a 50L bag behind my house at Grow Generation. I haven't used it yet though.

Edit: Well I just read that they're the Dutch expert so I guess you are correct.

 

[Buddernugs]

don't use cloth pots with coco, unless you want to water at least twice a day, every day. they dry out too fast, and coco cannot be allowed to dry out. if you miss one day of watering in cloth pots, you will get root damage.
never use vermiculite in coco, it's counter productive, vermiculite absorbs water, and so does coco....perlite is ok, but you don't need it.
hempy buckets aren't the only way to go with coco, but they're just so good for it...seems like a waste to go any other way to me

Can confirm, I had a blue dream in a 5 gal pot of 70/30……..2 gal feed then after an 8hr shift 2 more….and maby enough run off to fill a shot glass……non stop lock outs On her,still pulled 17.5 zips from that one plant….always wondered what I could have pulled off her in a 7 gal hard pot

 

[ComputerSaysNo]

which bricks you bought, ebay or garden center? and have you measured their initial runoff? never had some beeing below a EC of 3 which i asume is mostly NaCl and K.

The bricks I've used I've ordered along with some other stuff from a "specialty store". It was not a fancy brand. The stuff I could buy from a garden center (or Amazon) would be comparable.

Did not measure run off or anything. Just soaked them in the same nutrient solution that I then used to water the plant while it was establishing roots (and after when it was in the wick system).

This entire grow went very well, I never had to fix any nutrient problems. Also I did not use a CalMag supplement, water was pHed to 6, nutrients were GH TriPart at half strength and Fulvic.

 

[Khigm]

Treat yourself to wonder soil brand Coco. Can still treat it like a soil because of so many amendments in it already but with added benefits of being able to water more often. It also roots clones with an amazing success rate.

 

[ComputerSaysNo]

Can still treat it like a soil because of so many amendments in it already

I can't wait to try BioTabs with coco, that would be amending coco with a full range of organic nutrients and then just adding water (or, in my case, having the AutoPot add the water for me).

Has anybody here tried that? It would be a really easy and convenient way to grow, the only hassle being having to brew the compost tea for flowering.

 

[MidnightSun72]

Floraflex is doing $10 loose fill bags. That's insane only for Us though. That sucks. .

 

[Khigm]

I can't wait to try BioTabs with coco, that would be amending coco with a full range of organic nutrients and then just adding water (or, in my case, having the AutoPot add the water for me).

Has anybody here tried that? It would be a really easy and convenient way to grow, the only hassle being having to brew the compost tea for flowering.

No but I'm trying out NFTG One Shot and Coco out which will be very close. Haven't started the project yet but have everything I need. I will be using grow!t brand Coco.

 

[Star Dog]

I use canna and some brick coco from ebay, I find both have their ideal uses, canna is very fine non fibrous but great water retention and ideal for flowering, the brick is very fibrous but doesn't hold as much water by about 25% that imo makes it perfect! for seedlings and clones.

 

[Green Refuge]

I like using plastic pots with coco they work better for me. 3 gallon max. You don't need it to air out like soil in fabric. Plus you don't want it drying too quickly unless you have plenty of free time to water 2-3 times a day. In plastic I water once a day and it works perfectly m.

 

[ComputerSaysNo]

You don't need it to air out like soil in fabric.

I've assumed the fabric pots are mainly to air prune the roots on all sides, regardless of the medium used.

 

[Green Refuge]

I've assumed the fabric pots are mainly to air prune the roots on all sides, regardless of the medium used.

Air pruning is one of its perceived benefits. For a newbie though I'd use fabric to decrease the chances of overwatering and suffocating your roots if in soil. In coco the benefits of plastic outweigh those of fabric.

 

[Buddernugs]

I had a 3gal fabric pot run A few years back……4x4 was maxed out and 4x8 was maxed out….12 plants total…..50/50 coco…….in june-July I was burning threw 50 gal batches of Rez water every 2.5 days…….in flower it was every 2 days……..now i refuse to go back to anything more than 70/30….and I stay away from soft pots…….the hard pots are a trainers dream lol…..can’t train like this with a softy…..

 

[Buddernugs]