I use square 6" wide and 8" deep pots with a few small holes on the sides... Coco coir MUST be packed tight. Loose coco will not allow the root mass to develop a big tight ball of roots.. What will happen is the cooco will only wet the bottom of the pot and not absorb to the top of pot if not packed tight... Pack that shit tight.... Tighter the better...
When my tray floods it only fills up to about 2-3 inches... the Packed coco will absorb what it needs to maintain its own wettness... and the rest will drain back out... I hand water the pots if the top gets too dry(poke your finger into soil and it should be slightly dry about half inch down then hand water....
I've kinda heard opposite. The reason soil grows slower than hydro is because the plant has to push its roots through the medium. A more aerated the medium is, the less energy the roots have to use and the more oxygen they get. I used a 50%coco, 40% perlite and 10% worm castings. I had to water some everyday, 5 gal smart pots, and the root system was massive.
I used Rio Coco Green Starters, it was a mixture of chunky coco, coco fibers, and coir (fine stuff). It was buffered and low ec, hard to find though as I had to order it from a hydro store in Maryland. I liked it, trying the Canna coco now though.
@lVlars
Pure Coco coir with NO other medium should be packed tight so the medium can retain water. If the coco coir is loose it will dry out faster than you can imagine. As far as oxygen, coco packed tighter than shit still allows an abundent amount of oxygen to the roots. The reason why you want the coco coir packed tight is so you get a big Tight root mass.
Another BIG issue if the coco is not packed tight is coco draining out during watering because it is loose as a goose....
Energy? Explain...
Pure Coco Coir is Nothing like regular soil... Keep in mind Coco has NO nutes for the plants to eat and a neutral PH... Where soil is the complete opposite...
Peace Eazy
phxfire, You sure came a long ways in the last year of learning, eh ? Good to see it pays off for you & helpful for others!
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What are you using for water? Tap? RO? Soil?
@lVlars
Pure Coco coir with NO other medium should be packed tight so the medium can retain water. If the coco coir is loose it will dry out faster than you can imagine. As far as oxygen, coco packed tighter than shit still allows an abundent amount of oxygen to the roots. The reason why you want the coco coir packed tight is so you get a big Tight root mass.
Another BIG issue if the coco is not packed tight is coco draining out during watering because it is loose as a goose....
Energy? Explain...
Pure Coco Coir is Nothing like regular soil... Keep in mind Coco has NO nutes for the plants to eat and a neutral PH... Where soil is the complete opposite...
Peace Eazy