Coco coir is a sustainable and eco-friendly growing medium made from coconut husks, offering excellent water retention properties. Synthetic nutrients, chemical-based fertilizers, contain a mix of macro and micronutrients that plants need. Many dry amendments, such as kelp meal and zeolite, can improve water retention in coco coir, creating a more porous growing environment.
Watering and feeding schedules for coco coir growers vary, with some suggesting frequent watering and others staying on top to prevent water breakage. Coco coir is best used in combination with amendments like diatomaceous earth, but it also has its own benefits. Buffering coco coir is easy, and steps for buffering and rinsing are provided.
Watering and feeding are crucial for coco coir plants, as it holds moisture well but allows for good drainage, reducing the risk of overwatering. Water plants when the top inch feels dry, and water every couple of days. Coco coir should be used in a pH range of 5.8-6 for flowering and 6.6-2 for coco, as outside of this range can cause nutrient uptake problems.
When selecting an organic dry amendment, it is important to use it in a soil with structure for life to thrive. Coco coir has a low CEC and is not a good substitute for proper soil. To ensure optimal growth, top dress feeding with 2tsp per gallon on a medium with Down to Earth 4-4-4 vegetative mix and watered in with plain water with a pH of 6.5.
Additionally, adding composted manure or wormcastings can help make the coco coir more like soil than soil-less. This method is recommended for growing vegetables outside, watering only in coco topdressed with yard waste.
📹 How to Water Coco Coir, When to Water – Small & Large Pots
A little informative video to cover questions ive been getting from my IG account @Tri_State_Trichomes. Please leave your …
Can you use dry fertilizer in coco coir?
Coco coir, a popular indoor gardening medium, is a sustainable alternative to peat moss and has excellent water retention properties. However, it lacks essential nutrients for healthy plant growth. Organic dry amendments can help enrich coco coir and synthetic nutrients, promoting plant growth.
The top 5 organic dry amendments for coco coir and synthetic nutrients are discussed in this article. Organic dry amendments are an all-natural way to improve the quality of the growing medium, containing natural minerals and nutrients that promote healthy plant growth. They are more sustainable than synthetic fertilizers and help create a more balanced growing environment, preventing common plant problems such as nutrient deficiencies and pest infestations.
In conclusion, organic dry amendments are a great way to enrich coco coir and synthetic nutrients, promoting plant growth and preventing common problems like nutrient deficiencies and pest infestations. By using organic dry amendments, indoor growers can enjoy the benefits of a more sustainable and eco-friendly growing medium.
How much water do you need to rehydrate coconut coir?
To prepare coco coir, place the brick in a large container and cover it with warm water. A good rule of thumb is to add 4/5 gallons per 5 kilo brick. Allow the water to absorb for at least 15 minutes, then fluff the coco coir until it resembles the ideal soil-like consistency.
Additionally, the lack of naturally existing nutrients can cause plants to not thrive as well in coco peat. As coco coir grows in popularity, suppliers are becoming more attentive to customer needs, offering pre-mixed coir with nutrients. For example, Coco and Coir’s Coco Boost contains NPK, a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium for optimal plant growth.
How do you use coco coir with dry amendments?
To use mycorrhizae with coco coir and synthetic nutrients in indoor gardening, mix 1 part mycorrhizae with 4 parts coco coir. Apply the mixture to plants and water as needed. Organic dry amendments with coco coir and synthetic nutrients provide a balanced growing environment, promoting healthy plant growth. This method can prevent common problems like nutrient deficiencies and pest infestations, making it an excellent option for those looking to grow healthy, strong plants naturally.
In indoor gardening, using organic dry amendments in potting mix ensures plants receive the necessary nutrients for growth and thrive. Benefits include improved water retention, beneficial microbes, and nutrient-dense flowers and foliage, resulting in healthier plants.
How to use dry amendments?
To create healthy, living soil, sprinkle dry amendments on existing potting soil and water it in. This method adds nutrients to established plants, while mixing them into new soil before planting creates nutrient-rich soil for new plants. Dry amendments work by slowly releasing nutrients into the soil, which are absorbed by plants. This slow-release process reduces the risk of nutrient runoff and leaching, ensuring a rich environment for plants to grow in. Overall, using dry amendments effectively can help build living soil and promote healthy growth.
How do you moisten coco coir?
To hydrate coco coir, ensure there is no water pooling in the container after hydration. Strain the excess liquid in a container with holes in the bottom. Once the coir has absorbed all water and regained a soil-like texture, apply it to soil or pots. Coco coir is highly valued for its water-retaining properties and is easy to hydrate in compressed form, allowing immediate application to soil or pots.
What is the best amendment for coco coir?
Coco coir, a by-product of coconut harvesting, is a versatile soil amendment that offers numerous benefits in gardens. Its water retention abilities, which can hold up to 30% more water than traditional soil amendments like peat moss or Rockwool, make it a more sustainable choice. Its high potassium content and slightly alkaline nature make it easier to balance soil pH levels and use less potassium-rich fertilizers. Coco coir provides a structured growing medium with high water retention capabilities and essential nutrients, making it a more sustainable addition to soil.
It is also resistant to fungus, bacteria, and mold, making it a more sustainable alternative to traditional soil amendments. However, Coco Coir is not suitable for high-moisture areas due to its abrasive fibers and mold susceptibility. Despite its benefits, Coco Coir is resource-intensive and not very sustainable, as even after being’restored’, the wetland never regains its biodiversity.
How to properly water coco coir?
Watering coco coir is a complex process that requires careful attention. It is recommended to water every four or five days, using a pot with good drainage to ensure air and moisture are present. To ensure proper watering, check the soil by observing if water runs out immediately or if no moisture is evident. Over-watering can lead to over-watering, while too dry soil can result in a lack of air. The weight of the plant pot also plays a role in retaining water, with heavier pots containing more moisture.
Before watering, lift the pot to gauge its feel when free of water. If the pot feels light, it’s time to water again. By ensuring the coco coir is properly watered, you can better identify when it needs watering and maintain healthy plant growth.
How dry should Coco get before watering?
To water coco plants, monitor the container’s weight as it dries, noting when it reaches 50 or when the VWC drops by half. For coco, monitor until the VWC reaches around 30, which is half the VWC compared to right after watering, around 65. If the container’s weight falls below 50 or the VWC drops below 30, the plant reaches a permanent wilting point, where only water is in the smallest pores, which the plants cannot access.
It is crucial to let the root zone become slightly dry between watering to allow roots to become aerated, the microbial ecosystem to receive oxygen, and encourage roots to stretch and grow, reaching water pockets further away.
How to moisten coco coir?
To hydrate coco coir, ensure there is no water pooling in the container after hydration. Strain the excess liquid in a container with holes in the bottom. Once the coir has absorbed all water and regained a soil-like texture, apply it to soil or pots. Coco coir is highly valued for its water-retaining properties and is easy to hydrate in compressed form, allowing immediate application to soil or pots.
Can you overwater coco coir?
Coco coir, a type of cannabis grow medium, can be overwatered due to its slow drying back and limited water availability to the roots. This can lead to the accumulation of oxygen-depleted water in coir dust, which can be harmful to the plant. Riococo, a coir blend, removes any material smaller than 4mm, including fine dust, to create Riococo PCM grow bags, which maintain an air to water ratio of 28-33 and a volumetric water content of 53.
Some growers water coco coir multiple times daily with enough nutrient solution to achieve 20-30 runoff, which is a waste of water, nutrients, and money. Riococo recommends a fertigation program designed to achieve 15-20 runoff, which is calculated by combining the total volume of daily irrigation and the total runoff volume. Once plants are established, irrigation cycles maintain this volume and can act as micro-flushing events to stabilize pH and EC in the root zone. After runoff is seen, it increases in cumulative volume after each cycle until the last event of the day.
How long do dry amendments take?
It is possible to consume all of our products in the form of tea, with a significant proportion of users reporting highly positive outcomes. To prepare a standard tea, combine the recommended dosage with water, agitate the solution periodically, and allow it to rest for 24 to 48 hours. In the event that our products are utilized in soil or coco, the administration of additional calcium and magnesium supplements is not required. However, should the plant in question require a supplementary boost, it would be prudent to consider the purchase of said supplements.
📹 Everything you need to know about coco coir!
Hope this tutorial helps! This is everything you need to know about growing with Coco coir. Also stay tune for my next grow season …
I’m growing tomatoes outside in 300mm pots in 100% coco coir. Nothing else added. I water, then fert which flushes as I go. Adding calmag as a foliar spray but also extra in the fert cycle. Calmag needed more for Heirloom (Beefsteak) than Cherry tomatoes. Seaweed amendment added as well in the cycle. This is new to me and the results are amazing so far. Also, I grew from seed in coco to avoid soil in my media. Hence, stopped buying seedlings and will seed save with plastic bag self pollnation. Blight is quite minor, only a couple of spots (considering the soil raised beds nearby). Im in Australia in humid sub tropical. Late Feb for us (which is late July weather in northern hemisphere). Blight normally destroyed my potting mix tomatoes. It was bad, like a race up the plant and struggled for fruit, yield and trying to keep the plant alive. Coco is amazing.
Highly recommend high frequency fertigation in coco. Watering in coco in a similar fashion as soil will kill your plants. The coco has to stay wet, no drying between feeding/watering. In most cases this means once a day when plants are small, and twice a day when larger. And you need to do it until you see run off so you don’t get salt build up. Use 70/30 coco/perlite
Usually, you have to wash and charge the Coco before you start. That means to check the EC and make sure it’s not above 300-350. Then soak in the appropriate mix for what you’re doing (stage of transplant). (Seeds wash only, no charge for 5-6 days). Also, never let Coco dry out. An example I use to help folks see is using a washcloth. Dip it in a cup of water and then hang till drips stop. Weigh at that moment (136g). Then squeeze the cloth to wring the water into a cup. Weigh the cloth (78g). That leaves 58g of water. A major point, at 78g the cloth is wet but there is no available water for the plant. The plant’s “gas tank” is 58g of water in this example. So do like your car, fill it up and drive till you are at 1/4 tank and then fill it up again. Don’t let it runout or keep it topped off at all times. Different media will have various moisture holding capacity amounts and evaporation rates such as Coco and Rockwool. Soils with low drainage will have slower water loss.
Coconut Coir is an Un Ending resource, It helps Major and small real world farmers get money for waste that they could not use. The husks produced in Coconut farming was difficult for the farmers to deal with . The husks don’t break down quickly, this sucked up their land and created rat and mosquito infestations making life even harder. About 20 yrs ago, someone came up the the idea to recapture the waste. Small farmers income didn’t allow them to purchase the machines to break the husks down’; Eventually as marketing and shipping the Coir became successful, Companies expanded collection from the small farmers and eventually paying small payments for the husks. Win Win Win. Environmentally Using Peat Moss should be considered the same as Mining the Coral Reef. Period ! Peat Moss Companies are using Rhetoric,Lobbing,and Green Washing. The Peat Bogs take millions of years, and once they are gone that is it. Our modern day land use doesn’t really allow for them to regenerate, and don’t forget that the climate was very different 1,000s of years ago. Using peat should be considered the same as mining the coral reefs…..Environmentally Using Peat Moss should be considered the same as Mining the Coral Reef. Period ! Peat Moss Companies are using Rhetoric,Lobbing,and Green Washing.
I should have bought that but I bought coco perlite 70/30 I’m a damn beginner I’m growing auto Northern lights they are growing fine but I need some advice should I mix it with top soil or not I bought two bags 2.6 gallon bags I have 4 auto Northern lights anyone that has any tips or advice on what I should do because again I’m a beginner and have no idea what I’m doing
My plants hate coco coir, and therefore so do I. I won’t be bothered babysitting; constantly tinkering with nutrients trying to keep the plants healthy while they languish alongside other plants that are thriving with minimal effort (in peat moss based potting mix). Coco coir is also typically four times the price of peat moss. No thanks! it’s a good thing I stockpiled enough peat moss to last us years before the supply chain issues and inflation kicked in.