Have been growing in 100% coco for the last 4 years,make all my nutes with fermented stuff and molasses, tomatoes grow real sweet, peppers don't take any other taste except pepper, when you grow your soil (coco) your soil will grow great plants and great tasting fruit (micro nutrients in the soil) if any one would like some help growing in coir please ask, will help all. Ezzer = same stuff i get here.
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media growing in coco
- Thread starter corkey
- Start date
Hi guys,
I am also thinking growing my chilli using a soiless medium. A newbie from Malaysia, we can get coco coir easily. I am thinking of using a mixture of Coco coir, perlite, vermiculite, vermicompost, and mixed in some fish meal, guano. Any help would be great regarding the ratio of each ingredient for both germination use and potting . Another question I am interested to know is why we need coco specific fertilizer for those who grow using coco as compare to those using peat moss? Any fertilizer to avoid?
Mark T
I am also thinking growing my chilli using a soiless medium. A newbie from Malaysia, we can get coco coir easily. I am thinking of using a mixture of Coco coir, perlite, vermiculite, vermicompost, and mixed in some fish meal, guano. Any help would be great regarding the ratio of each ingredient for both germination use and potting . Another question I am interested to know is why we need coco specific fertilizer for those who grow using coco as compare to those using peat moss? Any fertilizer to avoid?
Mark T
Hi Mark, At the moment I use coco in my homemade potting mix. It' a 1/3 coco, 1/3 compost, 1/3 rice hulls (perlite substitute) and a small amount of worm castings. This gives me a very light airy mix that drains well and retains good moisture. I water about 2 or 3 days and it's well over 100F here every day.
I am looking to try coco with hydroponics. here's a couple of links you might find useful.
http://www.igrowhydro.com/info2-growingmedia.aspx
http://www.breedbay.co.uk/forums/breedbay-grow-guides/201341788-coco-tutorial-coco-its-various-grades-croutons-back.html?t-201341788.html=
EDIT: I always soak my coco in RO water for 24 hours, drain and soak it again for another 24 hours to wash out any unwanted salts.
Any nutrients mix that contains a little less potassium since choir has some in it already. Meaning you may cause problems with nutrient blends that are heavier in potassium. Potassium is the 3rd number in the NPK rating in case you didn't remember. "Some" Calcium and Magnesium is present too but not as much as Potassium.
The PH is near perfect as-is.
Are you sure about vermiculite? The stuff has a short life and turns into mush, which doesn't help much because coco coir can be sopping wet as it is already. I would rather try Ezzer's suggestion of rice hulls or some compost including small bits of composted bark. Perlite would be my first choice in a 3 way, or 4 way blend. You may want a source of silicates too, can't think of anything "natural" that has it except maybe clay or clay based soil (? you may want to research the topic)
Hi Jetchuka,
Thanks for your info, I will research it further, links from ezzer is very useful indeed. I will avoid vermiculite, and use perlite, coco coir, maybe bentonite clay, wormcasting, fishmeal, guano, and Mycorrhiza. Will also avoid fertilizer high in potassium.
Mark T
+1 on soaking to remove salts, but I just soak in tap water and skim off stuff that floats and discard stuff that sinks, there is always sand in the bottom. I have found mixing with perlite helps a lot for drainage and aeration. And make sure you hit it with a lot of calcium, coir coco fiber will absorb a lot at first. Here is a video of pepper plants growing in a rockwool/coir mixture showing calcium deficiency.
I just did a mixed 1.5 part (john innes potting mix No 1) 1 part coco coir, 1/2 part perlite, some fish meal, vermicompost.
Hope it will work?
Mark T
Hope it will work?
Mark T
You could try laying off the water a bit, and spritzing the leaves with some epsom salt spray. Even then sometimes the yellowest leaves will usually stay yellow and fall off, but the newer growth should green up.
Yellow leaves with coco heavy mixes is often due to it being sopping wet and maybe lack of root oxygen.
Good luck either way.
Hey Ezzer, I'm using coir also, the fine stuff like yours, and you can use hydro-nutes but they're spendy. I bought a new Osmacote time release with calcium and magnesium, plus it's good for 6 months. I've used it on other potted plants and it's fine. I'm just starting with it on the chinense though. The germination rate for seeds in the fine coir is excellent also; better than anything else I've used before.
As to washing the coir; run RO water through it a couple of times and it's fine.
I'm updating my blog again after a hiatus of a few months, so it will be current with my growing for this year. Cheers.
That's a great idea. Is Osmacote readily available here in Thailand? How much do you use?
My hydro nutes were gifted to me by a friend who was off back to the UK
.EDIT: Do you want to PM me Ajarn, don't want do a hijacking.
That's a great idea. Is Osmacote readily available here in Thailand? How much do you use?
My hydro nutes were gifted to me by a friend who was off back to the UK
EDIT: Do you want to PM me Ajarn, don't want do a hijacking.
Yes, any large agricultural supply company would have it. And by name; "Osmacote", so you can say the English name no problem.
I use 1 rounded tbsp. per pot. PM's are no problem, cheers.
Hope you get it sorted Corkey. Keep us posted.
EDIT: Just wondering Corkey, how old are your plants?
Very nice plants! I've been growing in DWC hydro for years(currently chiltepin), and decided to make the switch to coco. Just ordered an Autopot, and will be starting a few new pepps for that soon.
I recently found a coco block at Cdn Tire... marked down for end of season, from $11 to $2.03 Obviously I grabbed it! Will be mixing it with 40-50% perlite, as it is the fine grained variety.
Searching for grow info with the autopots, I found lots of great info on a few weed growing forums. [there just seems to be more growing info there than in general growing forums online] Apparently, a 6/9 ratio of GH flora Micro/Bloom works amazing with coco for many types of plants(not just weed..
). I'll be giving that a go as soon as I get all my supplies.
Sorry, to be clear, that's 6ml/gal Micro, 9ml/gal Bloom. (half strength for seedlings and smaller plants) ...then, just the 9ml Bloom at the flower/fruiting stage. I suspect pepper plants may also benefit from a bit of epsom salt as well, for added magnesium. I'll experiment to see what works.
I recently found a coco block at Cdn Tire... marked down for end of season, from $11 to $2.03 Obviously I grabbed it! Will be mixing it with 40-50% perlite, as it is the fine grained variety.
Searching for grow info with the autopots, I found lots of great info on a few weed growing forums. [there just seems to be more growing info there than in general growing forums online] Apparently, a 6/9 ratio of GH flora Micro/Bloom works amazing with coco for many types of plants(not just weed..
). I'll be giving that a go as soon as I get all my supplies.Sorry, to be clear, that's 6ml/gal Micro, 9ml/gal Bloom. (half strength for seedlings and smaller plants) ...then, just the 9ml Bloom at the flower/fruiting stage. I suspect pepper plants may also benefit from a bit of epsom salt as well, for added magnesium. I'll experiment to see what works.