Soil or Coco

[Marcus]

You might find that blocks of coco for reptiles are clean and pure - have no added trichoderma and are unbuffered.

Just grab a bag of canna pro and a bottle each of A+B. PH pen and some pH up and down and you'll be away.

No need for an Ec pen. 1ml/L of A+B is 0.425EC (iirc).

Keep it simple, feed according to how green the plant is and science befooked like some random Welsh bloke round here says.

Up the ferts week before flip and for 3 weeks, then drop them back.

Easy peasy.

[KD]

You might find that blocks of coco for reptiles are clean and pure - have no added trichoderma and are unbuffered.

Just grab a bag of canna pro and a bottle each of A+B. PH pen and some pH up and down and you'll be away.

No need for an Ec pen. 1ml/L of A+B is 0.425EC (iirc).

Keep it simple, feed according to how green the plant is and science befooked like some random Welsh bloke round here says.

Up the ferts week before flip and for 3 weeks, then drop them back.

Easy peasy.

What do you mean by unbuffered?

[ncrypta.core]

Like you man only been growing a year started 20/4/20. my first first few grows was with coco the ecothrive one, then moved to soil as wanted to try organics witch is fun, my next will be back in coco with cork instead of perlite and worm casting, because i'm going try mills nutrients this time round as then can still use my organic stuff like seabird poo and the teas. So a hybrid grow. as mills is a mix between organic and synthetic.

My best yelid was with coco mind.

[ncrypta.core]

What do you mean by unbuffered?

in an unbuffered coco the cation exchange sites will strip the nutrient solution of the Ca and Mg and replaces those cations with Na and K. This will render the plant and make it unavailable to take up Calcium and Magnesium. Resulting in your top deficiencies and it will be seen on the plant quickly.

how do I buffer my coco?
Buffering is accomplished by soaking your coco is a liquid mix of water, calcium, and magnesium. This will allow the cation exchanges to take place, prior to a plant being planted in the coco substrate.

This means that now when you are feeding your plant, the nutrients will hold on and be able for uptake by the plant as it needs.

[Marcus]

You might find that blocks of coco for reptiles are clean and pure - have no added trichoderma and are unbuffered.

Just grab a bag of canna pro and a bottle each of A+B. PH pen and some pH up and down and you'll be away.

No need for an Ec pen. 1ml/L of A+B is 0.425EC (iirc).

Keep it simple, feed according to how green the plant is and science befooked like some random Welsh bloke round here says.

Up the ferts week before flip and for 3 weeks, then drop them back.

Easy peasy.

What do you mean by unbuffered?

I mean it's left natural, and not soaked in (eg) calcium nitrate or cal mag etc like some coir makers do.

[2-Scoops]

What do you mean by unbuffered?

in an unbuffered coco the cation exchange sites will strip the nutrient solution of the Ca and Mg and replaces those cations with Na and K. This will render the plant and make it unavailable to take up Calcium and Magnesium. Resulting in your top deficiencies and it will be seen on the plant quickly.

how do I buffer my coco?
Buffering is accomplished by soaking your coco is a liquid mix of water, calcium, and magnesium. This will allow the cation exchanges to take place, prior to a plant being planted in the coco substrate.

This means that now when you are feeding your plant, the nutrients will hold on and be able for uptake by the plant as it needs.

Good stuff man . Cheers

[KD]

Thanks for the explanation. I assume the minerals in my water are replacing the Ca & Mg or the microbes are feeding it directly to the plant cause I don't buffer the Coco before I use it. It just gets hydrated in dechlorinated water. Never had Ca or Mg problems though.

[ncrypta.core]

I presume so i mean the Ca & Mg in the water. It depends on which brand as some are already been washed and buffered

like canna they say
CANNA COCO Brick is made from the highest quality ingredients. It is washed and buffered, not steam sterilized and RHP certified for horticulture.

I'm looking at this for my coco run
https://www.onestopgrowshop.co.uk/produ ... k-50-litre

[KD]

I presume so i mean the Ca & Mg in the water. It depends on which brand as some are already been washed and buffered

like canna they say
CANNA COCO Brick is made from the highest quality ingredients. It is washed and buffered, not steam sterilized and RHP certified for horticulture.

I'm looking at this for my coco run
https://www.onestopgrowshop.co.uk/produ ... k-50-litre

It's reptile bedding so I doubt it will have been buffered but my water is desalinated sea water so I'm not sure how exactly they take the salt out, but it's not drinkable due to its heavy mineral content. I need some more Coco soon so I'll drop a pic in to you somewhere if I remember

[2-Scoops]

I presume so i mean the Ca & Mg in the water. It depends on which brand as some are already been washed and buffered

like canna they say
CANNA COCO Brick is made from the highest quality ingredients. It is washed and buffered, not steam sterilized and RHP certified for horticulture.

I'm looking at this for my coco run
https://www.onestopgrowshop.co.uk/produ ... k-50-litre

It's reptile bedding so I doubt it will have been buffered but my water is desalinated sea water so I'm not sure how exactly they take the salt out, but it's not drinkable due to its heavy mineral content. I need some more Coco soon so I'll drop a pic in to you somewhere if I remember

You can still use and grow in non buffered coco alright but obviously your open to more woes and ways happening through-out the grow usually calmag issues. But buffered coco usually holds ph of medium steady for a good while at ph they set it for optimum take up of different element's of your ferts and usually that`s at 5.8 well Canna pro+ is. In fact a good mate has never used a ph pen and smashes it in canna pro+ never ph`ed his ferts in his life and theirs one or two more i know wouldn`t know what a ph pen is yet do alright growing in coco round my way. Coco that`s not buffered well if its clean then it shouldn`t carry an ec where as buffered coco will usually carry a low ec if you check the run off.

From what i was told I'm pretty sure by Beefy its just a case of basically soaking the coco in a cal/mag and fresh water solution, i think he said a few hours is good enough but overnight better but i forgot that last bit tbh, but doing it overnight I would think best idea, but yes he did tell me calmag to water ml per ltr doses as well for doing it but i fooking forgot that too now, tis easy enough to find out though. @Captain Beefheart help me out here mate I'm sure it was you told me if it int I'm going bloody senile man.

I`m know Canna don`t buffer their blocks of coco but do their 50ltr sack of pro+. Just wondering if any blocked coco goes through buffering process now before it gets to you, my super dooper spidey senses are saying prolly not but odd one might, cheap stuff i doubt it, then again I'm just guessing clutching straws their. I can`t see why their would be a need to buffer reptile bedding so tis prolly not been done.