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shopping Best Price/Place to buy Coco Noir/Peat
- Thread starter Canes1
- Start date
My inner Gator Fan doesn't want to help you, but we're all pepper heads here. First off, unless you're looking for a dimly lit coconut murder mystery, then I believe you want coco COIR not noir lol. Secondly, most gardening supply places should have bales of either coir or peat. Peat bales start off fairly inexpensive, but the better the product the higher the price. Maybe find a bulk soil supplier in your area instead? How big of an area are you Trying to fill?
It's ok my Son is a Gators fan,actually we went to the spring game a few years back,back in the Tebow days........at least we can agree on one thing,we hate the Noles . loltwilliams386 said:
Stupid autocorrect..Coir/Noir
I figure about 3-5 5 gallon buckets and a 3'x8'x20" raised bed
Most garden supply places are expensive and don't carry a lot Coir in bulkPeat I should be able to get from Agway, I hope next year in 3.8 bales.
I know that some Coco has a lot of salt in it and was wondering who had some better quality.
check out juanitos Glog , he ordered a bunch off the computer . 
I've seen farm supply stores in our area are starting to sell the stuff.
Several things to note here - I grow everything now in coco, because it lasts longer than peat. (yes, I re-use) When it comes to coco and the salt issue, the salt should be a non-issue, because you want to rinse the hell out of the stuff, no matter what. Because on top of rinsing, you want to soak it post-rinse in a calcium solution. If you're dong a conventional grow, calcium citrate/nitrate, if you're growing organic, calcium acetate.
Now, that being said, the local farm supply store sells 5KG compressed bricks for $10. So while it's not a perfect answer, it's a lead for you. Maybe it helps.
Several things to note here - I grow everything now in coco, because it lasts longer than peat. (yes, I re-use) When it comes to coco and the salt issue, the salt should be a non-issue, because you want to rinse the hell out of the stuff, no matter what. Because on top of rinsing, you want to soak it post-rinse in a calcium solution. If you're dong a conventional grow, calcium citrate/nitrate, if you're growing organic, calcium acetate.
Now, that being said, the local farm supply store sells 5KG compressed bricks for $10. So while it's not a perfect answer, it's a lead for you. Maybe it helps.
Solid7solid7 said:
After looking i found the same stuff you are talking about, I ordered 1 brick to make sure it's good then I'll order more. I'm just trying to get away from FFOF and the high cost and I'm going with the blend you told me but I'm going to add amendments as I learn,worm castings,greensand etc,etc,but it's a learning process.
What exactly is the post rinse solution you use? It sounds familiar
Thanks again
Well, you have to answer the question first, of synthetic nutrients, or organic?
It sounds like organic, in which case, I make my own calcium acetate by dissolving powdered eggshells in white vinegar. Mix 2 Tbsp per gallon of the final solution, and let it SOAK for about a day. Yes, soak. As in, put it in a tub which has no drainage. That's AFTER you rinse. You need the calcium to bind to the coir. (chemistry stuff, but you'll pay the price later in the grow if you don't do that step)
Coco isn't acidic like peat, so you can't really rely on the media, itself, to provide the reaction with the alkaline eggshells. If it were just peat, I'd use ground up eggshells or oyster flour in the mix, and it would be good enough. (you'd accomplish 2 things, in fact - PH buffering + calcium supplement)
If you are interested in organic amendments, and to learn what to use with your particular substrate, check out this website: http://www.grow-it-organically.com
Check out the section called, "Basics". Under that, you can find a breakdown of different sources of the macros and trace elements, and the conditions they need to become viable for plant nutrition. (as well as alternatives) You can waste a lot of money on organic amendments, if you don't know which ones to use for your particular application. And, you can also keep it really simple, and start to step up, once you figure out the basics. It's easy to grow, later on, you'll get into tweaking for better results.
Whatever you do, if you're growing organically, get some worms in those containers... Can't stress it enough.
You should not add Cal/Mag to coco coir. Coir doesn't need additional magnesium in a readily available form. Supplement ONLY with trace elements that contain Magnesium in a low concentration, or mineralized form. But unlike other mixes, you add calcium to coir from the start, no questions asked. You don't want to wait for the deficiency to show up. It will, every single time.
I don't know what would be sold in the drugstore as calcium acetate. So I can't comment. But unless it's in a very pure form, I wouldn't mess with it. Eggshells and vinegar is super cheap and easy. I get all of my eggshells from a local restaurant, and a bottle of white vinegar is so cheap. I keep a 1 gallon glass jar on hand, and I fill about an inch of powdered eggshells in the bottom. Then, I fill the bottle about 3/4 full. Not full, because it creates a nasty foam on top. Every day, I give the jar a shake. After doing that for a week, I'm confident that it's done. (especially when nothing is floating, and the vinegar smell is replaced by something a bit sweeter)
Note: It's OK to add too much eggshell. The vinegar will peter out. But be careful not to add too much vinegar, such that the vinegar isn't completely neutralized. You don't want to add a slightly weaker vinegar to your media. Eggshells are completely spent until they are 100% dissolved - I end up using the same ones over and over until they are gone. but vinegar can still be acidic when the reaction stops.
This sounds like a pain, but the advantages to growing with coco coir are easy to realize. Don't believe the horror stories about coir. Once you do the initial inoculation with the calcium, it becomes a monthly or so dosing, after that. (added to your watering or a liquid fertilizer) Many of the studies and growing comparisons with coir and peat, were done before some of the biggest issues were well known. But the growth rate in coco coir is amazing. I use it to set up active/passive watering systems. I love the stuff.
I used coco coir for growing fungi in the past, I'd always go to a pet store (chain stores like petco petsmart etc) and could pick up 3 "bricks" for around $10. They are the size of a brick, but once soaked in hot water they expand to something like 7-10x their size at the least.
edit: From what I gathered years ago, people often times use coir for lizard/iguana terrariums, hence why its at pet stores
edit: From what I gathered years ago, people often times use coir for lizard/iguana terrariums, hence why its at pet stores
you can order where i got it, is quality brand. but have to pay shipping. You can buy the bigger chunk stuff is good for air space / not compacting. or the normal finer stuff. or buy one of each and mix them to get a good mix. link
when you buy a pallet worth is pretty cheap, but doesn't seem like you need a pallets worth lol.
when you buy a pallet worth is pretty cheap, but doesn't seem like you need a pallets worth lol.
solid7 said:
A couple questions for clarification on the eggshell calcium acetate......
- Are the eggshells boiled and/or dehydrated in preparation for grinding them into powder?
- Mix 2Tbsp per gallon of what to the final solution? Is the 2Tbsp final solution to be mixed with 1 gallon of water?
indy_chuck said:
You don't have to boil, but it helps break down the membrane in the eggshell. I do it differently. I spread them out on a flat pan, and stick them in my grill when I'm done cooking. Like, while the grill is cooling down. I just leave that pan in there for a few days, and they dry right out. Then, its into the coffee grinder. I have one dedicated to just this task.
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2 Tbsp per gallon of water is the final solution, after the ph has neutralized. No more vinegar smell. More like sour bread dough.
I've used this stuff with success without doing anything but planting in it. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005H78ZRG/ref=psdc_3752891_t1_B008PGGA14
solid7 said:
My 2 dozen egg shells that have been dehydrated and ground with a coffee grinder have been in a gallon of white vinegar in an air lock Fido jar for almost 4 weeks.
What do I do next and how is it applied to the coir bedded plants?