media Coco Potting Mix

Pac_Heat507 said:
Since giving the plants the nutrients and cal mag I see much more foliage and flowers emerging as well as nicer looking leaves.
 
I would just like to know if I should feed the plants every watering, including the cal mag.???
 
Thanks !
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I would. I would also put them in bigger pots. 5 gallon minimum but 7 or 10 would be better.
 
Your nutrients should have a recipe for drain to waste hydroponics. (that is essentially what you are doing.) Follow that recipe but make it a little light on the nutes since those recipes were intended for a different crop. and now that you are producing peppers, you'll want a steady supply of cal-mag. The only plants of mine that didn't have a single issue with BER last year were the hydro ones because they had a steady diet of cal-mag.
 
Jeff H said:
 
 
I would. I would also put them in bigger pots. 5 gallon minimum but 7 or 10 would be better.
 
Your nutrients should have a recipe for drain to waste hydroponics. (that is essentially what you are doing.) Follow that recipe but make it a little light on the nutes since those recipes were intended for a different crop. and now that you are producing peppers, you'll want a steady supply of cal-mag. The only plants of mine that didn't have a single issue with BER last year were the hydro ones because they had a steady diet of cal-mag.
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Thanks! Indeed it is basically drain to waste. In the near future I would like to set up a flood table and have the plants on a flood and drain system.
 
I have gone ahead and moved most of the plants into 5 gal root pouches and feeding them jungle juice micro & bloom lucas formula with 1.5 dose of cal mag each watering. Plants are looking nice and healthy, with lots of flowers. It really brought my plants to life after the thrip problem. 
 
The 5 gallon smart pots with the coco is working great. Using the lucas formula micro & bloom as well as cal mag almost every watering has turned my plants around. 
 
 
Orange Congo
 
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7 pot primo
 
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Red Fatalii
 
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petenero
 
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Numex big jim
 
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Are these nutes expensive? Ive got calmag but down here in aus I have no idea what these brands that you guys use are and honestly its like walking into a vitamin store or supplements shop. There are a million products. I want to start a dwc setup as well as plant in coco next year. To put it simply do you guys just use an a + b nute product with a side of cal mag? Do brands matter?
 
Lucas formula = General Hydroponics bloom and micro using a 2 to 1 ratio usually 16ml bloom to 8ml micro.

I use Pure Blend Pro grow and bloom with Liquid Karma and really like it alot and it does good in coco. Right now I'm trying some new nutrients from kelp4less.com I just bought. If they work out it will be much cheaper mixing my own solutions.
 
right on, the lucas formula is 2 to 1 ratio of micro and bloom. The brand I use is advanced nutrients jungle juice. I always add calmat because coco in particular leaches calcium so I make sure they have plenty of it.
 
 
rebelgrower3 said:
Lucas formula = General Hydroponics bloom and micro using a 2 to 1 ratio usually 16ml bloom to 8ml micro.

I use Pure Blend Pro grow and bloom with Liquid Karma and really like it alot and it does good in coco. Right now I'm trying some new nutrients from kelp4less.com I just bought. If they work out it will be much cheaper mixing my own solutions.
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I have a question, I am using drain to waste meaning I don't recirculate the nutrients. I normally wait until the plants are pretty dry, by weight, to water them. should I maintain it this way or should I water more often?
 
And thats it? Those three ingredients are all enough to develop and sustain a pepper plant? That sounds awesome. Almost too good. How much nutes do you make? Is 1litre enough per plant when its dry?
 
Sarge said:
And thats it? Those three ingredients are all enough to develop and sustain a pepper plant? That sounds awesome. Almost too good. How much nutes do you make? Is 1litre enough per plant when its dry?
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I usually mix up 2 gal at a time. I have most in 5 gal airpots and find that approx 1 gal per plant is what it takes. I water until I see run off. 
 
I'm failing to understand something here guys about nutes. Is micro and bloom the same as a and b? Im looking at local hydro stores they sell 5 stand out items and they are micro, grow, bloom, a, b. From here looks like you guys just use micro and bloom. Is that all id need and this stuff is enough for the life of the plant? Ive already got calmag.
 
Yes the micro and bloom is all you need. Google Lucas formula and read on it. As far as the a/b I'm not sure but i think A is like the grow formula and the B is the bloom formula. The Lucas formula is based on the GH flora 3 part nutes minus the grow.
http://lucasformula.com
 
rebelgrower3 said:
Yes the micro and bloom is all you need. Google Lucas formula and read on it. As far as the a/b I'm not sure but i think A is like the grow formula and the B is the bloom formula. The Lucas formula is based on the GH flora 3 part nutes minus the grow.
http://lucasformula.com
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Advanced nutrients just came out with a line specifically made for coco, which they claim addresses the coco drawbacks such as calcium deff. It is in a 2 part solution, in each grown and bloom. Unlike the grow micro bloom which has 3 parts that you adjust depending on the growth phase, it comes in 2 parts for grow (A & B) and 2 more parts for bloom.
 
I assume that peppers don't really need the grow part A & B, they should be fine with the Bloom A & B? also i guess that the two are separated for the same reason you do not mix micro and bloom undiluted.?
 
The plant looks good Chilidude. I am a little concerned about the algae and mould growing on the top of the coco though. I've been getting that when my temps dropped, but once the heat came back up it all went away.
 
Is coco more resilient to soil related pest intrusions and bacterial transfers? I am having lots of troubles here, the main pests were fungus gnats and the offending bacteria is BLS. I believe the BLS was in the potting mix I used(these are the only plants within 10m in any direction and the spores of BLS can travel, at most 2-3m in optimal conditions). This season looks like its hitting it self on the face so I wanna try some cleaner options next time round. Should I go coco or dwc?
 
Blister said:
The plant looks good Chilidude. I am a little concerned about the algae and mould growing on the top of the coco though. I've been getting that when my temps dropped, but once the heat came back up it all went away.
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The room temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit. I think i should water the coco a little less as it holds water very well and the rooms doesn't have that much air circulation going on apart the air coming for the led fans, so the mould have easier time to grow.
 
I have broken the surface of the soil, so the algae  doesn't form hard crust on top of the soil.
 
Chilidude said:
 
The room temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit. I think i should water the coco a little less as it holds water very well and the rooms doesn't have that much air circulation going on apart the air coming for the led fans, so the mould have easier time to grow.
 
I have broken the surface of the soil, so the algae  doesn't form hard crust on top of the soil.
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When algae forms in my soil I do the same, although I suppose mine dry out faster due to them being outside in 90 F weather.
 
We're a month or so into winter here and I was having a problem with mould growing on the top of my plants too. I had them in a window and the temps were dropping to about 62f at night. The sun never warmed them enough to fully dry the tops of the coco or get the plants growing to a point where they could use the nutes. I cut my water back and had to scrape the top layer off a few times to stop the mould from spreading.

I ordered a 180w UV LED and have had my plants under it for about 3 weeks. Since I moved them under it I'm surprised at how well they're all doing. It seems to put out enough light and air movement to keep the mould at bay. My plants have grown enogh and are in a warm enough environment that I'm now at a point where I can water every day. Root growth on a few of the larger plants is almost to the point of clogging the drain holes.

I'm going to have to cull a few plants and pot up.
 
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