Question for people that have gone compost to coco or vice versa

[btk1977]

I've always grown in compost but starting to plan for my next grow and having seen quite a few lovely grows in coco on here and possibly feeling like trying something new, I'm considering a switch.

 

Was wandering for the folk that have gone from compost to coco (or vice versa) whats better/worse about coco growing and would you recommend switching or sticking with tried and tested?

[Guest]

25 minutes ago, btk1977 said:

Whats better/worse about coco 

Better - speed of plant growth and strength of stems, total control of feed strengths and immediate availability of feeds. You can reuse coco a few times. 

Worse - higher maintenance if not automated, more regular watering, more water and dealing with run off.  Also more expensive for food. 

Edited November 16, 2020 by Slim Jim Free

[Guest Rex Mundi]

28 minutes ago, Slim Jim Free said:

You can reuse coco a few times.

I'm assuming you mean the coco/clay mix.

I agree with your post, I too moved from soil to coco/clay

My problem with soil was disposal, I would add it to my garden soil but it was much lighter and very odd at mixing.

So to the coco... there is the same problem there, disposal... and yes I have tried adding it to my garden, it is worse than soil..... though I do now have clay pebbles in my raised beds

I'm sticking with coco as I get good results, but I do still have this disposal issue.... any help from members experience here would be appreciated, to me and to @btk1977

[assault and battery]

I reuse my coco but I don't use clay balls in it. I don't think its necessary myself but Im sure there's others who disagree. 

[btk1977]

@Rex Mundi my old comp[ost & roots always go on the compost heap, blends in fairly easily (we turn the compost heap at the same time), would have thought could do the same with coco. Trying to dig the used grow compost straight into the beds never works as well, as you say it doesn;t mix very well, but once its composted with the other compost its not an issue. 

[K71]

I’m a coco grower but just spent the last 18months trying compost. now I’m switching back.

 

just prefer they way you seem to have more control with them in coco. Problems are easy to spot quickly where as in compost they’ve usually had a problem at least a week before it becomes apparent.

 

enjoy the ease of compost but prefer the monsters you can grow quickly with coco

[btk1977]

Yep I'm definitely becoming more and more tempted by coco, speed of id of problems is very attractive. I'm leaning towards sticking with the devil I know for the next grow but making a switch for the grow after that. By that point with two grows under my belt post the big break, I should have enough of a stash that if all goes pear shaped with new medium I've got time to start again without having to start buying street weed again (which I am so tiered of doing, don't even dare add up how much its cost me over the last 5yrs).

 

Were the plants noticeably bigger in your coco grows?

[Firstimegrower_420]

How do you use the same coco? I'm using it too but won't the pot be full of the roots from the plant you've just cut down? 

 

[highgrower]

Compost to coco back to compost again.

 

Yea veg time is reduced a little but most of the time is in flowering anyway and have more than enough time with a veg space - overall yields pretty much the same if you give compost that extra veg time.

 

But compost is just generally simpler and less time consuming - less time watering and you get through less nutes plus compost is less dodge to dispose of.

[btk1977]

20 minutes ago, Firstimegrower_420 said:

How do you use the same coco? I'm using it too but won't the pot be full of the roots from the plant you've just cut down? 

 

IIRc there are a couple of products on the market (have a canna version) with enzymes to break down dead matter & roots, not sure if that's used by anyone else, but I used to when I'd blend old compost into new (used to do 50:50)

[K71]

1 hour ago, btk1977 said:

Yep I'm definitely becoming more and more tempted by coco, speed of id of problems is very attractive. I'm leaning towards sticking with the devil I know for the next grow but making a switch for the grow after that. By that point with two grows under my belt post the big break, I should have enough of a stash that if all goes pear shaped with new medium I've got time to start again without having to start buying street weed again (which I am so tiered of doing, don't even dare add up how much its cost me over the last 5yrs).

 

Were the plants noticeably bigger in your coco grows?

Only bigger if you go that way.

One plus coco has is you can usually yield more in smaller pots if you feed them right.

I always do 8 plants in either method, with coco I can get away with 11ltrs. In compost I’d be using 15s.

 

I get to the exact same point with both methods, one is just more involved than the other.

when strain hunting from seed I like to go with coco. Coco is more time consuming if you hand water, so you really get to understand each plant.

once I have a keeper I usually go compost just for the ease. 

[btk1977]

18 minutes ago, K71 said:

Only bigger if you go that way.

One plus coco has is you can usually yield more in smaller pots if you feed them right.

I always do 8 plants in either method, with coco I can get away with 11ltrs. In compost I’d be using 15s.

 

I get to the exact same point with both methods, one is just more involved than the other.

when strain hunting from seed I like to go with coco. Coco is more time consuming if you hand water, so you really get to understand each plant.

once I have a keeper I usually go compost just for the ease. 

 

The regular watering is quite attractive, I get itchy fingers waiting for the wet/dry cycle with compost. Although saying that a lot of it is due to the joy of growing against after a 5 year break, once I've got a couple grows back under my belt it might be a different matter, but I suppose then there is the option to play about with drippers and automation.

[Guest]

Stick 30% coco in your compost.  Much better than perlite. 

[btk1977]

2 minutes ago, Slim Jim Free said:

Stick 30% coco in your compost.  Much better than perlite. 

 

Was watching a really interesting video on youtube from the guy that runs a cannabis & hemp research project at one of the big US agricultural universities. Instead of perlite or coco he recommends adding vermiculite to the peat as it provides a source of available silica for the plants which they do really well with. Thinking of using his recipe for my next grow (peat, vermiculite, dolomitic lime & gypsum) and then making the switch to coco for the subsequent grow. Keep changing my mind!

[ukbudz]

If you want aeration in your compost and you're using organic nutes, try biochar much better then perlite, vermiculite and gives your beneficials a nice home plus it won't eventually float to the top.