re-using coco.....anyone

[badbillybob]

Hello again, do any of you miserable basta lovely people re-use coco or hydroton?

 

whats your method for getting all the rootage out of it.

 

i re use my hydroton and just throw it all in the bath with some bleach, and rumble it around for a few hour before trying to get just the stones out, and leave the roots but it takes fiuggin ages, and ts a pain and there has to be an easier way. i use a fish net to skim the surface but as much goes under as goes in the net.

 

educate me.....cheers

[Kush Lover]

Not sure I am able to educate you but I can be a miserable basta sometimes!!!

 

I have done this with quite a few times now, not sure if its correct but I don't seem to suffer problems from it. I use fabric pots so it is quite easy to shake / beat the coco but from between the roots into a big container, then I use a sieve to get the bigger bits out then drench in a Cannazym solution to break down the roots. I do this a few times and then just start again as normal.

 

Like I say I maybe way off the mark here but it works for me.

[tokenroll]

@badbillybob  i reuse it most times. If your run something like Cannazym Liquid most of the smaller roots are eaten by harvest time. Then when you start a new grow just keep using the zym from the start and it will continue to eat up the roots and feed the micros. If you rinse it use some calmag and low dose of grow nutes and all is fine you will find the 2nd and 3rd run the plants love it. I dump it in my veg garden after 4th grow.

 

Im now going with compost cause i cant be arsed with coco/hydro atm.

 

Toke...

Edited March 18, 2021 by tokenroll

[Personunknown]

This misrable fooker does too , i rinsed the last load in the bath with a fine strainer on plug hole , took ages , but no back ache , (private sewage)

Im toying with back to nft for ease n low waste Toke.

Edited March 18, 2021 by Personunknown

[stu914]

2 hours ago, badbillybob said:

throw it all in the bath with some bleach

 

I did this once years ago...just once you understand...feck that!!

 

There's no need for massive pots of pebbles/coir if the roots are going to grow through and into a dwc/rdwc,

just enough to hold the plant upright, (though you will need a net over the crop for support towards the end)

 

There's less than a cupful of pebbles per plant after harvest which are easily seperated from the roots...

tbh it's hardly worth bothering to re-use them, but being a tight bastard, I do...

[badbillybob]

ahh but there is a need for massive pots for mine. i used to use the 200mm ones from the IWS and the bastaad plants kept toppling over, so i have to use the big 300mm jobs with the lip. its just to stop them tipping over mucka.

 

id much rather not be washing this stuff every grow, but im not bloody made of money you know mnnyyeeeeeaaahhhh steptoe , mthats me......

Edited March 18, 2021 by badbillybob

[stu914]

20 minutes ago, badbillybob said:

there is a need for massive pots for mine

 

Get some shares in 'Marigold' bud...

 

[badbillybob]

 here we go again........happy as can be.......

[BushDoctoR]

On 18/03/2021 at 8:47 PM, badbillybob said:

 here we go again........happy as can be.......

 

My Mrs would go mental if I did that in the bath!

 

 

back to the subject, I've considered re-using coco as it's annoying disposing of it and there is only so much I can use in the garden, but my biggest worry is not roots but built up salts from previous uses.

 

Aside from feeding til plenty of run off, what are people doing to prevent salt build in when reusing?

[zeroG]

I use it till theres none left

 

Cannazym is your friend from the second use onwards.

 

I let my coco dry out with the roots in it, not bone dry, but just 'cool' damp dry...and tickle them, the idea bring to get as much coco away from the rootage ball as poossible without disturbing it...patting, shaking, jiggleing...you know when you get to the 2L core that's iin the middle of your 20L pot that its done, the roots are just too dense...throw away...

 

The rest of it i use a hand rake through for a bit, to get the worst out, then it straight back in the pot and off we go again. I just make sure I add extra calMag for the first few waterings. The roots decompose slowly, cannzym helps the plant eat them. I usually get back about 65/70% of the starting amount with the pot ups etc, i then top back up and mix in with new. I use probably 1/3rd new bag per grow, just to keep it fresh as it rotates in.

 

I have also completely reused coco without doing anything to the coco at all, nothing, nish, nicht, nada...just the cannazym every 2nd/3rd watering, and had my best coco crop ever with the old white roots hanging out the support holes and the bottom...

 

 

 

 

[nigelpotter]

an old comb or hair brush run through used coco will quickly gather up the thinner/fine roots 

[Smokey90]

Its 14 quid a bag so why would you reuse it for anything other than the garden? Id rather not risk any problems with old rotten roots ect  with my nice cuttings that i care about but do what you want but to me its a risk 

[Personunknown]

Reuse a couple times then the  garden gets it or in winter the log burner (5kg Blocks)

Edited April 3, 2021 by Personunknown

[Personunknown]

On 21/03/2021 at 3:34 PM, BushDoctoR said:

 

My Mrs would go mental if I did that in the bath!

 

 

back to the subject, I've considered re-using coco as it's annoying disposing of it and there is only so much I can use in the garden, but my biggest worry is not roots but built up salts from previous uses.

 

Aside from feeding til plenty of run off, what are people doing to prevent salt build in when reusing?

It looks clean mun , the missus saw ours full of coir (im still under house arrest)

[mrevolve]

I'd love to re use my coco. My 25 litre pots are always root bound so have a perfect cube I can never salvage anything from.