My mistake?

[stummer]

Not an end of the world problem, I don’t think.

 

Best mate would often tell me water my plants when I thought they was to heavy. Would water them and they’d look over watered. Turned out I stupidly was pressing down to much on the coco when potting up. Only noticed it when I potted up some cuts he gave me n the coco was nice n fluffy.

So anyway with those cuts I knew I couldn’t over water them so would water soon as the top of the coco started looking dry. They grew faster and better than ever before. Showed me I had been treating coco like soil.

 

Now fast forward I started some seeds in jiffys. Into the first small pots and cracked on like I did with the cuts. Soon as the top started to look dry I’d water till I got some run off. Here is the thing though, the roots look pretty shit. I know there was zero chance of me letting the coco dry out to much. I think I was watering to often? I know you can’t over water in coco. The young plants never once looked over watered but was just poor roots n slow growth. 
 

Am I right in thinking I must of been watering to soon? Would have been better to let the pots get bit lighter before watering? Is no way the poor roots was from letting the coco dry out. 
 

Was watering so much it felt like the coco lost it’s looseness and started to feel to compact. So I decided to pot up with the poor roots, into 2litres pots. Coco is nice and fluffy again just bit annoying having to wait for the pots to get a bit lighter before I water them again. Waiting longer than I would if I potted up with good roots. Of course I’m not gonna let the coco dry out and the plants look alright just lacking in terms of where they should be. Hoping once the roots get going and they are watered often again they’ll pick up. Just wanted to ask you lovely lot if you think that was the mistake I made. Knowing I can’t overwater the plants, I was a bit to keen?

[Guest]

People shit themselves about coco drying out, it's not a huge problem so long as you don't let them wilt.  It's not ideal but no drama. 

You can definitely over water in coco, especially when rooting out. 

I let the pots get quite light when I'm rooting out a pot, coco or soil, prevents overwatering and encourages roots to spread.  Once rooted, then keep the pots moist constantly. 

[stummer]

Just now, fatboy77 said:

People shit themselves about coco drying out, it's not a huge problem so long as you don't let them wilt.  It's not ideal but no drama. 

You can definitely over water in coco, especially when rooting out. 

I let the pots get quite light when I'm rooting out a pot, coco or soil, prevents overwatering and encourages roots to spread.  Once rooted, then keep the pots moist constantly. 

yeah I think it’s where I have gone wrong tbh. I know it can’t be under watering as was watering soon as the top started to look dry. Was still plenty of weight to the pot and in the past I’d of not watered em so soon. That’s where I was pressing down the coco to much when potting up. Ruined the whole point of coco and I’d see over watering when my mate would pop round n say water them now. Even these young lot that I was watering to often, never once saw any signs of over watering. I ain’t got any worries about that, it’s just wanting the roots better.

 

Thanks though least I know for next time and where I went wrong. I potted up anyway into 2 litre pots. Just as the coco felt it had lost that looseness to it, something I never had when I used to pack it down to much. Gonna let the new pots get bit light, course not bone dry but light enough that hopefully gets the roots searching. Then hopefully the plants pick up as they look healthy just behind where they should be. Thanks again

[stummer]

Gave em a light feed yesterday and they look better for it. Still way behind but fingers crossed that’s them on the right track now. Should start taking less days between needing a feed. No fear of over watering like I say, just want these roots to get spreading. Got some rhizo as well dunno if it actually works but hopefully it does. Don’t normally bother with it but for the sake of a few quid.

 

Made me think though, how with the hand watering will let the pots dry a little to help spread the roots. Yet the Wilma system n coco would be feeding daily from the start. Also see good roots with the Wilma tbh so that’s like my back up plan  . If these roots don’t take off I’ll just shove a dripper in and adjust the timer. Be good though to see them go good with hand watering. Last crop having not packed the coco down like an idiot, the roots and speed of growth was unreal.

[Devon Cream]

Iv fucked couple plants when put them in coco first time as rooted cutilene cubes now only put a tiny bit of feed round the stem and small amounts rather than watering all the coco no problems since.

 

 

    TS

[stummer]

My mates plants was always growing fast and wondered why. Only when I saw his coco wasn’t as packed as mine I worked it out. Then where he gave me cuts already rooted the first pots. I didn’t have to worry about over watering really and the growth rate pissed over mine. So that was me thinking I solved my slow growth and things would be spot on. Just been a bit to keen  jiffy’s into first pots and was watering soon as the tops looked to be drying. Pots themselves with was heavy and roots weren’t there but still I feed to run off. Hopefully now though they’ll be sweet as. Want them to really root these before I pot up into the finals. Fingers crossed 

[stummer]

Been letting the pots get bit lighter and see some roots but not where I think they should be at tbh. Imagine my shock though, opened the tent when lights have came on and plant in coco looks over watered. Guess it is possible to do it if the roots aren’t there. So I’m gonna let them get even more lighter in weight. The rest look fine and have grown.

 

In the past with the coco being pack down to much. The watering, unless really light would over water them. I also think it probably had the coco staying wet to long as the coco now does seem to dry faster. So perhaps if I wait for the plants to go nearly as light as I was before, it will reach that point quicker. Never had plants looking over watered then. All the plants have put out roots and have grown but not quite there yet. Will shove some photos up later today or tomorrow.

[lennyd79]

Yeah you can definitely over water in coco, I treat it pretty much like soil while potting up. Once a pot is well rooted you can water/feed regularly without any issues. If you think they are rooting too slow check your root temps as too low will cause slow root development.