Starting seeds in coco

[mikeydoughnut]

Starting seeds in directly in a pot of coco is summat I don’t think I’ve ever seen. Or if I have I had me eyes shut at the time. Why’s it such a rarity? If someone wanted to do it what’s a good way to do it? 

[SmokeTester]

I always start my seeds in coco\peat, which ever I am using. I'm a lazy grower, I like easy.

I place them about 1cm below the surface and and spiracle some medium on top. Three days later, I have shoots showing. 

 

 

 

 

[rolio]

I germed mine in paper towel and when tap roots were ready I just put about 15mm deep and lightly covered the top. Had 250w hps about 2 foot above. Made sure Coco temp was around mid 20s and they all came up within a couple days.

 

Im using 9l airpots 

 

Edit: growing autos btw, was super simple

Edited May 14, 2022 by rolio

[mikeydoughnut]

@SmokeTester so how would you prepare your pot of coco? Just water until the seed shows? A specific EC? Ph the water?

[SmokeTester]

@mikeydoughnut I pre soak to run off at about ec1. Then I cover with clear plastic cups(like you get in drink vending machines). I don't do any more watering until after they are up, about 3-4 days.

[Arthur Mix]

I always germinate in coco seems to work ok here , prepared in a similar way I add some Nitrozyme also .

[BilgePump]

Jiffy pellets are pure Coco , I start in them with just tap water , no ph'ing or e.c'ing and they germ and grow fine 

 

[mikeydoughnut]

I thought they were a coco/mucky stuff mix @BilgePump … made me sen look a reyt knob then eh. Got 50 jiffy’s here  To be fair I didn’t have any 30 mins ago. Wasn’t sure my delivery was coming hence the question. I’ve just m took out some old blues seeds that need popping yer see.

[Slippy One]

I used Jiffy's until I found Eazy Plugs. Won't start in anything else now. 

[Chairman O The Bored]

what is the “potting up” process with those plugs?

 

am I right in thinking that plug should go inside an “easy cube”…. And then on top of a pyramid thing? I’m assuming there is air pruning going on, but wouldn’t you damage the roots pushing that plug into another cube and if you go full pyramid don’t you need a pot of some sort??

 

are these things just compressed peat? I assume someone has tried a homemade job or with a bag of peat and some sort of binder.

[Herbal Kint]

2 hours ago, SmokeTester said:

@mikeydoughnut I pre soak to run off at about ec1. Then I cover with clear plastic cups(like you get in drink vending machines). I don't do any more watering until after they are up, about 3-4 days.

When do you start feeding,what do you give to small plants and how much?

[SmokeTester]

Just now, Herbal Kint said:

When do you start feeding,what do you give to small plants and how much?

 

I give them veggie nutrients and a bit of calmag. I start at ec 1 and build up to ec 1.4. Don't know exactly how much I give them, just what ever is needed to keep keep medium moist and happy.

[Herbal Kint]

What veggie nutes do you give them? How long does it take to build up to ec 1.4?

[Slippy One]

Just now, SmokeTester said:

 

I give them veggie nutrients and a bit of calmag. I start at ec 1 and build up to ec 1.4. Don't know exactly how much I give them, just what ever is needed to keep keep medium moist and happy.

 

Those Eazy plugs buffer the EC at 1.0 and ph 7 with just tap water for the first week so there's obviously some built-in food. 

 

1 hour ago, Chairman O The Bored said:

what is the “potting up” process with those plugs?

 

am I right in thinking that plug should go inside an “easy cube”…. And then on top of a pyramid thing? I’m assuming there is air pruning going on, but wouldn’t you damage the roots pushing that plug into another cube and if you go full pyramid don’t you need a pot of some sort??

 

are these things just compressed peat? I assume someone has tried a homemade job or with a bag of peat and some sort of binder.

 

No, the plugs are mostly coco. They buffer the EC & ph so you can't under or over water/feed them. As for damaging the roots, what do you think, they get wrecked plugging them into perfectly made hole?  Anyway, mosty coco growers would start seedlings off in something (jiffy's, Eazy plugs etc) then pot up into a fabric pot with 100% coco. The Eazy system with cubes and Pyramids isn't neccessary, although I've heard very good yields from them.

 

 

Just now, Herbal Kint said:

When do you start feeding,what do you give to small plants and how much?

 

Just water if using Eazy plugs to start. They're around 20p each so cheap and cheerful with built in failsafes.

 

 

[mikeydoughnut]

See I feed 0.8 once into pots rather than use the GA first feed so thought if I presoaked coco with that it’d mimic the little bit of munch contained within a jiffy. I can save me jiffy’s for cuttings n what have yer then. My strike rate is shit so I have to take LOTS!