perlite/coco mix

[Prodaytrader]

Anyone else doing a coco/perlite mix? What ratio? 30% perlite perhaps? Any advantage over straight coco? Why not straight perlite if it's so great instead of coco? I'm planning on pouring play sand across the top inch. I'm pretty sure this will work.

Prodaytrader Reviewed by Prodaytrader on 12-17-2010. perlite/coco mix Anyone else doing a coco/perlite mix? What ratio? 30% perlite perhaps? Any advantage over straight coco? Why not straight perlite if it's so great instead of coco? I'm planning on pouring play sand across the top inch. I'm pretty sure this will work. Rating: 5

[keylime]

Anyone else doing a coco/perlite mix? What ratio? 30% perlite perhaps? Any advantage over straight coco? Why not straight perlite if it's so great instead of coco? I'm planning on pouring play sand across the top inch. I'm pretty sure this will work.

I am about to harvest my first crop in coco. I run the nutrients to waste. I have a few with perlite of various ratios, and some of them with no perlite to figure out the best mixture. I have decided to run just coco in the future. I don't see the point of having the nutes running through the pots any faster than necessary. It just wastes more nutrients. Actually, I think coco is great just the way it is. If you want to make nutes flow a bit faster, you might consider mixing it with coco chips.

keylime

[Prodaytrader]

I dont think the perlite is to make the water flow faster, I think it's to create more cavity for air circulation. However I am most interested in hearing about how your doing this already and found no benefit. You have several pots now with varying levels of perlite and find no discernible differences in the plants? Not worth it huh, just stick with straight coco?

[keylime]

I dont think the perlite is to make the water flow faster, I think it's to create more cavity for air circulation. However I am most interested in hearing about how your doing this already and found no benefit. You have several pots now with varying levels of perlite and find no discernible differences in the plants? Not worth it huh, just stick with straight coco?

Yes, of course there are differences. The ones with the most perlite dry out very fast, where as the ones with coco only keep the moisture better, although they need nutes every day. The pots containing a mixture of coco and perlite are so light by the following day that it feels like popcorn! You will have to water twice a day. Its as much a difference as hydroton is to rockwool. I definitely don't think its a good step unless you want to pump twice as nutes thru them.

keylime