Coconut Fiber.

[kingjustin]

Hi all-
I just germinated some seeds for a sort of test grow to see how successful I'll be when I actually have good seeds. I mixed some potting soil with compressed coconut fiber that I use to house my lizards. It's got some other shit in it, but I'm not really sure what. Does anyone know how well this will work? They seem to be growing very fast...much faster than the panama red that the damn squirrel outside ate...

kingjustin Reviewed by kingjustin on 06-22-2006. Coconut Fiber. Hi all- I just germinated some seeds for a sort of test grow to see how successful I'll be when I actually have good seeds. I mixed some potting soil with compressed coconut fiber that I use to house my lizards. It's got some other shit in it, but I'm not really sure what. Does anyone know how well this will work? They seem to be growing very fast...much faster than the panama red that the damn squirrel outside ate...:mad: Rating: 5

[Pothead4204life]

never heard of coconut fiber being used..got pics? lighting?

[stinkyattic]

Hey kingjustin, is that Douglas Adams in your sig? Yay!

Coconut fiber is becoming common. I'm not sure if there is a difference in lizard bedding and plant medium, but you CAN easily find coconut products specifically designed for agriculture. Google 'Canna Coco' or 'Coco Coir' for more info.

[Garden Knowm]

Hi KING

coconut fiber.. can get really soggy and I discourage its use by NEW growers.. many many people have come on the forum and had overwatered plants because they used cocnut fiber.. it retained the water and suffocated the roots...

: )
cheers

[kingjustin]

gotcha.
I knew that it retained a lot of water, which is why I used it in the first place. I've been pretty careful about overwatering, so maybe it'll work out.

[Winks]

I think that who ever has had problems with soggy roots in coir should check to see if there are holes in the bottom of their pots...

Check out this article...then I'll tell ya more
http://www.maximumyield.com/article269.htm

I've used coir and it is the best thing so far I've found. From an enviromental stand point and for the plants. I had a garlic clove I stuck in coir soaked in pH'd H2O and I had roots 1/8 long after 24 hours.

Trust me, give it another chance...I'll post pics this week of coir and the proper way to use it..


Winks

[Garden Knowm]

COOL, thanks winks.. LOOKING forward to the education..

: )

[slave2thagroov]

i'm a couple weeks away from my first harvest w/ cocoa. i have to say that i was VERY skeptical when i first started. now, i'm very pleased!! i too heard the horror stories about the cocoa and the watering issues. i mixed perlite w/ my cocoa and have 3gallon pots(w/ mesh on the bottom). the reason for mesh on the bottom is so my roots can grow into the cocoa mats i have under my pots w/ cocoa/perlite mix. they have done fantastic. i'll never use rockwool again!!!!!:dance: i never experienced probs w/ the cocoa staying soggy. it drains well enough for me to water them twice daily. ihave been meanin to write a cocoa report. i would reccomend it to anyone. i think the cocoa mats under the 3 galloners w/ cocoa is great!! the girls get so root-bound in the 3 gallon pots that they LOVE having somewhere to go. the mat is only maybe 1/2 inch thick. when i first got them i was so skeptical!! you think " this will never work" but it does. the roots grow out from the pot and under the mat and grow like crazy under the cocoa mats. i know i probably left some thing out so ask if you have any questtions. i'm also already excited at how much easier the cocoa is to discard than the rwool

[Garden Knowm]

pictures of the medium in your POT would be great!!

thanks slave

I too like the mats, cubes, and pots and its the shreded coco fiber that i have seen people have serious water retention issues with.. sounds like the perlite mixture was the key to success...

: )

[slave2thagroov]

knowm-yes the more research i do on cocoa the more i like the shredded(as long as you have perlite or some agent to 'lighten' or aerate your medium). i usually start my clones in small net-pots w/ the other cocoa-the big chunks. this cocoa will hold almost NO water and is an easy transplant. then i go w/ the shredded/perlite mix. the one thing i left out earlier was the best thing about the cocoa. my ladies experienced little or NO transplant shock.:thumbsup: i always had a 3-4 day period of unhappiness when i would transplant to the rockwool, no matter how much i 'soaked' them. i'm also super excited of the thought of doing organic hydro w/ the cocoa. anyways, as you can tell i'm happy w/ the cocoa. :dance: i'll try to get you some pics od the cocoa/perlite mix. some say 50/50, i say 3p cocoa/2p perlite.