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