First coco grow 5 gal buckets

Craig1969SS

Well-Known Member
using a 10" net pots in a 5 gal buckets. Hand feeding 2 x a day with floranova bloom (4-8-7) 1 part nutrient @ 700ppm. Takes 4.5cc into 1 gal RO water with 1cc ph up to put it @ 5.8 consistently. Been this way since 12/12 3 weeks ago. I do add a pinch of Epsom salt to each gallon. Using 1 600watt hps in a hood and 2 vertical. One being MH. The plants get rotated usually once or twice a day
 

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Tim Fox

Well-Known Member
wow, look at all that LIGHT,,, cool grow man, healthy looking plants too,, do you lift them out of the buckets and pour out the buckets?,, how do you drain off the water ?,,, sorry just trying to figure out your setup
 

Craig1969SS

Well-Known Member
wow, look at all that LIGHT,,, cool grow man, healthy looking plants too,, do you lift them out of the buckets and pour out the buckets?,, how do you drain off the water ?,,, sorry just trying to figure out your setup
I switched it up a bit. Found saucers used for pots to drain in and they're a perfect fit for the top of a 5 gal bucket. I just drill holes for drainage and set the plants on top. I tried a 10" net pot and the coco stayed put but dried out faster than the fabric pots. It was the oddball of the group so I abandoned it but it surely will work for those interested. Plants are still vegging at this time but will flip soon. 1st time with a screen
 

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STR8QU4D5

Active Member
I switched it up a bit. Found saucers used for pots to drain in and they're a perfect fit for the top of a 5 gal bucket. I just drill holes for drainage and set the plants on top. I tried a 10" net pot and the coco stayed put but dried out faster than the fabric pots. It was the oddball of the group so I abandoned it but it surely will work for those interested. Plants are still vegging at this time but will flip soon. 1st time with a screen
Nice vert grow
 

Tim Fox

Well-Known Member
I switched it up a bit. Found saucers used for pots to drain in and they're a perfect fit for the top of a 5 gal bucket. I just drill holes for drainage and set the plants on top. I tried a 10" net pot and the coco stayed put but dried out faster than the fabric pots. It was the oddball of the group so I abandoned it but it surely will work for those interested. Plants are still vegging at this time but will flip soon. 1st time with a screen
is that an old camaro I see ?
 

Craig1969SS

Well-Known Member
It's actually easier as long as you stay consistent with the ph. Any nutrient shortcomings can be quickly corrected should they occur. But lugging the water and mixing it all up gets tiresome at times. Finding success with coco, for me and I speak for myself, is easier than organic soil especially 7 or so weeks into flowering. I use botanicare's organic line and also areate worm castings along with most of the soil amendments I used before. Whatever it's fed gets adjusted to 5.8. You can throw most anything you want at them as long as you adjust the ph and get lots of runoff. I areate the tea and horticultural molasses for 2 days then drench the coco once a week, and continue with the normal feeding next time. Good seeds are a big advantage.
 

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Craig1969SS

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Nice grow, any updates.
Will be 8 weeks on Saturday. I brought aphids in from outside 2 weeks ago and in 3 days the grow went from great to wth!!!! 3 Tangerine dreams were especially susceptible. Outlaw from Dutch passion hugging the tangie wasn't even touched neither was the lemon haze. My bestest plant, the ultimate was covered also. The affected plants are lost the fans top to bottom but have pulled through only 1 dying. I've cloned the strains I'm interested in and the next go round will be using 1 gallon fabric pots with coco and clones flowered once established. 1 plant /sq ft with barn style hoods and either 600 or 1000w. Vertical is effective and efficient. I made it difficult by caging too many plants. I would have been way better off with 1/2 the number.
 

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gr865

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Will be 8 weeks on Saturday. I brought aphids in from outside 2 weeks ago and in 3 days the grow went from great to wth!!!! 3 Tangerine dreams were especially susceptible. Outlaw from Dutch passion hugging the tangie wasn't even touched neither was the lemon haze. My bestest plant, the ultimate was covered also. The affected plants are lost the fans top to bottom but have pulled through only 1 dying. I've cloned the strains I'm interested in and the next go round will be using 1 gallon fabric pots with coco and clones flowered once established. 1 plant /sq ft with barn style hoods and either 600 or 1000w. Vertical is effective and efficient. I made it difficult by caging too many plants. I would have been way better off with 1/2 the number.
Did you treat the aphis? There are a number of treatment available. It was the fucking worms for me, but I came out of it ok.
Thanks for the update, I am watching your grow.
GR
 

Craig1969SS

Well-Known Member
Did you treat the aphis? There are a number of treatment available. It was the fucking worms for me, but I came out of it ok.
Thanks for the update, I am watching your grow.
GR
Yes and I believe I had a hand in helping destroy a few plants along with the bugs . I was myself pimping organocide just prior to using it on the whole room. Other than the smell, which is transient, I used it for gnats, my only pests, now after treatment the fans on those bitten look like French fries but the buds don't. One is failing epically but there isn't a bug to be found anywhere after several inspections 2-3 days apart. I did add a no-pest strip hanger, u know the one that says no more than 4 hours exposure. This is my second grow in coco and to have this happen so late into the finish has given me a big dose of humility, I got pinched at the most critical time and my only excuse is that I have too many plants in coco that are hand watered. 7 adults from seed around the outside screen in 3 gallon pots, 11 clones in 2 gallon pots inside the screen, 3 more clones vice gripped to the screen in 1 gallon pots and 3 seed more from seed under a 600watt reflector in two gallon pots. All are sitting and draining 5 gallon buckets, some 2 to a bucket. How the hell it got so big...the clones, yeah I'll blame them. I was using RO and hauling 20+ gallons upstairs to feed, then time to flush then empty the buckets. My tap measures 145-160 ppm so I gave up the RO mostly. Started with botanicare pro line in veg then bloom. Ran out and lost faith in it, switched to Floranova. Didn't go big with all the extras just stayed with added bacteria, karma, silica, extra P-K, and cal/mag with RO. Always a few drops/gal of sledgehammer. Top of a lemon haze. Pics won't load, I'll post tonight
 

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coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Looking good!
Craig just be aware that sticking strictly to ph5.8 can have issues because soilless mediums like coco don't have a perfect ph point. This is one of the reasons why folks say coco growers are more prone to Calcium or magnesium issues. Its better to vary it between 5.8 and 6.2 That way everything can be taken up easier and there are no build ups. You may not notice with some strains but with others it can be a real issue.
 

Craig1969SS

Well-Known Member
Looking good!
Craig just be aware that sticking strictly to ph5.8 can have issues because soilless mediums like coco don't have a perfect ph point. This is one of the reasons why folks say coco growers are more prone to Calcium or magnesium issues. Its better to vary it between 5.8 and 6.2 That way everything can be taken up easier and there are no build ups. You may not notice with some strains but with others it can be a real issue.
Man I just recently read that. And yes it is or has been my keeping the pH around 5.8. I've been bumping it up to 6.2 and quit being so rigid with it but for some it's too late. I blamed everything on the bugs, organocide and a likely case of light burn from the 1000watt with a 600 sitting below it. But more simply calcium at the time did not register but it should have. No excuses, I cop to my miss and narrow focus. Ca deficits will show on the back side of the plants as well won't it?. Or is it the leaves exposed to the main light? I took a pic of my Ultimate today and the fans are shot over the whole thing. It's day 70 and I started flushing 2 days ago. Thanks much for the advice. Here's a pic
 

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Craig1969SS

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I'm trying something different with clones. Using a 6" net pot with coco. Transplant the clones from rapid rooters. They get the same nutrient solution strength as the rest. I was surprised when I lifted the lid at the roots. I thought they would be a big hairy ball when compared to the size of the plant. One thing tho it is not stable a needs support.
 

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