Coco potting up

Just wondering what others thoughts are on this. More than one person has told me they do similar. When transporting into a new pot with coco. I know every article says water until run off. Doing that though I often find the pots stay heavier for longer than I would like? I know you can over water coco but I just like the coco to dry a little at first so the roots really go searching. Anyone else water until the pots heavy and over time increase the water until giving enough for run off? Like I say some others have told me they do similar. I still water till the pots heavy ain't talking just giving miniscule amounts of water. Just wondering if better than watering to run off straight away and pots being heavy days later.

Before xplant....I prep the coco by soaking it in proper ec/ph nutes.

Squeeze much of the liquid out of the coco. (add mycos)

Add the wet coco to the pot.

The key is getting the coco to the level of wetness that works for you.

When I transplant, minimal feed. Wet/dry cycles are a good thing.

TintEastwood said:

Before xplant....I prep the coco by soaking it in proper ec/ph nutes.

Squeeze much of the liquid out of the coco. (add mycos)

Add the wet coco to the pot.

The key is getting the coco to the level of wetness that works for you.

When I transplant, minimal feed. Wet/dry cycles are a good thing.

https://www.californiasubstrates.com/blog/automation-short-frequent-watering/

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Sounds a similar idea to mine but going about it different. I water the coco so the pots heavy like I say. Just don't think it's more beneficial to water to run off when first potting up. Coco is soaked then and stays wet to long in my experience. Sounds like you also would find it to be the same so squeeze out some that extra moisture. I also agree with wet/dry at first to get the roots really spreading.

You don't water coco the same way through the entire growth cycle. You don't need to water to runoff daily from day 1, in the beginning, you treat it a bit more like soil. Before a plant fills out it's pot with roots, it is possible to overwater coco. Once the roots have filled out, it's time to start watering to runoff-runoff prevents a whole host of problems. As the plant gets bigger, you will notice the coco doesn't stay the perfect level of moisture all day long, then it's time to start multifeeding-you can probably get away with just feeding twice per day at that point, which is usually around the end of veg, or early flower-depending on how long the plant has been in its final container. The best coco plants I've seen were fed several times per day, using an automated system-some people feed 5-6 times per day. Again, this is once the plant is in flower and has filled out its final pot.

Even when fully saturated a Coco 30% perlite mix is 50% oxygen. It can't be overwatered.

I water my seedling and young plants about once a day. And maybe try to hit run off at least once a week so the Coco doesn't become hydrophobic. Then when after about 2.5-3 weeks I up the water to 3 times a day and aim for 10% run off. This then ramps up gradually until I'm in flower watering every 2 or 3 hours while the lights are on.

I also treat coco more like soil to begin with, I've not seen that one mentioned until now but I agree 100% with @Rurumo, i don't really get going with feeding until 12/14 days after sprouting.

Like others I feed the coco before potting then use a syringe around the stem to feed and let it wick out, that stops my nice airy pot from being compressed with the watering can.

I think we're all singing from the same hymn sheet. I don't water mine daily from seedling or from the first day of potting up. I let the roots go searching and develop a bit before getting to that stage.

What I was getting at is I have seen loads say water to run off when you pot up to the next stage. Then some say water daily, others say water once light. I'd go with the once the pots get a bit light like I say.

What I was questioning is does everyone water to run off when they first pot up? Imo that has the coco to wet and heavy for to long. Not worried about over watering as it won't do that. It will just take to long imo for the pots to then get light enough for another watering. Where as I find its better to water till the pots heavy, dries bit quicker and can increase the amount given until watering to run off and daily.

Hope I am making sense lol just wanted to know is everyone watering to run off when they pot up. Fact someone said they squeeze out their coco after running water through it. Sounds like another way of having the coco moist of course but not soaking. Talking about just when getting the roots started, once there then yeah run off and daily.

ninja1 said:

I think we're all singing from the same hymn sheet. I don't water mine daily from seedling or from the first day of potting up. I let the roots go searching and develop a bit before getting to that stage.

What I was getting at is I have seen loads say water to run off when you pot up to the next stage. Then some say water daily, others say water once light. I'd go with the once the pots get a bit light like I say.

What I was questioning is does everyone water to run off when they first pot up? Imo that has the coco to wet and heavy for to long. Not worried about over watering as it won't do that. It will just take to long imo for the pots to then get light enough for another watering. Where as I find its better to water till the pots heavy, dries bit quicker and can increase the amount given until watering to run off and daily.

Hope I am making sense lol just wanted to know is everyone watering to run off when they pot up. Fact someone said they squeeze out their coco after running water through it. Sounds like another way of having the coco moist of course but not soaking. Talking about just when getting the roots started, once there then yeah run off and daily.

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You already sound like you know what you think works best so I don't really understand the question. IMO you are limiting the plants potential by letting the Coco get light before you water again.

But everyone has their own approach. Whatever works for you works.

Autofire said:

You already sound like you know what you think works best so I don't really understand the question. IMO you are limiting the plants potential by letting the Coco get light before you water again.

But everyone has their own approach. Whatever works for you works.

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I'm not letting the coco go bone dry when I say let the coco get light. I just want the roots spreading n searching for water before I start watering daily.

Sorry I got sidetracked by the other replies you know what it's like lol, so yes when I pot up I feed to run off.

Star Dog said:

Sorry I got sidetracked by the other replies you know what it's like lol, so yes when I pot up I feed to run off.

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Okay cool, I know some do and I have done the same in the past. Just feel it takes longer for pots to get light enough for the second watering for me when I do it like that. I know I can't over water coco so I could water sooner of course. Just I like to let the pots get bit lighter at first to have the roots searching. Not talking light and bone dry like a soil grow btw. Still watering enough that whole pot is saturated, can see roots poking out the bottom. Just guess not watering to run off straight away coco isn't holding as much moisture.

Ain't no wrong or right way I guess, do whatever works for you. Was just interested as like I say always read online water till run off. Spoke with a few people on social media though n they also said they don't when they first pot up.

Cocoholic







Feeding coco. Pot to plant size, and root maturity matter. As well as growth phase.

I start in 1 liter airpots...........I feed daily to runoff starting around day 3 from sprout.
At 2 weeks I transplant to a 2.4 liter airpot and continue feeding daily to runoff throughout veg.......twice a day in flower.
The medium doesn't need to dry for the roots to spread out........if that were the case, the roots wouldn't grow at all in DWC.

A photo taken potting up.

Roots love it soaked.

All my pots get saturated and stay wet n heavy at first transplant. I don't have to touch my freshly rooted clones for a week after transplanting. Tried both ways and it's easier for me to leave the pots fully saturated.

ninja1 said:

.........snip....... I know you can over water coco ..........snip.........

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ninja1 said:

.......snip....... Not worried about over watering as it won't do that. .......snip.....

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Diametrically opposed opinions, choose one then we can discuss

I guess I do water to run off on my first watering after transplant. I let them get fairly large in solos before going to the final container and water heavily to get all the coco to settle nicely. After that though it's wet/dry cycles for a few to urge those roots into the new medium.

Transplant or not, I water to runoff. This is why they call it drain to waste. The roots in my plants find their way, they don't need me trying to coax them.

curious2garden said:

Diametrically opposed opinions, choose one then we can discuss

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Lol good point there. I always thought was possible to over water coco at first before the roots are there? Once there is roots then yeah coco seems impossible to over root. Recently just discovered that tbh as I'd been treating my coco more like soil which is a mistake.

HGCC said:

I guess I do water to run off on my first watering after transplant. I let them get fairly large in solos before going to the final container and water heavily to get all the coco to settle nicely. After that though it's wet/dry cycles for a few to urge those roots into the new medium.

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I just find when I transplant and water to run off. The pots stay heavy for too long? I give enough water that all the coco is wet enough for roots. I mean I don't water to run off and can see roots coming out the bottom still.

Good example would be like now tbh. Bear in mind I seem to have been making mistakes with coco in the past. Letting the pots get too light imo because treating it more like a soil grow. Also pressing down on my coco packing it into the pot way to much. So feel am still kinda learning the new way of going about things.

I had plants in 2 litres so decent size and plenty of roots. So I potted them up in the final pots. They was getting half a litre of water every day or two. When I potted them into 6 litres I gave them a litre of water. Wanted the pots to get a bit light but even 4 days later pots still feel bit heavy if honest. I think I would have been better to give them what they was getting in the previous pot and just increase the amount each watering. Bear in mind the coco out the bag is already a little damp. So the half litre imo would of soaked the whole pot. Anyway I gave them a litre and pots seemed to still be quite heavy but seeing as it has been 4 days I decided to give them a watering n just gave em half a litre. Pots are nice and heavy and gonna increase that amount n how often they are being watered. Will see how the roots start to look in the next few days.