Grow Mediums A-Train needs info on the coco for future run... help a brother out.

[Waira]

@pop22 --- she's a beaut' alright! ..Sea Grow is one of my fav's too, for all kinds of plants ... What's the unadjusted pH of the nute soln., and your water source? If I see a new grower planning to use it though, I caution them about it's strength, and to dilute appropriately --- see a few crispy critters dropped off on the Infirmary door mat after the poor things got their first hit of full power 16-16-16! ... Cheers to KISS growing mate, I'm in that church all day long :smoking:... Alas, it isn't always the case, and the amount of pH related issues that show up in Sick Bay is alarming!

Hey Yoz- Good caution tip there-- Holy crap, building waste??

 

[Wile e Peyote]

I remember reading some bad report on Hydroton.
Let me see if I can find it.


EDIT:

Yep - here it is.

as waira says nice catch dude after this bag its onto canna aqua pebbles for me same price take this for the heads up

 

[Yozhik]

as waira says nice catch dude after this bag its onto canna aqua pebbles for me same price take this for the heads up

Thanks !

Just passing on the info ...

 

[pop22]

I think that needs some serious looking into before we all ditch our medium.....

I remember reading some bad report on Hydroton.
Let me see if I can find it.


EDIT:

Yep - here it is.

 

[Wile e Peyote]

I think that needs some serious looking into before we all ditch our medium.....

Just having a quick look on the old Internet the company that mines the canna hydroton has stopped mining the clay because of quality issues

 

[Yozhik]

I think that needs some serious looking into before we all ditch our medium.....

Absolutely.

For example, on that Facebook page, some have questioned for a source re: hydroton being 'building waste'.
Asking for a source is a legitimate question.
However, its also misdirected.
The Grow Shop didn't define Hydroton as 'unfit for horticulture'; the UK importer did.

Key point being - do your own due diligence.

@pop22 - your signature is the best!

Questions lead to answers. Blind Acceptance does not.

 

[pop22]

My RO water is about 7.4 on ph. another interesting thing about Sea Grow is it doesn't seem to affect PH much! PH after adding it was 7.1. I treat all medium nutrient solutions the same, I measure the ppms .I started with RO plus about 100 ppms of cal/mag, then added enough Sea Grow to bring it up to 450 ppms. 10 days later I raised it to a total of 600-650 ppm. I ran my DWC at 600 ppm average through out the grow with great results. I like to keep the ppm/ec low, I see no sense in higher concentrations, but hey, that's me!

@pop22 --- she's a beaut' alright! ..Sea Grow is one of my fav's too, for all kinds of plants ... What's the unadjusted pH of the nute soln., and your water source? If I see a new grower planning to use it though, I caution them about it's strength, and to dilute appropriately --- see a few crispy critters dropped off on the Infirmary door mat after the poor things got their first hit of full power 16-16-16! ... Cheers to KISS growing mate, I'm in that church all day long :smoking:... Alas, it isn't always the case, and the amount of pH related issues that show up in Sick Bay is alarming!

Hey Yoz- Good caution tip there-- Holy crap, building waste??

 

[pop22]

I'm going to post the source of this in the lab. this will answer the question once and for all.

The Myth

"Add a layer of gravel or other coarse material in the bottom of containers to improve drainage"
This is just one of those myths that refuses to die, regardless of solid scientific evidence to the contrary! Nearly every book or web site on container gardening recommends placing coarse material at the bottom of containers for drainage. The materials most often recommended for this practice are sand, gravel pebbles, and pot shards. Other ‘benefits’ often mentioned include preventing creatures from entering through the drain holes, and stabilizing the container.
Some of these recommendations are quite specific and scientific sounding. Consider this advice from a 1960’s book on container plants: “Adequate drainage is secured by covering the hole in the bottom of the pot with a piece of broken flowerpot, concave side down; this in turn is covered with a layer (1/2" to 1"
deep) of flowerpot chips. On top of this, a 1/4" to 3/8" layer of coarse organic material, such as flaky leaf mold, is placed.” The advice seems to make perfect
sense, and it’s presented so precisely. After all, we know that plants need good drainage so their roots receive adequate oxygen, and we also know that water
passes through coarsely textured material faster than it does fine material. So what’s not to like?

The Reality

Nearly 100 years ago, soil scientists demonstrated that water does not move easily from layers of finer textured materials to layers of more coarse textured. Since then, similar studies have produced the same results. Additionally, one study found that more moisture was retained in the soil underlain by gravel than that underlain by sand. Therefore, the coarser the underlying material, the more difficult it is for water to move across the interface. Imagine what
happens in a container lined with pot shards!

Some of my previous columns have mentioned soil interfaces and their inhibition of water movement. We can see the same phenomenon occurring here: gravitational water will not move from a finely soil texture into a coarser material until the finer soil is saturated. Since the stated goal for using coarse
material in the bottoms of containers is to "keepsoil from getting water logged,” it is ironic that adding this material will induce the very state it is intended to prevent.
quoted from:

Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., Extension Ho
rticulturist and Associate Professor,
Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University

I question the validity of this also. Maybe we should ask the company for their explanation, as water tranfer between different mediums is reduced by the loss of surface area of the larger medium.

 

[MeefChief]

Okay, so back on track.. You first washed your coco clean, then mixed with perlite? Did you wait until your coco dried out to pre-charge it? Do you pre-charge it after it's in the pot I suppose? Is that considered the first watering for your seedling? I just really don't want to ruin four expensive seeds, or technically get them properly started since every single day counts with autos.

 

[Son of Hobbes]

I'm going to post the source of this in the lab. this will answer the question once and for all.

The Myth

"Add a layer of gravel or other coarse material in the bottom of containers to improve drainage"
This is just one of those myths that refuses to die, regardless of solid scientific evidence to the contrary! Nearly every book or web site on container gardening recommends placing coarse material at the bottom of containers for drainage. The materials most often recommended for this practice are sand, gravel pebbles, and pot shards. Other ‘benefits’ often mentioned include preventing creatures from entering through the drain holes, and stabilizing the container.
Some of these recommendations are quite specific and scientific sounding. Consider this advice from a 1960’s book on container plants: “Adequate drainage is secured by covering the hole in the bottom of the pot with a piece of broken flowerpot, concave side down; this in turn is covered with a layer (1/2" to 1"
deep) of flowerpot chips. On top of this, a 1/4" to 3/8" layer of coarse organic material, such as flaky leaf mold, is placed.” The advice seems to make perfect
sense, and it’s presented so precisely. After all, we know that plants need good drainage so their roots receive adequate oxygen, and we also know that water
passes through coarsely textured material faster than it does fine material. So what’s not to like?

The Reality

Nearly 100 years ago, soil scientists demonstrated that water does not move easily from layers of finer textured materials to layers of more coarse textured. Since then, similar studies have produced the same results. Additionally, one study found that more moisture was retained in the soil underlain by gravel than that underlain by sand. Therefore, the coarser the underlying material, the more difficult it is for water to move across the interface. Imagine what
happens in a container lined with pot shards!

Some of my previous columns have mentioned soil interfaces and their inhibition of water movement. We can see the same phenomenon occurring here: gravitational water will not move from a finely soil texture into a coarser material until the finer soil is saturated. Since the stated goal for using coarse
material in the bottoms of containers is to "keepsoil from getting water logged,” it is ironic that adding this material will induce the very state it is intended to prevent.
quoted from:

Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., Extension Ho
rticulturist and Associate Professor,
Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University

Had to laugh, meant to rep you for this originally and accidentally reported it instead lol. Good read pops! Rep slap!