# Coco super slow growth



## Treebeard (May 29, 2014)

Hi,

I'm having some problems with a new setup using coco. I've never used coco before so this could the first problem of many! 

These girls are 2 weeks old and just barely seem to be growing. Curiousuty got the better of me and I had a dig down to look at the roots and there is just 1 long root going to the bottom of the pot with little side branching. For the first 12 days I hand watered with water every 4-5 days. I've now added a small amount of nutes up to 0.6ec.

They are under
-400w hps cool tube 
-27c (they got a little hot before the photo)
-45% humidity
-PH 5.8
-EC 0.6
-wilma 4 pot converted to run to waste
- CX hydroponics nutrients (I think this a newish company? Apparently excellent in coco)
-biobizz coco, straight coco no perlite

The only thing I haven't done yet is put an airstone in the reservoir but will be done later today.

If anyone can help out that would be awesome! Seems like every grow is going wrong recently! 

View attachment image.jpg


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## Treebeard (May 29, 2014)

Oh and the strain is Barneys Farm LSD


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## JustAnotherAntMarching (May 29, 2014)

Tell us what you did with the coco out of the package?    Ive never worked with it but 99% certain things need to be done to the coco prior to putting plants in it...


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## Treebeard (May 29, 2014)

Ok, I put it straight into pots then flushed it through. I then left it to stand for 48 hours before putting the seedlings in. 

I'm tempted to transplant into clay pebbles, always worked well in the past, I just fancied a change.


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## JustAnotherAntMarching (May 29, 2014)

Again Ive never worked with coco but I believe that some coco needs to be "charged" (I think that is the proper term) and ive also read it can be very lacking in cal/mag right out of the gate...  

keep giving us info...    what brand of coco?  have you fed anything yet?


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## orangesunshine (May 30, 2014)

my brief experience with coco is it comes sterile also includes adding perlite and inoculating the coco with a myco colony for proper growth


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## ShOrTbUs (May 30, 2014)

can we get some photo's under natural light plz. it would help greatly.

what does .6 ec = in ppm's i never learned to properly equate the 2 since i quickly switched from hydro early on into organic soil. also, how do your nutes work? is it a 1-2-3 part system? are you following a schedule?

14 days after germination isn't all that much time to get going. i've had quite a few plants start slow and take off later. it looks to me that they coming along nicely, but i still want a look under natural light so that i can get a good look at them.

27c is a very good temp.

i'm not a hydro guy so i'm not going to recommend adding perlite or any other soil conditioner to the coco. i have 0 experience with it. i don't know how well it retains water, and if you should be constantly running the emitters or not.  

ohh and what exactly does "they got a little hot before the photo" mean?

i dunno they seem fine, a little leaf curling, but not stunted growth per say.


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## mrnice (Jun 15, 2014)

I agree totally with multi by the way how are you doing Multi long time no see, anyway far to big a pot (btw are they 15 litre wilmas) and far too much light for a seedling.
I only use coco and have never added cal/mag but i know most do.
Ill guide you treebeard just take them out of those massive pots and bury the stem right upto the first set of leaves and keep the coco moist like Multi stated and ideally use a lower strength light source like flourescent types.
Mrnice


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## bagabones (Jun 30, 2014)

I think you need to raise your EC to 1.0

 there not growing because there hungry

 coco holds moisture longer enough to where your likely not watering often... watering less often will require higher Ec levels close to what youd see in soil

 if your medium was rockwool or clay youd water every hour or two and you might get by with a 0.6 EC

 raise the EC

 also... isn't coco suppose to run higher Ph like soil with a range of 6.2 to 6.7 or something? (edited note: PH info incorrect..sorry)


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## bagabones (Jun 30, 2014)

multifarious said:


> Coco pH = 5.5 - 6.0
> 
> Typically around 5.8pH



ahh ok.. thank you


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## Hushpuppy (Jul 1, 2014)

Also, when growing in coco coir, you must use a Cal/Mag additive as Magnesium gets locked up in coco a lot. Using the additive will help balance the chemical properties that cause it to lock up. If not, you will struggle with both Calcium and Magnesium deficiency which can also stifle growth.


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## hippy59 (Jul 2, 2014)

I been in cocoa for over a year now and I have noticed that when they first sprout they form 2 or 3 set of leaves then just stop for anywere from 1 to 3 weeks, then they take off like mad. I am guessing they are more interested in growing roots during this time but its always the same. in preparation for the seeds I bottom fed the empty pots with half strength nutes then top fed with water only just till it starts coming out the bottom. then put seed in the cocoa and cover with a plastic clear cup. after the seed sprouts I will give it a shot glass full of phed water a few times and when she takes off and gets light in weight its full on nutes. been working good for me. and yes cal-mag is needed.

by empty pot I mean cocoa only. no plant or seed.


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## ncmga (Aug 20, 2014)

Greetings

Been using coco for 10 yrs now and for me its the best. When using coco thoroughly soak and leave for day or so, then if u can amend with worm castings, and if possible greensand. I usually use a hot brew tea of Espoma Plant-Tone with a coffee maker at one cup per gallon. I have never used HPS lights only Sun master MH 1K lights. I've noticed that hps  lights require more nutrients and calibration and plus plants taste flat too, but I know this from other gardeners and compare flowers. Coco IMHO is very forgiving allowing easy flushing. My growing methodology is flood and evaporate.

Peace
Atomic Dog


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