Hydro-Organics - The Coco Alternative |
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| Looking for taste and yield? There's no need to compromise any more, growing in coco can give you the best of both worlds. Read our Learn article on growing in coir/coco and get clued up on this great growing medium. |
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Hydro-Organics - The Coco Alternative
In the last couple of years using coir/coco in pots as a hydroponic media has become a very popular way to grow. There are 3 main reasons for this occurrence:
1. Eco-friendly - It is natural, environmentally and ecologically friendly, and made from renewable sources of coconut fibre. This alone should be good enough reason to consider Coir.
2. Quality - It has been found that the quality of the final product grown in coir is exceptionally good and hard to beat in any other medium. With good formation, colour, look and taste, it's not surprising that many people are giving it a go.
3. Quantity - The yield and weight of crops grown in coir as compared to other hydroponic mediums like rockwool compares favourably, so there is no need to compromise between quality and yield.
Our main range of coco products are from the Canna Coco Range although there are a couple of coco specific boosters available from the B'Cuzz Range of coir products. Thanks to some of the properties of coco as a growing medium, many popular hydroponic boosters and additives are able to be used in Coco with no reduction in effectiveness.
What is it and why is it so good?
All types of coir fibre are different forms of media derived from the same raw component - coconut fibre. Traditionally most coco fibre is produced in Sri Lanka or thereabouts, with the most popular commercially available growing medium being Canna Coco. there are other manufacturers of Coco growing media around, but believe us when we say that we've tried them all and in our experience Canna coco has so far proved unbeatable.
The success of Canna Coco over recent months is no fluke. It possesses all of the qualities of a great growing medium, having very good air content, good drainage and good structure. By structure we mean that it doesn't compact, lose it's drainage (or air content) or restrict root growth and diversification in any way. These qualities make it an ideal pot growing medium with no need to add any perlite or pebbles, just use as is for rooting cuttings or growing plants from start to finish.
OK, I'm convinced... What are my options?
Canna Coco
Available in slabs or 50 Litre bags this has been everybody's favourite coir medium till now. There's no need to mix the coco flakes with anything else when using it in pots, just moisten it up with some half strength Coco Feed (this will read cF 10 - 15, dependent on your tap water start cF. Use 2ml of A and 2ml of B per Litre of water) and pot your plants up with the mix, making it an easy medium to use. Continue to use half strength feed at every watering until the plants get much bigger, 60cm (2') or more.
Canna Coco Slabs
1m Coco slabs are also available and contain the same coco flakes as the bagged growing medium. The slabs should be loosened up before wetting and using by rolling them on their side or firmly pressing the sides. The slab should then be lightly moistened with a half strength (cF 10 - 15) Coco Feed before use. Cubes can be placed on or in the slab to be used with drip lines. Start plants on a nutrient strength of approx cF 10 - 15 dependent on your tap water start cF. Aim for about a 10% to 20% run off of solution out of the slab at each dosing cycle. Make sure the slabs can drain freely. When the plants get big, two foot or more, you can gradually increase the feed strength over a few weeks, up to a maximum of cF 18 - 24.
All Canna Coco products have also been impregnated with a beneficial mould Trichoderma which not only acts as a good root stimulant but also prevents pathogens and other harmful bacteria from entering the root zone.
Recommended feed - Canna Coco A+B
Recommended additives - Rhizotonic - Cannazym - B'Cuzz Coco Booster and Bloom Stimulant
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