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  • Rootsruler
    commented on 's reply
    I wouldn't the powdery silt will collect on the bottom and choke out your roots.

  • apacin0
    commented on 's reply
    I've done 100% coco coir before and it works. I used a small pot, I can see it getting more expensive with big pots. Fluffing the coco up with some other medium I think does help with total cost for larger volumes. I think if you're going to reuse your mix, the clay pebbles are the better route.
    ..Also get some dang new coco lol. The stuff I buy is very fibrous and full, not powdery. Maybe mix that powdery stuff with new coco, if you really want to save it.

  • Allenpro
    commented on 's reply
    Yes you can grow in pure coco coir but from the times I have tried it (2) for the price of perlite/Hydrotron I would use one or the other

  • DabberDog
    commented on 's reply
    Dangit! You said it. I was wondering about using straight coco.
    I just emptied a bag of third generation coco, and it was fair powdery. Much more so than new. I can see foregoing perlite if the coco bits are large enough. But after a while, I can't see using coco without perlite.

  • Bluey
    replied
    100% coco works fine

    Leave a comment:


  • Allenpro
    commented on 's reply
    Yep those will work too

  • Rootsruler
    commented on 's reply
    Sorry. You're right. I was in the middle of messaging someone else and got confused. My bad.

  • DabberDog
    commented on 's reply
    I dig those little balls but what I see is washing them for reuse.

  • apacin0
    replied
    I used hydroton (clay pebbles) with great success. It aerates and improves drainage (not that coco doesn't have great drainage by itself) just like perlite, but it's heavier. It stays in place in the coco, doesn't sink or float. It's not as cheap as perlite, but it doesn't degrade easily and can be reused.

    I'm currently using perlite, but I'd use hydroton again. I'm thinking about ordering it for at least one or two DWC buckets.

    Leave a comment:


  • golfnrl
    commented on 's reply
    My understanding is the perlite allows aeration by the texture and makeup of the mineral itself. There's gaps and spaces along the surface of the perlite that give room for roots to breathe.

  • DabberDog
    commented on 's reply
    Huh? Every other source I see says coco holds 10 time its weight in water and is excellent for water retention. That's pretty much its thing.

  • Rootsruler
    commented on 's reply
    You are correct except for one thing. Gravel will sink to the bottom of the pot into the perched water table and raise it making overwatering more likely. Perlite will stay mixed in the soil for the most part unless it is near the surface. Perlite floats so that is why you see pictures on here with tons of perlite on top.

  • Rootsruler
    commented on 's reply
    Vermiculite has the same size and spacing properties as perlite with the added bonus of better water retention. If I was in a peat/coco mix then perlite all the way. The peat will be responsible for water retention but coco has very little water holding capacity so the vermiculite can help in that respect.

  • DabberDog
    commented on 's reply
    Back to my question about how perlite aerates if it is kept in wet coco.

  • DabberDog
    commented on 's reply
    Umm... in my case it would be dab rig water. In either case, no.

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