COCO COIR Coco coir growers, do you buy a pre-made mix?

[wannabeagrower]

So I'm pretty sold on the idea of growing in coco coir. But I'm trying to decide whether to use a pre-made coco 70:30 potting mix like Mother Earth or Cultivation Nation coco. Or whether I should buy coco bricks and perlite and make the coco myself at home in a bucket with boiling water.

Any growers here use coco coir to grow weed? What has worked best for you?

[golfnrl]

I have not used a brick of coco. My grow medium is 5050 coco/perlite. I have only found one brand that has that mix ratio in my area. It comes from a country I don't want to support so I usually buy Mother Earth Coco and Perlite #3 and mix my own. I always soak the coco even if I don't have to. And I supplement with cal/mag the entire grow once the plants start taking nutrients.

If you are going to mix it yourself be aware that it is messy. The perlite can get away from you. It needs to be rinsed as well IMHO before it is combined with the coco. Depending on how much you are preparing you may need a larger container to mix. I use a couple of totes. The buckets weren't big enough to move the coco around while mixing it up with the perlite to my liking. Don't forget to PH the water. Boiling water isn't necessary unless you just want to use it.