Growing in Coco: Best Practices

Coco coir substrates are a popular choice for cannabis cultivation due to their numerous benefits. They are sustainable and renewable resources that can be easily composted after use.

Buy these substrates loose, compressed for container growing, or as compressed grow cubes. Either way, they are an excellent alternative to rockwool blocks.

Coco coir can be used once and discarded. Or you can use it as a top dressing for raised beds and field soil to increase organic matter and moisture retention in heavy clay or sandy soils.

Cannabis Supplements for Moisture Management

To manage substrate moisture and nutrient availability in coco coir for commercial growing, know the key terms:

  • Saturation describes the total volume of water that a substrate can hold. It is expressed as a percentage of the substrate’s weight or as the water-holding capacity (WHC).
  • Field capacity indicates the amount of water that remains in a substrate after excess water has drained.
  • A permanent wilting point is reached when no moisture is left in the substrate for plants to extract.

Substrates like coco coir contain high organic matter and will decompose during the production cycle. This leads to changes in the air-to-water ratio.

This also highlights the importance of consistent moisture monitoring and irrigation adjustments based on moisture readings. A soil moisture sensor that measures volume water content (VWC, %) is a simple tool that can be placed in the root zone to monitor moisture.

Using the Solus Teros 12 substrate sensor, coco is fully saturated at 40% and needs water near 20%.

  • Consistently over-saturated media increases the risk of root diseases and lower crop yields.
  • Media that dries to the permanent wilting point may cause irreversible damage to plant roots. Consistent moisture is important to ensure root absorption of nutrients without allowing plants to reach the wilting point.

Irrigation Strategy

Adopting a proactive approach to irrigation is key. By appropriately timing your irrigation, you can ensure consistent moisture levels and delivery of cannabis nutrients without the risk of overwatering or overfeeding.

Before planning your irrigation, use the sensor test above to identify the saturation range to the wilting point. This gives you a clear plan of action.

Irrigation timing and volume largely depend on environmental conditions and irrigation system components.

  • A general rule of thumb is to apply 10-15% more water than the container will hold. This allows for some runoff with each irrigation and reduces the potential for salt accumulation.
  • The flow rate must be adjusted to allow thorough media saturation but avoid container overflow.
  • Clear water flushing of the coir substrate between nutrient feedings reduces and prevents salt buildup.

The first irrigation typically starts one hour after lights on or sunrise and ends one hour before lights off or sunset.

Depending on conditions, irrigations for cannabis plants can be scheduled hourly or more frequently. Excessive dry down between irrigations may increase soluble salt concentration and contribute to the substrate’s hydrophobic properties.

Clean Coco Coir Is For Thriving Cannabis Nutrient Systems

Rx Green Technologies offers a variety of commercial cannabis cultivation supplies. We offer many coco coir substrates, such as loose coco and coco grow bags.

CLEAN COCO is available as loose coco coir in 100% coco and 70% coco/30% perlite blends.

  • Loose coco coir for cannabis is ideal for filling reusable or disposable pots and top dressing coco by refilling seasonal outdoor pots and beds.
  • It is also good for topping off and refilling seasonal outdoor pots and beds.

Our new Ready-To-Use Coco Grow Bags deliver an effective cannabis growing medium for cultivations of all sizes.

  • Rx Green’s grow bags come filled with OMRI-listed clean, buffered loose coco coir sourced only from RHP-certified sources.
  • Simply rip open the bag, roll it down a few times, and plant your plants. Watch them grow to their full canopy potential.

CLEAN COCO grow bags contain a compressed brick of pure coco coir in a disposable mesh bag.

  • This is an ideal option for large-scale commercial cannabis cultivation facilities with automated irrigation. As well as any grower looking to cut down on labor expenditure with pot filling and transplanting.
  • Simply hydrate the brick and transplant your rooted clone or young vegetative plant into a 1-gallon, 2-gallon, or 3-gallon bag.

CLEAN COCO cubes contain a compressed brick of pure coir packaged in a mesh bag that allows root penetration.

  • Similar to grow bags, simply hydrate the cubes and place seeds, rooted cuttings, or small plants in the pre-drilled hole.
  • These are ideal for smaller plants (less than 24” in height) in drip irrigation and can be easily composted after crop harvest. While the cubes can be used in food irrigation, the product is best suited for drip irrigation.

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Storage & Disposal

All coco substrate products should be stored in a dry area, off the ground, and protected from the elements. Loose coco is sold in biodegradable bags. Used loose coco coir for cannabis may be reused, composted, or disposed of in a landfill. Read more about Clean Coco Storage in our Rx Resources.

Schedule a Product Trial

Want to try our premium commercial cannabis grow supplies and see the results for yourself? Contact an Rx Green Rep and schedule a product trial to try our top-quality, R&D-tested cultivation supplies in your grow.

Resources

Soil moisture meters

Aroya Teros 12 Substrate Sensor, https://aroya.io/cultivation/

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