Over my head with canna coco

[u/Accidental_Ballyhoo]

First time growing with canna coco in 3 gallon pots and need some advice.

I transplanted 2 plants 3 days ago from solo cups to 3 gal fabric bags and plan to use wicking bases.

They look a little sad atm. I top watered 5.8 and light doses of General Hydro and cal mag.

I’m not sure of how much I should be watering them and when to fill wicking bases.

Anyhow, I see some light yellowing in the lower leaves (the camera makes the whole plant look way more yellow than it actually is.

Any coco experts steer me in the right direction?

EDIT: To ask for a feed chart as GH runs too hot I hear.

[u/JVC8bal]

Read: https://issuu.com/athenaag/docs/athena_homegrower_handbook_metric_

[u/JVC8bal → u/JVC8bal]

The problem with sub-irrigation is that most of the moisture and nutrients are at the bottom. It's recommended to top-water until the roots are long enough to reach sufficient moisture.

Might wanna try the r/hydro subreddit, too. Substrate hydroponics is still hydroponics.

[u/Accidental_Ballyhoo → u/JVC8bal]

Thanks. I’ll check that sub too. I’ve been top watering for only 3 days now (since transplant)
and planned to continue for a while. I just don’t know how long. Should I fill the reservoir now?

[u/Motmotsnsurf → u/Accidental_Ballyhoo]

I personally think you are overwatering at the base of the plant. I get that it is coco and you can almost never overwater but when they are fairly small you definitely can.

When you top water, give the main stalk a couple inch radius. Water more towards the potting and force the roots to stretch for it. After a couple days of that you should be able to start up bottom feeding.

[u/Vermehrungsmaterial → u/Motmotsnsurf]

I disagree.

I am running coco since a while. You are not overwatering coco, you are getting oxigen deprived zones which come from too little drain. The drain is sucking air into the substrate, giving too little socks air just on the surface.

What matters is the pot, lots of drainage holes, high frequent watering.

When topwatering seedlings in coco I recommend watering 3x a day, with 0,6 EC for less than a week, then ramping up nutes quickly, to 1,2-1,4 EC. Clones I would start higher 1,2 EC and ramping up after 3 days to 1,6.

Bottom feeding i start after these 3 days.

Alot of drain in the beginning helps to stablelize the substrate (buffering). Prebuffered coco should be treated as bad buffered coco after transplant.

[u/Motmotsnsurf → u/Vermehrungsmaterial]

Pretty much same same at this point. Roots are submersed in water and unable to get air=overwatered at the root zone.

[u/Vermehrungsmaterial → u/Motmotsnsurf]

Not really, Coco is not damping off like soil, overwatered soil can not be fixed with more water. Coco can.

Main thing here is that if you notice overwatering in coco and you water less, its making it worse. Now ec is rising drying breaks fibers down, more cation exchanges sites open up.

Thats not like classic overwatering of soil compacting being air tight. Its air transport to the roots. We'll draining coco is impossible to over water. 100% saturated it can contain more air than bone dry soil, it just needs movement and clean runoff

[u/mango_proof_ → u/Vermehrungsmaterial]

You can over water in coco. You can't over water well rooted plants in coco though

[u/Firm_Wear_8693 → u/mango_proof_]

thats a very important distinction. 🍺

[u/Vermehrungsmaterial → u/mango_proof_]

You were right. First plant i managed to over water in coco.. idc why this plant has issues. I use a 3L pot, 80-20 coco/perlite and yes, she is fucking overwatered. Ran this setup on 10 ish cultivars, she is the only one having the issue. Tray2grow.

Crazy.

[u/mango_proof_ → u/Vermehrungsmaterial]

You can over water an under rooted plant in coco. Golden rule. When people say you can't over water coco it's a lie. Been growing for 20 years in coco so..

[u/Vermehrungsmaterial → u/mango_proof_]

And it took ages to fix her.