Hydroponics, Rockwool or Coco coir

[jmicaelk]

Hi, I am doing a hydroponics test with some strawberries in grow towers and looking for the grow medium. is  Rockwool or Coco coir the better choice here in Thailand, and where can I find it ??

Im in Rayong area and need enough for 1000 net pots. I'm sure coco coir is easier to find, but sometimes it is not clean. So any info appreciated

 

Regards Micael

 

[rice555]

Hello All. if it's a recirculating system, you don't want to use coir.

If your berries have a root mass, try using hydrotron, you should

be able to get at Aquaponics Thailand. Depending on you net pot

size, you'll probably want the smallest size hydrotron. If the hole in

the net pot is larger, get the larger size.

A good selection of rock wool is not to be had in LOS, ACK at one

time years ago had RW slabs, that you could cut up and rap around

the roots and put into a 3" NP, but the slab cost was HIGH. 

rice555

 

[Smithson]

Is salt the problem with using Coco in recirculating systems? I use it in AP, large chunks, not the dust. Some blue screen on the drain catches loose prices.

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[jmicaelk]

Hi I see the have Rockwool Thailand, so I will give them a try tomorrow, I need it for my strawberry runners as well.

So hydrotron is ok to use in netpots ? I really only see rockwool or coco coir

 

Regards Micael

 

[jmicaelk]

So why not use coco coirs ?? should be plenty of that around here, don't they have high enough quality or ??

 

Regards Micael

 

[cooked]

5 hours ago, Smithson said:

Is salt the problem with using Coco in recirculating systems? I use it in AP, large chunks, not the dust. Some blue screen on the drain catches loose prices.

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As far as I understand it, most coconut coir comes from trees growing near the sea, hence the salt content. Orchid growers will soak coir in water, changing the water 2 - 3 times.

[jmicaelk]

Thanks Cooked, where can I find good coir ?? will use in 3 inch net pots

 

Regards Micael

 

[cooked]

28 minutes ago, jmicaelk said:

Thanks Cooked, where can I find good coir ?? will use in 3 inch net pots

 

Regards Micael

 

Dunno.I just go to local garden centre and buy some. Thaiwatsadu usually has some bags @ 10 litres.

[jmicaelk]

Thanks Cooked, would you recommend coir over rockwool ??

[Smithson]

I think there's info in another thread about treating coir. Another option is rice husks.

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[rice555]

Hello All, what does your net pot look like and size?

There are several posts on one of the hydro threads about how to treat

coir or coco pieces if you growing hydro. Rinsing only does so much, you

need to soak your coir/pieces in a EC 2.0, of calcium nitrate/water  for 24Hrs

before use, don't rinse after, just start using your nutes.

The last bunch of coir I used was from a small place here in Korat that processes

the husks on site, they use the fibers to make mattress pads.

rice555

[FEBiochar]

Has anyone experimented with biochar as a hydroponic media?

[cooked]

38 minutes ago, FEBiochar said:

Has anyone experimented with biochar as a hydroponic media?

Now there's a good question

 

[IsaanAussie]

Agreed, very good question. I see no reason why biochar shouldn't be a good medium as long as it is washed thoroughly before use. However a few things that should be considered are:  pH levels do vary dependant on the source material and temperature at which it is burnt, usually tending to be alkaline. Because biochar has such a massive surface area it will tend to "store" anything in the water other than just providing refuge for biology. It is carbon hence the C/N ratio may have an effect on the nutrient balance. 

I'm keen to know more...

 

Edited November 2, 2016 by IsaanAussie

[rice555]

Hello All, for a good explanation of how to treat coir/coco, go to the Hydro Farming

thread and and go to post #205 by whitewater and post #207 by Scoop1.

Plain old gap would work as good as CRH and a cost and labor savings. When you

give nutes to your plant/s, you are giving it what it needs. 

I also think that any recirculating system would clog and leave a black film on the sides

of where the nutrient flow.

OP, can you link to the rock wool place please? RW also has to be conditioned before use.

 

 

On a side note, I've used CRH in my starting mix, and no CRH before and have seen

nothing different in a side by side test of the same seed, about 20% CRH. I use my starts

in dirt or hydro, but I do run to waste, not a recirculation system.

rice555

[jmicaelk]

Sure Rice, I will go check it out tomorrow, if they have I will post here. 

In what way do RW needs to be conditioned  ??

 

Micael

 

[rice555]

17 hours ago, jmicaelk said:

Sure Rice, I will go check it out tomorrow, if they have I will post here. 

In what way do RW needs to be conditioned  ??

 

Micael

 

Jello All, from the little I've read about RW, you need to rinse/soak the

RW with a pH buffer or something like that.

Check out the Grodan web site, onr of the largest makers.

rice555 

[jmicaelk]

Hi all, well I went to look today but was not able to get any RW  the RW here in Thiland had some added chemicals they said and could not pick up water. But the little sample bit i got get socked after I held it under water for some time, so not sure what to make out of it. Calling to Sweden now to get more info about it.

If can use I will have to order and order a lot, so I hope some other people are open to buying from me, I will be able to deliver all over thailand, but yeah, not so cheap.

If can not use I will have to order 1 container, but then can custom order, cubes or what ever, not just rolls or slabs.

 

So please let me know what you guys thinks, anyone interested ??

 

Micael

 

[jmicaelk]

Should me soaked haha

[Hereinthailand]

If you are using grow towers with net pots a mix of perlite and coir would be much cheaper and reusable. Rockwool is one shot and throw away. The RW (insulation grade) you got might have a fire retardant in it compared to a grodan or similar garden use RW. You shouldnt be using drippers for your nutrient feed lines so just put a net or screen around your pump to catch any sediment from the coir and perlite until the system settles down.

[jmicaelk]

25 minutes ago, Hereinthailand said:

If you are using grow towers with net pots a mix of perlite and coir would be much cheaper and reusable. Rockwool is one shot and throw away. The RW (insulation grade) you got might have a fire retardant in it compared to a grodan or similar garden use RW. You shouldnt be using drippers for your nutrient feed lines so just put a net or screen around your pump to catch any sediment from the coir and perlite until the system settles down.

 

Thank you, well they talked about that they added fire retardant, but why do that, normal RW do not burn as well, it's made from stone after all. I also asked RW in Sweden but not even they know what would be different here.

I'm worried to use coir as the holes in my net pots are up to 9mm wide and 30 mm long, 12 of those on the sides and 6  9x15mm holes in the bottom

Maybe some coco fibers and the coir ?? Hydroton is cheap as well, 500 b for 50 L bags

 

Attach pic of my net pots, the one to the left

 

Micael

 

[Hereinthailand]

That netpot is slotted way to big, good for orchids and such. Something like these are suited for hydro https://www.aliexpress.com/item/5-49-56mm-vegetables-planting-nursery-basket-cup-pp-material-Net-cup-pots-for-seedlings-Hydroponics/32496392523.html?spm=2114.30010308.3.142.kQ7QUs&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_2_10091_10090_10088_10089,searchweb201603_1&btsid=3cf46d4c-5284-4b6b-bf7e-01e9ae3eeb71 With that one expanded clay pellets are about your only choice or if you can find some large PPI foam, I am trying to source some reticulated 10-40 PPI PU foam sheets for slotted grow towers but alas thailand is not much for getting email answers. I prefer fiber media as it has much more surface area. Have you considered an NFT system ? if you have the area it might be a better choice for you.

[jmicaelk]

Yes I was thinking of NTF but I didn't have enough space ready, and the plants were not waiting so had to do something for the space I had. Maybe get the pots to the right and make slots with soldering iron. PITA but what to do.

How about coco fibers on the sides and coco coir in the middle, that way the fibers would hold it in the pots

 

Micael

 

[Hereinthailand]

Fiber/coir mix prob would be okay. What kind of system are you going to use ? vertical or horizontal ? pipe diameter ? I would also go to aliexpress and order a cheap ec/tds meter, ph meter, and ph buffer powder takes a couple of weeks to get here, you will need these. I think also I would focus on a much smaller amount of plants until you get used to using a hydro system. At the least zone your plants into separate systems to try different media and nutrient mixes so your next crop will be more productive. Google hydro buddy for a free nutrient calculator that will make it much cheaper mixing your own nutrients then using pre-mix although you might want to use some in a separate system to see what works best.  

[rice555]

2 hours ago, Hereinthailand said:

Fiber/coir mix prob would be okay. What kind of system are you going to use ? vertical or horizontal ? pipe diameter ? I would also go to aliexpress and order a cheap ec/tds meter, ph meter, and ph buffer powder takes a couple of weeks to get here, you will need these. I think also I would focus on a much smaller amount of plants until you get used to using a hydro system. At the least zone your plants into separate systems to try different media and nutrient mixes so your next crop will be more productive. Google hydro buddy for a free nutrient calculator that will make it much cheaper mixing your own nutrients then using pre-mix although you might want to use some in a separate system to see what works best.  

ACK, Accent, Fresh Gardens and Bangsai all have pH up and down, no need for having it shipped in.

rice555

[Hereinthailand]

What are you talking about ??? ph buffer powder is used to calibrate your ph meter. And why pay for expensive ph up and down solutions when cheap common off the shelf chemicals do the same thing ?

[rice555]

3 hours ago, Hereinthailand said:

What are you talking about ??? ph buffer powder is used to calibrate your ph meter. And why pay for expensive ph up and down solutions when cheap common off the shelf chemicals do the same thing ?

Sorry, misread, was thinking of nutrient up/down. Run to waste you only set the pH  when you make a batch.

rice555 

[Smithson]

I'm not sure biochar would be good for hydroponics, it may store too much salt? For AP I think it can be great though, heaps of minerals and trace elements and home to bacteria.

[Hereinthailand]

A good read on washing your coir. http://www.growstone.com/2014/03/the-importance-of-buffered-coco-and-why-we-use-it-in-gs-3-coco-mix/ I have always just rinsed it good but looks like there is a lot to be said for using a calcium wash

[oxo1066]

Hi coco coir would be the best but you will have to wash it first before use


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