Hi, I Usually use, Coco fibre and perlite mix i’m wondering replacing the perlite with coco chips can anyone give me any advice please?
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Hi @Red13 I have no knowledge of growing in coco… but I know a guy who might be able to help… @DougDawson 
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i have actually heard that coco chip mixed coco substrate is superior to pure coco. I currently grow with coco and have used Flora Flex and Canna Coco. i watch a youtube video where this large scale grow operation was using coco chips and coco fiber and they said the chips allow for larger air pockets to benefit the roots and the roots will still stay moist. If you find a good source i’d be interested in a link. I found the company that the grower used but their site was geared towards large scale businesses and not the average consumer so i wasn’t able to source from them. I did just find a roots organics version, i’m not seeing a buffered coco chip yet but i would really like to find one. https://hydrobuilder.com/roots-organics-coco-chips-compressed-12-x12.html
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Are used to use pure cocoa fibre for years. You know the time you’re buy in hydro shops. I found mixing in some perlite Greatly improved root growth
I usually use Coco bricks now days, I find it easier to store and cheaper. It’s easy to hydrate, and you just buffer it with Calimag.
I have seen Coco chips available recently i’m thinking it would be good to mix with Coco fibre for the root system, and also, I like to recycle my cocoa fibre I think the Coco chips would be good for this.
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I use a coco/perlite mix personally and have never used coco chips but have read some about them. They do help with retaining moisture as well as aeration and drainage. That should help the roots so it would likely be a good addition. I would shoot for around 80/20 coco fiber/coco chips.
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Thank you for your reply DougDawson. I think I will give it a try. 
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We have this available here in 
, and I’ve heard good reports from growers who have used it.
They have a US site also, but the link seems to be down ATM 
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Yes, I have seen it here in Oz. Under the brand tropicoir. A new brand of cocoa, I want to try to use. $18 au for a 4 kg brick. They have a different size grades
One of the best multifunctional growing media additives, and it’s a great top mulch to stop gnats. I reuse, it over and and over as mulch.
Been using it for 7-8 years now for cannabis, and it also used in my worm bins.
I’ve recently started to buffer it with Calcium, to be a better additive.
LOVE it!
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Yes, it sounds like a good idea. I reuse my coco fibre. Not always on cannabis What is your mix please. And when you buster to you, so for your cali for long.
I just checked on the brand I can get it’s called tropicoir. I can get chips in 7mil 10 mil and 15 they are 4.5 kg bricks. I just started using those grow bags I haven’t used before so I must
be careful because I’m playing with a lot of variable that all result in drainage
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Sorry, I’ve really got to check my typing I meant to ask you. when you buffer do you soak it in the cali for long
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Since my grows are in a basement, I found out in the very begging, soil was far to heavy to work with, getting it down stairs.
However, a bale of (back then) ProMix, I can get in front of them, at the top of the steps, and let roll down against my back, one step at a time, till I get to the bottom.
I now use Sunshine Mix #4,
To start to buffer it, first I hydrate a block of coco chips/husks, into a 25 gallon tea bag, dunk in a tote, rinse it good, until the water is fairly clean as there is always a stain in the water.
First rinse.
My BluLab, lets me know when the salt is gone.
Now to,
Buffering: I’m teaching myself this, from an article I found of New Zealand, where they buffer very large amounts.
I mix up some Calcium, I’m using Jacks part B maybe, to 450ppm’s, I rigged up a spray head, and spread out the CH’s in a 2’ x 4’ x4" Aqua Tray, spraying it to saturation, let it sit over night.
I then rinse and save the rinse water, wand it, to see how much Calcium was picked up.
I run it a second time over night, and rinse it, it now wands to around 250 ppm’s.
The dish pan rinse goes to a make ready tote to give to the plants , so no waste.
This week I will treat a couple of bricks of coco coir, the same way.
Most should just go buy a buffered product, I just love growing as cheaply as possible, with some work involved of course.
I then lay out a trap, and mix up the Sunshine/husks/sometimes I add perlite, sometimes I do not. Then I mix the Down To Earth goodies, hoe it around, then with a snow shovel, I fill up the dedicated Rubber Maid trash cans for resting until I use it.
So easy an old retired caveman like me can do it! LOL!
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Thank you for that info Sounds like you have a good system going.
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I’m a work in progress, LOL!
I’d never say, I’m a good grower.
I have reduced my cost for buds, by giving up premixed fertilizers, pretreated mediums, then making LAB’s, then bokashi with wheat germ, Calcium Acetate from pan fried egg shells, worm bins for Worm Castings, that I feed kitchen scraps too.
As an old guy, I want the work, so my buds costing me pennies on the dollar, in an indoor setting…
Have a blast!!
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You sound like you accumulated some useful knowledge webeblzr
I’ve used cocoa fibre for years sometimes the Coco fibre worked really well , but sometimes my plants looked like they had nute issues then l learned coco fibre must be buffed otherwise, the plant will have trouble accessing nutes so thank you for explaining how you do it yourself.
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I just started adding some to my mixes… coco, perlite, sometimes verm
I noticed it weighs alot less when wet. The roots CAN penetrate the chunks.
I’m still up in the air about how to use chips properly.
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Yes, I’m not sure how I will mix the Coco chips but I have gone out this morning and bought some coco chips so I think I have committed to trying something.
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I use a block of hydrated, well rinsed, husks to half a bale of Sunshine mix #4.
Then I get a few cycles out of that, then it goes to the outdoor gardens, for retirement, LOL!
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