I ordered 5 X 50 litre large bags of CANNA Coco Professional Plus as it was a reasonable price and does anyone have any advice they can offer me using this product with Autos…Do I need perlite and can I use the Canna Flores nutes or do I have to spend more £££ on Coco Nutes…help 
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I grow in pure coco from botanicare. I use regular nutes and don’t do anything special! I do not like perlite in my coco. it makes it dry back even faster! I hand water once a day. You will be fine using a good basic nutrient line.
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You can add perlite if you like but it’s not always necessary. Perlte is used to increase air pockets in the soil and provide better drainage. Most companies recommend using a 70/30 mix with 70% coconut coir and 30% perlite. When you measure the 70/30 mix you use a container and take 7 scoops of coconut coir and add 3 scoops of perlite. You don’t do it by weight because perlite weighs virtually nothing.
If you want to use perlite, make sure you wet it first because it has a fine dust in it that can get into your lungs and cause scar tissue on the membranes, which make it hard to breathe.
The easiest way to wet perlite is to use a cake fork to poke a number of small holes in the bottom of the bag. Then make a small cut in the top of the bag and put a garden hose in the top. Fill the bag with water and let it drain. Do this a couple of times and then the perlite is safe to use.
Do this on a lawn if possible so the fine dust goes into the soil and won’t be disturbed.
If you don’t wet the perlite then wear a good fitting dust mask to stop the fine particles getting in your lungs.
I use a standard liquid plant fertilizer for coconut coir. Fertilize the plant every time you water it and let the fertilizer solution run out the bottom of the pot.
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Great info…hank you for your input and time…James
To take full advantage of coco is to utilize perlite, it enhances its hydroponic properties, and gives you more control over the medium. However, with that said- it is versatile. Less perlite, less feed frequency, bigger pots less frequency. Mature root systems prefer 90-100% saturation of the medium.
Personally I love the benefits of small pots, 50-60% perlite, and high frequency feeding utilizing pots 2 gallons or less. But this requires automation, and consistency.
Jacks nutrients here, bare bones, top shelf+ results for most cultivars.
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From what experience I have. perlite is not necessary. The coco dries back plenty fast on its own. I can see the benefits of perlite in an automated system that you’re trying to push extra hard. But I have not seen the benefits in my home grow. I hand water once a day. 1’s,3’s and 5 gallon pots! The pots with the said “perlite” mix dry back faster than I can water them. The pure coco holds a little but more water… probably 20% more. And it allows me only water once a day. Without coming back the next day to completely dry plants. And for some reason I get the best roots in pure coco 
happy growing 
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The benefits are a decreased veg time, faster and more vigorous growth, larger plants, and an easier to control medium. Provides oxygen rich environment, keeps salts moving, reduces risk for salt build up, helps keep medium pH stable. Once a day watering is fine, better control than soil, just not taking advantage of the potential that is coco. I’ve done the once a day feed many times. And still utilize that for moms- once a day or less. I just wouldn’t wouldn’t go back to it for a production run, unless I didn’t have an option for automation. No automation then absolutely no way would I be on multiple feeds or using such a high perlite ratio.
Granted I’ve put a lot of time in the set up of my system to handle up to 18 1 gal pots with 50-60% perlite while maintaining the 90-100% saturation that coco and mature roots prefer. it has also allowed me to be pretty hands off and during flower i can go a week without checking in on them..
Some examples of return with basic plane Jane nutrients, 1 gal pots and high frequency feed in coco with a 50-60% perlite
I’m not saying that this is what everyone should do, I’m just trying to explain and show benefits
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Super bad ass!!!’ Nice set up! There’s definitely more than one way to do things. There’s most certainly advantages to having your medium dry back multiple times a day and being able to crop steer for different stages of growth. I would most likely grow in Rockwell if I had automated watering. I was just saying that with hand watering and having a full schedule. And only being able water once a day. I personally would pass on the perlite. When I first started I mixed in like 20% hydroton balls. Or pellets the clay ones with the hole in the middle. It worked great but I couldn’t keep them wet in 3-gallon pots. Especially during veg growth with the 18 hour growth cycle. You are 100% correct perlite adds aeration and intern allows more feeding and more oxygen to get to the roots. But I know plenty of growers that hand water once a day that get awesome results as well. I think it comes down to whatever you can afford and what works for you. Good chatting with you. 
have a great day brother!
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Thanks! You as well friend. I’ve seen your grows and respect how you do things. I couldn’t physically handle it on the day to day by hand watering with everything else. Keep grinding!
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Howdy,
do you add Calmag to your daily watering ?
I am worried I may not get the production I need because of my (screwup) mixup ordering the growing medium,…Coco instead of Canna Soil, and I have zero experience using Coco…I am a bit nervous but your replies helps me a lot.
I grow in a conservatory with sunlight as the only light source and its July already…Happy 4th of July from Wales
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I add calmag about once every 2 weeks during vegetive growth. And maybe one time at the beginning of flower. That’s it.
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your reply has removed the stress from my head…I take it that you use nutes in Coco as you would with plants in soil and water daily?
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Yes that’s correct
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I use this exclusively and it’s cracking stuff straight from the bag… No need to add perlite… Just fill your pots and feed as you would do in any coco coir
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Mr Crusoe,
Thanks for your reply,
Please can you tell me what Nutes you add every day when you water ?
I was a little high when I ordered my Canna soil which turned out to be Canna Coco due to an increase in THC.
Regards from West Wales… its hot as Mince and Tatties doon here. 
Mr James
Hey bro @James68 I use Shogun coco Nutes, shogun cal/mag, silicone and a splash of PK but you could use any coco specific Nutes really it’s just a matter of personal choice
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Many thanks for the info, Cal/mag seems to be a player with Coco.
Pax
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Even more so if you have soft water from the tap
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Its Wales, the water is soft as butter.
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