How to Water Cannabis Plants

in Coco Coir

How should you water cannabis in coco? This is

one of the most frequent questions that we get.
We argue that high-frequency fertigation is the
best way to water coco. But, how much, how
frequently, and what do you pay attention to? This
coco watering guide answers all your questions
about high frequency fertigation and how to
water cannabis in coco. I provide speci!c advice
about how much water for each event and
discuss how to determine your coco coir watering
frequency. I include a coco coir watering schedule
to help you set the timing of multiple daily
fertigation events.

Dr Coco’s Guide to Feed and Water

Cannabis in Coco
This article is part of Dr Coco’s Guide to Feeding
and Watering Cannabis in Coco. Be sure to read
the complete series!

Growing Cannabis in Coco Coir with High

Frequency Fertigation
Understanding EC, PPM & TDS for
Growing Cannabis
How to Water Cannabis Plants in Coco
Coir
EC/PPM Targets for Fertigating Cannabis
How to Mix Nutrients for Cannabis
How to Manage Cannabis Fertigation by
Measuring Run-o! EC/PPM

Feeding and Watering is

"Fertigating"
When we water plants in coco, the water should
always include nutrients. The technical term for
this is fertigation, which simply means combining
fertilizers with the irrigation water. Proper
fertigation strategy is the key to getting the best
results from your coco grow. In “Growing
Cannabis in Coco with High Frequency
Fertigation”, I lay out 5 key principles. In this
guide, I explain how to put these principles into
action.

Principle 1: Fertigation is a Balance: Proper

fertigation strategy balances the Nutrient Element
Ratio (NER), which controls plant nutrition and the
Electrical Conductivity (EC), which controls
osmosis.

Principle 2: Always Add Fertilizers to the

Water: To maintain the balance between NER and
EC, nutrients must be added to all irrigation water
at the correct ratios and doses. The feed chart
determines the ratio, and EC determines the
dose. See our guide, "How to Mix Nutrients for
Cannabis".

Principle 3: Keep the Coco Wet: Do not let your

coco get dry! One of the key bene!ts to growing in
coco is that it enables high frequency fertigation.
This article discusses just how frequently it should
be.

Principle 4: Run-o! is Critical: Run-o" carries

away the excess salts and allows you to maintain
a consistent root zone EC. Proper run-o"
practices are discussed below.

Principle 5: Manage Electrical Conductivity

(EC): You need to monitor the EC of the nutrient
solution you are adding (in#ow) and the EC of the
water that drains through and ends up in the
saucer of each plant (run-o"). As discussed in our
tutorial “How to Manage Cannabis Fertigation
by Measuring Run-o! EC”, The critical number is
the di"erence between the two. As explained
below, fertigation frequency is one of the main
ways that you maintain that di"erence in the
acceptable range.

Coco Coir Watering Guide

This coco watering guide explains in detail how to
put the principles of high frequency fertigation
into action. It explains:

The basics of watering cannabis in coco.

How much water you need to apply.
How to determine your coco coir watering
frequency.
The best coco coir watering schedule.
And, how to handle run-o" water.

Watering Cannabis in Coco

Many growers are concerned about watering
because of their experience with soil. Happily,
coco is not soil and it is a lot easier to know how
and when to water in coco than in other media.
There are a few basic rules for watering the plants
and they can be mastered quickly.

Ensure Complete Saturation

Every time you water cannabis in coco, you
should saturate the entire volume of the media.
Remember that even at the seedling stage there
is no real risk of over-watering. Properly
conditioned coco retains adequate oxygen for the
roots even when it is saturated.

Saturation is important to prevent salt build-up in

the media which can burn your plant. The water
that moves through the media and ends up as
run-o" is the mechanism that prevents salt build
up. If the media is not saturated, then there is no
water moving through it and salts accumulate.

Water Quantity is Determined by Run-off

The number one rule for watering coco is that you
should always provide enough nutrient solution
to each plant to produce 10-20% run-o". That
means that if you add one quart of water then 10-
20% of that quart should end up as run-o". Run-
o" water plays an important role in maintaining
healthy conditions in the root zone. Therefore,
you need to always get run-o" no matter how
much water you must add in order to accomplish
that.

Under high-frequency fertigation, the quantity

needed to produce run-o" should be small. As I
explain in “Growing Cannabis in Coco with High
Frequency Fertigation”, it is ideal to keep the
coco between 90 and 100% saturated all the time.
Therefore, when we water in coco, the coco is
already 90% saturated and it cannot hold much
more. As discussed further below, the ideal
quantity of water per event is about 5% of the
volume of the growing container. This is ideal, but
the rule is that you need to always provide
enough water to actually produce adequate run-
o" from each plant.

Hand-Watering vs. Automatic Watering

for Coco Grows
Many growers are concerned that high frequency
fertigation is only possible with an automatic
watering system. However, it is possible to unlock
the bene!ts of high frequency fertigation with
only watering once or twice per day. Therefore, it
is possible to get tremendous results from coco
when hand-watering, but it requires a signi!cant
commitment.

Automatic watering systems are preferred

because they make it very easy to manage your
grow. Not only do they make it easier, but they
allow you to set the best frequency and timing for
the plants. Automatic watering is less expensive
and easier to set up than most growers think. We
have a complete series of articles and tutorials for
setting up and running your Automatic Watering
System.

The Coco for Cannabis Guide to

Automatic Watering
Guide to Automatic Watering for Indoor
Cannabis
DIY Automatic Watering System for
Indoor Cannabis
Self-Draining Saucers
DIY Automatic Drainage System

Coco Coir Watering Frequency

Watering coco frequently is best. However, you
should not continuously apply water with micro
drip, wicking, or other such systems. Nutrient
solution should be applied during events which
saturate the media and produce run-o". After
each event there should be an interval to air-out.
The interval can be as little as 3-4 hours during
peak needs.

There are three main ways to determine your

coco watering frequency:

By Look and Feel:

The surface of the coco should never get dry! If
you are familiar with growing in soil, you will
certainly feel like you are over-watering in coco.
When you are watering coco, it should still be
moist from the previous watering. If the surface of
the coco is dry, your coco watering frequency
should be increased. The surface of the coco
should never become so dry that it turns lighter
brown.

By Volume of Water Needed:

Coco mixed with perlite has the ideal air to water
ratio when it is 90%-100% saturated. This means
that when the coco has lost 10% of the water that
it can hold you should water again. Since water is
about half the total volume of saturated coco, the
amount of water required should be about 5% of
the container volume.

As an example, in 5 gallons of media, it should

take about 1 quart of water to achieve adequate
run-o". This is less water than most growers
assume. Quantities are small because frequency
is high. Since you are never giving the coco an
opportunity to dry out, there is never going to be
much capacity for it to hold more water.

If it takes more than 5% of the container volume

to produce run-o", it means that the coco has
become too dry. The best remedy is to water
more frequently. In coco, it is always better to err
on the side of watering too much than not
watering enough.

By Monitoring EC:
Early in the grow, you should use look and feel
along with volume to determine your coco
watering frequency. However, as the plant
becomes established and is growing rapidly, you
should also consider EC. Adjusting the frequency
of watering is our best tool to control the EC in
the root zone and provide plants the best
possible growing conditions.

The EC/PPM of the water will rise as the water sits

in the pots. When we add fresh water, it lowers
the EC in the pot to the level of the in#ow. If we
wait too long between waterings, the EC/PPM in
the pot may rise to dangerous levels and burn
your plant.

In our tutorial, “How to Manage Cannabis

Fertigation by Measuring Run-o! EC/PPM”, I
explain in detail how to use EC/PPM to manage
your watering or fertigation strategy.

Start with Once or Twice DAILY Watering in

Coco:
You should water cannabis in coco at least once
per day. For this reason, it is important to always
keep plants in appropriately sized containers. I
start plants in pint sized containers. Initially, I
water once per day, but will increase to twice per
day while they are still in fabric seedling pots.
You should only water seedlings that are in larger
containers or plastic seedling pots once daily until
the plant grows larger. Be sure to read our
tutorial “Transplanting Cannabis Plants: Why,
When & How”.

Fertigation at this early stage is di$cult because

the plant cannot tolerate high EC/PPM water, but
the coco requires a large dose of CalMag. High
frequency fertigation allows us to deliver a larger
total dose of Ca and Mg to the coco while not
burning the plant with high EC. Please read our
detailed guide, “How to Grow Cannabis
Seedlings in Coco Coir” for step-by-step guidance
for watering during the seedling stage.

Increase Watering Frequency as the Plants

Mature.
Twice daily watering is usually ideal through the
transplant phase until the plants arrive in !nal
containers. Once in !nal containers, watering
frequency should be adjusted based on the
factors discussed above. The plant's water needs
increase during #owering and your coco watering
frequency should increase as well.

Watering frequency will depend on plant size,

container size, climate, lights, and relative
humidity. Ideally, you should plan to water your
cannabis plants in coco 3-5 times per day during
the #owering period. In coco, the best results
come from small containers with frequent
watering. Three to !ve times per day may sound
like a lot of water, but with such frequent
watering the amounts required at each event are
very small.

It is only possible to water 3-5 times per day if you

have an automatic watering system. If you are
hand-watering, you will probably be limited to
twice daily watering. To compensate, you should
use larger !nal containers. I explain this in more
detail in our tutorial “Transplanting Cannabis
Plants: Why, When & How”.

Coco Coir Watering Schedule:

I designed this coco watering schedule to help
you set the timing of multiple daily watering
events. For timing the duration between events,
one hour of “lights on” is equivalent to two hours
of “lights o"”. Timing for these events works best
as I show in the chart below.

Light Cycles and Coco Watering Schedule:

Your coco watering schedule depends on the light
schedule that you are using. In the cannabis
community, light timing is expressed as a fraction
with “Lights on” time over “Lights o"” time.

24/0: Lights are on 24 hours and o" 0 hours

18/6: Lights are on 18 hours and o" 6 hours
12/12: Lights are on 12 hours and o" 12
hours. 12/12 timing is used during the
#owering period with Photoperiod plants.

How to Handle Run-Off

The !rst rule about watering cannabis in coco is
that each time you water there should be run-o".
That run-o" water plays a critical role in
preventing salt build up in the coco. Because of
this it is important to remove the run-o" water
quickly. It is also important to periodically
measure the EC/PPM of the run-o" water. This
section of the coco watering guide explains what
you should do with run-o" water.

Remove Run-Off Quickly

As run-o" emerges from the bottom of the pots,
you should remove it as quickly as possible. It is
important to have a strategy to remove the run-
o" water from the saucers. As I discuss in
“Growing Cannabis in Coco with High
Frequency Fertigation”, you should try to set up
a run-o" removal system that is easy on the
plants and on you the grower.

I recommend using plant elevators to raise the

pots within the saucer. This prevents the re-
absorption of run-o" and increases drainage and
air#ow. To remove the waste water from the
saucers, I strongly recommend elevating them
and installing drain lines. We have complete plans
and instructions for making “DIY Self-Draining
Saucers”.

Measure the EC of the Run-off

Measuring and responding to run-o" EC is the key
to manage your grow like a pro. If you do not
already have one, get a simple water quality
tester. These meters make it easy to to measure
the EC/PPM of the nutrient solution that you
provide and the EC/PPM of the run-o" water. To
know how to respond to run-o" EC numbers, be
sure to read our tutorial, “How to Manage
Cannabis Fertigation by Measuring Run-o!
EC/PPM”

Measuring Electrical
Conductivity
Measuring Electrical Conductivity (EC) is
absolutely critical to managing your fertigation
strategy and nutrient solution strength. The
technology involved in measuring EC is rather
simple which means that you do not need to
invest in an expensive meter.

EC/PPM Meter
US Amazon

Report Broken Links !

UK Amazon

CAN Amazon

This is the meter that I use. I have veri!ed its

accuracy against other meters and it has served
me well for more than 5 grows. For the UK and
Canada, I linked similar models sold under
di"erent brands. The only drawback to these
meters is that they do not calibrate for
temperature. You should measure the water
when it is at about the same temperature that it
will be when applied to the plants (about 68f/20c).

Dr Coco’s Guide to Feed and Water

Cannabis in Coco
This article is part of Dr Coco’s Guide to Feeding
and Watering Cannabis in Coco. Be sure to read
the complete series!

Growing Cannabis in Coco Coir with High

Frequency Fertigation
Understanding EC, PPM & TDS for
Growing Cannabis
How to Water Cannabis Plants in Coco
Coir
EC/PPM Targets for Fertigating Cannabis
How to Mix Nutrients for Cannabis
How to Manage Cannabis Fertigation by
Measuring Run-o! EC/PPM

Get Support from Our Community!!

Do you still have questions or want to talk about
your grow? We have a wonderful community of
growers, and you are invited to join! If you are
looking for advice and support throughout your
grow, we encourage you to start a Grow Journal
in our Grower’s Forum. It is a great way to share
your experience and ask questions along the way!

We also have a Live Chat Room, which is a great

place to ask questions, get quick answers, and
chat with fellow growers. We welcome all growers
who want to learn, share and grow together!

Grower's Forum Start a Grow Journal

Cannabis Chat Room

Current CFC Community Events &

Giveaways

4/20 Sales, Deals, & Discounts 2021

We put together a list of special 4/20 deals
and promotions happening this year from
some of our most trusted suppliers! Need
more seeds or a new grow light? Now is a
great time to get discounts on both! Check
out the 4/20 Deals & Discounts page to see
all the o"ers!

4/20 Deals Page

NEW! Strain Review GIVEAWAY!

We have an exciting new Giveaway happening
Now! All you have to do to enter is write a
cannabis strain review! Cannabis strain reviews
from real growers are an invaluable resource
to our community. Do you have a favorite
strain you’d like to recommend or tips for
cultivating a tricky strain? Write about it in
your review, and you could win a Geek Light
GeekBeast Plus!

Strain Review Giveaway

Let's Grow Together!

At Coco for Cannabis, we host grow challenges
where growers can grow together and learn
from each other in the spirit of collaboration!
We invite you to join our next challenge! Our
Spring Auto Flower Challenge is returning for
the third year this April. The challenge begins
on 4/20/2021, and you can sign-up for it
starting now! All growers are welcome (even if
you grow photos), and it is free to join!

Sign-Up for the SAFC

Cannabis Grow Guides

The Science and Practice of Growing Cannabis

Growing
Growing Plant
Plant
In
In Coco
Coco Training
Training

Automatic
Automatic
Watering
Watering

The Grow Light Guide

Want to know more about grow lights? Our grow
light guide is one of our most extensive and
innovative tools for growers yet! The Coco for
Cannabis Grow Light Guide is an independent and
unsponsored resource for growers. Our goals are
to demystify grow light metrics, share reliable
grow light data and empower home growers with
the best information about grow lights. We
conduct independent grow light testing and have
developed articles and resources to help growers
understand the science of horticultural lighting.

Grow Light Guide Grow Light Calculator

Grow Light Tests and Reviews

Featured Video
In this video, Dr. Coco tests one and two of the
new Mars-Hydro SP-3000s in di"erent
coverage areas. He uses 5 di!erent PAR tests
to explain and explore some of the key aspects
of Grow Light Physics. Dr. Coco explains all the
key metrics and shows how we use them to
test and evaluate grow lights. We hope that all
growers will !nd the video interesting,
regardless of how much experience you have
with grow light physics!