Growing in Coco: The Bridge Between Hydro and Organics 🌱

Why Synganic Growing Makes Sense for Home Growers

Coco is one of those growing mediums that lives right in the middle.

It’s not soil.
It’s not traditional hydro.
And when used correctly, it offers speed, control, and consistency without feeling overly complex.

That’s why coco is often my recommendation for growers who want faster growth than soil, but still want to support microbial life. This style is commonly referred to as Synganic growing—a blend of mineral nutrition and biological inputs.

Because coco responds quickly to consistency, many growers like starting with cultivation-ready clones, giving them a uniform starting point while they focus on dialing in feeding and irrigation practices.

What Makes Coco Different? 🥥

Coco (short for coco coir) is made from the fibrous husk of coconuts. It’s a solid growing medium, but it behaves very differently than soil.

Here’s the simple breakdown:

• Coco holds air extremely well

• It drains quickly

• It has slight pH buffering capacity (less than soil, more than hydro)

• It can host microbial life when kept at the right moisture level

In plain terms:

Coco gives you hydro-like growth rates with some forgiveness built in.

 

Synganic Growing Explained (Without the Jargon) 🧬

Synganic growing combines:

• Traditional mineral nutrients (salts or bottled nutrients)

• Living biology (microbes and fungi)

Coco is ideal for this because:

• Nutrients are immediately available

• Microbes can still thrive in the root zone

• You maintain precise control over inputs

This creates a system that is fast, responsive, and still biologically supported.

Different Types of Coco Products 🧺

Not all coco products are the same. You’ll generally find a few formats:

Loose-Fill Coco (Bagged)

• Comes in bags, similar to soil

• Sometimes mixed with perlite

• Sometimes pure coco

Coco Bricks 🧱

• Compressed, dry blocks

• Expanded with water or nutrient solution

• Ready to plant after coco blocks are fully swelled

Both formats work, but I have a clear preference.

Why I Prefer Coco Bricks 🌱

Coco bricks solve two major problems for home growers:

1. No Reset or Cleanup

Instead of dumping media, cleaning pots, and resetting:

• Remove the old brick

• Drop in a new one

• Hydrate it fully

• Plug in your clone

This keeps the process clean and repeatable.

2. Reduced Pest & Pathogen Risk

Because coco bricks ship dry and compressed, there’s far less likelihood of pests or pathogens being present.

Unfortunately, some bagged soils or loose-fill coco products can be exposed to weather during storage or transport. Moisture plus exposure increases the risk of fungus gnats and other issues—especially indoors.

This is why I typically suggest coco bricks.

Coco Brick Recommendations 🧱

My primary recommendation is Hort Grow coco bricks. They’re clean, consistent, and work extremely well in Synganic systems.

Hort Grow also supports automated watering and feeding strategies, which is helpful for growers looking to utilize crop steering techniques to maximize growth quickly and efficiently. We’ll cover crop steering in a future post.

As a secondary option, I also like Growers Coco from Cultivate Grow Supply, especially because it’s readily available at local hydroponic shops.

I like both of these coco brick brands because they are well washed. This matters because coco—especially in brick form—can retain excess salts if it isn’t processed properly. Choosing a well-washed coco source helps prevent nutrient imbalance issues before the grow even starts.

Regardless of brand, choose coco that is:

• Easy to source locally

• Consistent from batch to batch

• Properly washed

My Personal Synganic Coco Method 🌿

My go-to Synganic approach combines coco bricks with Organitek bottled nutrients and consistent microbial support.

I run Organitek as my primary nutrient line and supplement microbial life weekly using StashBlend or Recharge, rotating between the two to keep microbial diversity high in the coco.

Organitek works particularly well for Synganic coco grows because:

• It’s a seven-bottle nutrient line

• One of those bottles, Amplify, already contains rich microbial life

• This supports biology while delivering precise mineral nutrition

This balance allows coco to stay biologically active while still responding quickly to feeding adjustments.

A Quick Science Note: Calcium & Magnesium 🧪

Coco has a property called cation exchange capacity (CEC).

In simple terms:

• Coco tends to bind calcium and magnesium

• If these aren’t supplied adequately, deficiencies can appear

This is why coco systems typically require:

• Slightly higher calcium

• Adequate magnesium

Understanding this helps growers avoid common coco-related issues.

Step-by-Step: Plugging a Clone Into Coco 🌿

1. Prepare the Brick

• Hydrate fully with water or nutrient solution

• Allow it to swell completely

2. Set Your Clone

• Place the clone directly into the expanded brick

• Ensure good contact around the root zone

3. Maintain Moisture (With Runoff)

• Coco prefers frequent, lighter irrigations

• Always water to runoff to push out old solution and salt buildup

• Runoff is essential when using bottled or salt-based nutrients

After feeding:

• Remove excess runoff from trays or pot saucers

• Do not allow the coco to sit in runoff

• Standing runoff can be reabsorbed, pulling unwanted salts back into the root zone

This step is critical for keeping coco clean and balanced over time.

4. Feed Consistently

• Follow the nutrient feeding chart to maintain proper EC (electrical conductivity)

• EC measures how much nutrient is present in the solution

Do not start making adjustments right away.

I recommend:

• Running at least two to three full grows with the same nutrient line

• Learning how plants respond at each stage

• Making small, intentional adjustments only after understanding the system

Fine-tuning feeds based on genetics is something experienced growers do later. For most growers, simply following the nutrient schedule will produce excellent results.

For pH, my personal coco targets are:

• Early veg: ~6.0

• Transition / early flower: ~6.1

• Late flower: ~6.2

I stay consistent within these ranges throughout the entire grow.

Why Coco Is a Powerful Learning Medium 🌱

Coco teaches growers:

• How plants respond to nutrition

• How moisture affects growth

• Why consistency matters

It’s fast, responsive, and incredibly repeatable—especially when paired with a solid process and stable inputs.

Final Takeaway ✨

🥥 Coco bridges hydro and organics
🧬 Synganic growing balances speed and biology
🧱 Coco bricks simplify resets and reduce risk
⚖️ EC, pH, calcium, and magnesium all matter

For growers ready to increase control without overcomplicating the grow, coco is a powerful next step.

Grown with care. Always. 🌿