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S01E11 – Media

Getting the Foundations Right

Growing media provides the environment around your plant’s roots, and choosing the right one can make a big difference to how you feed and manage your grow.

In this episode, Sarah and Jasmine get hands-on with their chosen media, although there’s a catch. They’ll be filling their pots blindfolded, with the point going to whoever can make the least mess. Afterwards, Ian breaks down the different media options and explains which are best suited to different growing methods

What You’ll Learn

This episode covers one of the most important parts of any grow environment:

The differences between coco, coco mixes, pebbles, soil and rockwool
How different media hold water and air around the roots
The difference between inert and pre-fertilised media
How your choice of media affects feeding
Matching your growing media to your chosen system
Why there isn’t one growing medium that suits every grow

Choosing Your Growing Media

There are plenty of growing media available, and each behaves differently when it comes to water retention, aeration and feeding. Ian takes us through the main options and explains how to match your media to the way you want to grow.

Pure Coco

BEST FOR: DRIP FEEDING

Made from coconut husk, coco is organic but inert, meaning it contains no nutrients of its own and gives you full control over what your plants receive.

Ian recommends a fine coco with some longer strands running through it. If it’s too powdery, it can hold too much water and become oversaturated.

Pebbles

BEST FOR: FLOOD & DRAIN

Adding perlite to coco increases aeration and helps prevent the media from becoming oversaturated or compacting together.

Different ratios are available, including 60/40 and 70/30, with 60/40 Ian’s recommendation for flood and drain systems.

Soil

BEST FOR: CONSTANT FEEDING

Pebbles create a highly aerated root environment and can be used alone or mixed with coco or soil.

On their own, they dry back very quickly, so they need frequent feeding. Ian recommends feeding at least every hour when using pebbles alone.

Rockwool

BEST FOR: HAND FEEDING & BEGINNERS

Soil offers excellent water retention and can contain nutrients from the start, making feeding simpler for less experienced growers.

Light Mix has a lighter nutrient charge, while Special Mix contains more nutrients. For hand feeding, Special Mix is Ian’s recommended choice.

Featured Products

Gold Label Hydro/Coco 60/40

Gold Label Coco Perlite 70/30

Plant Magic Coco Supreme

Cultiwool Rockwool

The Scoreboard

Sarah might have been the quickest to fill her pots, but speed wasn’t the aim of this challenge. Jasmine took her time, made less mess and came out on top for keeping things cleaner and tidier. Jasmine takes the point!