Shaman Says:

Here at SHAMAN'S, we believe Coco Coir to be the superior growing medium for urban horticulture because of many reasons, especially with indoor type horticulture.
The first reason is because coco is clean. Unlike soil, coco doesn’t have any nutrients in it other than sodium from the sea salt that the coconut tree grew near and a little bit of potassium. Coco also rarely has any bugs, mold, eggs or seeds of unwanted plants and insects like soil almost always has. Other than the empty cation pockets that we need to fill, once, with a little extra calcium and magnesium, Coco Coir is like starting with a clean slate. This means that when it comes to the nutrient balance as we grow in coco we know exactly what is in there at all times because; if it is in there, we put it in there.
The second reason is because coco is like a sponge and soaks up water way better than soil. Even more importantly, when coco is completely soaked, it still has at least 30%-40% oxygen in it. So, when used with 40%-50% pearlite, it is almost impossible to drown a plant in Coco Coir. Another reason coco is better is because we can grow the same size plant in a smaller container using a smaller foot print with coco than we can with soil. This is because we are constantly supplying the plant with the correct balance of nutrients so the roots don’t need to spread out as much while still being able to consume enough to produce a large yield.

Perhaps the biggest reason we feel coco is superior for indoor gardens comes back to the clean factor. We will admit that many experts say that the best way to grow is in soil with “organic” fertilizer and we agree that if you are growing in soil it is best to use "organic" fertilizer. Although, when the microorganisms needed in soil do their thing to produce the proper nutrients, they also put off a strong odor. Most every “organic” fertilizer also has a strong odor because of the ingredients used to make them. These odors are also what draw other insects to the garden. When we are growing indoors in a confined space, the last thing we want is for our indoor garden to make the entire place smell like a compost pile that attract many bugs. Especially when we can achieve the same results in coco without the nasty smell.
Simply put, growing in coco is just plain easier, especially in the event that something goes wrong and you need to do a full flush. This is extremely quick and easy with coco.

We also believe that the bad-rap "synthetic" nutrients have is purely propaganda conjured by the organic fertilizer industry itself. Many people don't realize that human civilization owes our very existence to synthesized nutrients, for it would be impossible to feed everyone on the planet without them. Another thing most people dont realize is that everything on this planet is actually organic, especially all the elements on the periodic table. There isn't a separate periodic table for the potassium that is found in nature vs the potassium that humans create. And in fact, the elements we create have less of the unwanted substances found in nature such as arsenic and lead than those considered "organic" do.
For example, here is a chart showing two "synthetic" brands on top and then two "organic" brands of the same product:





It is also very surprising anyone would think that growing food with animal feces could be better than the clean elements that modern technology can create.
Here at SHAMAN'S, we feel it is wiser to feed the plant with the correct balance of nutrients than it is to feed the microbes and depend on them to create the perfect balance of nutrients. Especially when we can also hand feed microbes to our coco along side the nutrients which are going to help create an organic atmosphere and keep the roots healthy.

The products we grow in coco with SHAMAN'S Coco Magic Nutrients are said to be "hands down better than any organic products tried" proving to us that; It isn't as much about organic vs synthetic nutrients as it is about providing the plant the best opportunity to consume the nutrients in the medium. 

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How then do you fertilize a plant growing in coco you might ask!
Well contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t feed your plant the same way you feed yourself or your pets, especially when growing in coco. Rather, feed your plant growing in coco like it is an engine and always keep it primed.

Most people are accustomed to growing in soil and watering their plants every now and then, thinking they need to let the roots dry out so they can breathe because it is a common mistake to over water in soil... So, let’s start here:
You don’t ever want a plants root to get so dry that they shrivel up, this is one of the worst things you can do to your plant because when the roots are shriveled, they are not drawing in nutrients properly and all the plants energy goes into survival mode rather than production. Furthermore, when the planter becomes dry, the nutrients fall out of solution and solidify, some of which don’t ever dissolve again and can draw other nutrients out of the new solution when added. The most efficient way to keep all of this from happening is to always keep the coco wet by using an automatic fertigation system. This type of system will feed your plant with nutrients each time it is watered and is called; Continuous Liquid Feed or CLF. We suggest fertigation events timed every one or two hours. This means that your pump turns on every hour or two for about ten seconds before turning off, injecting nutrient filled water out of a reservoir into your planter of coco and pushing out the old used water into the drain.

Another big reason why we should provide more than one fertigation event a day is because of the pH (potential hydrogen). After keeping the roots moist, the pH of your growing medium is the most important factor, period. Without the correct pH, certain nutrients become unavailable to the plant. This is because a plant feeds using a process similar to electrolysis, meaning it is in constant exchange with the medium of (+)cations and (-)anions (the positive and negative elements as well as the (+)Hydrogen and (-)Hydrogen bicarbonate). This exchange is what makes your nutrient balance so important. Furthermore, the exchange itself changes the pH of the medium. After a few hours of this type of exchange the pH will most likely be altered enough to affect the nutrient uptake. Once one nutrient is blocked the situation will become worse exponentially due to the delicate nature of the exchange.

A plant growing in coco that gets only one fertigation event a day is barely receiving the proper balance of nutrients for perhaps two or three hours a day. This is because the roots are most likely already shriveled when the nutrients are added so they have to re-hydrate before they can consume the nutrients properly, in the meantime the pH is slowly changing, by the time the roots are fully functional again the pH will not be exact. Then, as the plant feeds it changes the pH even more dramatically, making many nutrients unavailable or at excess for the rest of the day before it dries up again completely. If your plant is only receiving the proper balance of nutrients for a few hours a day it will stay alive and produce but it won’t be anywhere near its greatest potential and will probably be showing signs of deficiency even if the nutrient balance you are adding is perfect.
This is where the drain to waste system comes into factor. Although, we feel that DTW should be called waste to drain because the water we are pushing out to the drain is indeed waste, in that the pH and the nutrient balance in this water is now all wrong. Allowing a plant to feed from this water will not be beneficial to the plant and instead will create deficiencies. Some people try to re-calibrate this water but correcting this water to the proper nutrient and pH balance can be tricky and is not worth the effort for most.

By providing the fertigation from above we are pushing the old nutrients down and out of the planter with the injection of new nutrients. The new nutrient solution keeps the PH where we want it, allowing the plant to consume the correct balance of nutrients. The old water is removed from the system as waste by gravity and or a pump. As we continuously do this every hour or two throughout the day, the plant is able to feed with the proper pH and nutrient balance all day long, allowing it to produce with its greatest potential possible.

The fact is that coco is not soil and to get the best results out of coco, it shouldn't be treated like soil. This method takes full advantage of the physical properties that separate coco from soil by providing several fertigation events a day and always keeping the coco wet so the elements never dry up. Because we are continually flushing the medium, there is also rarely any salt build up. This also means that there is not as much need to do EC tests because we are constantly supplying the medium with the correct balance and flushing the old nutrients out. This method allows more time to consume the product because less time is being spent managing the medium. Go relax and let the plant do all the work.