Coco Coir
The Pros And Cons Of Growing In Coco Coir
Many hydroponic and soil growers prefer coco coir for a variety of reasons, but you have to keep track of important details to maintain your grow. Details such as how the medium is made, its general properties, and what coco coir nutrients are needed to keep your crop healthy. Managing nutrients is particularly important when working with coir.
Here are all the facts you need to know about this grow medium, plus how Advanced Nutrients makes it easy to manage pH and nutrient balance for your coco coir-grown plants.In this article, we’ll cover:
Coco coir is a byproduct of coconut fiber. It was first used in gardening in the West in the 19th century, but fell out of favor because the low-quality coco available at the time degraded when used for short-term growing. Toward the end of the 20th century, it was rediscovered as an organic, environmentally sustainable substrate when new production methods made it possible to create hardier product.
Coco coir is manufactured using fiber that’s torn from coconut shells. The tiny grains of coir are extracted from the coconut shell and pulverized into a packable growing substrate. First, the coconuts go through the retting process, a curing method that naturally decomposes the husk’s pulp. Traditionally, coconut husks were immersed in water for six months or longer to decompose. Today, the retting process can be completed in a little over a week using modern mechanical techniques.
Next, the coconut fiber is removed from the shells by steel combs, in a process known as defibering.
Once the fiber, or coir, is gathered from the husk, it’s then dried, pressed into bricks, discs, coir pots. or bagged as a loose mulch. In this dried, processed state, the coir is ready to sell and use.
Basic Types Of Coco Coir
There are three basic types of processed coco coir: pith, fiber or chips. Using a mixture of the different types has its benefits.
Coco pith, or peat, looks similar to peat moss but is a rich, brown color. The density of this product means it retains water extremely well — so for this reason, you might not want to use just coco peat, because it could swamp the roots of your plants.
Coco fibers are stringy bundles that allow oxygen to easily penetrate a plant’s root system. By itself, the fiber is not very absorbent and will break down over time, which decreases how much air gets to the roots of your plants. However, it is hardy enough for reuse.
Coco chips are small chunks of coir that combine the best properties of the peat and fiber. Coco chips retain water well, but also allow for air pockets, too.
If you’re an experienced grower, you can prepare your own mixtures from these different types of coco coir, but companies provide premixed products to eliminate all the hassle of doing it yourself. Dried bricks are common — all you have to do is add water — but most coco in brick form tends to be of a lower unprocessed quality.
The Benefits Of Using Coconut Coir
Let’s take a moment to cover the pros of this grow medium.
Quick harvests and big yields: When used for drain-to-waste growing, coco coir gives excellent results. With the right coco coir nutrients in your water bath, your plants spend less time searching for food and more time growing.
Plenty of room for the root system: Coco coir offers a rare combination of excellent water retention, reliable drainage and ideal aeration. It gives the roots plenty of room, allowing for optimum air exposure.
pH-neutral value: Coco coir has a neutral pH range of 5.2–6.8, but you’ll still need nutrient support because this range will fluctuate over time.
Minimizes harmful pathogens and reduces the risk of pests: This medium boasts antifungal properties, which keeps the roots happy. It can repel some pests, meaning your grow is easier to maintain.
Environmentally conscious product: On average, a coconut tree produces 150 coconuts annually. Coco coir uses parts of the fruit that used to go to waste.
Reusable medium: When properly treated, coco coir can be reused. It’s durable, but you need to make sure you prep it correctly for the next growth cycle to guarantee a hearty crop.
Many hydroponic and soil growers prefer coco coir for a variety of reasons, but you have to keep track of important details to maintain your grow. Details such as how the medium is made, its general properties, and what coco coir nutrients are needed to keep your crop healthy. Managing nutrients is particularly important when working with coir.
Here are all the facts you need to know about this grow medium, plus how Advanced Nutrients makes it easy to manage pH and nutrient balance for your coco coir-grown plants.In this article, we’ll cover:
- What is coco coir and how is it produced?
- The basic types of coco coir
- What coco coir nutrients are necessary for hearty growth
Coco coir is a byproduct of coconut fiber. It was first used in gardening in the West in the 19th century, but fell out of favor because the low-quality coco available at the time degraded when used for short-term growing. Toward the end of the 20th century, it was rediscovered as an organic, environmentally sustainable substrate when new production methods made it possible to create hardier product.
Coco coir is manufactured using fiber that’s torn from coconut shells. The tiny grains of coir are extracted from the coconut shell and pulverized into a packable growing substrate. First, the coconuts go through the retting process, a curing method that naturally decomposes the husk’s pulp. Traditionally, coconut husks were immersed in water for six months or longer to decompose. Today, the retting process can be completed in a little over a week using modern mechanical techniques.
Next, the coconut fiber is removed from the shells by steel combs, in a process known as defibering.
Once the fiber, or coir, is gathered from the husk, it’s then dried, pressed into bricks, discs, coir pots. or bagged as a loose mulch. In this dried, processed state, the coir is ready to sell and use.
Basic Types Of Coco Coir
There are three basic types of processed coco coir: pith, fiber or chips. Using a mixture of the different types has its benefits.
Coco pith, or peat, looks similar to peat moss but is a rich, brown color. The density of this product means it retains water extremely well — so for this reason, you might not want to use just coco peat, because it could swamp the roots of your plants.
Coco fibers are stringy bundles that allow oxygen to easily penetrate a plant’s root system. By itself, the fiber is not very absorbent and will break down over time, which decreases how much air gets to the roots of your plants. However, it is hardy enough for reuse.
Coco chips are small chunks of coir that combine the best properties of the peat and fiber. Coco chips retain water well, but also allow for air pockets, too.
If you’re an experienced grower, you can prepare your own mixtures from these different types of coco coir, but companies provide premixed products to eliminate all the hassle of doing it yourself. Dried bricks are common — all you have to do is add water — but most coco in brick form tends to be of a lower unprocessed quality.
The Benefits Of Using Coconut Coir
Let’s take a moment to cover the pros of this grow medium.
Quick harvests and big yields: When used for drain-to-waste growing, coco coir gives excellent results. With the right coco coir nutrients in your water bath, your plants spend less time searching for food and more time growing.
Plenty of room for the root system: Coco coir offers a rare combination of excellent water retention, reliable drainage and ideal aeration. It gives the roots plenty of room, allowing for optimum air exposure.
pH-neutral value: Coco coir has a neutral pH range of 5.2–6.8, but you’ll still need nutrient support because this range will fluctuate over time.
Minimizes harmful pathogens and reduces the risk of pests: This medium boasts antifungal properties, which keeps the roots happy. It can repel some pests, meaning your grow is easier to maintain.
Environmentally conscious product: On average, a coconut tree produces 150 coconuts annually. Coco coir uses parts of the fruit that used to go to waste.
Reusable medium: When properly treated, coco coir can be reused. It’s durable, but you need to make sure you prep it correctly for the next growth cycle to guarantee a hearty crop.
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We accept the following payment methods:
paypal
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Contact Us:
1. Feedback is very important to us.
2. We will leave positive feedback for you as soon as payment is received and hope you will take a moment to do the same for us. If u are satisfied with the item, please leave us positive feedback and 5 star ratings.
3. If you are not satisfied with the item or u haven't receive your parcel in time, we sincerely request that you contact us through? My Message? or "Ask Seller Questions" BEFORE give us neutral or negative feedback, or 1-4 Detailed seller ratings, or open cases, we will try our best to solve the problem to make you satisfied. Thanks for your understanding.
4. All emails will be answered within 1 business days. If you do not receive our reply, please kindly re-sent your emails and we will reply to you asap.
Thank You!!!