I like it best in containers that tend to dry out and can use a hand with staying moist. Coir dust is the by-product of this process. It may look like soil, but it is not soil. First, submerge the coir brick in a bucket of water. Put them directly into the ground when you’re ready – they biodegrade. Some manufacturers also dye the fibers. You can practice the basics of hydroponic gardening without having to buy or build a hydroponic system and perform all of the maintenance that it requires. These are a great addition to your garden if you need to add more aeration to your growing media and want to keep it in the coco coir family. We’ve tested a lot of different brands and learned a lot simply through trial and error. * toss out any unused coir. After the drying process, which is quite extensive, the coir is organized into bales. Coco poles consist of twine-wrapped fibers on a stick. But why should I?” Let’s find out! Here’s the gist of the manufacturing process: Fruit may be picked ripe or unripe, after which it is removed from the husk and sent off to market. To get coconut coir ready for hydroponic and gardening uses, it needs to go through extensive processing. Coconut coir benefits for gardening: Coconut coir is also known as Coco coir, is an organic product derived from the coconut tree.And it is a fiber sourced from the tough, dense husk inside coconuts. Give coco coir a try in your garden. Here is more about our approach. Coconut chips are basically an natural type of expanded clay pellet. Jun 20, 2018 - How to use Coconut Coir in Gardening First, we need to grasp about what coconut coir truly is within the past, once coconuts were harvested for tasty meat and juice, the coconut shell was thought of a waste. I created Epic Gardening to help teach 10,000,000 people how to grow anything, no matter where they live in the world. In this guide, you’ll get just about everything you need to know about coco coir: what it is, its pros and cons, and the best brands to use. As a component in Soilless Potting Mixes. Package and puck sizes vary, but 3 of the large bricks will provide you with a total of 4.5 gallons of potting medium. How to Use Coconut Coir in Inside & Outside Gardening; Do the Soil Additives in Soil Mixes Improve Microgreen Growth; Comparing Coconut Coir, Coir-based Soil Mix, and Vermicompost for Microgreens; Don't miss a future article, click the button below to receive updates. Compressed products require hydration before use. Coco Fiber Seed Starter Biodegradable Pots via Amazon. Garden centers are well-stocked with coco products like these: This is the form most people mean when they say “coir.”. First, they need to remove the coir from the coconuts. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. For most seeds, it is recommended the mix contain no more than 40 percent coir. Line the hanging basket with the coir liner, and then fill it with dirt and plants. You can experiment with different amounts to see what works best for the plants you’re growing. If you want to go with a compressed brick and can’t find the CANNA bricks, go with the General Hydroponics CocoTek Bale. Coir mulch is available in tightly compressed bricks or bales. There isn’t a good, comprehensive guide to coconut coir out there… until now. By now you’re probably saying, “Okay, so I can substitute coco peat for peat moss and coco chips for wood mulch. Don’t * use bricks that fail to absorb water readily and expand. Don’t use coir as a main composting ingredient but to supplement the ingredients. It’s so small and absorbent that if you were to use coco peat as your only growing medium, you might drown out the roots of your plants. Most producers that experience this will chemically sterilize the coir so it’s ready for use in your garden. How to Use Coco Coir In your garden or for your potted plants you can mix up to 40% coir with your soil or potting mix. The material remains loose for improved root formation and the netting surrounding the ground coconut hulls retains the shape of the pellet. With its diverse benefits, it’s no wonder we are keen to use it for our microgreens. Coco coir is manufactured using fiber that’s torn from coconut shells. After the husk is immersed in water for 6 weeks, the fiber is extracted mechanically, and the pith is left behind as a waste product and stored in heaps to age. It’s a spongy, soilless growing medium that may be added to soil or potting media to increase moisture retention, drainage, and aeration, much like peat moss, perlite, or vermiculite. Coconut husks contain almost zero nutrients, so unless you buy a product that has been enriched, you will have to add fertilizer. This is done by soaking the husks in water to loosen and soften them. Her background includes landscape and floral design, a BS in business from Villanova University, and a Certificate of Merit in floral design from Longwood Gardens. Most comes from India and Sri Lanka, where the coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, grows plentifully. Both CANNA and Fox Farm are top coconut coir providers. They are useful containers for starting plants because they retain moisture, drain well, and allow air to circulate. There are two types of fibers that make up coir — brown and white. Coir mulch is available in tightly compressed bricks or bales. For those plants, peat moss may be a … A water level indicator in each pot lets you conveniently monitor moisture. How to Use a Coconut … These come in sets of 4, in 10-, 12-, and 14-inch sizes. But this should not stop you from using coir in compost. What is Coco Coir? An advocate of organic gardening with native plants, she’s always got dirt under her nails and freckles on her nose. They’re large enough to create air pockets, but also absorb water so your plants won’t dehydrate completely. Read along to learn more about this unique growing medium and its many forms. This means it’s a great base for all plants. Their water retention counteracts the rapid drying out typical of terra cotta and other porous containers, especially during hot weather. Some of you probably have used chunks of coir dust to grow orchids, ferns, anthuriums, bromeliads, and other tropical plants. CANNA Coco Brick 40l Expandable Natural Plant Medium Soil Substrate, 40 Liter Expanded - 8 Liter... General Hydroponics HGC714064 CocoTek Bale Premium Coco Growing Media, OMRI Listed 5 kg Brown, Roots Organics Coco Chips Block, 4.5-Kilogram, The Best Hydroponic and Aeroponic Cloning Machines for Plants, The 10 Best pH Meter Choices For Hydroponics, Avoid situations that are conducive to pathogen growth, Have a dedicated system to control how the coconut coir ages, Rinse and wash the coir to flush out salts, Create the right blend of pith, fibers, and chips, Package and store their product correctly. These pots contain coir and potting soil. Home » Coconut Coir: What It Is, How To Use It, And The Best Brands To Buy. It must be aged properly to be used as a growing media, as it can let out salts that will kill your plant if you’re not careful. No matter what form of coco coir you’re using, always wet it thoroughly before you plant, and pay careful attention to the moisture level during the growing process. The bags contain coco coir that expands with the addition of water to fill the bag. Meanwhile, the husks undergo a process called “retting,” in which they are soaked in either fresh or salt water. Consider the array of available coir products for projects such as cultivating mushrooms and raising your own worms. Its strong growing capabilities make it a popular soil additive as well as a rich hydroponic growing base. Cons. You may also use coir pots as inserts for ceramic pots. I found the water from watering plants in coir is a deep brown colour, like tea, and it stains whatever it touches. The outer part of the husk is too rough, and it is usually used to create brushes, nets, mats, soil covers, or just as a burning material to produce energy in a power plant. The tiny grains of coir are extracted from the coconut shell and pulverized into a packable growing substrate. When I go back home in my village, I am going to try this. It’s not very absorbent, which is good because your growing media needs air pockets in order to provide oxygen to the root zone. Most of us don’t see this part because it’s removed before the fruits arrive in grocery stores, but it is widely available – as a soilless growing medium. See our TOS for more details. The most important factors in high quality coco coir is how it is harvested, prepared, and processed. You can pick up this coir from our Epic Gardening store. Using Coconut Coir In Hydroponic Gardening. They require hydration. However, the very short fibres (measuring 2mm or less) and dust that were left behind were once considered a waste product for which no industrial use had been discovered. Epic Gardening is much more than a YouTube channel. Inert – coconut coir is inert, meaning that it has no nutrients within it. The cost may exceed that of peat or vermiculite products. * add coir to garden soil as an amendment, or use it as an ingredient in potting mixes. Cover the brick with warm water. Expense– For home use, the expense of using coir will be affordable for most people, but if you do a lot of gardening or have some big garden projects on the table, it can get expensive rather quickly. White coir is from immature, green coconuts and is finer and softer. Coconut coir has taken the gardening world by storm and it’s popular for its use as a medium to grow microgreens. Traditionally, coconut husks were immersed in water for six months or longer to decompose. Because none of these factors are directly in your control, you have to pick suppliers that follow all of the best practices for coco coir production. Because coconut coir is an inert growing media, you will need to supplement your plants with additional nutrition. Other Good Picks: CANNA Coco or FoxFarm Coco Loco. Netted Coir Pellets are available from Burpee, Color Your Garden Brightly with Painted Daisy, 23 Beneficial Insects and Other Creepy Crawlies That Your Garden Will Love, The Many Uses and Benefits of Yarrow: A Healing Herb, How to Plant and Grow Plantain, A Culinary and Medicinal Herb, 11 Native Blue Wildflowers for the Garden, How to Identify and Prevent Crown Gall on Apple, How to Grow Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) from Seed. Coco coir poles are useful for vines and shrubs that need a structure to support them. Climbing Poles. Alert Me! Coconut coir is obtained by processing the internal hairy layer of the coconut husk. Coir readily absorbs and holds water, yet doesn’t become supersaturated and soggy. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Here are our findings, which you can take with a grain of salt (pun intended). First, they need to remove the coir from the coconuts. Those loose fibers on the outside of a coconut shell, or coir, have a neutral pH, where as peat moss is acidic. Besides being used as a liner for hanging baskets, coir's most common use is as potting soil or an ingredient of potting mixes. Let’s find out how it’s processed, what products we can buy, and the pros and cons of using it in our gardening. How to Use a Coconut Pellet Seed Starting System Coco Coir as a Gardening Accessory. Coconut coir is made from discarded coconut shells. These may be good options to pair with the matching coconut coir brand you’ve purchased: This article contains incorrect information, This article is missing information that I need. Chips are also used as support for the roots of tropical plants like orchids, because they drain well and allow for ample air circulation. When water is added, they expand, absorbing approximately nine times their weight in water. GARDENER'S PATH® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Rather than letting it go to waste, use it as an effective growing medium for hydroponic gardening. Retains moisture and provides a good environment – coco coir is one of the most effective growing media for water retention out there. Once harvested, coco coir is used to create gardening products, including coir … Aim to make coconut coir around 40% of your potting soil. You may find it labeled as coir-peat, coco-peat, coir fibre pith, coir dust and other similar sounding brand names. And, some go so far as to add micronutrients such as copper and iron. Coir is made from coconut husk and it is a biodegradable product. You can also use coco coir as the base of a homemade potting mix. 7-Inch Self Watering Planter Pots with Coconut Coir Fiber Potting Soil. Three main horticultural coir products can be obtained from this husk; coir chips, coir fibre or coir pith/dust (see picture 1). It contains 100% coconut coir in a crumbly form like peat, and holds up to 150% of its weight in water. In the majority of cases, you will find coconut coir in potting mixes. Subscribe. Like peat, it can account for up to 40 percent of the potting mix. Netted Coir Pellets are available from Burpee in 36- and 42-millimeter sizes, and various quantities of each. But interestingly, some parts of coconut are being used as a soil amendment, even though they used to be seen as nothing more than waste: they’re known as coconut coir. Once the fiber, or coir, is gathered from the husk, it’s then dried, pressed into bricks, discs, coir pots. As a soilless growing medium, good quality coir offers little trouble in the way of weeds, pests, and disease, while delivering excellent water retention, drainage, and aeration. Coconut coir has taken the gardening world by storm and it’s popular for its use as a medium to grow microgreens. Reputable manufacturers often treat their products to inhibit weeds, pests, and disease. Another option, G-LEAF’s Garden Hanging Planter Baskets, comes with with coco coir liners. This is done by removing your coco peat, taking out all the old stumps and roots and treating it with a buffering solution. The material remains loose for improved root formation and the netting surrounding the ground coconut hulls retains the shape of the pellet. While coir re-hydrates faster than peat, you’ll still need a bit of patience. dealer inquirie s. Deals, News, & More! Some coconut coir manufacturers will use freshwater to soften the fibers, while others use saltwater. You don’t need to flush too much salt out of this product either, which is fantastic for first time growers. Using Coconut Coir as Mulch. A water level indicator in each pot lets you conveniently monitor moisture. Coco coir is a natural fiber derived from dense coconut husks. Because I only use a small proportion of coir in my soil blocks, and lesser quantity than that of peat, I am happy to share my new recipe with you. Other Options for Compressed Coconut Coir Bricks. Vines and climbers often need support when grown in containers. You can then cut holes into the bag in which to place the plant roots. Good transition from soil gardening – growing in coco coir feels like growing in soil, because the two media look so similar. Treated products may contain chemical residues that may adversely affect plants. It has been used for long by growers in countries where coconut grows naturally. Be careful to wash all pots when re-using coco coir. Basic Types of Coco Coir. The staining runoff water is an annoyance. Contact Us. Small fibers and dust are compacted into hard bricks that require soaking before use as a soilless growing medium or soil amendment. All of the material from the husk to the inner shell of the coconut was a discard product…until people realized it had many applications in gardening and home products. Other products are coarser in texture. Some of these links may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased. Use of Cocopeat in Gardening. In order to use your coco coir, it must first be hydrated. They come in sheets, by the roll, or pre-shaped to fit containers of various sizes, like window boxes and wire planters. Adding it to soil is an excellent way to increase aeration, drainage, and water retention. In this article we discuss what it is, how to use it as a medium and whether it is an alternative to using peat moss. How is Coconut Coir used in Gardening? or bagged as a loose mulch. * try to slice a brick in half. Unless you need to fill just a few containers, shipping is going to be prohibitively expensive or the product will likely be marked up high enough to cover shipping costs. Mulch chips like the ones pictured above are available though eCommerce channels such as Amazon, but it’s probably better to search your local garden center or big-box store for a similar product if you need it in large quantities. But just like any other kind of growing media, there are also some downsides to consider before you buy. It can be used more than once unlike peat moss, which breaks down over time. Coconut coir is a better additive than peat moss and other additives for your plants. Coir readily absorbs and holds water, yet doesn’t become supersaturated and soggy. As a Garden Soil Additive. Almost all of the coconut coir used for hydroponics is brown coir, as it’s processed even more after initial harvesting. Improperly decomposed material may absorb nitrogen from fertilizers, depriving plants of this essential nutrient. I filled the planters with fresh compost, mixing in some of the remnant coir. May need additional supplementation – you may find your plants short on calcium and magnesium when using coconut coir, so supplementing with “Cal-Mag” may be necessary. COPYRIGHT © 2020 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Now that you know about all of the benefits of coconut coir, here are some ways to try using it for gardening. Coco Pots also called as coir pots or coconut coir pots are biodegradable pots or planters made from coconut fibres. Add composting ingredients in layers alternating with a 1-inch layer of coco coir. Sizes and shapes vary from large rectangles to small discs. Read on to find out all about coconut coir and how you can use it in your urban garden. ... that we known as coconut coir have many applications in gardening products. But what exactly is coconut coir and how do you use it in gardening? You can get away with the standard General Hydroponics Flora series, a pH testing kit, and some Calimagic calcium + magnesium supplement. But what exactly is coconut coir and how do you use it in gardening? To use coconut coir, you’ll have to start by understanding the importance of adding nutrients to it. Environmentally safe – although I am a fan of using sphagnum peat moss in the garden, there’s no denying the environmental concerns that peat moss poses. At maximum saturation, you have a crumbly, peat-like mixture that’s ready for containers or gardens. The absolute best manufacturers of coconut coir will have an iron-grip on their product from harvest to shipping. Apart, they have very specific benefits. This coir is not only our top pick, we stand behind it enough to sell it ourselves. Coir pellets for seed planting are fungus free. It has been used for long by growers in countries where coconut grows naturally. Now that you have an understanding of what coco coir is, how it’s processed and made, and what to look for when buying it, you’re armed with the info you need to make a good buying decision. How to Use Coco Coir in Gardening? Those loose fibers on the outside of a coconut shell, or coir, have a neutral pH, where as peat moss is acidic. Vines and climbers often need support when grown in containers. Coir is a good absorbent. Fortunately, you don’t have to do any of that. I’ve an idea, we can make coco pit-filled pipes to bring up the water from the well, one time investment. This soilless medium supports healthy root growth while retaining moisture, draining well, and providing good air circulation. Because coir is very tough, it doesn’t break down when sitting in saltwater, as other natural threads might. All of the fabric from the shell to the internal shell of the coconut was a remove … Products. It’s 5kg and contains a decent mix of coco pith and coco fibers. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Products should not be reused because they may harbor disease. This fibrous material is rot resistant, and durable making appropriate for making exposed to the elements – we are talking about the outdoors. If you prefer something ready to use, the coconut coir comes in ready to use bags like this Just Coir and Coco Loco. But unless you lived in places like Australia or India, you did not have access to good quality coco coir. With its diverse benefits, it’s no wonder we are keen to use it for our microgreens. CANNA sells theirs in 40L expandable bricks, or 50L expanded bags. Coconut coir is popular with a wide range of consumers that means container gardeners, hydroponic growers, commercial nurseries, and even homeowners trying their hand at indoor gardening. Coir pellets for seed planting are fungus free. Coconut coir is just the husk of the nut that has been soaked in water for up to 6 weeks and then spun into a fiber-like product. You can use it in the garden, potted plants, and hangers. The material remains loose for improved root formation and the netting surrounding the ground coconut hulls retains the shape of the pellet. This is either done in tidal waters or freshwater. In any form, coco coir facilitates garden hydration and drainage issues. The coir is dried and pressed into pots, discs or just left loose and bagged up as a mulch. Deal with reputable companies, consider rinsing products several times before use to remove excess salt, and supply nutrients to your plants as needed. Use warm water and slowly pour it over your brick. For example, chunky mulch mixed in with smooth coco peat. It holds water and nutrients well, plus provides air pockets in the soil for plant roots. You can use a shovel or a digging fork to break apart any large remaining chunks and stir it until it's fluffy. What will you use coir for in your garden? The instructions in the package will tell you how much water to use for the brick size you purchase. Almost all of the coconut coir used for hydroponics is brown coir, as it’s processed even more after initial harvesting. Here is more about what we do. Coir is nice on its own but even better when combined with … Although coir mulch is easy to apply, it’s necessary to soften the bricks first by soaking them in water for at least 15 minutes. A study conducted at Utah State University concluded that coco peat was an inferior substitute for sphagnum peat moss as a soilless medium. Since ancient days, the sturdiest coconut fibers have been used to fashion articles like baskets, mats, ropes, and bedding. Because coir is very tough, it doesn’t break down when sitting in saltwater, as other natural threads might. What is Coconut Coir & How to Use It Coconut coir, also known as coconut fiber, is a natural waste product that comes … The material remains loose for improved root formation and the netting surrounding the ground coconut hulls retains the shape of the pellet. 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