Gardeners have been using peat as a growing medium for years, but the process of digging up peat bogs produces considerable amounts of CO 2. Because coconut coir is an inert growing media, you will need to supplement your plants with additional nutrition. Remember — this is still hydroponic growing if you are only using coconut coir. Much more goes into the process of making coco coir safe and optimal for horticultural use, but we’ll get into that a bit lower in the article.​

Daniel has over 18 years of experience in the construction, home improvement, and landscape garden industries. B’Cuzz Coco50L bags are another good option if you can’t find CANNA or Fox Farm products in your area. They have a partnership with aSri Lankan coir producer, meaning they also have full control over the production process. It’s another great coir option. We’ve tested a lot of different brands and learned a lot simply through trial and error. Here are our findings, which you can take with a grain of salt (pun intended). Many gardeners that I’ve spoken to seem surprised when they first realise that coco coir has no nutritional value whatsoever and that it won’t feed their plants.Leave to stand for 24 hours. This will even out the water content of your finished coconut coir material He previously worked as a project manager and has experience in managing teams of tradespeople and landscape gardeners on both small and medium sized projects. Everything in between the shell and the outer coating of the coconut seed is considered coco coir. There are two types of fibers that make up coir — brown and white. Brown coir comes from mature, ripe coconuts and is a lot stronger but less flexible. White fibers come from pre-ripe coconuts and are far more flexible but much less strong.

Coco coir is an increasingly popular type of hydroponic growing medium— and for a good reason. There are a whole host of benefits to growing with coconut coir that you can and should take advantage of if you’re new to hydroponics. Good quality manufacturers should thoroughly flush the coco coir. If gardeners wish to use it as a growing medium, it should also be treated with a calcium, magnesium and iron solution, so the salts don’t create nutrient deficiencies in the plants, this process is called buffering. Good quality manufacturers then wash the coir to remove any salt, treat it to kill off any bacteria so it’s as inert as possible with a neutral pH.My first experience of using coco coir was with a cheap brand and led to iron and calcium deficiencies in our long trailing petunia plants and also a high pH number which I discovered after testing the soil. There isn’t a good, comprehensive guide to coconut coir out there… until now. 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. Horticultural grit is often found in potting mixes for seeds, seedlings and cuttings as it helps to aerate the mix, making it easier for the young roots grow. First, they need to remove the coir from the coconuts. This is done by soaking the husks in water to loosen and soften them. This is either done in tidal waters or freshwater. If done in tidal waters, the coconut coir will take up a large amount of salt, which will need to be flushed out by the manufacturer at a later stage.

Coco coir is a by-product of the coconut industry and is made from the husk, which traditionally was discarded as a waste product of little value. When using coconut coir in the garden, you must use the right mixture of these three types for the best results. How to Choose High-Quality Coco CoirI have started growing micro greens and was looking for a better supply of coir which I expect to use for planting seeds as well. Good transition from soil gardening: Growing in coco coir feels like growing in soil because the two media look so similar. You can have a completely hydroponic garden that looks almost the same as a soil garden. The only difference is instead of watering with only water, you would water your coconut coir garden with nutrient-enriched water. 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. Coconut coir doesn’t have the same problems. Unlike peat moss, which breaks down more rapidly, it can be used more than once. It’s also a repurposed waste product from a renewable resource, unlike the peat bogs where we get our peat moss. All our seeds and products have been tested here by us however if we still cant help you get growing we will offer a free replacement.

While many people say you need coco coir-specific nutrients, this isn’t absolutely necessary. You can get away with the standard General Hydroponics Flora series, a pH testing kit, and some Calimagic calcium + magnesium supplement.

If that sounds like a lot to look out for…IT IS! Fortunately, you don’t have to do any of that. All you have to do is make sure that it was done, either by asking your local garden shop about the supplier’s practices or by reading below, where I’ve answered most of these questions for each type of coconut coir product I review. TheBest Coco Coir For Your Garden Mixes can be expensive: Garden suppliers know that coco coir can be annoying to work with sometimes, so they’ve started to offer coconut coir mixes. This saves a lot of time but is pretty expensive — and making your own mix isn’t too difficult. Types of Coco Coir Coconut waste products can be used to make many dozens of different items, from hanging basket liners to doormats, rope and even animal bedding material.