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. 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 Now that you understand 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.

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. 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). 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. Coir is ideal for seeds and cuttings. It can be used as a base for homemade compost or added to garden waste compost for aeration. Coir is known by many different names, including coco, coco coir, cocopeat, coco peat, coir fibre, coconut husks and coconut fibre.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 Then, they’re removed from the water bath and dried for over a year. After the drying process, which is quite extensive, the coir is organized into bales.These bales are then chopped and processed into various formats, from chips, to “croutons” to classic ground coconut 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. There are amazing benefits to using coconut coir in your garden. But just like any other kind of growing media, there are also some downsides to consider before you buy Benefits of Coco Coir For plants sensitive to iron, magnesium and calcium deficiencies, I recommend Canna Coir, it’s more expensive than some other brands but is a professional grade product that’s also popular with commercial cannabis growers. 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. 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.Made from the waste by product of the coconut industry coco coir pith - or coco peat as it's sometimes misleadingly known - is a fantastic multipurpose growing media made from coconut husks. Leave to stand for 24 hours. This will even out the water content of your finished coconut coir material Can be less complex than “traditional hydroponics”: If growing hydroponically is new, coconut coir is a good first step. You can practice the basics of hydroponic gardening without having to buy or build a hydroponic system and perform all of its required maintenance. Downsides to Coco Coir Retains moisture and provides a good environment: Coco coir is one of the most effective growing media for water retention out there. It can absorb up to 10x its weight in water, meaning the roots of your plants will never get dehydrated. There’s also a lot of growing media for roots to work through, promoting healthy root development.