✓ Economical and versatile for different uses
✓ Suitable for both commercial and individual growers
✓ Perfect growing medium for multiple growing purpose
✓ Versatile in use (both horticulture and non-horticulture)
I. Introduction to coconut coir
Coconut coir, also known as coco peat, coco fiber, or simply coir, is a natural material derived from the husk of coconut. It is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut. The common blend of coco coir includes fine peat (powder material), fiber (string material), and chips – small chunks (coarse material). Coco coir is a widely used growing medium in horticulture and hydroponics due to its desirable aeration, good water-holding capacity, high nutrient uptake, and high air-filled porosity. It is renewable, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly, making it a popular alternative to peat moss or any traditional soil in many applications.
II. Introducing: Coco Coir’s Products
1. Treated coco coir
Treated coco coir has a reddish-brown and high moisture content after the process of being washed multiple times with clean water. After the proper treatment, coco coir will have the EC at the right level, 0.5mS/cm or less. This is the ratio fitted to most of the crops for multiple purposes such as starting seeds, propagating, transplanting seedlings, and some other uses.
As a consequence of rising demand, the appearance of low-quality, low-grade, and unidentified products is also taking over the market. This leads to the expected reaction of consumers who are worried about what they are using to grow the plants, thus resulting in purchasing raw coconut coir themselves and treating it in their way or basing off of online instructions. This method also has the potential of faulty procedures and affects the plants negatively.
Naturally, to get trustworthy sources and well-processed coconut coir, buyers should consider securing their supplies from reliable providers that are easy to trace back. We, Coco Coir Global, are confident and also proud to be one. Follow us and see what we got to offer you.
2. Untreated coco coir
These have a light brown coloring and have a rough feeling on your hand. In particular, it has a relatively high EC level and would be recommended against using it for plants. Instead, Untreated coco coir could act as bedding for animals or make-shifts such as coir carpets, and coconut brick.
As aforementioned, customers have their fair share of worries about whether their purchase is of the right quality or not, some would result in the same ending by wanting to cut costs and treat the raw coir themselves – it is as risky as buying coir from unknown sources, and is likely to not only bringing the opposite of expected outcome in terms of crops grow, but also negatively affect the human’s health. Buying from a trusted and traceable source might not be cost-saving in comparison, but users can be confident in the result of their agriculture production, whilst being free of potentially fatal risks that they would face otherwise.
3. Loose coconut coir
Attributes and applications
Loose coir refers to the fine, fibrous material that comes from the coconut husk and comes in ready-to-use form. They usually come out of factories in varied sizes of loose or light-pressed form and are packed in bags depending on their purposes. With its unique features, coir is not only the ideal substrate that could replace traditional cropland but also has wide use in many fields. To name some:
- Hydroponics: Coco coir is used as a growing medium for hydroponic systems due to its excellent water retention and nutrient-holding capacity.
- Soil amendment: Coco coir can be mixed with traditional soil as a natural amendment to improve soil aeration, water retention, and nutrient availability.
- Seed starting: It is an ideal medium for both starting seeds and transplanting the seedlings.
- Reptile bedding: Coco coir’s absorbent nature makes it a popular bedding choice for reptiles, such as snakes, lizards, and turtles.
- Mushroom cultivation: Coco coir is used as a substrate for growing mushrooms, providing a nutrient-rich and moisture-retaining medium.
- Animal bedding: Coco coir is a popular bedding material for animals with sensitive respiratory systems, such as horses, rabbits, and guinea pigs.
- Landscaping: It is used as mulch for landscaping applications, helping to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and improve soil quality.
Using and storing:
How to use:
- Take out an adequate amount of coco coir from the bag
- Put it into seedling/propagation trays if it is for nurseries, or pots/containers if it is for transplanting
- For growing plants, transplant the seedlings into the pots/containers
- Water and feed the plants with your own or recommended nutrient
- Take control of the feeding routine to avoid deficiencies
How to store:
It’s essential to store it in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place. Here are some tips on how to store and preserve loose coco coir:
- Store in a dry place: Make sure to keep the coco coir dry by storing it in a dry place away from any sources of moisture, including rain, snow, and direct sunlight.
- Seal the bag: After opening the bag of coco coir, seal the opening tightly to prevent moisture from getting inside. A simple way to do this is by using a plastic zip-lock bag.
- Keep it cool: Do not expose the coir to high temperatures. Ideally, it should be stored in a cool and shaded area.
- Avoid contamination: Keep the coir away from any potential sources of contamination, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and chemicals.
- Use within the expiry date as recommended by the manufacturer.
4. Compressed coco coir
Attributes and applications
Compressed coconut coir, also known as dehydrated coco coir, is produced and provided in a variety of forms, sizes, and weights. After being treated and ensured specifications, they are dried and pressed into slabs, bricks, cubes, or other shapes and packed, and baled to the customer’s request. Similar to their loose counterpart, compressed coco coir shares multiple uses as mentioned.
Using and storing:
How to use:
Grow bag:
- Hydrate the grow bags with fresh water manually using a watering can or automatically using an irrigation system (usually used in high-tech greenhouses that have monitoring machines) until it expands to the fullness.
- Transplant the seedlings into or put the propagation cubes that have young plants onto the grow bags
- Water and feed the plants with your own or recommended nutrient
- Take control of the feeding routine to avoid deficiencies
Large cube/brick/block of coir:
- Hydrate the cube or brick/block with fresh water
- While waiting for it to expand to fullness, use hands to stir it up for quicker expansion.
- Next steps: use same as loose coco coir
How to store:
Dehydrated coco coir is a popular product used in the horticulture industry, and it’s essential to store it correctly to preserve its quality and longevity. Here are some tips on how to preserve dehydrated coco coir:
- Store in a dry place: Keep the dehydrated coco coir in an airtight container or bag in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated area. This will help prevent moisture from seeping in and causing the coir to spoil.
- Keep it away from sunlight: Direct sunlight can damage the coco coir, so it’s essential to store it away from windows or any other sources of direct sunlight.
- Avoid contamination: Keep the coir away from any potential sources of contamination, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and chemicals.
- Use within the expiry date as recommended by the manufacturer.
5. Popular coconut coir products:
With the increasing demand by the day, a variety of new coir products make their way into the market and their consumer’s hands. They come in different designs with different purposes, from different manufacturers, that come from different corners of the globe. Following are well-known names that have been trusted in recent years and are likely to grow even bigger soon:
Coco Peat Bag 50L/100L:
- Lightweight, easy to carry and use
- Convenient to transport with large quantities
- Suitable for a variety of plants in both small and large cultivation
- Multiple uses for both horticulture and non-horticulture
- Easy to find and purchase
Bulk Coco Coir Bag 1800L/2000L
- Economical and convenient to use
- Easy to transport by forklifts
- Fitted for large-scale use
- Versatile for different uses
Coco Coir Grow Bag
- Lightweight, easy to carry
- Fitted for greenhouse use
- Keep space thus can be delivered with large quantities
- Customizable according to specific crops or customer requirements
Pre-filled Coco Coir Bag
- Lightweight, easy to carry and move to expected areas
- Ready-to-use form
- Specialized for soft fruit, ginger, cannabis, etc.
- Fitted for both large and small scale cultivation, in a greenhouse or small garden.
Compressed Coco Coir Open Top Bag
- Lightweight, easy to use
- Convenient to transport with large quantities
- Specialized for soft fruits, ginger, cannabis, etc.
- Fitted for both large and small scale cultivation, in greenhouses or small gardens.
Coco Coir Propagation Cube
- Ideal substrate for starting seeds and propagating young plants
- Specialized for greenhouse farming
- Recommended to use alongside grow bags
- Easy to use and transport with large quantities
Coco Coir Block 5kg
- Economical and versatile for different uses
- Suitable for both commercial and individual growers
- Suitable for both small and large cultivation scale
III. Advantages and application of coconut coir
Advantages of using coir:
Organic substrate:
Coconut coir is an organic material that comes 100% from dried coconut husk. This is a safe-to-use and environmentally-friendly growing substrate. Besides, it is free from pests and diseases that can be found in other planning materials such as traditional soils. Coir is a renewable and compostable source of material, making it ideal for soil improvement by making the soil structure, as well as water and nutritions absorption capability, hence pushing plants and crops to grow stronger and healthier.
Environmental Friendly:
The coconut husks which are used to create coir were once considered industrial waste that have to be disposed of by means that’d affect the environment negatively. The growing trend of processing husk into a substrate, undoubtedly has helped solve the was-once-growing problem of waste that coconut factories faced, it has also benefited agriculture as a whole. Coco coir substrate has, is, and will always be playing a vital role in the development of high-tech agriculture alongside the application of advanced technology, approaching the goal of outputting green, clean, and delectable cultivation products that positively benefit consumers’ health.
Keeping a stable moisture:
With absorbent properties that are capable of holding water 10 times its weight, coir is the perfect substrate for vegetations that require moisture to be maintained at a suitable amount regularly.
Descend drainage and air flow:
Not only able to hold water but coco peat also excels at keeping decent breathability, in this case providing an ideal environment for the plant’s roots with just enough liquid and air for development and avoiding root rot.
Balance pH level:
The pH scaling inside the substrate is also essential to plants in terms of their nutrient absorbability and growth ability. Therefore providing a suitable substrate with appropriate pH balance is compulsory for not just delicate flora but for cultivatories as a whole. Post-treating coir is perfectly placed in the neutral pH measurement that can be easily modified for plants with a different requirement for said element without the need to use any supplementarity.
Multi-purpose substrate.
Depending on the purpose, cultivators can use coconut peat as a standalone substrate, or mixing it with soil as a means to improve deteriorated land, create a nutrient-rich growing medium, or as a substance to make various potting mixes, serving the demand to grow different plants.
Long life span and cost efficiency
Coco coir can be reused for multiple growing cycles with little degradation in quality, making it a cost-effective choice for gardeners.
Applications:
Coir is not only full of upsides, but it also varied in uses of categories of fields, but its application in agriculture is more well-known in comparison. Following are some leading uses:
Seed germination and propagation
Having the unique attribute of being able to hold enough water while still maintaining a breathing room, coco peat provides an ideal habitat for seeds to grow into healthy sprouts and for cuttings to raise as new plants. These are one of the most important steps to determine a plant’s long-term health.
Hydroponic farming
There is no strange in saying coco coir is the most popular substrate for hydroponic farming. Besides being the most suitable substrate for this type of cultivation, it is also a cost-efficient choice that lifts growers of the worry of risk relating to the uses of traditional substrates in modern farming structures using high-end technology.
Small-scale farming or garden farming
To individual cultivators who follow a scaled-down model, the act of using coir in troughs and other containers like pots or boxes is the most optimal way. Planters are free to choose whatever they want to grow in their mini garden without taking too much effort or money spent to keep them growing healthy. It’s an environmentally friendly way to effectively produce products while still remaining profitable enough to last.
Making multiple types of potting mixes
Coco coir is also applied in making various kinds of nutrient-rich potting mixes. To name some of the features when mixing coco coir with other substances/growing materials to become ideal growing substrates for multiple plants: lightweight, well-draining, and highly absorbent. Coco coir is also pH-neutral, meaning it will not affect the acidity of the soil or harm sensitive plants. When used as part of a potting mix, coco coir helps improve soil aeration and water retention, promoting healthy root growth and increasing the overall nutrient uptake of the plants.
Soil-improvement and anti-erosion
Whether by natural causes or man-made, there are a number of reasons leading up to the deterioration of lands, the loss of original attributes, and inherited fertility. Therefore, cultivators have to find ways to improve their land and ensure the continued use of it. When mixed with deteriorated soil, coconut coir lends hands in the process of creating a mixture of substrate that has substantial improvement in structure, water, and nutrient retention, aeration, making it easier for plant roots to develop. Besides providing said improvements for the crops and plants, it also benefits the land itself, making it harder to be washed away and effectively combat erosions.
Providing a cover to plants
Besides providing help amongst the roots, coco coir can also do a similar thing above ground. By adding a layer of coir above the soil, it provides moisture retention and controls temperature features to plants whilst preventing the growth of unwanted weeds.
Being a substance for organic fertilizer production
With the ability to biodegrade, coco coir is usually chosen as a perfect auxiliary substrate to participate in the process of producing and improving the quality of organic fertilizer. To be more in detail, coir has its fair share of carbon components, which is able to balance out nitre which is abundant in compost fertilizer.
Ideal bedding for animals
Coco coir is also known as an excellent animal bedding material. It is highly absorbent, thus helps reduce odors, making it ideal for use in animal habitats. Coco coir also retains moisture well, allowing it to help regulate humidity in the enclosure. Additionally, it is natural, organic and biodegradable, making it a safe and environmentally-friendly option for animal bedding.