Share The Seeds
Gardening Area => Advanced Cultivation Techniques => Topic started by: Roze on January 08, 2016, 02:00:25 PM
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Coco coir is quickly becoming a popular grow medium offering growers many advantages in the garden. If you’re thinking about adding coco coir to your garden, here are some things to keep in mind:
Coco coir is an ideal grow medium because it holds water exceptionally well while still promoting good drainage and aeration. It is also easily renewable, unlike peat moss, which has been the subject of controversy for some time now because it is considered a non-renewable resource. Coconut fiber provides good aeration for plants and also retains water well, which are just a couple reasons coco coir has become a favored grow medium. The material also prevents nutrients from leaching.
Coco coir is ready to use for most plants without adding lime. Nutritionally, coco is also an excellent choice. Depending on the source, it is rich in potassium, iron, manganese, copper and zinc. If you are growing hydroponically, this needs to be taken into consideration so you can provide the correct balance of nutrients. Coir has a high cation exchange rate that allows it to store nutrients and release them as needed. On the flip side, coir tends to hold on to calcium and magnesium, so you may need to adjust your nutrient mix accordingly. Coir promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria because of compounds called lignins. Not only will beneficial bacteria thrive when lignins are present, helping to minimize harmful bacteria, but if you add beneficial microbes to your hydroponic system, they will be optimized. This means better growth, higher yields and less disease.
Qualities of Coco Coir
-Coco has ideal pH in the range of 6-6.7
-It holds 8 to 9 times its weight in water
-It holds 22% air even when fully saturated!
-It has excellent drainage and air porosity for better plant growth
-The top layer always remains dry, leaving behind no chances of fungal growth
-It never shrinks, cracks or produces crust
-It aids in suppressing fungus gnats, to a degree
-Excellent cation exchange
-Its anti-fungal properties help plants to get rid of soil borne diseases (inhibits pathogens like phythium and phytophthora)
-Extremely easy to re-hydrate after being dehydrated
-It is a 100% renewable resource
-Lightweight
-Completely environmentally friendly
Coconuts are essentially giant seeds, and as such, the coir fibers are rich in hormones and bio-stimulants that encourage plant growth. In nature, this helps new coconut trees grow, but when used as a grow medium, other plants benefit from those natural growth enhancers as well. Coir resists compaction and breaking down, so it can last as much as three times longer than peat moss. This should be considered when you look at the cost of coir versus peat moss. Coir is actually comparable in price, but because it lasts longer, it may be the more economical choice. Shop around, though, as prices vary.
Coir resembles soil in its ready-to-use form and can be purchased in bags. It is also available in tightly packed, lightweight bricks, which is what you’ll often get if you order coir through the mail. The bricks are easily expanded by adding water. Don’t worry about adding too much water. When re-hydrating, as well as when watering plants, excess water just drains off. So, you won’t have a soggy grow medium, nor will you have to worry about overwatering your plants. Even when coir feels dry to the touch, it still retains plenty of water in its tube-like fibers so you won’t need to use as much water as you might when using other mediums.
Coco coir can be used as a potting medium and is an excellent medium to use for indoor plants, either on its own or mixed with other material, such as potting soil or perlite. Each pot should be filled loosely with coir, planted and watered well. Repotting is just as simple. Wet the coir thoroughly, turn the pot upside down and tap firmly while supporting the plant until it slides out of the pot. Add some additional coir to the new pot and place the plant into its new container. Fill the new pot with more coir and water well.
When you are ready to recycle your used coir after many uses, it can be mixed into your garden soil outdoors. Because it is so fibrous, it is excellent for breaking up clay soil and improving the ability of sandy soil to hold water and nutrients. You can even use it as a mulch to inhibit weeds and keep the soil moist. There is never any need to throw away coir—its value for growers seems endless.
Preparation
The outer fibers of the coconut are removed by soaking them in fresh water. As coco coir has an excellent cation exchange ability it tends to hold onto things like salt which, when used in a hydroponic or indoor set up, can wreak your plants. Good quality, hydroponic grade coco coir will have not have a high salt content, but you should always flush it through with a low EC nutrient solution before use until no more tannins are coming out. Tannins can easily be seen as they stain or color the water brown. Some indoor gardeners check to see if the PPM of the water coming out of the coco is the same as the water they're putting in - but a more reliable method is the 1:1.5 extraction method which better determines the actual pH and EC of the coco itself.
Coco coir also boasts antifungal and root promoting properties. Coco coir can suppress and protect plants from dreaded root diseases such as pythium and phytophthora.
To use coir in a hydroponic system, you will need to make a few changes to how you would normally do things. First, choose coir that is specifically for hydroponics, not the kind sold as decorative mulch. Second, be sure to rinse the coir well because it is naturally high in salts, and while high-quality coir should be already rinsed, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Rinse until the water running off is clear. After rinsing, you will find that coir tends to clump. Just break it apart with your hands so it is loose before planting.
How To Test The Suitability of Coco Coir for Hydroponic Applications
You need to get an idea of the electrical conductivity and pH of your coco coir.
Take a handful of coco coir and put it in a bowl. For the most representative sample, take a pinch from different parts of the bag.
Mix with about 6 oz of di-mineralized (reverse-osmosis) water and leave for a few hours.
Mix again and measure the pH.
Strain off the coco coir so you are left with just the water. Measure the EC and pH of the water.
A good score is around 1.0 EC. (The lower the better.) 1.3 is acceptable.
The pH should read between 5.3 and 6.2.
Coco Coir vs. Soil Experiment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtFJt8jJTGI
Happy growing! ;)
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I haven't tried coco coir in my soil mixes yet mainly because there isn't anywhere I can drive to around me to buy it (and I've looked! Lowe's, Home Depot, and the local greenhouses near me don't sell it.), this has convinced me to just buy it online!
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I first used it in a hydroponic poppy grow, mostly for conveinience reasons :D (came in a pressed block). It worked, together with moss and perlite.
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An useful idea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OodwHjWIOI
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Very interesting read. I've been experimenting with coir in soil mixes for quite a while now and plan to continue using it. Primarily, I like its water interaction properties and the fact that it doesn't break down readily. I just need to figure out the fertilizer part of the equation. :)
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I am a huge proponent of Coco.. I started using it regularly after setting up OBBT grows which hybridize hydro and soil concepts. Think of it as air injected soil, although the substrate is Coco based so technically soilless. Only negative aspect I found was Coco tends to be very susceptible to fungus gnats. I'll post my Coco recipes if anyone is interested.
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I'll post my Coco recipes if anyone is interested.
Please post. Definitely interested in soil mixes. :)
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General mix
4 parts Coco
1 part perlite
1 part vermiculite
2 parts compost
1 part Epsoma Plant tone
Cacti mix
3 parts Coco
2 parts grit
1 part perlite
Hand full of Plantone/compost
Notes
Epsoma plant tone is available most places fertilizers are sold and is hands down the best thing I've found for introducing a diverse fauna of beneficial microbes. It contains the aerobic bacteria colonies necessary for the nitrogen cycle as well as mycorrhizal fungi that form an unbelievable symbiotic relationship with your plants roots. The importants of this ingredient can not be overstated.
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Guess I'll be experimenting with plant tone. Package directions recommend 1 part per 25 soil but I see you use it at nearly 3 times that strength. No issues with burning? ???
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I guess "don't panic it's organic" applies here.. It has a little plant soluble nitrogen added I would assume as a kick start so to speak, but almost all ingredients in plant tone are plant insoluble organic matter and require the microbes to break it down. I've never experienced burning. I'm sure cutting back wouldn't hurt although be prepared to supplement nutrients a few months down the road for hungry plants. I'll try to find the links for the OBBT grows that I initially formed these recipes from.. If your interested in coir mixed you will love these threads.
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Found the link.. But it links to a site focused around cannabis cultivation. Is this OK to link too? I have used this grow method for Tomatoes, Salvia, and Psychotria and it worked great.
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I don't see links to cannabis sites specifically prohibited, mods probably wouldn't like it though. What should I google? I found the obbt grow show -- that it?
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I mostly grow psychotria -- so slow growing. I'm always looking for ways to push them but every time it involves increasing nutes, they seem to respond with a burn. :(
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Yeah, that's it.. Basically porous rock submerged in water with air stones through out. I used lava rock. On top is the mix I described. When it's running the coir mix just breaths and you see mycelium start to grow all over. It really is a biological masterpiece and plants just plug into it and thrive.
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I placed a Psychotria leaf cutting into one of these that was growing Salvia. It rooted and started to grow a shoot when I had to move and tear it down so I can't tell you long term success. Although from what I did witness it liked the environment.. For Psychotria though I would dial back the nutrients a bit.
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Gonna look into it. I'm basically using your general mix right now but with the coir and perlite quantities swapped and osmocote and worm castings for the nutes instead of plant tone.
Cheers!
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Found the link.. But it links to a site focused around cannabis cultivation. Is this OK to link too? I have used this grow method for Tomatoes, Salvia, and Psychotria and it worked great.
I'm not sure what the other moderators think about posting links to cannabis websites for their non-cannabis info, iirc others have posted links to websites like that before but I can't remember the outcome. Do you think you're experienced enough with this method to type a thread for us explaining the ins and outs? That would make the link unnecessary.
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Gonna look into it. I'm basically using your general mix right now but with the coir and perlite quantities swapped and osmocote and worm castings for the nutes instead of plant tone.
Cheers!
I use to use castings in the mix as well. After I ran out though I didn't add them since actual earthworms were present in my compost and continued to live in the tubs I added them too. They even reproduced and thrived as well.
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I'm not sure what the other moderators think about posting links to cannabis websites for their non-cannabis info, iirc others have posted links to websites like that before but I can't remember the outcome. Do you think you're experienced enough with this method to type a thread for us explaining the ins and outs? That would make the link unnecessary.
We've pretty much outlined the process and given enough Google hints that the proactive forum reader can get the jist of what we are talking about. By all means if anyone has any questions though just ask.
I plan on Daisy chaining one of these systems into an aquaponics system in the future and will make a full thread with pictures when I do. My plan is to allow a high nutrient plant (tomato) to thrive in an aquaponics system with no additional feeding or watering.