Their moisture-retention helps keep the soil from drying out. Scoop the hydrated coir with your hands and mix it around until the fibers separate and... Add equal parts coir and soil in a container. Add 1 part compost to fertilize if desired. Coir fibers are generated when the coconut husk is ground. Before last year, I had a little experience with coco coir, but it wasn’t a product I was using heavily in my garden. Gardeners for years have lined their hanging baskets with long-fiber coir, and coir fibers are used to make common household items such as rope, doormats, and upholstery stuffing. If you've been gardening, you've no doubt seen the words 'coconut coir' thrown around. It tends to build up salt levels over time, so try to find coir labeled as “low-salt.” Also, if substituting coir for another amendment, be aware of the differences if produces. Coir Easier To Handle Than Peat Moss. In gardening, it is a popular additive to both garden soil and soil mixes. Most garden vegetables and flowers grow best in neutral to slightly alkaline conditions. The material remains loose for improved root formation and the netting surrounding the ground coconut hulls retains the shape of the pellet. Coco seems almost tailor-made for growing cannabis… as long as you follow basic instructions. And in hydroponics, it is held in high regard as a very capable growing medium. In any form, coco coir … It lacks basic plant nutrients so mixing coir with other mediums and compost is essential for growing plants. How to Use a Coconut Pellet Seed Starting System Organic Garden Coir via Burpee. Many people find coir easier to handle and work with than peat. And, in my experience, seeds grow really well in it! Not only is it useful for starting and growing plants, but sheets of coir fiber make great mulch around young trees and bushes. Coco coir is manufactured using fiber that’s torn from coconut shells. The tiny grains of coir are extracted from the coconut shell and pulverized into a packable growing substrate. While most people consider it for use in the garden or to make potting mixes, it is a very popular worm bedding for worms, reptiles, turtles, even tarantulas. Unlike peat moss, which is highly acidic, coconut coir has a neutral pH level. These tips for using coconut coir mulch will help you get the most out of it when gardening. Basically, coconut coir is a type of mulch that's environmentally friendly, as opposed to other commercial mulches. When you start off with coconut coir as a grow medium, you will not need to amend with lime to produce these results. I mean REALLY, REALLY, REALLY well. The fibers are separated, cleaned, sorted and graded before shipping. Why is Coconut Coir a … Of course, coir is not perfect for all growing purposes. Nutrient and pH differences. It is hospitable to a wider variety of plants, and easier to amend with nutrients. It contains 100% coconut coir in a crumbly form like peat, and holds up to 150% of its weight in water. You can use coconut coir for seed starting, and many gardeners report success starting seeds in this growing medium. Add water and let it absorb and expand. Source: Martin LaBar. It is also increasing popular as a soil amendment. Coir dust is the by-product of this process.