Learn to use cocopeat for your garden. This guide provides step-by-step instructions on using cocopeat and also throws light on the important features of cocopeat.
Is cocopeat a good choice to grow plants?
Yes, it is. After all, you cannot go wrong when you use a growing medium that has high water-holding and retention capacity and delivers a higher dose of nutrients to roots. Not only this cocopeat is antifungal and it allows deeper root penetration.?
?Cocopeat is a growing medium that was discovered back in the 1940s. Have you noticed the fine dust that is created when the coir fibers are extracted from the coconut husk? This dust fascinated the soil scientist E.P. Hume, and he noted that it had properties resembling peat moss. He identified its potential as a growing medium and called it coco peat.
Cocopeat finds application in various fields such as greenhouses, nurseries, seedling nurseries, indoor gardening, horticulture, turf farming, mushroom farming, lawn or golf course constructions, and hydroponic farming.?
Physical and chemical properties of coco peat that benefits plants
Let’s get a bit scientific here. It would be great to know the physical and chemical properties of coco peat. You will get a clear picture of how cocopeat promotes healthy plant growth.?
- Moisture retention - The coir fibers have tiny hollow tubes that are visible when you examine it through a microscope. Add water and these roots will start getting filled. Once the tubes are filled, excess water gets drained out. Oxygen is sucked in during the process and distributed through the substrate.?
- Neutral pH - It is common knowledge that plants grow best at a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. The pH of coco peat is 5.5 to 6.5 and hence is highly beneficial for plants. In case the plant you wish to grow need higher or lower pH, you can always correct the pH of cocopeat using additives.
- Structure - Coco peat has a favorable structure for plant growth. A typical block of coco peat contains coir pith and fiber and when expanded it becomes fluffy, light, and airy. It promotes deep growth of roots. When roots penetrate deeply the result is better availability of water and nutrients and stronger plants.
- Inert - Coco peat does not contain many nutrients. It is inert and you might find traces of Potassium, Manganese, and Iron in it. Hydroponic growers welcome this property as most times they would prefer to add a tailored blend of nutrients.?
- Electrical conductivity (EC) - This refers to the quantity of salt and nutrients present in the substrate. It is always recommended to choose coir with an EC less than 0.8. If the product has higher EC, you can rinse it with water before use. The preferred choice to grow is always a lower EC product.
- High lignan content - Coir has high lignan content. This makes it long-lasting as lignan takes several years to break down. Another highlight is its reusability for up to 4 years. You can reuse coir several times. It is also compostable and an excellent organic choice.
- Soil amendment - Humes discovered this property of coir during one of his experiments. He identified that when 2% of coco peat is added to sand, the water holding capacity increased dramatically by 40%. The reverse was also found to be true. When you amend heavy clay with coir, the density reduces and it becomes more favorable for root growth. Apart from this, it releases the nutrients periodically and hence enhances the nutrient value of soil in all seasons.
- Natural rooting hormones - This property of cocopeat makes it an excellent growing medium for seeding purposes. You can sprout the seeds to grow healthy plants utilizing the natural hormones of cocopeat.
These properties of cocopeat make it an ideal eco-friendly growing medium. Including cocopeat in your home garden is sure to bring mind-blowing results.
?How to use coco peat to grow plants
You can use cocopeat to grow plants either in the garden or in the pots. However, cocopeat comes as compressed blocks, and before you start, you will need to reconstitute the cocopeat.
Let’s understand using cocopeat in two sections:
- Reconstituting the cocopeat blocks
- Growing plants with cocopeat
- Reconstituting the cocopeat blocks
- Break off the quantity of cocopeat you would require. Remember that cocopeat swells up to 6 times its original size. So break a piece accordingly.
- Place the broken pieces in a bucket of water and add sufficient quantities to saturate it.
- Let it absorb the water for a while. Stir it using a garden trowel, and add water if it is dry. Do not let it become loose.
- You are done when the cocopeat is nicely moist. It is fluffy and ready for use.
Growing plants with cocopeat
You can use cocopeat straight in the garden or in the pots.
- If you are planning to use cocopeat in the garden, you can directly add it maintaining a ratio of 25/75.? You can also use it as a mulch to retain moisture and prevent weeds.?
- If you are planning to use cocopeat to grow plants in pots, add the bricks into the pots while leaving a space of 1inch below the rim.
- Plant in the center and add the required fertilizers and soil since cocopeat is an inert medium.
- To retain moisture in the container pots, you can apply a cocopeat layer of 1-inch over the container soil.
The proportions of sand, cocopeat, and fertilizers might vary for different plants. Understand the best practice for the plants you are growing and act accordingly.
Dried cocopeat is easily available in the market. But, you might find it confusing to select the best quality cocopeat blocks. Buy only from a top manufacturer like SITCO. We provide high-quality cocopeat that includes both low EC and high EC cocopeat blocks. Our products are pathogen-free and manufactured using state-of-art technology.
For your next gardening venture, give cocopeat a try. You can reap the benefits of this amazing growing medium and enjoy strong and healthy plants.
