COCO Peat as a Organic Fertilizer

COCO Peat as a Organic Fertilizer

COCO peat (cocopeat), also known as coir pith, coir fiber pith, coir dust, or simply coir, is made from coconut husks, which are byproducts of other industries that use coconuts. Raw coconuts are washed, heat-treated, screened and graded before being processed into coco peat products of various granularity and denseness, which are then used for horticultural and agricultural applications and as industrial absorbent.

Usually shipped in the form of compressed bales, briquettes, slabs or discs, the eny user usually expands and aerates the compressed coco peat byhe addition of water. A single kilogram of coco peat will expand to 15 liters of moist coco peat. Trichoderma is a naturally occuring fungus in coco peat; it works in symbiosis with plant roots to protect them from pathogenic fungi such as pythium. It is not present in sterilized coco peat. Trichoderma is also destroyed by Hydrogen Peroxide.

Usage- Botanical

COCO Peat is used as a soil additive. Due to low level of nutrients in its composition, coco peat is usually not the sole component in the medium used to grow plants. When plants are grown exclusively in coco peat, it is important to add nutrients according to the specific plants' needs. COCO peat from Sri Lanka and India contains several macro- and micro-plant nutrients, including substantial quantities of potassium. COCO peat is not fully decomposed when it arrives and will use up available nitrogen as it does so (known as drawdown), competing with the plant if there is not enough. Poorly sourced coco peat can have excess salts in it and needs washing (check electrical conductivity of run-off water, flush if high). It has a similar cation exchange capacity to sphagnum peat, holds water well, re-wets well from dry and holds around 1000 times more air then soil.

Common uses of OCCO Peat include:

As a substitute for peat, because it is free of bactria and most fungal spores, and is sustainably produced without the environmental damage caused by peat mining. Mixed with sand, compost and fertilizer to make good quality potting soil. COCO peat generally has an acidity in the range of pH-5.5 to 6.5. It is a little on the acidic side for some plants, but many popular plants can tolerate this pH range. As substrate for growning mushrooms, which thrive on the cellulose. COCO peat has high cellulose and lignin content. COCO peat can be re-used up to three times with little loss of yield. COCO peat from diseased plants should not be re-used.

Usage- Other

Being a good absorbent, dry coco peat can be used as an oil absorbent on slippery floors. COCO peat is also used as a bedding in animal farms and pet houses to absorb animal waste so the farm is kept clean and dry.

Why is coco fiber better than Peat Moss?

COCO Fibers resist compacting and retain water year after year. It also is organic and promotes sustainable harvesting on palm plantations. On the other hand, using Peat Moss damages the ecosystem. Peat moss deposits are slow to recover from mining because Peat bogs are similar to coral reefs: each brick that's harvested can take up to 2000 years to grow back!

Peat moss requires a chemical additive to absorb water, sheds water until the surface is saturated, and compacts easily. Peat Moss is also acidic- it has a pH value of about 4. Peat moss can acidify the soil, scorch roots, and wilt leaves. Peat moss bricks ofter contain a variety of debris, including sticks and stones. You never know what you'll find in a peat bog!

Coconut Fiber is a proven growing medium. It's natural alternative to mined peat moss and outperforms most of the popular brands of peat and sphagnum peat. COCO peat has a high content of lignin and cellulose. These components are ideal for growing mushrooms and other plants that require soil rich in cellulose. Choose coconut fiber bricks to boost the health of your plants and help the environment too!

Technical Details:

• 10.25 lbs of COCO Fiber (4.6kg)
• Makes 2.5 cu.ft. of potting medium
• Excellent for potting, raised bed planting, and landscaping
• 100% Organic

The Primary use of coco peat is retaining water- it doesn't have very many nutrients (it has an NPK of 0-0-0). For complete potting soil, you may want to add fertilizer to the coco pith medium.

Multi-Purpose Growing Medium (... click for more)