Coco Coir?

[shatbox]

I'm transitioning from peat to coir slowly. I think buying the washed coir is worth it because it absorbs so much and you practically need a centrifuge for squeeze the water out.

[Nematode]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Just saw this: Googled it - Coir and Bag all in one - do you have pictures with your plants

Under better late than never.....

http://www.tomatoville.com/showpost....2&postcount=70

There are riococo slabs under there somewhere.

Griffin greenhouse supply now carries a dryer mix that is more chips and less fines from fibredust.
Trying those this year. $3ish and each one holds 3 plants and I can pick them up locally. Pretty low substrate cost.

I should try 6 plants/bag that would bring substrate cost down to $0.50 per plant, problem is in august I would be about 2 hours from losing the whole crop if there was an irrigation fail.

[Greatgardens]

Here is an interesting article that I found about the effect of salinity on tomatoes:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3550529/

For reference, most of the horticultural coir products that I've looked at are in the .1 to .3% range.

-GG

[kurt]

Originally Posted by BettaPonic

Anyone else a Coco Coir gardener? I grow almost all my Tomatoes in Coco.

https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Earth-...arth+coco+coir

We get this in bags here now for twenty bucs/ 1.5cu or 50litres.At first Wonder Soil started the craze( office in (las Vegas)Then from Europe comes theses guys.Sourced from Asia,processed in Amsterdam.I have five shops and cos. With 5 different brands.Good Bye hornworm laced,sticks,stems,ProMix from Canada.Mixed with age grade vermiculite,some DE,best seed starter for us,All clean,no mud.All the stoners are using,this medium.😎😇😍

[Tomzhawaii]

Aloha,
Yes, I have been using coco , hydroton & perlite mix for 2 yrs now. It works well for me in Hawaii. No weeds, no pests and stays moist longer.

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by kurt

https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Earth-...arth+coco+coir

We get this in bags here now for twenty bucs/ 1.5cu or 50litres.At first Wonder Soil started the craze( office in (las Vegas)Then from Europe comes theses guys.Sourced from Asia,processed in Amsterdam.I have five shops and cos. With 5 different brands.Good Bye hornworm laced,sticks,stems,ProMix from Canada.Mixed with age grade vermiculite,some DE,best seed starter for us,All clean,no mud.All the stoners are using,this medium.������

Kurt - Are you using the Mother Earth coco now? Do you think the MEcoco is better than Wonder Soil?

I've been washing the heck out of the cheap bricks (the kind that makes 2.5 CU FT) and it works great. I leave it out in the rain to wash too; Until the water from the hose cools down, the coir gets washed with the hot water. It gets washed until the water from it runs totally clear.

I use coir 75/25 for microgreens and 10-20/90-80 for containers.

I confess; I did buy a brick of Wonder Soil this year. Have you seen how many WS products there are now?

---
Tom - I had to look up what Hydroton and since you say you don't get weeds, it sounds like your garden is outside. Can you tell us how you use it? Containers ? What ratio of the 3?

Nematode - Never too late; just another season coming up. I am still intrigued with the riococo slabs but never found where you can buy it online?

[hazeldazel]

I'll have to check out the Mother Earth coir blocks, I got the FibreDust Coco Coir 5 kg block for $20 (Amazon) and was very happy with it. Both seem prewashed but the Mother Earth is $5 cheaper. :thumbs up:

I've been using the coir mixed with some compost, perlite and some steer manure for my tomatoes in grow bags. Drains well and gets wet fast. Next to my tomatoes I have blueberries in a raised bed that has a ton of peat in it. It's such a PITA once it gets dry and the drainage sucks. The blueberries are happy but I won't use a peat-based mix for anything else again. Plus I really like that coir is a renewable resource.

[Tomzhawaii]

My system is setup on my lanai (tight space). All containers ranging in size from large coffee containers to 15 & 20 gal totes. I generally mix 2/3 coco 1/3 hydroton & 1/3 perlite. I use fox farm nutirents, with a drip to reservior system. I decided to go with this medium because my containers were being infested with ants. I have no idea why, it just happened. I threw it all in the dumpster and started over. The really good side with my mix is it holds moisture, drains enough off, stays kinda fluffy and no wayward weed growth. I have had good luck with tomatoes, peppers , cucumbers and squash.

[kurt]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Kurt - Are you using the Mother Earth coco now? Do you think the MEcoco is better than Wonder Soil?

I've been washing the heck out of the cheap bricks (the kind that makes 2.5 CU FT) and it works great. I leave it out in the rain to wash too; Until the water from the hose cools down, the coir gets washed with the hot water. It gets washed until the water from it runs totally clear.

I use coir 75/25 for microgreens and 10-20/90-80 for containers.

I confess; I did buy a brick of Wonder Soil this year. Have you seen how many WS products there are now?

---
Tom - I had to look up what Hydroton and since you say you don't get weeds, it sounds like your garden is outside. Can you tell us how you use it? Containers ? What ratio of the 3?

Nematode - Never too late; just another season coming up. I am still intrigued with the riococo slabs but never found where you can buy it online?

At first aclum ( thanx)out there in Cali started the thread long time now.First was the wetting agent,the mix the dust with the brick was a nice learning curve,but pain in the...
Now it has grown legs,everyone is in, I have a brick of wonder soil I use as a doorstop.
The growstones from Europe got literally mined away.Now some new sorcefound mined.
We get some real dark coir here,stay away for delicates,young seedlings do better for me with coco plus another medium mixed in.Mother Earth is consistent,no dark tint in the overage spill waste.I think I killed some youngins with a dark coir/ too long in wet conditions.Perlite as indicated above is perfect,DE,AgriVermiculite is a stoners delight as I have mentioned.
1/3. 1/3. 1/3 mixes with coir and favorite amendments/ plantdependent works well for me here in 10 b.container gardeners
,as your and the majority here have ibelive could benefit with the choirs.Outside in the field for acreage gardening I hear you can get large quantity’s,big bricks,bags pallets at decent prices.Hope that helps .

[Tomzhawaii]

To all,
Lately I have been researching things about growing either in containers or hydroponically.
I found a website called Maxium Yield.
Very helpful and full of reasearch information.
I hope it helpsyour life and your gardens.
Aloha,
Tom

[Tomzhawaii]

Here what I have.

[Tomzhawaii]

Originally Posted by Tomzhawaii

To all,
Lately I have been researching things about growing either in containers or hydroponically.
I found a website called Maxium Yield.
Very helpful and full of reasearch information.
I hope it helpsyour life and your gardens.
Aloha,
Tom

Might be worth a try.
https://www.maximumyield.com/bat-gua...tilizer/2/3972

[Gerardo]

There's Jamaican, Mexican, Indonesian, and seabird guano, each with its own NPK and sustainability issues.

I used it quite a bit a few years ago, great fertilizer, solid tea. Downside is having to wear respiratory protection every time you handle it (lots of dust) The consequences aren't down the line, histoplasmosis and other fungal infections of the lung are no fun.

[seaeagle]

Really starting love Coco coir. I like the texture and it smells so natural almost like dirt.


Coconut Husks

Commonly referred to as “coir,” shredded coconut husks are widely used as additions to potting soil mixes. Larger pieces are used in soil mixes for growing orchids, medium-size pieces are included in soil mixes for growing cacti and succulents; small pieces are added to all-purpose potting soil mixes. Its ability to lighten soil mixtures, its moisture-retaining ability and its slow rate of decomposition make coir an ideal replacement for both perlite and vermiculite.


Composted Materials

Depending on the manufacturer of the indoor potting mix, composted yard wastes, cotton gin wastes, mushroom growing medium or municipal compost are used in both potting soil mixes and to improve soil in garden beds. The moisture-holding ability of composted materials, along with their irregularly sized particles, makes composted materials a viable alternative for both vermiculite and perlite.


References

• University of Arizona Extension: Potting Media for Containers
  

I mix my homemade compost and coco coir 50-50

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by seaeagle

Really starting love Coco coir. I like the texture and it smells so natural almost like dirt.


Coconut Husks

Commonly referred to as “coir,” shredded coconut husks are widely used as additions to potting soil mixes. Larger pieces are used in soil mixes for growing orchids, medium-size pieces are included in soil mixes for growing cacti and succulents; small pieces are added to all-purpose potting soil mixes. Its ability to lighten soil mixtures, its moisture-retaining ability and its slow rate of decomposition make coir an ideal replacement for both perlite and vermiculite.


Composted Materials

Depending on the manufacturer of the indoor potting mix, composted yard wastes, cotton gin wastes, mushroom growing medium or municipal compost are used in both potting soil mixes and to improve soil in garden beds. The moisture-holding ability of composted materials, along with their irregularly sized particles, makes composted materials a viable alternative for both vermiculite and perlite.


References

• University of Arizona Extension: Potting Media for Containers
  

I mix my homemade compost and coco coir 50-50

What do you use in your homemade compost?

I've been using more coir this year also. I buy the brick and rinse it over time until the water run clears. It gets rain, or the hot water from the hose so I'm not wasting any water getting rid of the salts. Some brands I like much better than others.

WonderSoil, then for the cheaper ones: General Hydroponics CocoTek, then Root Organic are my favorites.

The Canna one was loose coir, and really good, but it is a different class and price point.

There were a bunch I didn't like - I will list if anyone is interested.

What are your favorites?