Banshee

I was just woundering if anyone have tried this coconut coir growing media stuff. And if so did it work good, what are the ups and downs of it.

thanks much
Banshee

OzGrowa

Coir is an alright medium to grow in but you have to be aware of a few things with it, firstly it has a tendency to go real alkaline so watching the PH is a must. Secondly it has some problems with water retention/repulsion, if the stuff gets too dry it can be a real ***** to re-hydrate.

Other than this is a great idea, you need to use Humic and Fulvic acids with coir for the maximum nutrient uptake but these are easily obtained, after each crop you can just dump the remains on the garden as it will readily decompose.


latz,
OzGrowa


PS Check out http://www.canna.com for some neat ideas for growing in Coir and some good advice.

kamikaze fly

Coconut coir has worked great for me. It holds a higher percentage of oxygen than rockwool so it's impossible to overwater (unless the medium is submerged) and I find the Ph is just fine at about 5.8-6.4. I use it for my orchids that require an acidic mix so growing my pot in it makes sense. I guess you have to find the right brand. Some of the cheaper rockwool has alot of salts in it. My plants have grown great in it with hydo fertilizers and I just switched back the lights after six weeks of growth so I guess we'll see.

Banshee

how do you use it cause it look like dirt now. It was dry when i got it so i let it sit in water for a bit and now it crumbily and looks more like dirt then anything what i would use in a hydro set up. also this is my first try at this coconut stuff.

Banshee

OzGrowa

Banshee: you use it like any media, just put it into pots and plant straight into it, make sure you give it a good flush as often it has high Sodium levels as they harvest the coconuts in Sri Lanka near the ocean.

When poting with it dont squeeze it to much as you want high oxygenation in it, keep it hydrated also.

latz,
OzGrowa

earth girl

I've been using coir for almost a year. I especially like it as a cloning medium. It gave me my first 100% success rate. After abit of experimentation, I have settled on a medium of coir, expanded clay pellets, and wormcastings. It seems to be much easier to manage the watering as opposed to potting soil.Just be sure it is horticultural coir which has a pH around 6, or it could have a high salt content.