Coconut Coir?

[big rockpile]

Thinking of replacing Peat Moss with Coconut Coir how much before expanded is Coconut Coir compatible to Peat Moss?

Is there a problem I might have?

big rockpile

 

[big rockpile]

I know why I decided against it because of salt. Is this a big issue?

big rockpile

 

[nvidura]

Coconut coir is a great alternative to peat moss! Before it’s expanded, one block of coir (about 5 kg) can expand to roughly the same volume as a large bale of peat moss when you add water.

The main difference is that coir holds water longer, so be careful not to overwater your plants. Also, coir has a neutral pH, unlike peat moss, which is acidic. If your plants love acidic soil, you might need to add something like sulfur to balance it.

 

[big rockpile]

What about salt?

I've been using a soil mix one part Peat Moss and plants really like this mix.

Reuse soil and just mix Compost in. So I will have some with Peat Moss and some with Coconut Coir.

I might add I use some Peat Moss in my Worm bedding.

big rockpile

 

[GFTL]

There's a reason why most garden soil mixes use peat. The only positive I can see to coir is "saving the planet" but from what I can see harvesting peat is NOT causing damage to the ecosystem. Unless you like complicating gardening further I'd stay with peat.

 

[Meadowlark]

What about salt?

It can be (probably likely to be) high in salt. It is most likely sourced from a coastal area. Buffering may be needed not just rinsing if you use it. Buffering enhances the coir's capacity to hold nutrients and reduces potential salt stress on your plants.

I don't use it...too much trouble.

 

[oneeye]

The CEC in coco is higher than peat however coco needs to be flushed more, at least 20% runoff with every watering. Using one-gallon pots is recommended for the best water management. More water, fertilizer, and work when you put coco up against peat. Both are super soil-less substrates that need to be fertilized with every watering using a low ppm or EC.

 

[Charlie 001]

Is there a good alternative to peated compost?

Harvesting peat is highly unsustainable – but gardeners love it. Could we replace it with something better?

www.bbc.com

this article is worth reading

 

[oneeye]

Is there a good alternative to peated compost?

Harvesting peat is highly unsustainable – but gardeners love it. Could we replace it with something better?

www.bbc.com

this article is worth reading

Exciting article friend. Thanks for sharing.

 

[redback]

There's no peat here except expensive imported stuff. Coir is widely used and I never heard of salt problems. I guess it depends on your local suppliers. The Pacific islands provide a good source of coconut fiber. Probably our best substitute for peat is compost. Coir is used as mulch, but it has no fertility other than what is added at the processing stage.

 

[YumYum]

There's no peat here except expensive imported stuff.

Thats funny. I wanted to try my hand at growing in coir but couldn't find any at the stores. They do have a few products with a little coir in them with a mixture of peat. Maybe I could order it online but I usually avoid that if I can just buy it at the store.

 

[oneeye]

Coco is hydrophobic compared to peat. Coco has to be flushed with lots of liquid to keep hydrated and salt buildup-free. For this reason, I prefer Pro-mix Hp peat over coco. Peat needs only one watering every other day whereas coco needs watering a couple times a day. Water is heavy and I don't like moving a lot of it by hand in buckets. Coco growers use 2 to 3 times the amount of water than peat growers use with the same plants. Coco retains salts and has to be flushed with 30% discharge water with every watering. Without discharge, the salts will rise too high and toxicate the plants. That is a lot of wastewater and has to be discarded daily. Most commercial coco growers use drain-to-waste systems that are automatically run with pumps. Coco is a lot of work and a extra expense when compared to peat. Good luck friend and keep us posted.

 

[redback]

Coco is a lot of work and a extra expense when compared to peat. Good luck friend and keep us posted.

We live in different hemispheres friend. None of what you wrote applies here. There are no peat bogs and coir fiber holds heaps of water and air, is cheap and environmental.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

We live in different hemispheres friend. None of what you wrote applies here. There are no peat bogs and coir fiber holds heaps of water and air, is cheap and environmental.

And fairly local? That is worth considering. Moving something a couple of thousand miles so I could amend my soil with it is madness, there is a mushroom farm just down the road that sells used mushroom compost to those who wish to pay for convenience, I go and dig old manure at the back of the stable. From the planet's view it is worth sourcing locally with minimal transport, that should also make it cheaper. Follow the waste, someone is probably processing it and selling it back to you in about three or four months, processing it myself takes a bit longer, but uses much less energy copping it, mixing it, turning it, mostly I do with hand tools, apart from putting some things through the mower.

 

[Meadowlark]

We live in different hemispheres friend. None of what you wrote applies here.

Reminder that the Op is in the Northern Hemisphere, and I find that everything @oneeye wrote on this thread is applicable to the Northern Hemisphere and perfectly matches my own experience here...including the salt buildup potential reference which was spot on again in my experience in the Northern Hemisphere...but I haven't used either Coco or peat for many years, decades, I guess.

It is certainly good to have, and I enjoy reading the views from Southern Hemisphere perspective...and those in the Southern Hemisphere would be wise to temper information offered here by Northern Hemisphere posters. Goes both ways.

It is a unique experience for me to be able to read all views in all locations...makes this Forum special.

When all is said and done, we are all interested in gardening and learning as much as we can about it.