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If you have some familiarity with hydroponic growing, you know that growing media is used instead of soil.
You have likely heard of one popular type of growing medium called coco coir.
So what exactly is coco coir, and how is it used?
What are the pros and cons of coco coir?
What are the best crops to use coco coir with?
In this article we will cover answers to all of the above, and more!
What is coco coir?
Coco coir is simply the extracted husk fiber of a coconut. When used as a growing medium, coco coir is a suitable substitute for peat moss.
How Is Coco Coir Made?
Coco coir is made by soaking part of a coconut in water for a long period of time. The piece of the coconut that is used is the "husk" or the fibrous middle area. Following the soaking process the husk is dried or "cured" for 6-12 months. This dried husk is then processed, sliced into thin chips or ground into tiny pieces, before it is usable for agricultural purposes.
Pros of Coco Coir:
- Environmentally friendly / sustainable
- Durable and sometimes even reusable
- Allows for growing medium pH range of 5.5 - 6.5 pH
- Holds about 1,000x more air then soil per unit volume
Cons of Coco Coir:
- May need to be blended with a different grow media to get the best grow results
- Can have contaminants if not from reputable source
- Can be slightly too acidic for some types of plants outside the 5.5 - 6.5 pH range
- Can interfere with nitrogen update in plants
Crops Associated with Coco Coir:
Mushrooms are often associated with coco coir, more than other types of crops.
Interested to know more about Coco coir, other growing media, and hydoponics?
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