When you shop for coco coir, you will often find it in dense blocks. When warm water is added to the compressed coco coir, it greatly expands becoming a light, fluffy growing medium. Coco coir is a neutral pH, a fine-grained growing medium that is a perfect choice for microgreen growers.
Coco coir is a renewable resource created from the outer layer of coconut. The fibrous material includes everything from the hard outer shell to the inner shell.
Before the coir is ready for use, it has to be removed from the coconut. The husks are soaked in either seawater or freshwater. After soaking, the coir is removed from the water and allowed to dry for a year or more. After it has been dried, it is ground and processed into the blocks of coco coir sold as a growing medium.
There are two different types of coco coir – brown and white. The different colors have different textures, durability, and uses. Brown coco coir comes from ripe coconuts. This type of coco coir is strong, yet it is much less flexible. White coco coir comes from unripe coconuts. This type of coco coir is not as strong as brown coco coir, yet it is much more flexible. Typically, brown coir is used for growing microgreens.
Coco coir is a soilless growing medium that offers many benefits for microgreen growing. Let's take a look at the top benefits of coco coir.
Many people are confused when they hear that coco coir has improved drainage while retaining the moisture microgreens need. The coco coir fibers are long and create air pockets which helps water drain from the microgreen roots and prevents root rot.
Many seed starting soils compact easily, making it difficult for microgreens to take root. Coco coir is soft, does not compact easily, and is fluffy. This makes it a great choice for tiny microgreen seedlings that are trying to establish healthy roots.
Coconut fibers contain high amounts of lignin, which increases the life expectancy of your coco coir. Coco coir can be reused after you have harvested your microgreens if you remove the roots and then thoroughly rinse your coco coir to remove any excess salts.
Coconut coir is an environmentally friendly growing medium. Because coco coir is created from the husks of coconuts, it is sustainable. Furthermore, what was once considered waste can now be used as a growing medium. Finally, coco coir can be reused as long as it is rinsed so any salts are removed.
The pH of your soil can affect the growth of your microgreens. If the pH is too low or too high, it can reduce crop size and impact your microgreens' health. Coconut coir has a pH level of 5 to 7. Microgreens grow best in growing mediums with a pH of 6 to 7; therefore, coco coir is a great growing medium for your microgreens.
Now that you know the benefits that coco coir offers, it's time to discover the best coco coir for microgreens. Each of these products has unique features that should be explored.
Mother Earth Products Coco + Perlite Growing Medium is a wonderful microgreen growing medium comprised of 70 percent coconut coir and 30 percent perlite. This combination was developed for potted plants; however, it can be used for microgreen gardening.
Created using raw coconut coir, these pellets are a little over 1 inch in diameter. Although small, these discs will provide you with a plethora of light, airy soilless growing medium once water is added. Coco coir pellets are easy to store and provide the perfect growing medium for microgreens.
This organic coco coir brick expands to an amazing 16 quarts of coconut coir when 4.5 quarts of water is added to the brick. The coconut coir is perfect for microgreen root growth and also helps with the absorption of nutrients.
Microgreen growers around the world have embraced coconut coir and declared it as the growing medium of choice for microgreens. This environmentally and ecologically friendly soilless growing medium is affordable.
Because of its ability to hold water while providing excellent drainage, coco coir is the preferred choice of growing medium for microgreen growers looking for a pH neutral, fine-grained growing medium.
