HYDROPONICS GROWING MEDIA:
Coco Coir

Coco Coir...

 

Coconut coir is produced from the brown husk that surrounds the coconut shell. It is composed of millions of tiny micro-sponges, which absorb and hold up to eight times their weight in water. It is a sturdy substance, lasting three times as long as peat moss. Coco is a great addition to the hydroponics arsenal!

Coconut coir is sold in small compressed bricks which expand 6 to 8 times in volume when you add water; one brick expands to 1/3 of a cubic foot as shown here:


                           
            This is just one brick reconstituted with a gallon of water.



Coconut coir is also called Palm peat, coco, or just coir. Some brand names are: Ultrapeat, Cocopeat, and Coco-tek.

Here is a good cheap source for these bricks:
 

                            Coco Tek Organic Coir Bricks

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• Advantages: Superior water retention and aeration, overall a great hydroponic medium.
   
• Disadvantages: Breaks down after several uses; doesn't drain quite as well as others. For this reason, it is often mixed with other media to improve drainage.

You can mix coconut coir 50-50 with perlite to improve drainage, or put a layer of perlite on the bottom of the growing bed before adding the coconut medium.



                           
                            This is coco mixed 50/50 with perlite.
                A super all-around potting mix for your hydroponic garden.



Coco-Coir is good for: drip systems, dutch buckets and auto pots. Not as good for ebb and flow, as it can be washed away. I put LECA balls in the bottom of my E&F pots to prevent this. Works great.

 

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