The coir as a substitute of the earth |

May 7

The coir as a substitute for land

When you are dealing with a growing domestic use of the soil can often be cumbersome and impractical. In this article we consider the use of another substrate as a valid alternative: the coconut fiber.

The use of land indoor has a number of possible disadvantages compared to the use of coconut fiber.
The land contamination: dirty house, hands, tools, water drainage, blood vessels.
The indoor floor may be sensitive to mold and be a receptacle of insects, from ants to flies seek shelter within many of our vessels. Unless it takes action a soil "top" of exceptional quality, will very likely that inside there are eggs of insects, or fungal pathogens of the root rot or mildew if not.

The earth weighs, and move the pots after watering becomes problematic.
All this without taking into account the many strengths of the soil for indoor cultivation, but simply pointing out the flaws that are evident with respect to the use of coconut fiber as substrate.

The coconut fiber as being in fact the name itself is not fibrous and dusty not dirty as the ground and your hands, tools, pots, and so the area of cultivation will be much easier to keep clean. The coconut fibers being composed of inert, is much less susceptible to mold growth and attract fewer insects.

Degrade very slowly and are therefore less likely cases of rot.
The coconut is much lighter than soil, facilitating the movement of vessels at any time. This same feature will also promote its exceptional root development, because the roots will expand and you will fight their way into coconut fiber much faster than in soil. And this fact should not be underestimated as a faster and better rooting vegetative growth will favor an explosive, fast rooting clones and produce more flowers / fruits.
Besides coconut fiber can be reused two or three times, just free it from the old roots and rinse with a solution adjusted to pH.

The coconut, because of its specific features can also be used in hydroponic systems, once taken the necessary precautions to prevent the fibers going to clog pipes and filters will be appropriate to develop a mechanism to prevent the vessel from fibers pass to the tank. The coconut can be irrigated by an automatic drip or flow so as to be watered manually as it does with the soil, irrigation, however, should be more frequent than would be needed than for the country because of the coconut fiber tends to dry out more quickly.

Not every cloud has a silver lining as a more assiduous irrigation provides for a more regular rinsing of the root system and a continuous supply of nutrients "fresh" (it almost completely prevents the salification of many substances in the blood vessels and of the substrate).
The nutrient solution for plants grown in coconut fiber should always be administered to a Ph level between 5.8 to 6.2. Exist in trade various types of fertilizer specific for use in coconut fiber, most bicomponent, some single-component, and all riporttano a level of Ph recommended to which administer the nutrient solution.

The coconut is sold in bags is already crumbled and hydrated or dried and compressed into cakes.
To use a coconut cake you will get wet and crumble as shown in the photo sequence. Better if the water used to hydrate the coconut add a bit of mycorrhizae type Trichoderma and maybe a root stimulator. Obviously the water will have to be Ph adjusted.

In our example, a plant of African pepper "Piri-piri" is transferred to a hydroponic system with coconut. And 'a shock less than the transplanting from hydroponics to loam soil, both for the greater ease for the root system to expand both for the greater frequency of irrigations. The coconut in practice can be considered a middle ground between the two methods of cultivation, is very versatile in that sense.

It could be also considered as a valid approach to an automated or semi-automated irrigation system for those who can not bring himself to abandon forever the watering by hand but it does begin to become familiar with the adjustment of pH, dosage of fertilizers and the need for watering.
The home grower has in coconut fiber a viable alternative to the soil, and given the limited amount of that is certainly worth a try.