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What is Coco Coir?

Coco coir is made from coconut husks. Once considered trash, these husks are used to make rope, rugs, doormats, brushes, and upholstery stuffing. 

Coconut palms are grown throughout the tropics, and they can be harvested every 45 days, making them an abundant renewable resource. After being soaked, dried, aged, and shredded, the fibers are ready for use in your garden in several ways.

Different Types

There are three types of coco coir:

1. Coir pith, also called “coir peat” or fiber dust: Finely ground-up pieces of coconut husk. It looks and feels just like peat moss and, with a few exceptions, can be used in much the same way in your garden. Hydroponic growers have used it for years by hydroponic growers to support their plants instead of soil.
2. Coir chips: Large chunks of husk often found in potting mixes for bromeliads and orchids. The chips retain water while creating air pockets for the plants’ roots. Coir also makes an excellent mulch.
3. Fiber coir: Made from long strands of coco fiber that can be formed into basket liners and molded into biodegradable pots.

Brown fiber is the type of coir most often seen, especially for horticultural use. It’s made from mature coconuts. The thick fibers that cover the outside of the coconut shell contain high amounts of lignin, making them stronger than other natural fibers such as flax and cotton, but since they have less cellulose, they are not as flexible. 

Benefits

Here are seven (of many) benefits of using coco coir.

1. As repurposed waste from the coconut industry, it is 100% biodegradable.
2. Easier to get wet than peat and holds 30% more moisture.
3. Unlike acidic peat moss, coco coir is pH neutral, so no lime is needed to sweeten the soil it is added to. 
4. It is slow to decompose and is rot-resistant.
5. Most garden pests shun it.
6. It is disease and weed-free.
7. Even though it retains moisture, it drains well, is fluffy, aerates the soil, and doesn’t compact.

How To Use Coco Coir

When shopping for coco coir, it can be found ready-to-use in bags or compressed into bricks that need to be rehydrated before use. Look for chemical-free coir that has been aged, dried, and flushed of salts. Many companies offer OMRI-listed products that are perfect for your organic garden.

To Rehydrate the Bricks

1. Place bricks in a large, wide container and add warm water a little at a time. 
2. As they soak it up, break the bricks apart to expose more of the dry centers until all the water has been absorbed.
3. Eventually, they should expand to about six times their volume. Don’t overdo the water, or you’ll end up with a soupy mess! 
4. Fluff it up, and it’s ready to use.

Coco coir is a great soil conditioner. Dig it into clay soil to improve drainage or in sandy soil to aid moisture retention. 

It’s still a bit more expensive than peat, but a more sustainable, environmentally friendly (and more effective) alternative to peat moss. Give it a try! You may find that this excellent amendment works better and is worth the extra cost.

Coco Coir for Containers

• If you are potting up large containers that constantly dry out, adding coco coir to the potting mix will help retain moisture. The bits of fiber are like little sponges.
• Coco chips hold even more moisture, so add a large handful to the bottom of a container to prevent it from drying out too fast while allowing it to drain properly and not get waterlogged. 

A Great Mulch

Coco chips also make a great mulch, keeping the soil moist and protecting it from the sun’s radiation. Unlike bark mulch, coco chips don’t scatter, so they don’t require reapplication. 

I have seen coco coir being used on a large scale. In my area a local farmer has been growing her tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and basil hydroponically in grow bags filled with coco fiber dust in her high tunnels. She has no problems with disease, the yields are great, and the fruits are delicious!