Coco fiber is quite a popular growing medium nowadays. And it is for good reasons. Want to know what are the benefits of coco fiber for plants? Read on, then. Below, we tell you about the growing medium briefly, its awesome benefits, and things to consider before using it.
Coco Fiber in Brief
Technically, the term “coco fiber” refers to a type of coconut coir that looks like strings. However, many hobbyists also use the term to refer to coco coir in general.
Coco coir is made from the part between a coconut’s seed external coating and its shell. To turn the coir into a growing medium, it is removed from the coconut. To do so, it must be soaked in water.
After the water bath and removal, the coir is then dried. The drying process can take over a year. Once it is finished, the coir is then organized into bales, processed into different formats, and finally packed.
There are three types of coco coir: coco fiber, coco peat, and coco chips.
- Coco fiber is the string-like type of coco coir. It adds air pockets to a growing medium.
- Coco peat is the finely-ground-looking coco coir. It absorbs water and nutrients very well.
- Coco chips are the hybrid between the fiber and peat. It can add air pockets and has good absorbing properties.
Benefits of Coco Fiber for Plants
Coco fiber has many benefits. Such as
- Good transition from soil gardening
If you ever grow plans in soil, transitioning to growing in coco fiber won’t be difficult. Why? Because the two media have similar looks. Indeed. A hydroponic can look very similar to a soil garden.
What makes a hydroponic garden with coco fiber different from a soil garden is watering. That is, to water the hydroponic garden you will need more than just water. It needs to be nutrient-enriched water.
- Provides a good environment
Another benefit of coco fiber for plants is that it provides a good environment for plants to thrive. Firstly, it is very absorbent, capable of absorbing up to ten times its weight in water. Secondly, it has room for roots to work through. This promotes healthy root development.
- Environmentally safe
Coco fiber is environmentally safe. It is a natural, renewable resource. Plus, it breaks down over time and can be repurposed, too.
- A good starting point to grow hydroponically
New to hydroponic gardening? Coco fiber is a good starting point.
Things to Consider
Although there are various benefits of coco fiber for plants, it is not without flaws. Here are some of the downsides of the growing medium.
- It is inert
Coco fiber is an inert growing medium. Meaning, it doesn’t have any nutrient content on its own. Yes, it has a similar look to soil, but it is not one. Because of this, you will need to not just add nutrients but also control the pH level.
- It needs rehydration
One of the most important things to keep in mind when using coco fiber is that it needs rehydration. You can’t use the growing medium out of the box. You must rehydrate it first.
- It may need additional supplementation
When using coco fiber, it can be easy to find your plants lacking magnesium and calcium. This means you will need to add supplementation from time to time so your plants can thrive.
- Coco fiber mixes can be expensive
Coco fiber mixes working with the medium much easier. The thing is, they can be expensive. The good news is, you can always opt to make your own mix.
Now that you know the benefits of coco fiber for plants and things to consider, you should know what to expect from it. Interested in trying the growing medium? We can help with that. Buy coco fiber and other coconut products here.