What is Coco Coir, and how can it help your garden?

Coconut Coir is something that's popped up in more and more organic gardening conversations in recent years. It's also a popular growing medium for hydroponic gardening. But what is it, and how can it help your garden grow?

The folks at Epic Gardening have a fantastic write-up on coconut coir, from its origins to all of the great benefits of using it.​

First, we need to understand what coconut coir actually is.

In the past, when coconuts were harvested for their delicious meat and juice, the coconut husk was considered a waste product. All of the material from the husk to the inner shell of the coconut was a discard product…until people realized it had many applications in gardening and home products.

Everything in between the shell and the outer coating of the coconut seed is considered coco coir. 

How is coco coir made?
To get coconut coir ready for hydroponic and gardening uses, it needs to go through extensive processing.

First, they need to remove the coir from the coconuts. This is done by soaking the husks in water to loosen and soften them. This is either done in tidal waters or freshwater. If done in tidal waters, the coconut coir will take up a large amount of salt, which will need to be flushed out by the manufacturer at a later stage.

Then, they’re removed from the water bath and dried for over a year. After the drying process, which is quite extensive, the coir is organized into bales.

Benefits of Coco Coir
Retains moisture and provides a good environment: Coco coir is one of the most effective growing media for water retention out there. It can absorb up to 10x its weight in water, meaning the roots of your plants will never get dehydrated. There’s also a lot of growing media for roots to work through, promoting healthy root development.

​Environmentally safe: Although I am a fan of using sphagnum peat moss in the garden, there’s no denying the environmental concerns that peat moss poses. Coconut coir doesn’t have the same problems. It can be used more than once unlike peat moss, which breaks down over time. It’s also a repurposed waste product from a renewable resource, unlike the peat bogs where we get our peat moss.
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Insect-neutral: Most garden pests do not enjoy settling in coconut coir, making it yet another line of defense in your integrated pest management system for your garden.

So when it comes to adding coco coir to your garden soil, how much should you use? For starting pots and raised beds, we'd recommend a 1/3 - 1/3 - 1/3 mix of screened topsoil, compost and coco coir. Basically, equal parts of soil, compost (either vermicompost or traditional compost) and coir. This will give your soil a great foundation for holding moisture as well as nutrients, while remaining light enough for air and roots to move freely.

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