Pro tips for identifying high-quality coco peat

 

Pro tips for identifying high-quality coco peat

"There are different qualities within coco peat. The superior grades have little fiber, low moisture, and low EC to be exported in  markets. Ideally, the cocopeat must have a low EC, low fiber content, and suitable pH to suit the root section."

"We recommend opting for coco peat with a pH of 5.5-6.5. It must have an excellent expansion ratio; anything upwards of 1:15 is best."

Advantages of Cocopeat

• Coco peat increases the potting mix’s porosity. That helps to keep the soil airy and loose, which helps in the better growth of roots.

• If you want to increase the water-holding capacity of your potting mix, choose coco peat. This medium also enhances the soil’s porosity. Hence, the plant does not suffer from under or over-watering.
• The high capacity of cation exchange, water retention, and porosity means that the coco peat quantity essential per plant can be significantly less.
• Coco peat possesses excellent properties, which make it a forgiving medium for hydroponics farming. The high cation exchange capacity of coco peat allows quicker absorption of nutrients.
• You can easily rewet coco peat, unlike peat. Dry coco peat absorbs water quickly and is hydrophilic.
• Unlike other organic media like Rockwool, vermiculite, or perlite, you can compress coco peat to less than one-fifth of its volume. This compressed volume of coco peat reduces handling, storage, and transportation costs.
• One of the most renewable mediums is coco peat. It is withdrawn from coconut husks. It used to be a waste product some years ago, but India’s Coir board has recognized it as a prime item for export.
• Coco peat is rich in natural Trichoderma that acts against damaging pathogens. The beneficial bacteria and fungi get an excellent environment for growth because of coco peat.

Disadvantages of coco peat

• Coco peat contains natural salts. That means only great quality coco peat can be used to make potting mixes. You have to adjust nutrient composition keeping the salts available in coco peat.
• Due to the high percentage of salts, coco peat cannot be used in recycled hydroponics systems. Thus the coco peat’s forgiving nature is offset mainly in the run-off systems.
• High porosity signifies your potting mix cannot support the plant’s weight. This is a common problem with a superior potting mix, but plant supports can rectify it.
• Have you used compressed coco peat? Did you know that you must use all of it within a few months of its production? You heard that right, but you can counter this problem by using freshly compressed coco peat.
• High demand for coco peat has caused poor quality coco peat to be sold in the market. You may even have to pay exorbitant prices for bad coco peat.
• Coco peat may contain soil contaminants. However, many growers today avoid coco peat’s sterilization. They rely on bioagents to fend off pathogenic attacks on the crops.