Coco Coir - Example Blog

In the world of plant care, there are countless small items that can be used to maintain and nurture flowers and plants. Just the various soil substrates we use daily are enough to keep many plant enthusiasts busy for a long time.

For example, there’s humus soil, pine needle soil, sandy soil, garden soil, clay pellets, and so on. Some plant lovers even prefer a substrate that looks quite unusual—it looks like a red brick when you first buy it, but you can only use it after breaking it apart.

This rather peculiar substrate is called coconut coir. Although it may look ordinary, much like nutrient soil, there are actually many important points to consider when using it.

So today, let me explain a bit more about it~

The first thing to discuss when it comes to using coconut coir is its main advantages:

The coconut coir bricks we usually buy might seem small, but they can produce a lot of usable substrate. Plus, compared to nutrient soil and other options, it's relatively inexpensive.

It's also very convenient to purchase and store—each brick is compact and easy to keep at home. When you need to use it, just break off a piece, loosen it with your hands, and it's ready to go.

Additionally, due to temperature and climate factors, the water evaporation rate for the plants we care for at home is quite high. If you mix some coconut coir into the soil, it can provide excellent water retention, allowing the plant's roots to grow better and making the entire plant more robust.

Another benefit is that it serves as a great substitute if you don't have much soil but still want to plant flowers. You can mix coconut coir with garden soil to create a suitable planting medium.

However, before using it, there’s one crucial thing to keep in mind, and that is the salt content in coconut coir. As many people know, coconut coir is made from coconut husks. Due to production costs and material sourcing, it’s often processed near the coast, which means it can contain a lot of salt. Even though it is washed during production, some salt may still remain. A plant enthusiast once measured the salt content of coconut coir at various stages.

When you first open it, the salt content is quite high. If you use this substrate directly to plant flowers, the salt will gradually leach out when you water the plants, seeping into the soil. This can lead to soil compaction and damage to the plant's roots.

Therefore, before using coconut coir, it's essential to soak and wash it in water at least three times. Only after that should you use it for planting.

If you skip the washing process and use it directly, it can easily harm your plants, which defeats the purpose of using it to promote healthy growth. If it ends up hurting your plants, it’s not worth it.

Even after washing, I don’t recommend using pure coconut coir for plant care because the entire potting mix would be too light and loose, which isn't good for stabilizing the plant and supporting root growth.

If the roots grow in a space that's too airy, it can lead to "air roots" or cause the plant to have yellow or withered leaves. Therefore, when using coconut coir for planting, try to mix in some sandy soil or humus soil. This will not only add some nutrients and improve the drainage of the potting mix but also ensure better contact between the substrate and the roots.

Have you used coconut coir before? Do you have any tips for using it? Share them with everyone in the comments below!