Growing Vegetables in Coco Coir. Whether you cultivate for pleasure or profit, you want to get the most out of your seeds. Growing veggies in coconut coir rather than a peat mixture or other potting mixes are one of the most recent and inventive gardening innovations. There are numerous advantages to sowing seeds in coco coir to grow vegetables in your garden, including the fact that it is renewable and eco-friendly.
What is Coco Coir?
The interior fibre of a coconut’s thick husk is used to make coco coir. It is a byproduct of coconut harvesting for food and fibre, and it is relatively cheap. One of the benefits of coco coir is that it is environmentally benign, biodegradable, and easily renewable. Each coconut tree produces between 50 and 200 coconuts per year, so even after the fruit has been plucked, more grows.
Growing Vegetables in Coco Coir
1. Getting Started
Coco coir for planting is available in a variety of formats, including compact blocks. These little, compressed blocks are easy to transport and store, and they take up little space if you wish to start your planting indoors. To begin, unwrap the blocks and place them in a large bucket. Follow the instructions on the package to add the appropriate amount of water, then set it aside for a few minutes. Remember that coco can absorb up to five times its volume in water, so pour it in slowly. When the blocks absorb water, they begin to disintegrate and fall apart. Then, using your hands, combine everything. Fill your pots or starting trays with the mix, then plant the vegetable seeds at the appropriate depth.
2. Using Coco Coir Growing Vegetables
You can use 100% coco coir or blend it with your favourite potting soil or potting mix for your soil. If you wish to produce your own seed starting mix for little seeds, fine pith coco coir is preferable. You don’t need to water your seeds as much as you would with conventional soil because coco can hold so much water. The water drains well as well, so even though your soil feels dry on the surface, an inch beneath can be very damp. Water no more than every two days, and keep a close eye on the amount of water you use.
