The advantages of Coco Peat

Excellent Air Porosity
Coco peat maintains excellent air porosity even when saturated. This aids faster development of roots and more flower and fruit production per plant. Coco peat has been found to hasten growth of the plants.

Excellent Water Retention
Coco peat has better water retention qualities then peat and other growing media. This has obvious advantages in dry climates or at times when plants cannot be watered frequently, such as the transit time to market.

Quick Re- absorption of Water From Dry State
Coco peat absorbs moisture immediately, even from a dry state, unlike Sphagnum peat, which tends to shrink and form a crust, when dry. This causes water run-off from the top surface. The gap Between the inside edge of the flowerpot and the peat also suffers water loss. Thus, plants growing in coco peat tend to recover quicker from dry conditions.

Irrigation Efficiency
The ease of re-wetting and the quick drainage characteristics of coco peat means that coco peat needs to be irrigated less frequently and for Shorter periods. This leads to reduced leaching losses of nutrients and Lower water use.

Faster Germination Times and Quicker Seedling Rotations
The inherent qualities of coco peat  and the optimum water/air availability are ideal for quick rooting and propagation. In many Cases, his leads to more seedling rotations per year and more Efficient use of greenhouse equipment.

Eco friendly alternative
In its unprocessed state, coco peat is a waste product in its country of Origin. Its use therefore, does not involve the destruction of peat bogs and natural wetland wildlife habitat. It is a renewable resource with no hazardous disposal problems (unlike some alternatives such as rock wool).

Coco peat is transported in a compressed, compact state unlike Sphagnum peat. Having carefully researched the question, Ecots is quite satisfied that the fuel consumption associated with the transport of coco peat from Asia is probably lesser that than production and transport of peat moss and rock – wool.

Slower degradation
Coco peat has a lignin content of around 45% that ensures that an Excellent water/air ratio is maintained over a longer period of time. Thus, for example, good performance is maintained over the commercial life of a rose plant that may be over 5 years.

Free from Soil Diseases
Since coco peat originates above ground, it does not contain any soil diseases. In fact several studies indicate that coco peat substrate brings increased resistance to root diseases.

The Production Process
In the coconut fibre industry, the coco peat is unused and becomes a By-Product of the fibre factory Process. Depending upon many factors Including the local climate, the soaking method and the particular Processes used in the coir fibre factory, Coco peat may be suitable for Horticulture use.

The quality of coco peat depends on the uniform low salt levels it contains, as it is a critical factor for plant growth. Most producers and buyers of coco peat find it difficult to maintain uniform low levels of salt because the plant’s prolonged  exposure to rain, gradually Depletes the salt content. Thus, often, soil makers and growers land Up with coco peat of varying salt levels and this could cost their customers/ growers the entire crop for the season.

Usually, quality producers wash their coco peat to reduce the unwanted salts, before the peat dries to less than 20% moisture. The coco peat is then compressed into compact layers and shipped. Compression will vary according to customer’s requirements but will Usually be between 4:1 to 8:1.coco peat can be transported in the form of grow-bags, small 650-gram briquettes or larger 5 kg blocks.

Usage Method of Compressed Coco peat
The coco peat blocks, when drenched with water, reconstitutes 4 to 8 times its original compressed volume and is ready to use as a Wonder full growing medium.