http://www.durgan.org/URL/?TQJJD 3 May 2012 Coconut coir (Beats Peat Brand)
This is the fibre from the hulls of coconuts which are abundant in many parts of the world. It is a totally renewable resource. It is used as a replacement for peat moss. Coconut Noir has as pH of 7 (neutral), excellent water retention properties, and has some body or long fibres, hence aeration properties. It is sold in compressed bricks, which is activated by placing in water for about 30 minutes, and the usual package (four bricks) expands to 3 cubic feet of product. My application is as an addition to my home made potting soil. http://www.durgan.org/URL/?PLAMH The present sphagnum peat moss sold is a powder due to the current processing (slurry dried). It use to have some fibre but this is no longer the case.I consider it useless for gardening operations.
Coconut Noir (Beats Peat Brand)
Re: Coconut Noir (Beats Peat Brand)
I know we should all be rejecting peat,but is coir such a good substitute? Sure it's an otherwise unused bi-product,but it's travelled from Sri Lanka!
It's got to be feasible to put a JI type compost together using leafmould instead of peat...and it's only the likes of us who will do it,Gardening programs/garden centres et al won't be interested,too many vested interests.
It's got to be feasible to put a JI type compost together using leafmould instead of peat...and it's only the likes of us who will do it,Gardening programs/garden centres et al won't be interested,too many vested interests.
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The Riff-Raff Element
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Re: Coconut Noir (Beats Peat Brand)
Funny thing - and perhaps it's just me being unobservant - but I don't think I've ever seen peat or coconut blocks like these for sale in France. What we do have at municipal dumps is large bays full of compost that has been made from all the garden and communal clippings. The quality is not assured, but we can take it away gratis. By the trailer load, if we like.
Re: Coconut Noir (Beats Peat Brand)
I picked this off another forum.
To clear a couple things up:
Coir is not neutral. The last pallet I got came in around pH 5.8
One has to be careful about the supplier. I always get mine from an inland source in Sri Lanka - some have eC measurements above 1.5 mS from being around salt water as it dries.
Peat: Most of it is mechanically dried now. This pushes the natural oils/waxes to the surface of the fiber. These oils/waxes are hydrophobic. That's why when a pot filled with a peat-based mix dries out, it doesn't absorb water regularly - all those oils/waxes are on the outside rather than evenly distributed throughout the fibers. There are still a few suppliers of peat (mostly blond peats from the PNW) that are naturally (usually sun) dried. These re-wet just like coir.
Nonetheless, I tend to always use coir since it is less acidic and coir is much more environmentally friendly in a renewable sense. However, it's probably not the most sustainable thing to ship it from halfway around the world....
Don't get me wrong, I prefer using coir over peat.
To clear a couple things up:
Coir is not neutral. The last pallet I got came in around pH 5.8
One has to be careful about the supplier. I always get mine from an inland source in Sri Lanka - some have eC measurements above 1.5 mS from being around salt water as it dries.
Peat: Most of it is mechanically dried now. This pushes the natural oils/waxes to the surface of the fiber. These oils/waxes are hydrophobic. That's why when a pot filled with a peat-based mix dries out, it doesn't absorb water regularly - all those oils/waxes are on the outside rather than evenly distributed throughout the fibers. There are still a few suppliers of peat (mostly blond peats from the PNW) that are naturally (usually sun) dried. These re-wet just like coir.
Nonetheless, I tend to always use coir since it is less acidic and coir is much more environmentally friendly in a renewable sense. However, it's probably not the most sustainable thing to ship it from halfway around the world....
Don't get me wrong, I prefer using coir over peat.
Re: Coconut Noir (Beats Peat Brand)
The Riff-Raff Element wrote:Funny thing - and perhaps it's just me being unobservant - but I don't think I've ever seen peat or coconut blocks like these for sale in France. What we do have at municipal dumps is large bays full of compost that has been made from all the garden and communal clippings. The quality is not assured, but we can take it away gratis. By the trailer load, if we like.
Ditto round here Jon,but it's bagged (bloody H&S I suspect ) runs about £2. I often get some while Mrs OJ is down the recycling place saving the planet single-handed.I use it for top dressing,never had the nerve to use it in a JI compost mix,maybe I should.