Square Foot Gardening Forum
[table bgcolor=#000000 height=275][tr][td]
peat moss -v- coconut Toplef10peat moss -v- coconut 1zd3ho10

Hello Guest!
Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum.
There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.

peat moss -v- coconut I22gcj10peat moss -v- coconut 14dhcg10

[/td][/tr][/table]

Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Square Foot Gardening Forum
[table bgcolor=#000000 height=275][tr][td]
peat moss -v- coconut Toplef10peat moss -v- coconut 1zd3ho10

Hello Guest!
Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum.
There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.

peat moss -v- coconut I22gcj10peat moss -v- coconut 14dhcg10

[/td][/tr][/table]
Square Foot Gardening Forum
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
Search
 
 

Display results as :
 

 


Rechercher Advanced Search

Latest topics
» N & C Midwest: Nov. Dec. 2024
by OhioGardener Yesterday at 4:08 pm

» Catalog season has begun!
by cyclonegardener Yesterday at 9:12 am

» Happy Birthday!!
by Scorpio Rising 11/25/2024, 7:21 am

» Butterbaby Hybrid Squash (Butternut)
by Scorpio Rising 11/24/2024, 8:19 pm

» Indoor Lighting for Kitchen Herbs & Lettuce
by OhioGardener 11/22/2024, 6:58 pm

» Interesting Marketing for Compost
by OhioGardener 11/21/2024, 7:29 pm

» How does green turn to brown?
by OhioGardener 11/21/2024, 4:58 pm

» Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse
by OhioGardener 11/21/2024, 12:16 pm

» Tree roots, yeeessss.....
by sanderson 11/20/2024, 2:21 am

» The SFG Journey-Biowash
by has55 11/19/2024, 7:37 pm

» What are you eating from your garden today?
by OhioGardener 11/19/2024, 8:27 am

» Cooked worms?
by KiwiSFGnewbie 11/19/2024, 1:04 am

» New SFG gardener in Auckland
by KiwiSFGnewbie 11/16/2024, 11:25 pm

» Kiwi's SFG Adventure
by KiwiSFGnewbie 11/12/2024, 7:10 pm

» Thanksgiving Cactus
by OhioGardener 11/12/2024, 5:40 pm

» Need Garden Layout Feedback
by markqz 11/9/2024, 9:16 pm

» Thai Basil
by Scorpio Rising 11/8/2024, 8:52 pm

» How best to keep a fallow SFG bed
by KiwiSFGnewbie 11/8/2024, 8:11 pm

» Preserving A Bumper Tomato Harvest with Freezing vs Canning
by plantoid 11/7/2024, 11:36 am

» Mark's first SFG
by sanderson 11/6/2024, 11:51 pm

» What Have You Picked From Your Garden Today
by OhioGardener 11/5/2024, 2:29 pm

» Greetings from Southeastern Wisconsin
by sanderson 11/5/2024, 2:01 pm

» Spinning Compost Bin-need some ideas
by rtfm 11/2/2024, 7:49 pm

» Growing fruit trees in Auckland
by OhioGardener 10/31/2024, 4:23 pm

» Vermiculite -- shipping sale through 10/31/2024
by markqz 10/30/2024, 2:27 pm

» N & C Midwest: October 2024
by Scorpio Rising 10/30/2024, 10:38 am

» Old Mulch and Closing Beds for Winter
by sanderson 10/26/2024, 11:00 pm

» Hello from Land of Umpqua, Oregon Zone 8b
by sanderson 10/25/2024, 3:14 pm

» Hello everyone!
by SFGHQSTAFF 10/24/2024, 3:22 pm

» Senior Gardeners
by sanderson 10/23/2024, 6:09 pm

Google

Search SFG Forum

peat moss -v- coconut

+3
Retired Member 1
WardinWake
S. Smith
7 posters

Go down

peat moss -v- coconut Empty peat moss -v- coconut

Post  S. Smith 3/7/2010, 5:22 pm

While shopping for container gardenting last spring I found compact bails of coconut shreddings. It is advertised as being a good substitute for peat moss, because it is a renewable resource. As I recall it also costs less. Has anyone tried it? It seems to have the same qualities for gardening as the peat moss. Maybe just not as acidic, not sure I would use it for blueberries.
avatar
S. Smith

Posts : 4
Join date : 2010-03-07

Back to top Go down

peat moss -v- coconut Empty Peat vs. Coco

Post  WardinWake 3/7/2010, 7:29 pm

Howdy S. Smith:

In England using peat moss is not considered "cool" as the peat bogs were not managed properly and have declined and coconut husk is used as a substitute. I have not heard wheather the husk is considered to be equal, better than, or not as good as peat moss. Maybe someone there can help answer the question.

God Bless, Ward.
WardinWake
WardinWake

Certified SFG Instructor

Male Posts : 934
Join date : 2010-02-26
Age : 74
Location : Wake, VA

Back to top Go down

peat moss -v- coconut Empty Re: peat moss -v- coconut

Post  Retired Member 1 3/7/2010, 8:02 pm

This is from the Planet Natural site:

Properties
Coco coir is a proven best alternative to any growing media. Its use as a growing medium outperforms any other medium used for growing vegetables, ornamentals and tree plants. Its soft structure promotes easy root penetration and healthy growth. Coco coir is 100% environmentally friendly. It is a renewable resource that is consistent in quality. Coco coir has the best physical and chemical properties to promote better plant growth.

• Coco has high water-holding capacity. It can hold water up to eight times of its weight and release it over a period of time.
• Coco has ideal pH in the range of 6-6.7
• It has excellent drainage and air porosity for better plant growth
• Coco is very low in EC and carries mostly potassium salts, which is an essential major plant nutrient
• Cation exchange capacity is very good
• Coco coir has some anti-fungal properties that help plants to get rid of soil borne diseases. It inhibits pathogens like Pithium
• Coco is very easy to re-hydrate after being dehydrated
• It is a biodegradable source that degrades very slowly and has a life of three to four years
• Contains significant amounts of phosphorous (10-50ppm) and potassium (150-450 ppm)

As mentioned above Coco coir is not just a natural product with very good properties for plant growth - it also has some winning advantages over other growing mediums.

Advantages of Coco Coir
• It is a 100% renewable resource
• Coco coir is light in weight
• It is consistent in high quality
• Coco coir is completely environmentally friendly
• The top of the product layer in grow bags/pots always remain dry, leaving behind no chances of fungal growth
• Coco coir never shrinks, cracks or produces crust
• It promotes better root systems in a short time
• Coco coir is odorless, pleasant to handle, and uniform in composition

I also found a peat/ coconut comparison at this site: http://www.usu.edu/cpl/PDF/CoconutCoirPaper.pdf

Hope this helps.
avatar
Retired Member 1

Female Posts : 904
Join date : 2010-03-03
Location : USA

Back to top Go down

peat moss -v- coconut Empty Re: peat moss -v- coconut

Post  SirTravers 3/7/2010, 8:24 pm

I'd think if you could get it in bulk at a reasonable price coir would be a great option. I'm growing some strawberries in a hanging basket full of the stuff. I haven't had a need to water it in over a week as it's still damp and the plants look very happy. Must be some good stuff.
avatar
SirTravers

Male Posts : 327
Join date : 2010-03-01
Age : 51
Location : Hobbs New MExico, Zone 7A/7B

Back to top Go down

peat moss -v- coconut Empty Re: peat moss -v- coconut

Post  S. Smith 3/8/2010, 9:33 pm

http://www.usu.edu/cpl/PDF/CoconutCoirPaper.pdf

This article is worth the read. I found it very enlightening. It has pictures of the studies done. I think I will go with the peat moss. It seems that if you use the coconut you might still need to add things like calcium to the soil. Mel's mix should be fine by it's self, who wants to keep amending the soil. The article also mentined that the worlds peat moss suply is not going to get scarce any time soon.

Thanks so much for your help and advice. I can hardly wait to get started!
avatar
S. Smith

Posts : 4
Join date : 2010-03-07

Back to top Go down

peat moss -v- coconut Empty Re: peat moss -v- coconut

Post  Amy in Idaho 3/31/2010, 2:02 am

I am happy someone asked this. I was thinking about using Coconut Coir but now I changed my mind. That article answered all my questions. Obviously the plants did so much better in Peat than Coir. It saddens me though that there isn't a renewable alternative.
Amy in Idaho
Amy in Idaho

Female Posts : 53
Join date : 2010-03-26
Age : 45
Location : South East Idaho (Zone 4a/4b)

Back to top Go down

peat moss -v- coconut Empty Re: peat moss -v- coconut

Post  Lavender Debs 3/31/2010, 10:19 am

Amy in Idaho wrote:snip ....It saddens me though that there isn't a renewable alternative.


There has to be one Amy, we just haven't figured out what it is yet. What are they using in Europe? I think about this often. It is the number one reason to compost and work on soil in some corner of the garden. There are places that have no soil to speak of and others that are crazy blessed.

A kayak paddle across the bay from me (or a ferry ride) is the island my dad grew up on. Sweet black soil being pushed aside and pounded into hard-pan for housing BUT it is rich and black and grew amazing food and flowers for my grandparents. Places like Whidbey Island are natural places for gardening in loam. There are places in Canada and the US that do not have much in the way of healthy loam, shallow topsoil, people with artificially bad soil because of what modern construction and agribusiness does to topsoil, we need peat today AND research by those who love the process rather than the profit (ie I DO NOT want a Monsanto type company to make soil root anchors for me) We will find it, we have to.

Until then we have a limited amount of peat (though it can be nature made, the carpet of logs on Spirit Lake at Mount St. Helens has made a modern peat bog on the lake floor but it took a disaster plus a few years of the log mat grinding and moving about the lake plus the lake will need to drain away) and need to use it with respect.

Deborah ….where did that come from?
Lavender Debs
Lavender Debs

Posts : 2050
Join date : 2010-03-03
Age : 67
Location : Everett, WA USA

http://songs-of-coming-rain.blogspot.com/

Back to top Go down

peat moss -v- coconut Empty Re: peat moss -v- coconut

Post  chocolatepop 3/31/2010, 10:44 am

This is really nice to know. I wonder how plants did with less coir content? I thinking experiment in one of my containers...
chocolatepop
chocolatepop

Female Posts : 768
Join date : 2010-03-11
Age : 45
Location : Flint Area, Michigan (zone 5a-5b)

http://chocolatepopsurbangarden.wordpress.com/

Back to top Go down

peat moss -v- coconut Empty Re: peat moss -v- coconut

Post  Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum