Up until a few decades, the husks of the coconut were considered to be nothing but waste. After the coconut was shelled it, the husk outside in which it grew was thrown away; discarded and forgotten.
Somewhere in the late 80’s, it was discovered that the discarded husk had several redeeming qualities after all and could be used to produce several by-products which then could be used in various manners. One such by-product is ‘Coco Peat’.
Cocopeat is a multi-purpose growing medium that is made out of the fibers of coconut husk. The process of making it starts with soaking the husk in water (lagoons are used in most places for this purpose) for 3 to 6 months. This softens the husk greatly. It is then dried, either under natural sunlight or through the machine and sieved to make sure that all the contaminants such as various animal and plant residue are separated. The next process is composting. This step is extremely important as it increases the longevity of the peat. A premium quality peat can be reused for up to 4 years. Lastly, it is again sieved to separate the peat from the long fiber and the dust.
As it is a natural fiber, coco peat is a porous and well-drained medium which is used as a sowing medium to sow the seeds of various vegetables and flowers. Its physical and biochemical properties make it highly resistant to bacteria and fungus. It has a ph of 5.2 to 6.8 (acidic) which makes it ideal to be mixed with alkaline soil. A premium quality coco peat can be used for up to 4 years. Its ability to retain moisture makes it unique and extremely fertile. Another important property is its ability to oxygenate properly. It ensures the healthy and strong growth of the root system of the plant. According to several experts, coco peat is a healthy alternative to peat moss.
One of the most popular products of cocopeat is Grow Bags. But, exactly is it? Simply speaking, Grow Bags are slabs of compressed coco coir which comes wrapped in a polyethylene bag.
Coco coir briquettes are basically compressed form of coco peat. When you add the required amount of water to it (as per the given instruction), it expands.
