This is a collaborative post in partnership with Coco & Coir
It’s official: my seedlings have now taken over the house. The windowsills are crammed, and my utility room would be better described as a greenhouse. But it’s all part of the fun of gardening in my opinion!
I’m always on the lookout for products that can help me to garden as sustainably as possible. This spring I’ve been using Coco Boost from Coco & Coir’s range of eco friendly compost to grow my seeds.
What is coco coir?
Coco coir (also known as coconut coir and coco peat) is an alternative growing medium to traditional compost. It’s made from coconut husks, and is a much more eco-friendly option than peat-based compost. As you’re probably aware, the harvesting of peat from natural peat bogs has a negative impact on the environment as a whole, as well as the local ecosystems. In contrast, coco coir is a renewable resource, and a natural by-product of the coconut farming industry. The production of coco coir also reduces the amount of waste going to landfill.
The benefits of using coco coir brick
As well as giving you an easy way to garden more sustainably, coco coir brick has some other big advantages.
For starters, coco coir is a really good growing medium. It has a pH level close to neutral, and it retains air and water well. You can also wash it and re-use it, so it’s ideal if you’re gardening on a budget.
Coco coir is usually sold in compressed discs or bricks, which expand when you add water. This means it’s much more compact and easier to store than traditional compost, and a lot lighter to carry too.
You can mix coco coir with soil or compost to improve aeration, drainage and water retention. You can also use it on its own to start seedlings. It doesn’t contain much in the way of nutrients, so you need to add plant food if you’re using coco coir on its own, or go for a product with added nutrients like Coco & Coir’s Coco Boost.
Coco & Coir Coco Boost
Coco Boost is a coco coir brick with added nutrients. These are the three standard nutrients you find in most plant feeds: nitrogen for healthy foliage growth, phosphorus for strong flower and fruit development, and potassium for overall plant health and vigour.
The addition of nutrients means you get all the benefits of coco coir, and don’t have to add your own plant food.
Using Coco & Coir Coco Boost
Transforming a coco coir brick into compost is a simple process. You just place it in a container, add water, and wait for the brick to expand.
Once the coco coir brick has absorbed the water and expanded, you can break it up to create a light, open potting mix.
The coco coir brick in this picture is the 5kg size, which expands to create 75 litres of compost. Coco & Coir also sell smaller 1kg bricks which create 15 litres of compost.
It took about half an hour to transform my coco peat block into lovely compost, with very little mess involved. Coco coir is so clean to handle compared to traditional compost.
Once the compost was ready, it was time to get planting.
I love the fact that coco coir is so light and airy. This is perfect for seedlings because it encourages good root growth.
At the same time, that amazing water retention means your plants won’t sit in a puddle or dry out too quickly. Add in the nutrients, and it’s a great growing medium for your seeds, cuttings, pots and indoor plants.
I really can’t think of a reason not to make the switch to coco coir. It’s eco-friendly, sustainable and natural, it’s cost-effective, and it provides the ideal growing environment for so many plants. The fact that you can also use it around the garden to improve your soil is another big plus. And you won’t have grubby hands after you’ve been working with it!
A 5kg Coco Boost coco coir brick costs £15.99 from Coco & Coir. You can find out more about the range here.
Could coco coir help you to garden more sustainably and keep your plants happy?
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Coco & Coir supplied me with a 5kg Coco Boost coco coir brick for review purposes. All comments and opinions are honest and based on my experience of using the product.
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