There seems to be a lot of confusion(me including) about how to treat 100% coco coir as a growing medium, so i want to discuss about it in this topic and i would like you all to talk/know about it.
Coco coir is not a soil and instead should be treated like you would with plants growing in passive hydroponics. Coco coir wants a constant supply of moisture(this doest mean wet, as there is a huge difference between moist and wet) and fertilizers to make it work at it's best.
The tricky part is how to keep the coco coir moist without killing the roots in the same time. Using a air pruning pots seems to be a good way for keeping the coco coir moist without killing the roots with too much wetness, but there are other ways too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJoYdeTuFdQ
My newest discovery in coco coir growing is to use a capillary matt+seedling trays with uneven bottom section and terracotta pots to supply the coco coir a constant moisture and nutrients without making it too wet for the roots to feel happy growing in it:
How to make this terracotta self watering system is found here:
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/67427-seed-starting-system-using-plastic-water-bottles/
If you mix coco coir with a some kind of other growing mediums like peat or similar, then you treat it more like a soil and not as a pure coco coir.
Coco coir is not a soil and instead should be treated like you would with plants growing in passive hydroponics. Coco coir wants a constant supply of moisture(this doest mean wet, as there is a huge difference between moist and wet) and fertilizers to make it work at it's best.
The tricky part is how to keep the coco coir moist without killing the roots in the same time. Using a air pruning pots seems to be a good way for keeping the coco coir moist without killing the roots with too much wetness, but there are other ways too:
My newest discovery in coco coir growing is to use a capillary matt+seedling trays with uneven bottom section and terracotta pots to supply the coco coir a constant moisture and nutrients without making it too wet for the roots to feel happy growing in it:
How to make this terracotta self watering system is found here:
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/67427-seed-starting-system-using-plastic-water-bottles/
If you mix coco coir with a some kind of other growing mediums like peat or similar, then you treat it more like a soil and not as a pure coco coir.
