WHAT IS COCO PEAT? Coco peat as a substrate comes from the husk of a coconut. In countries such as India and Sri Lanka, the fiber from the coconut serves different purposes, such as mattress and car seat filling, mats and brooms. During the husk fumigation process, the left overs of the fiber we use for our substrates. This material has a fine structure. The industry refers to it as coconut grit, sometimes coconut pudding. It is therefore a by-product from the fiber industry. Coco peat substrate is coarser in structure when the whole coconut fiber is used.
This happens in places where none of a limited fiber industry is. The entire husk (including fibers) is cut from ground and sieved to the desired size. Coco peat is also found in potting soil substrates. These are often the short fibers from the fiber industry.
BENEFITS OF COCO PEAT
- Despite the fine structure, coco peat has a high air level (coconut grit up to 25%, coconut pellets up to 35%).
- Unlike most peat products, coconut can absorb water quickly even in very dry conditions.
- Because of the fine structure, coco peat is excellent for use in advanced potting systems.
- Coco peat is very stable. It can be used as a substrate for at least two years without loss of favorable physical properties.
- Coco peat is steamable without loss of physical quality.
- The raw material of the substrate is a residual product from the coconut industry that remains after the extraction of the flesh or fibers.
