Coconut substrate: instructions, application and feedback

Many of us are engaged in house floriculture. Beautiful pot plants not only create an indescribable atmosphere of coziness in the apartment, but also allow you to relax after a long day's work. In the end, the vegetation contributes to the humidification of air, which is very important in a city.

Of course, the cultivation of flowers and other ornamental crops - the occupation is quite complex, and therefore beginners often make numerous mistakes. Especially often all these miscalculations are connected with the soil, the importance of choice which many beginners either do not know at all, or simply ignore this circumstance. As a result, the flowers are ill for a long time, they discard leaves and die.

Many problems can be avoided, simply using a coconut substrate. What it is and how to apply it - all this you will find in our article.

What is it and how to use it?

What it is? It's simple: it's the trade name of a coconut shell, ground to fibers and pressed into briquettes. Each such "brick" after its soaking in clean water gives up to eight liters of fiber, which can be used for growing plants.

Of course, in its pure form this primer is not recommended, as the best results have shown different mixtures, which contain additional additives. As such, they usually use common agroperlite or vermiculite. To compose such a soil mixture, take 15 parts of coconut fiber and five parts by weight of your chosen additive.

Experimenting with the amount of vermiculite, you will be able to choose the optimum amount of vermiculite, which will guarantee an excellent moisture capacity of the resulting soil. Do not forget also about agroperlite, because it showed better in regulating soil moisture.

Is not it better to have a simple land?

The widespread opinion about the need for land in the cultivation of potted plants is a profound error. The pH level in the soil can change unpredictably, the level of oxygen saturation leaves much to be desired, and extremely harmful parasites are found even in expensive packaged soil. And this is not the whole list of shortcomings ...

Even a special preparation, for example, "Baikal-M1", gives a very short-term effect, and therefore the treatment must be constantly repeated. Fortunately, today there is already a coconut substrate. Before our country, he got relatively recently, but immediately earned a deep recognition of all experienced gardeners and plant growers.

Where to get it?

Even if you do not believe in its effectiveness, just try to drop the experimental lot in the substrate. We guarantee that after this you will forget about ordinary land. Fortunately, that today you can buy it in almost any specialized store for gardeners. Typically, the coconut substrate in the retail network is sold under the guise of coir fibers. It is distributed in compact briquettes, which can be stored as many as desired.

What are the advantages of this substrate?

All of the above would be unfounded, if we did not provide some additional information in support of our words.

1. Coconut substrate is a natural material that does not harm plants in any way.
2. He is able to hold seven times more moisture than he weighs himself.
3. The pathogenic microflora in it does not survive.
4. The pH is close to neutral, which is optimal for most types of indoor plants.
5. This material is ideal for hydroponic growing of greenery.
6. Unlike artificial soils, coconut substrate (the use of which we describe below) does not interfere with the development of the root system.
7. If you wash it and disinfect it, you can reuse the material.

How to use it?

First, carefully lay the fiber layers on top of each other. Additives should be laid out as evenly as possible, otherwise it will not be possible to achieve optimal moistening of the soil substrate. Fiber through each layer slightly watered at room temperature.

We recommend using no more than 500 ml of water per pot. If desired, it can dissolve mineral fertilizers. In no case should we forget about the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, as excessive moisture does not lead to anything good. Despite the excellent moisture capacity of the substrate, plants still need frequent watering. It is recommended to keep humidity within 50%.

Before planting flowers, be sure to check the pH level with a standard litmus paper, which can be bought at a pharmacy or a horticultural store. If the value is significantly different from that recommended for this plant, use buffering or acidifying solutions, the ingredients for which are purchased in the same store for gardeners.

Owners of decorative snails ...

However, the benefits of this amazing material are not limited to its suitability for growing flowers and hydroponic crops! For example, a coconut substrate for snails is used. More precisely, for their cultivation.

It is known that with the content of amphibians the substrate becomes the main problem: pebbles and sand can injure delicate shellfish tissues, and most of the natural materials quickly become a real hotbed of mold and fungus, which are deadly not only for snails, but also for reptiles and amphibians.

Why does coconut fiber fit snails?

The fact is that young snails often change the shell. For this period they burrow into the ground, thus defending themselves against predators. In addition, in natural conditions, it saves them from drying out. Scientists have also proven that snails eat up soil to improve the digestion process. Egg laying is also carried out deep into the ground. Thus, the amount and thickness of the substrate should be selected taking into account the size of the snails themselves.

So, the coconut substrate for ahaatin needs to be laid as thick as possible.

How often do I need to change fiber?

The substratum must be replaced as it becomes contaminated. The degree of moistening should be such that when it is compressed in a fist, water flows. The advantage of the coconut substrate is that after contamination it can be rinsed in running water and boiled. It is believed that the entire soil should be changed once a month.

Reviews about coconut fiber

And how do ordinary consumers evaluate the coconut substrate? Reviews are almost always very positive: as a rule, people highly appreciate the possibility of its re-use, and also note the compactness of the substrate briquettes in which it is sold in stores.

Snail lovers also say that the soil from coconut fiber is practically non-rotting, capable of absorbing a huge amount of liquid and adsorbing unpleasant odors. People who are keen on the terrarium, note that in coconut fiber the percentage of hatching snails is several times higher.

This is due to the good penetration of air into it, with the ability of the fiber to retain the optimum amount of moisture that does not allow the eggs to dry out. In addition, this substrate (as we already said) was widely recognized by animal lovers for its resistance to decay.

That's what a coconut substrate is. Instructions for its use, which we have given in this article, will certainly help you grow incredibly beautiful indoor flowers or contain decorative snails and other inhabitants of the terrarium.