Coconut coir provides a sterile, well-aerated growing amendment similar to peat moss. The coconut fibers retain moisture but don't compact and break down quickly, so it maintains its soil structure which helps plants grow healthy. It works especially well for seed-starting since it doesn't dry too quickly or form a hard crust on its surface. Coir comes dried in compressed bricks or blocks. Small bricks typically weigh around 1 lb. while a large block can produce up to 2.5 cubic feet of coir once it's properly rehydrated.
Instructions
1. Place a 1 to 2 lb. coir brick in a 5-gallon bucket or a large plastic tub. Use an 18-gallon tub for a larger block of coir.
2. Pour warm water over the coir. Use ½ gallon of water for each 1 to 2 lbs. of coir.
3. Soak the coir for 30 minutes. The fibers absorb the water and expand to up to seven times the original size of the coir brick. Stir the coir with your hands as the block begins to break up.
4. Squeeze the excess moisture from the coir. Drain off any water from the container that the coir didn't absorb.
5. Combine the coir with equal parts compost or potting soil and vermiculite to create a standard potting mixture. Fill seedling pots with only moistened coir and sow seeds in the medium immediately.
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