Growing knowledge
HortGrow’s five coir blends combine coco pith, cut fiber and coco chips in different proportions. Choose a starting blend for your crop, then match it to your irrigation strategy, container size and crop cycle before placing a bulk or container order.
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"Is your coco already buffered? Is it already charged? And what nutrients should you feed first?” We hear these questions all the time. The good news? Our coco is prepped and ready to go—setting your plants upfor strong, healthy growth from day one. Starting with the right foundation makes all the difference, giving your plants the best chance to thrive.
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While there are many ways to expand our compressed grow cubes and bags, we have come up with a basic SOP that can be followed, both for beginners and large scale growers!
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pH management in coco coir is easy and straightforward, compared to other growing substrates. Coco coir is naturally pH neutral, and has a similar cation and anion exchange, and will therefore maintain pH without an added buffer, even with strong acidic fertilizer solutions applied.
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Coconut coir is a byproduct of the coconut industry, being used for the production of coconut oil, juice, and flesh (or “meat”). These are produced from coconut palm trees. As with most fruits, coconuts contain large amounts of potassium. The coconut husk is essentially a lignin compound, similar to wood, but evolved to be more resilient as it protects the reproductive part of the coconut palm tree. Therefore, coconut husks contain a lot of potassium within their cellular structure, and are very resilient to decomposition. The husks of mature coconuts are processed and rinsed for the production of coco coir, which is used as a growing media. If the coconuts are grown in a highly sodic environment, the lignin compound will also contain sodium, along with potassium, within its cellular structure. This is why it is important to use coco coir that has been grown and processed in fresh water conditions.
Read articleSelecting the right substrate is fundamental to crop success. Beyond physical properties such as water holding and porosity, the chemical behavior of a substrate determines how nutrients are stored, exchanged, and delivered to plants. A central property in this context is cation exchange capacity (CEC), which is the measure of how many positively charged ions a medium can adsorb and release.
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Recirculating Systems
Read articleCrop steering in coco coir is frequently oversimplified through generalized shot percentages, fixed irrigation windows, or container volume based calculations. These approaches often originate from rockwool slab systems or mineral substrates and are subsequently misapplied to flexible coco grow bags. The result is inconsistent dry backs, unstable root zone EC profiles, and unintended vegetative or generative bias.
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As an essential nutrient vital for plant growth and development, phosphorus plays a pivotal role in numerous physiological processes, ranging from energy transfer to DNA synthesis. Growing hydroponically with soluble nutrients, coco coir is a versatile and efficient substrate, offering an ideal environment for nutrient uptake and utilization. However, coco, much like other hydroponic substrates, has the potential to store too much phosphorus, and when paired with excessive dry downs, can cause a condition of mineral precipitation in the root zone, referred to as “lock out”.
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Global Supply
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The value and benefits of a well textured coco coir
Read articlehttps://hortgrow.com/blogs/blog/what-makes-hortgrow-coco-different
Read articleAt HortGrow, sustainability is not a slogan we add after the product is made. It is part of how we source, process, certify, package, and deliver our coco coir products to growers.
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Coco coir differs from other substrates in many ways, but one big difference is the anion capacity. What does this mean for nitrogen levels in your nutrient solution?
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How to Choose the Best Container Type and Size
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In recent years, a belief has emerged within the organic soil community that coco coir possesses anti-fungal properties, purportedly inhibiting probiotic fungi and microorganisms in living soil mixes. While some fungi-inhibiting properties can be found in fresh coconuts, the myth that coco coir itself is antifungal has been thoroughly debunked—not only by experts in the growing community but also by mushroom cultivators who utilize it extensively.
Read articleThe physical structure of a substrate determines how water, air, and nutrients move through the root zone. In controlled environment horticulture, this comes down to texture. The balance of particle sizes and fibers that make up the medium dictates porosity, water holding capacity, oxygen availability, and how evenly irrigation is distributed.
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Read articleWe often get asked what kind of water is best for coco. Should I run reverse osmosis? Is my tap water good enough? My well tested fine for drinking, so is that good enough for my plants?
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Coco Peat is not “peat” at all, but when processed into growing medium, is somewhat similar in appearance and function to “peat moss.” Peat moss is extracted from peat bogs that release billions of tons of greenhouse gasses per year, and take 1000’s of years to renew. Coco Peat is a sustainable, renewable resource that is revolutionizing agriculture around the globe.
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At HortGrow, our focus has always been simple. Deliver a clean, consistent, technically reliable coco substrate that allows professional growers to execute precise fertigation strategies without variability at the root zone.
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