HortGrow Blog
Coco Coir Grow Bags: How They Work and How to Choose Size, Blend and Bag Type
Coco coir grow bags are open-top bags filled with pre-washed, buffered coco coir that is compressed for shipping. Add water at your facility and the coir expands inside the bag, ready to plant. This guide walks through the choices you make when ordering HortGrow SmartEra™ Grow Bags: size, bag type, blend and pack.
How compressed grow bags work
- The coir is compressed to cut freight volume, then expands roughly 3–5x when water is added.
- The coir arrives low in EC and pH-balanced, so it is ready for your feeding program after expansion.
- The open top lets you plant directly into the bag and run drip irrigation into it.
Choosing a bag size
SmartEra grow bags come in 1.5 L (0.5 gal), 3.5 L (1 gal), 5.0 L (1.5 gal), 6.5 L (1.7 gal), 10 L (2.7 gal) and 18 L (5 gal), with custom sizes on request. Smaller volumes suit young plants and short crops; larger volumes give long-cycle and perennial crops such as blueberries more root room and a bigger moisture buffer between irrigations.
Plastic or mesh bag
Choose a plastic or mesh encasement. Plastic holds the media in a closed sleeve with an open top. Mesh lets air reach the sides of the root zone. Tell us your irrigation setup and growing environment in your quote notes and we can help you decide.
Choosing a coir blend
Each bag can be filled with any of HortGrow's five coir blends. More pith means more water holding; more coco chips means more porosity and drainage.
| Blend | Composition | Typical crops |
|---|---|---|
| GrowSure | 100% pith / 0% cut fiber / 0% chips | Seed starts, propagation, and small container plants |
| GrowPlus | 90% pith / 10% cut fiber / 0% chips | General nursery plants |
| GrowMax | 80% pith / 10% cut fiber / 10% chips | Cannabis, strawberries and similar crops |
| GrowUltra | 60% pith / 10% cut fiber / 30% chips | Tomatoes, fruiting vegetables, raspberries and blackberries |
| GrowExcel | 40% pith / 10% cut fiber / 50% chips | Blueberries and long-cycle crops |
For a full comparison of water holding and porosity, read our coir blend guide at hortgrow.com/blog/choosing-your-coir-blend.
Matching bags to your crop
- Blueberries: larger bags with GrowExcel, the most open blend, suited to long-cycle crops.
- Cannabis: mid-size bags with GrowMax for balanced moisture and aeration.
- Tomatoes and peppers: GrowUltra for higher porosity and drainage in fruiting vegetables.
These are starting points. Irrigation frequency, climate and crop duration all affect the best combination.
Ordering
Grow bags are quoted to your specification in pallet, carton or sample packs; international orders ship by container. Configure size, bag type, blend and pack on the SmartEra Grow Bags page and add it to your quote request.
