----- Original Message -----
To: Multiple recipients of list AROID-L
Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2000 4:55 PM
Subject: Re: coconut fiber, three pennies more, plus two centavos
> Hi everyone,
>
> Allow me to put in my two centavos' worth. Coir (or coconut fiber) is the
> term to use for the coarse fibered product, whereas, coir dust (or coconut
> peat, or cocopeat) is the term for the fine particled one.
>
> Cocopeat is technically not a peat, but the term is used, I believe, more
> as a marketing gimmick. It is a by-product in the production of coir, the
> long fibers which is used for making insulation, carpet backing, floor
> mats, brushes, and, of course, horticultural liner mats. Cocopeat is
> actually a mixture of short fibers and particles of spongy pith that binds
> the fibers in the husk. It comes in various grades depending on how much
> and how long the fibers are. And some are composted also. Often, it is
> compressed into bricks for convenience and economy in transport.
>
> As we don't have peat here in the Philippines, we use cocopeat as a
> substitute. I agree with the findings of Dennis that cocopeat alone is no
> good and that it is okay as a component of a potting mix. For most
> application, I found cocopeat and sand to be good enough.
>
> George Yao
> Metro-Manila, Philippines
>
> At 08:51 PM 06/02/2000 -0500, you wrote:
> >Additional comment on coconut fiber:
> >
> >Coconut fiber is nothing new. I tried the coarse fibered product twenty
> >years ago for orchid seedlings. Like Dewey said, it did very well and
> >then the material on the bottom of the pot turned to mush and sometimes
> >took the roots and plants with it. I think its best use in the
> >Horticultural industry was found as liners mats for wire hanging baskets
> >(instead of stuffing the wire mesh with Sphagnum Moss) and as an
> >artificial, soft, organic totem pole for vining crops like Pothos and
> >Syngoniums and Phillodendrons (they wrap the long fibres around a platic
> >tube). It maintained it fibrous integrity as long as it was allowed to
> >dry out and not stay constantly moist.
> >
> >The second coconut fiber product was Coir or Coconut Peat. Because there
> >are vast mountains of this free or very cheap by-product of the Coconut
> >oil industry in the tropics within the last two to three years the
> >Horticultural industry has touted this material as a Shagnum peat
> >substitute. It is totally decomposed to the point of being unable to be
> >decomposed any further. It has some very good qualities, easy to wet and
> >good cation exchange capacity and some undefined benficial qualities,
> >however it is more expensive than sphagnum peat from Canada and there
> >are inconsistencies due to the varying sources and age of the material.
> >The Scotts Company(Fertilizer & Hort Products Giant) is marketing this
> >material in soil mixes and as compressed blocks. The consensus of
> >professional growers I have talked to is that the material it not the
> >best when used alone, but rather as an amendment in addition to peat,
> >perlite, vermiculite and bark or sand in a soil mix.
> >
> >
> >Denis at Silver Krome Gardens
> >Homestead, Florida
> >
> >mb.cfg@mindspring.com wrote:
> >>
> >> I must throw in my two cents and agree VERY STRONGLY with Dewey. I
once
> >> made the mistake of potting up dozens of plants with coconut fiber as a
> >> major component of the soil mix. There is no doubt in my mind that
this
> >> stuff breaks down into wretched sludge faster than anything else I have
> >> ever seen.
> >>
> >> I have read some of the emails of others using this product with
success
> >> and I am amazed! In my own experience the only thing coconut fiber is
good
> >> for is suffocating roots...I would not even risk it...its not worth it.
> >>
> >> (P.S. Please note....there are 2!! different kinds of coconut fiber
sold
> >> commercially and they don?t react the same. One kind is sold in long
> >> coarse strands and looks much like a horses mane, the other is usually
sold
> >> in bricks and resembles peat moss. The one that looks like a horses
mane
> >> is very "dry" and resists absorbing moister, the other holds lots of
water.
> >> The "horses mane" type breaks down much slower than the brick kind, but
> >> they both eventually turn to "mush".)
> >>
> >> Marc Burack
> >>
> >> > Be very careful of Coconut fiber!!!!!! After about six or eight
> months the
> >> top can look great.... but just below the surface.... the media has
turned
> >> to mush.... it disintergrates like you would not believe! Now, this
might
> >> just be in the climate here in South Florida.... But, I had a lot of
> >> rotted roots because of it.....Years ago, I tried it.... Now, would
not
> >> touch it with a ten foot pole..... even one that was twelve foot!!!
> >> Dewey
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
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