Many of us are engaged in home gardening. Beautiful potted plants not only create an indescribable atmosphere of comfort in the apartment, but also allow you to relax after a long hard day. In the end, vegetation helps to moisturize the air, which is very important in a city.
Of course, growing flowers and other ornamental crops is a rather difficult task, and therefore beginners often make numerous mistakes. Especially often, all these miscalculations are related to the ground, the importance of the choice of which many beginners either do not know at all, or simply ignore this fact. As a result, the flowers are sick for a long time, drop leaves and die.
Many problems can be avoided simply by using a coconut substrate. What is it 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: this is the trade name for a coconut shell, crushed to fibers and pressed into briquettes. Each so-called "brick" after soaking in clean water gives up to eight liters of fiber, which can be used to grow plants.
Of course, in pure form this soil is not recommended, since the best results have been shown by different mixtures, which include additional additives. As such, ordinary agroperlite or vermiculite is most often used. To make such a soil mixture, we take 15 parts of coconut fiber and five parts by weight of your chosen additive.
By experimenting with the amount of vermiculite, you can choose the optimal amount, which will guarantee excellent moisture capacity of the resulting soil. Do not forget about agroperlite, because it has shown itself better in regulating soil moisture.
Isn't simple land better?
The widespread belief about the need for land when growing potted plants is a deep misconception. The pH level in the soil can change unpredictably, its oxygen saturation level leaves much to be desired, and extremely harmful parasites are found even in expensive packaged soil. And this is not the whole list of existing 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. He reached our country relatively recently, but immediately earned the 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 batch in the substrate. We guarantee that after that you will forget about ordinary land. Fortunately, today you can buy it in almost any specialized store for gardeners. As a rule, 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 much as desired.
What are the benefits of this substrate?
All of the above would be unfounded if we had not provided some additional information to confirm our words.
- Coconut substrate is a natural material that does not harm plants in any way.
- He is able to hold seven times more moisture than he weighs.
- Pathogenic microflora in it does not survive.
- The pH value is close to neutral, which is optimal for most species of indoor plants.
- This material is ideal for hydroponic greenery growing.
- Unlike artificial soils, the coconut substrate (the application of which we describe below) does not interfere with the development of the root system.
- If you wash it and disinfect it, you can reuse the material.
How to use it?
First carefully lay the layers of fiber on top of each other. Additives should be laid out as evenly as possible, since otherwise it will not be possible to achieve optimal moisture content of the soil substrate. Irrigate the fiber through each layer with water at room temperature.
We recommend using no more than 500 ml of water per pot. If desired, mineral fertilizers can be dissolved in it. In no case should you forget about the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, as excessive moisture will not lead to anything good. Despite the excellent moisture capacity of the substrate, plants still need frequent watering. We recommend maintaining humidity within 50%.
Before planting flowers, be sure to check the pH level with a regular litmus test, which can be bought at a pharmacy or garden store. If the value will significantly differ from the recommended for this plant, use buffer 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 when keeping amphibians, the substrate often becomes the main problem: pebbles and sand can injure the delicate tissues of mollusks, 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 is coconut fiber suitable for snails?
The fact is that young snails often change their shell. For this period, they burrow into the ground, protecting themselves from predators. In addition, in natural conditions this saves them from drying out. Scientists have also proven that snails eat soil to improve digestion. Egg laying is also done deep in 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 Achatina needs to be laid as thick as possible.
How often do I need to change fiber?
The substrate must be replaced as it becomes dirty. The degree of moisture should be such that when it is squeezed in a fist, water will flow. The advantage of the coconut substrate is that after contamination, it can be washed in running water and boiled. It is believed that the soil should be completely changed once a month.
Coconut Fiber Reviews
And how do ordinary consumers value coconut? Reviews are almost always purely positive: as a rule, people highly appreciate the possibility of its reuse, and also note the compactness of the substrate briquettes in which it is sold in stores.
Snail lovers also say that coconut fiber soil does not decay, can absorb a huge amount of liquid and adsorb unpleasant odors. People who are passionate about the terrarium note that the percentage of hatchability of juvenile snails in coconut fiber 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, which prevents the eggs from drying out. In addition, this substrate (as we have already said) has been widely recognized by animal lovers for its immunity to rot.
This is what coconut substrate is. The instructions for its use that we have provided in this article will certainly help you grow incredibly beautiful indoor flowers or contain decorative snails and other inhabitants of the terrarium.