Thank you for taking the time to post, Al. And I won't initiate an argument, just simply point out that some won't use a synthetic, no matter what. I am one of them. I don't have an idea how or where those types of fertilizers are produced, whereas, organics have been around forever, and therefore tried and true. There are good reasons, recycling not the least (i.e., compost, vermicompost) to incorporate this type of routine, of course. Since the mid-2000's, when coir started to gain traction, there have been many gains made in using coco. The salt issue is almost completely gone. (there are plenty of scientfic studies to show the effects of salinity, and even side-by-sides of different brands) I do believe that the best brands are now well-known. I am more of the mind to use BOTH peat and coir in a mix, to get the best qualities out of both. Again, I like organic growing, and I'll probably always be the one to tell you that there is a taste difference that is a direct trade-off for lack of yield, produced by my lack of cutting edge know-how. Either way, this isn't so much of an attempt to persuade people to choose organic, as to inform those who already have. I have a tomato plant growing right now in a 3 gallon pot, with straight Botannicare coir. The color is a little light, but the leaves are absolutely huge, and the yield is very good. Not as vigorous in growth as my SIP tomatoes in straight peat and perlite, but also a different variety. So take it with a grain of salt. I have only fed the coco with Dr Earth organic ferts, once every two weeks a dose of compost tea, and every other week with fish and seaweed. I water it until it runs out, and then let the excess wick back up over the course of the next day.

This guy has omri certified best coco coir you can ever find, very high quality, my plants and me thank him for this. His rate are very competetive too. Here is his business address:: Www.cosmiccoir.com Email: info@cosmiccoir.com Hope this helps!!! Laks

rocksinthehead: the two bucket method is a good idea for getting the excess water out. I am glad to hear you had a second use for the water. What we have to do to start a bin might be different than what we do later on when we Keep Calm and Carry On. As time goes on you might find in addition to your source of worm food that you also have a free source of cellulose that you want to also convert into vermicastings. Together these two sources are ideally free to you and result in free gold for your plants. My wish for your bin would be at the very least you can toss the dry coir right into the bin. Instead of dripping leachate the coir will absorb it for you. This will transform a questionable substance, the leachate, into a friendly bacteria zone and be an area of even moisture for your bin. The idea is the worms do the work for you as opposed to you do the work for the worms. Did you get a vermicomposting kit for Christmas? If so, lucky you! This post was edited by equinoxequinox on Wed, Dec 25, 13 at 21:20

Based on tonnes and tonnes of reading (only) here is what I have to say about using Coco Coir: 1. When buffered correctly (treated with Calcium and some magnesium), it doesnt bind any nutrients - it becomes perfect for anything - seed starting and growing. 2. When in its ideal state (buffered), its innate - NEUTRAL NPK, meaning whatever nutrient your plant/seed needs, you will provide 100%, and what you feed the plants is what you get. Now this is one major reason why pro gardeners love it - Since you are certain the medium is neutral, you then provide EXACTLY what the plant requires AS RECOMMENDED. 3. Another reason pro gardeners love it is because Its structure is good as it allows some air into the root zone which the plants roots need and its water retention ability. For seed starting, i reckon you have to compact it more by means of lifting and dropping the tray or container, so the coir compacts more. 4. Like stated, this will be ideal for Hydroponics, again meaning you have to provide the nutrient the plant requires (usually water soluble). 5. The seed has enough nutrients that will sustain it till germination (grow its true leaves/from 4 leaves), but beyond that, you need to provide lower NPK fertilizer like Liquid Fish (Low on Nitrogen - this prevents leggy plants). Micro nutrients (which liquid fish doesnt have????) should be provided by adding liquid Kelp (or Azomite dust) As for the rocks used on top, its to prevent moulds from forming ontop of the coir. Its said that when Sun/Light interacts with the nutrient fed to the plants, the Coir is a good medium to host moulds and some other fungus. In the seed growing stage, you prevent this mould growing by watering from below with low strength chamomile tea. It acts as a form of anti-fongus.. Seems its getting boring. Like I stated, all this is based on tonnes of reading (but it makes a lot of sense to me)