Source of Coconut coir mulch I can order cheaply?
poaky1
10 years ago
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Confused about mulch
Comments (8)Mulch is a material that is placed on the soil, not in the soil. Some organic materials when mixed into soil could cause a temporary Nitrogen deficiency as the Soil Food Web uses the available soil Nitrogen to digest that organic matter, however they will not do that with mulches. I put down a layer of wood chips as mulch shortly after planting some shrubs and, because that mulch helped hold moisture in the soil those shrubs grew faster and were greener then some I planted elsewhere but did not get mulched right away. Mulches should recede into the background, they should not be the center of attention and draw the eye from the plants they are under as they do at places like annpat mentions. Any material you use for mulch, except shredded rubber, will eventually be digested by the Soil Food Web, it is just that wood chips are, usually slower then shredded leaves. Cedar, pine wood, chips or needles, coir, shredded leaves, hardwood chips, almost anything you can use as a mulch will not "rob the soil of Nitrogen" (and even at that it will be temporary) or cause stunted plant growth....See MoreCoconut Coir?
Comments (27)There are a lot of fruits and vegetables here in the US, but since they are grown in factory-like circumstances and harvested still unripened, they are so tasteless, that I rarely if even buy them from stores... It is especially evident when you can grow your own and taste it... As different as chalk and cheese... When I can, I go to Farmers' market and try to buy from small growers. They might not use the latest *icides or whatever the vitamins and hormones' names are, but their product is real and harvested at the peak of their time... If you have ever eaten really ripe watermelons, you refuse to buy any from the stores. If you have ever eaten really ripe grapes, you can really taste how sour the packaged ones are in the stores. I so miss Hungary for this. You can actually get ripe fruits and vegetables there... I guess, in smaller countries, it is easier to distribute and sell the goods faster than here in the US, so because of the vast quantities and large distances, US growers just want to go for the safe solution and harvest the goods still green, so by the time it gets to the stores, it might turn to it's ripened color, but the taste is just missing....See MoreSources of Coir
Comments (6)I called I don't know how many places, including our local Petco. The only coir I found was the wrong kind at a large nursery, the kind for lining planters. I suggest you call some of those places rather wasting gas, time and energy running all over looking for it. On another, thread we got to talking about it again, and I called Petco again and asked for "the stuff that you use for reptile cages". "Just a minute, I'll transfer you to the reptile department." Reptile department: "Yes, we have that. It comes in brick form for $4.99. It is called 'ecoearth'". I haven't gotten any yet, but it's good to know where I can buy it locally. I bought so much stuff this year, I decided to use what I have, and one of the best rose experts here uses a special potting soil which I doubt if we have here without umpteen more calls. He used to use vermiculite and peat moss, so that is what I am using this time until it is used up, then I might try the coir or the special potting mix. Between all the bags of mulch (have six on hand), potting soil, and the vermiculite, peat moss, pearlite, rooting hormone, I have bought, other garden stuff, enough is enough until I get some of it used up. It's not the $4.99. Petco is your best bet....See MoreCocunut Coir--seed starting
Comments (31)I use coco-coir pellets for starting my peppers (peat is too acidic, along with the non-renewability factors), and I've run some tests on them (as well as on old leftover peat pellets), and my results show "Great for germination, but get them out ASAP!". My last batch was 3 broccoli seeds. Two I planted in straight soil, one I planted in a coir starter. After the coir sprouted, I cut the fabric liner off and dropped the whole pellet into the same soil mix I used for the other two. They kept pace with each other until just after the first true leaves. The two that I grew in straight soil shot up and thrived, the one that was in the coir stunted and eventually died. No yellowing, just came out one day and it was laying over dead. Pulled it up to examine the roots, they never did grow out enough to reach the real dirt. Right now I have peppers I've got started in coir, had the first one come up today. I carefully broke most of the coir away leaving just enough around the nice fuzzy white roots as to not damage them and put it into a starter pot with real soil. So, long story short, coir is an excellent way to start seeds. Keeps them nice and moist without being soppy wet (even if you leave the base of them in standing water), but there's no nutrients in there at all, not even enough to let the plant grow deeper roots. Break your plants free and give them the real thing....See MoreKimmsr
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7