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I was on amazon when I found this and many product like it. It is called coco coir and from what I have read in the description on that page and a few others is that it is supposed to be airy and require less water.

But how good is it for starting seeds? I mean people have pictures of plants in this but being the shell of a coconut I don't understand how the plants get nutrients without some kind of fertilizer.

So with the above question any other tips when using this stuff would be great, I might try some of this instead of getting seed starting mix once...

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  • Seeds carry their own nutrients in order to sprout and form their cotyledons.
    – Graham Chiu
    Mar 25, 2018 at 22:55
  • @GrahamChiu Correct but what about after they run out of food from the seed?
    – Ljk2000
    Mar 26, 2018 at 0:09
  • You normally have a seed raising mix which has no or very little nutrient. When they're large enough to grasp by the leaf, you transplant to a potting mix which has nutrients. Don't forget that plants get 80% of the nutrients from the air.
    – Graham Chiu
    Mar 26, 2018 at 0:19
  • @GrahamChiu While I knew that plants got some things from the air, I had no idea it was 80%, that is something! Once they have a leaf I do plan on translating but some people use this for there larger plants, which is why I had to ask what would happen should you just leave them in.
    – Ljk2000
    Mar 26, 2018 at 3:02
  • biology.stackexchange.com/questions/70770/…
    – Graham Chiu
    Mar 26, 2018 at 4:34

1 Answer 1

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Here is a good resource describing coconut coir along with it's pros and cons. To summarize:

Pros:

  • Can absorb 10 times it's weight in water
  • Promotes healthy root development
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Deters many garden pests

Cons:

  • Nutrients will need to be added
  • pH may need to be controlled
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  • 2
    It also doesn't break down as quickly as other materials like peat. I've used it for over 10 years growing cactus with excellent results.
    – Tim Nevins
    Mar 26, 2018 at 16:57

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