Coco coir and coco peat are the same stuff; they are synonyms. Although it is sometimes called coco peat, coir is not peat at all, and calling it that is wrong. Coco coir is also a recycled waste product of renewable resources, as opposed to the peat bogs we obtain from. Since coconut coir uses an often-discarded material, it may appear to be more sustainable and greener than peat moss.
See also : Coconut Product from Indonesia
Coco coir is soaked faster and completely than peat moss, but it is more susceptible to drying on the surface. The coconut coir surface dries out faster than peat, which can be a problem when starting small seeds, which are usually just crushed on the surface of the media. For beginners, this is one of the more efficient potting media, second only to peat, at holding in water.
Due to its superior water holding capacity and air-lift characteristics, coco-coir (CC) has slowly emerged as the most prospective replacement of both rockwool (RC) and peat in growing media. Although coconut coir (CC) has been used more frequently as alternative for conventionally used RCS as well as for peat and sand, a full comparison and evaluation of differences between the various substrates is still needed before widespread application in crop production.
As both RC and peat have their limitations, coconut coir (CC), a sustainable material that has consistent physical and biological properties, has been increasingly used as the growing substrate in the field of plant breeding (Barrett et al., 2016).
Coco coir is obtained from processing of the interior layers of coconut husk, which is the bulk of finely spun fibers and smaller, powder-like chunks of material. From the coconut husk, coir pith (also known as coir dust) and coir chips (chunks) are mostly used for growing media, while the coir fibres are generally not.
Referred to as coco pith, coco peat is generally used as growing medium. Coco coir, gained its popularity in the world of gardening as a cleaner alternative to peat, as well as its flexibility. Coco Peat is a green alternative which includes coconut fibers or coco coir. It uses the coconuts fibrous material (coco coir), a natural byproduct of coconut agriculture.
What are the advantages of coco coir?
Coconut Coir checks all of the right boxes in that it is an organic material which does not need to be processed, is eco-friendly, plants like using it as a growing medium, and it is creating use for an existing byproduct (coconut pulping) which helps avoid its being dumped into landfills. This coir is not only ideal as a hydroponics substrate, it is also great for beds and used in products like brushes, mattresses, and floor mats.
Long favored by hydroponics farmers because of coirs water holding capacity, its protection against fungus gnats and some diseases, and root-supporting structure, it brings those positives into the garden, where it functions in a similar way as sphagnum moss. Because of its consistency, coir does not cling to the sides of containers as much as peat moss does once it is dry, so it is more likely to capture any water as it passes.
Sphagnum peat moss holds water at 10-20 times its dry weight, whereas coconut fibre – coir – holds on average between 8 and 9 times its dry weight, although reports suggest coir has much greater capacity for holding water than peat moss.