out of the 4 cuttings i have one has rooted . the others i checked on and they were rotten at the bottom. so i cut till it was white and good looking, dipped in root hormone and have them callousing . i have a brick of coir and was wondering if that would be better to root in . also i disturbed the one that has rooted (gently) will that harm it . they were on heating pads . should i move them to the driveway . its really hot there . blacktop .
is coir good to root plumies in
Coir is an excellent rooting medium. I prefer it to other mediums. What I especially like about it is that if you should overwater, it will shed the excess water and remain porous. It doesn't remain soggy like peat.
Here are some facts listed on a vendor's site.
"The coconut coir needs less watering (up to 65%) as compared to the peat moss. It holds water rather than shedding it like the traditional peat moss. It holds water 8 to 9 times its weight in water, making it truly hydrophilic even when it is dry, as compared to the peat moss which due to its hydrophobic character becomes increasingly difficult to re-wet as it dries down. The coconut coir therefore is a resource to water conservationists!?>
The coconut coir has a pH content of 5.2 to 6.5 which is neutral to slightly acidic, and is therefore very beneficial for plants. This makes it great for an alkaline garden soil.
The coconut coir has great oxygenation functional properties that are critical to and expedient for the healthy root development of plants.
The coconut coir increases soil porosity and has better aeration characteristics up to 75%.
The coconut coir is a better natural soil conditioner, it prevents the hardening of potting soil. In a heavy clay, hard, or sandy soil, texture can be improved by incorporating cococoir to produce an easy to work gardening.
The coconut coir has an unusually high cation exchange capacity. With its 27% availability of water due to its hydrophilic character, it will hold and release nutrients to the plants over an extended period of time. The EC of washed cococoir is less than 1000ms/sec or an average of 700 ms/sec.
The coconut coir is resistant to bacterial, weed, fungal growth, and is truly pathogen free.
The coconut coir makes a great bedding material for worm bins - increasing worm growth by 25%.
The coconut coir acts as insects growth regulator, blocks, and kills the insect larval to larval/pupal, nymph to nymph molts, thus saves up to 30% of insecticides or pesticides.
The coconut coir is physically stable and is very slow to disintegrate. It only begins to break down when it is 10 years old.
The coconut coir is reusable and recyclable for up to four years.
The coconut coir can be used as a soil less growth medium for hydroponics.
The coconut coir is good both for indoor and outdoor use.
The coconut coir is very light, is very user friendly, and is available in readily applicable sizes. It expands in just 5 to 20 seconds with warm water.
In its innate non-toxic state, the cococoir is safe for children and pets, and has no harmful effects on the environment when disposed of. As a truly organic medium, the cococoir decreases(if not eliminates) the use of chemical ingredients.
The coconut coir SAVES THE PEAT BOGS! It does not destroy the wildlife habitat that has taken hundreds of years to form. In contrast, as coconuts are usually harvested every 45 days, the abundant supply of cococoir in the global markets is assured.
It has been observed by the Hydroponic and Horticulture Industries that plants grown using coir develop larger roots, stems and blooms. This is because unlike ordinary soil, which is easily compacted, coco coir peat provides more air spaces and aeration for plant roots, giving rise to a greater oxygen uptake by the plant. Also, because it can retain moisture, up to nine times its own volume, while still maintaining excellent air filled porosity,the provision of vital nutrients to the roots and soil is greatly enhanced. Coco coir peat has a naturally high lignin content which encourages favorable micro-organisms around the root zone. Overall, this results in better plant growth and higher yeilds."
Gosh, Jose, do you like coco coir? LOL!
Seriously, I make up my own potting mix with bark/peat/perlite - can I substitute the coco coir for the peat?
Yes, I would. I have also mixed it with Schultz Aquarium Potting Soil (It is like fine gravels). What I like about both of these is that when you water then with a liquid fertilizer they absorb the nutrients and then releases them slowly to the plant as it is needed.
Thanks. I might give it a try. The mix I'm using works better than soil for me, but it is very dry here so anything that helps even out the moisture retention is a plus.