coir blocks

[hawthorns]

i have managed to get a coir block. its about the size of a house brick, but it came with no instructions i want to make my own compost does anyone know how much water to add to it and what else should i mix with it. loam, growmore and sharp sand etc

[lainey lou]

Hi Hawthorns, not sure how much water you will need to add, but have found that using quite warm water is best. Where did you get it from? Did you buy it? Perhaps you can phone the seller and ask for instructions? Failing that check out the lables at the garden centre or some where else that sells them. Sorry not a great deal of help.
LL

[lainey lou]

wondered if this link might help you decide what to put in your compost.

www.the-organicgardener.com/making-compost.html

[Shortie]

.... what's a coir block?

[mat]

For the housebrick-sized ones, here’s what I do:

Place the brick on its side in a very large bowl (a tin bath is what I use - ideal! - but avoid anything like a bucket or bin, which is what the instructions usually recommend, because they make the stuff difficult to get at for mixing).

Add 3 litres of warm water - and leave it alone. That’s really important: leave it alone. Don’t attempt to help it along, let it rehydrate in its own time. I don’t know why, but in my experience if you interfere with the hydration process it doesn't work nearly so well or so quickly.

Once all the water is absorbed (some hours, I usually find), get your hands in there and mix it all up nicely until its all of uniform texture and moistness.

Depending on what you're using the compost for, this is the time to mix in any additives: for seed sowing, you might want to add some vermiculite or perlite, for instance. I use the giant coir bricks (hydrated in a wheelbarrow) to make potting compost for container-grown veg. I used to use the housebricks for the same job, and to them I added (per brick) 2 litres perlite, two scoops of organic general fertiliser, and 1.5 ounces of seaweed moisture retainer.

[Flummery]

It's a brick of the compressed remains of coconut fibres - after you've taken the nut out, Shortie. It's often used to susbtitute for peat in growing mixes.

[rustylady]

It's good for mixing your own compost or adding to bought compost to improve drainage. However it contains no nutrients at all so whilst it can be used "neat" for germinating seeds they will need to be pricked out or potted on very early.

[hawthorns]

so if i add loam, sharp sand and growmore then ill be cooking

[NOG]

i have managed to get a coir block. its about the size of a house brick, but it came with no instructions

coir is about as much use as a house brick. It contains nothing that is any use in compost to make it any use you have to add load and growmore and a bit of sand.

And on the Green front.....its off the scale it comes from africa (at best) worst from the Pacific and is shipped to the UK..Its like sending your soil to France to be watered.

They were looking for a replacement for PEATand someones Aunt had a load of Coconuts and they said I know.....

[Shortie]

Cheers Flummery. To my rescue again eh?

[Flummery]

And Peat has no nourishment value to the soil either. Both peat and coir are just means of aerating the mix I think. I really like the JI mixes which contain loam etc.

[smallblueplanet]

And Peat has no nourishment value to the soil either. Both peat and coir are just means of aerating the mix I think. I really like the JI mixes which contain loam etc.

Nice one Flum! I thought peat was a 'comparitively modern' addition to potting composts too?