Hydroponic cocopeat cultivation techniques are not that difficult. Cocopeat hydroponic cultivation is popular nowadays. It is because cocopeat has a pH between 5.0 to 6.8, which is good for various plants. Made from natural materials like coconut shells or husks, cocopeat is also a great growing medium for hydroponic plants.
Cocopeat is also used for bedding of plants, plant preparation, and hydroponic crops. It is a completely organic and eco-friendly medium for hydroponic farming, floriculture, and horticulture.
Benefits of Cocopeat as Growing Media
- Cocopeat easily absorbs water. Cocopeat has the ability to absorb a lot of water, even 10 times better than soil. This makes cocopeat a great planting medium for plants that need a lot of water.
- Cocopeat is environmentally friendly. Cocopeat will not generate any harmful residues in the environment. Instead, cocopeat will naturally degrade.
- Cocopeat is resistant to pests. This is one of the reasons why cocopeat is a recommended medium for organic crops. If you mix your growing media with cocopeat, your plants will be healthier because various types of fungus and pathogenic bacteria do not grow in cocopeat. This way, your plants will be pest-free.
- Cocopeat can also maintain moisture well. This way, plants will not easily wilt because the water is stored long enough in the cocopeat.
- Cocopeat has quite a lot of oxygen, which is around 50%. This also helps plants to grow well.
- It contains a lot of chemical elements and nutrients like phosphorus and potassium, helping the plants to thrive.
- Its pH is at an ideal level for growing media, which is around 5.0 to 6.8.
Steps and Procedures of Using Cocopeat as Planting Media
- If you use cocopeat blocks, break them into smaller pieces, then crush them into powder.
- Cleanly wash cocopeat with at least 30 litres of clean water. This is purposed to get rid of sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, and other kinds of unwanted salts.
- Do the electrical conductivity reading by using a digital pH meter.
- Get the cocopeat out of water and squeeze them to remove the water. Place them on a clean surface.
- Make sure you get all of the cocopeat by sieving the water using an insect net. Also, make sure that the decanted sodium salts are removed.
- Soak the cocopeat in the mixture of 20 litres of water, 10 grams of calcium nitrate, for 12 hours.
- Remove the cocopeat and squeeze them. Then, wash with clean water.
- Dry the cocopeat before you use it as hydroponic media. – Hydroponic cocopeat cultivation techniques.