1. Is coco coir bricks better than soil for growing microgreens?
2. How to use coconut coir bricks for microgreens?
3. Summary
Any organic potting soil or growing works fine for microgreens. But, coco coir brick has become the favorite of microgreen growers. Coco coir bricks are organic and 100% natural. But aside from that, there are unspoken multiple benefits it has to offer!
Is coco coir bricks better than soil for growing microgreens?
Anything that you do to the soil, you can also do to coconut coir. But, gardening in coconut coir creates wonders in growing microgreens. Coconut coir possesses impressive benefits compared to other growing mediums available in the market.
Coco coir bricks grow nutrient-sufficient plants.
There are particular nutrients that a plant needs to grow. Among these are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. They're also often referred to as the "Big 3" primary nutrients in commercial fertilizers.
Soil pH influences microorganic activity that contributes to the decomposition of organic materials to produce those plants' needed nutrients. And coconut coir has a neutral pH of 5.7 – 6.5, which is the best condition for that microbial action to take place. So far, experts have found Potassium and Nitrogen to be the most prevalent in coconut cultivation.
The fundamental nutrients produced from microbial action play a crucial role in plant nutrition. As for microgreens, they absorb their nutrients directly from the soil mix. And coconut coir will help make the nutrients readily available on hand for microgreens' immediate uptake.
Coco coir bricks makes your plants stronger.
Plants need water to grow! And it's most necessary during photosynthesis, when a plant uses the sun's energy to create its food. That's why plants, especially microgreens, grow stronger from the soil with excellent water retention.
And coconut coir can absorb up to ten times its weight in water. That means that your plants' roots will never get dehydrated.
So imagine when your microgreens will always get enough water. Their tips and edges of leaves will never dry out and won't ever turn brown. Ultimately, your microgreen will grow healthier and stronger with the help of coconut coir.
Coco coir bricks promote healthy root development
A growing medium with exceptional aeration properties means it has plenty of air pockets that allow roots to grow without being compressed. And the most significant benefit of using coco coir, having said that, is it can aid in healthy root development.
When you add coconut coir to the soil, the coir will loosen the soil texture. It reduces waterlogging and soil compaction. But regardless of that, coconut coir is the best among the growing mediums when it comes to moisture retention.
There's no need to stress about water getting drained in your microgreen's pot that fast with coconut coir. And yet, you're sure there's better root growth in the soil mix.
Coconut coir lets air and water into the soil freely. While the water helps scatter the nutrients deeper, the coconut coir will ensure the microgreens will not root rot caused by overwatering or poor drainage. This action combo permits the microgreen's roots to absorb more nutrients from the soil more efficiently.
How to use coconut coir bricks for microgreens?
Step 1:
Prepare everything you need, such as water, bucket or large bowl, coco coir brick, knife or stick, spoon (optional), and tray. Make sure to get enough water for you to use because the texture of the coco coir bricks is very firm. A general guideline is that it takes 4-5 gallons of water to hydrate a 5-kilo block of coco coir. But if you want to wash the coir before hydrating it, add another gallon.
Step 2:
Coir originating alongside coasts tends to have a higher salt level. Wash it in distilled water and rinse away the dead roots and residual salts.
Step 3:
Get the bucket and place the coco coir brick inside. After that, cover the coconut coir brick with water. It must run across the surface and down the sides of the block. But don't add water straight away—instead, pour about a gallon at a time and pause for a few minutes.
Step 4:
Observe that the coir expands as you wait for about 10 minutes. Let the water sets in, and when the coir gets wet and fluffy, it's time to break it apart. It's easier to use materials with a slightly sharp edge to cut the coir brick into smaller pieces.
Step 5:
Stir it up! Take a hard grip on the stick and mix the coco coir and water well. You must get to the bottom of the bowl, so you don't leave any clumps.
Step 6:
Drain all that wonderfully muddy water away. You can drain the water with a sieve or any filtering equipment material.
Step 7:
Microgreens trays definitely need holes and are preferably shallow. One and two inches deep trays can be all that you need. The shallower your tray is, the less soil you waste, and the easier it will be for you to cut when ready to harvest. You will find the most common plastic tray as ten inches wide by twenty inches long. Please fill up your tray with coco coir by evenly spreading it until 2/3 of its total volume.
Step 8:
Microgreens don't need fertilizer or compost additives, but adding fertilizer increases their yield. Not only that, they grow faster, deeper colored. You can mix your fertilizer with your coco coir before step 7, add it to water or use it as topdressing.
Summary:
- Coco coir is better than soil for growing microgreens because it promotes healthier root development.
- You need to wash and hydrate coco coir brick before use. Remember the rule of thumb: 4-5 gallons of water per 5-kilo block of coco coir.
- Coco coir has good water retention and delivers nutrients to plant roots effectively. Take advantage of this by adding fertilizer and nutrient-solution to get a better yield. Check our latest coco coir brick products!
People who are shifting to a healthy lifestyle find growing microgreens a great start! Because, why not? They're loaded with extremely high levels of powerful health-supporting components. And most importantly, microgreens are like superfoods you can have available in your backyard or even in the smallest space in your home.
But what's more important is knowing how to grow them right! Stop using random growing materials and change your gardening life with a tried and tested effective substrate. We're ready to help you with our coco grow bag collection! Check them out, now!
