KNOWLEDGE BASE & ARTICLES

• Reduced need for pesticides and spraying costs.
• Moisture retention and drainage properties provide improved root growth.
• 30%+ quicker to produce fruit.
• Accelerate plant maturity by 75%+.
• Increase production per plant by 35%+.
• Mitigate climate issues such as drought and flooding.
• Reduce labor and environmental stresses of working in a vineyard.
• Consistent year-round indoor growing and production.
• Reduced land requirements by utilizing multiple growing floors.

Coconut Coir or Coco Coir is a sustainable by-product of coconuts used as a soil conditioner and amendment. Coco Coir has multiple advantages over peat.

Coconut fiber is constantly available, it is a more sustainable resource than peat moss.

The pith of the coconut contains high amounts of lignin and cellulose that prevent it from decomposing and shrinking.

Coco has a pH of 5.9 to 6.6, which is close to the neutral range enjoyed by a wide variety of plants.

It can reduce the need the of limestone or peat to adjust the acidity levels. Coco peat has the characteristic of remaining aerated even after multiple irrigations. It has a drier surface preventing damping-off and fungus gnat infestations and other moisture rot problems associated with peat.

Coco fibers have a high cation exchange rate that allows it to store nutrients and release them when needed by the plants. The electrical conductivity of coco peat is below 0.5 (EC).

Coco Coir neutral pH, moisture retention and drainage properties provide a good environment for cloning. This same environment is ideal for seedling growth as well.  Coco Coir can be obtained in pucks for seedlings.   

Associate professor Alan Meerow of the University of Florida IFAS Extension believes that peat moss is unsustainable, as they can take as long as 25 years to renew after harvesting. Coir, on the other hand, is always available, as it is a waste product of regular coconut harvests.

In an article called “Moving grape growing indoors”, Dr. Mehdi Sharifi a professor at Trent University discusses the benefits and viability of viticulture indoors with Coco Coir.

“We found that vines can grow two to three times as fast as they can grow outdoors. We can also simulate the

equivalent of two to three growing seasons per year, so we can bring new vines into production in only one to two

years,” he explains. “These doubles or even triples yearly yields, which will compensate for the extra cost of the

greenhouse needed for indoor production.”

Moving Grape Growing Indoors August 25, 2016 | Niagara-this-Week by Lilian Schaer

This article is provided by Ag Innovation Ontario, a project of the Agri-Technology Commercialization Centre (ATCC).

In the 1980s, coco coir was initially used commercially in Holland to grow roses and lilies. It since been used in many countries and has been adopted by cannabis growers for its benefits.

For large outdoor agriculture, Coco Coir comes in compressed bricks for efficient shipping and re-hydration.

Coco coir comes in various forms including, bricks, starter pucks, and agricultural grow bags in various sizes Coco is the perfect indoor and greenhouse grow medium.

Hydroponics rely on costly equipment that require additional power and costs to operate. Coco provides a traditional growing solution with near hydroponic results.