What is coir?

Coir is an environmentally friendly alternative to peat moss that is becoming more and more popular in the gardening world. But what is coir, and why do we use it in our compost?

Coir, is also known as coco peat or coco coir and is a by-product of harvested coconuts

it is an environmentally friendly alternative to peat-moss, and doesn’t contain any peat at all! The brown fibrous material which we use in coir compost,  lies between the outer husk and inner hard shell that can be removed to make what we know today as ‘coconut fibre’. Once hydrated it takes on many forms depending upon how you want use your fresh new found resource: from growing seeds through establishing root cuttings all while providing an ideal base for homemade composts!

The production of coir, or coconut husk is on the rise. Production has increased by about 605% since 1990 when it was just over 100 thousand tonnes per year! The main exporters are India and Sri Lanka with around 80% of the total being exported.

Why should you use coco-peat in your garden?

There are two main reasons why:-

• Organic: Our coir is 100% natural and doesn’t contain any green waste or added chemicals. It’s perfect for promoting healthy soil because of its anti-fungal properties combined with coco peat’s natural inherent good quality!
• Sustainable: The most eco-friendly way to garden! You’ll love our coconut coir for its high quality and sustainable origins. We source only 100% natural materials, which means you can be confident in the natural ingredients in your compost  – no synthetic chemicals or artificial anything here at all.

In the Carbon Gold range have two different composts both made with coir.  Our Seed Compost which is also suitable as seed and cutting compost, and our All Purpose Compost, both contain sustainably sourced coir, biochar, natural biology and trace minerals combined with plant based fertiliser.  They are organically certified, through a rigorous auditing process through the Soil Association.