Coco coir compost

[jobnockey]

Have just ordered some of this, the type you buy as a brick, and add water... I’m not clear however if I’m supposed to mix it with other compost or can just use it on its own???? Anyone used it before? Was going to use it for tomatoes and chillis...

You can use it by itself, it's often used as part of the growing kits you can buy where you get a pot, soil and seeds.

Make sure you add plenty of water, give it time to soak and expand then check if it needs more water. It takes a surprising amount to fully soak it.

Roots like it are it’s airy and doesn’t compact as much as compost especially if you mix it with some vermiculite/expanded clay pebbles. But remember it has no food value so you need to feed your tomatoes/chillies straight away. It’s more of a green buy as well as it’s using up a waste product. I find my tomatoes have a much better root system and thicker stems when I’ve switched to coco coir.

I read a report that coir is a good medium to grow cucumbers in as it hold more moisture than traditional compost.
I am going to give it a go this this year and just use coir but add liquid tomato feed to their watering.

Oh brilliant thanks everyone. I’ll add some slow release food to it when potting it up and feed with tomato food as usual then?

I'm surprised to read that it holds moisture as I've always found the opposite .

Coco fiber doesn’t hold water you need to use coco coir which is a by product of the fibre. Basically It is more ground up and A lot of the cheaper blocks you can buy are just fiber and more stringy.

I've been trying it this year for the first time. I didn't have much success with seed germination, but the seedlings that did emerge are now doing ok. As others have said there is no nutrition in it, so it will need fed.

Coco fiber doesn’t hold water you need to use coco coir

I knew I was missing something ! Thank you so much @Proudboomer

I find it really good for germinating seeds and rooting cuttings as they make good root systems which separate easily. But, as pp have said, it contains no nutrients so you will need to start feeding your plants straight away. (Commercial composts contain enough feed to last varying amounts of time, usually at least 6-8 weeks)

This arrived yesterday and it’s quite amazing how much compost appears from a 5kg block!!! Have mixed some with some compost from the compost bin and added some fertilisers and drenched with seaweed feed... hoping the beans will like this... have t got round to potting tomatoes on yet... have people done this yet? They’re outside in a mini plastic greenhouse anyway but weather still feels so changeable I don’t know when to risk it!

I think the threat of frost has passed so you could put them in bigger pots in a sheltered area. We've put a few veg plants out in pots but had to run out with plastic lids in the hail as they were getting battered. Our tomatoes & chillies have been pricked out and are now in separate pots but are still on a window ledge inside until they get stronger.