Properties of coconut seedling tablets
Today, peat products are no longer popular; they are being replaced by coconut seedling tablets. This product is a compressed coconut in tablet form that is impregnated with special fertilizers.
This product is 70% coco peat and fiber, 30% coconut flakes.
These tablets are used for seed germination. They contribute to the rapid rooting of cuttings, as well as planting. Thanks to the use of coconut tablets for seedlings, the planted plants have a developed root system. The first harvest usually begins one to two weeks earlier than those plants to which peat and mineral wool have been applied.
Reviews of coconut seedling tablets indicate an improvement in the physiological and biochemical properties of the soil.
In addition, the coconut horticultural product has the following characteristics:
- aeration properties;
- heat-conducting properties;
- structural properties;
- moisture retention;
- absence of pathogens and weeds;
- resistance to decomposition due to long-term use.
To prepare the soil, you need 40 ml of warm water, which should be poured into a tablet. After that, you need to wait a while until the water is completely absorbed.
It is not uncommon for the result that coconut tablets and coconut briquettes give, mineral wool is purchased for seedlings. However, it is impossible to compare them in terms of effectiveness, since only coconut seedlings are recyclable.
Since the tablets have a porous structure and, therefore, are saturated with air, unlike peat, they do not settle, they absorb moisture in a short period without forming a crust on the surface.
A high oxygen level is an important factor for the soil, because the vitality of plants depends on it. If there is not enough oxygen, toxic compounds arise, which not only impair the physical properties of the soil, but also negatively affect the level of nutrients. Ultimately, with a lack of oxygen, plant development slows down significantly.
With the help of coconut seedling briquettes and tablets, an optimal oxygen balance of 20% is ensured.
In other words, coconut products allow you to grow a variety of plants without flooding their root system, ensuring the ideal balance of nutrients and oxygen in the soil.
Coconut seedling briquettes and substrate action
You can judge whether there is any benefit from coconut substrate for seedlings by its composition, where the main component is chopped coconut fibers.
It has a number of advantages over funds that are bought for similar purposes:
- The content of elements useful for the plant;
- Possession of antibacterial action, which protects the root system from pests, as well as pathogens;
- Coconut substrate is a self-healing product;
- Provides free saturation with oxygen and the required amount of moisture.
An important parameter of the substrate is the acidity level, which fluctuates within the range of pH = 5 - 6, 5.In addition, this substrate promotes the cultivation of organic products.
Benefits of coconut fiber for seedlings
Growers often choose coconut fiber for seedlings, which is made from short fibers and coconut dust. Since the composition contains a large amount of lignin, the decomposition of this structure proceeds extremely slowly.
Coconut fiber remains constantly loose, which means it does not settle after a certain period, which cannot be said about peat.
This gardening material removes the need for drainage. The capillary system promotes a moderate and even distribution of moisture in the soil.
It is recommended to use coconut fiber for seedlings of plants such as anthurium, azalea and fuchsia. They can be used as a finished soil substrate and as one of the soil components.
The acidity level of a coconut fiber product is pH 6 and is static. Pathogenic fungi are not found in it, therefore the substrate, tablets and coconut fibers are suitable for berry, flower, fruit, vegetable crops that are grown both in closed and open ground.
The properties of this seedling product last from 3 to 5 years. The undoubted proof of whether there is any benefit from coconut substrate for seedlings is the absence of the need for disposal when growing crops in open fields, since it becomes an excellent fertilizer and baking powder for the soil.
An interesting article, I think, will be useful to all novice summer residents. I have been growing garden crops for a long time, but this is the first time I hear about coconut products, which have such a positive effect on plants, allow them to grow successfully without flooding the root system, and provide an ideal balance of nutrients and oxygen in the soil. I was very interested in this tool, I would like to try it. Who used it? What's the result?
Can you plant roses in this coconut extract or add it to the soil under already growing roses?
Hello! Yes, you can. Before planting, dig the required hole in the ground. Prepare a mixture of 50% garden soil and 50% pre-prepared coconut substrate. Fill the well with the resulting mixture. Moisten additionally if necessary. Plant the plant by tying it to a vertical support.
Agrochemical indicators of a dry substrate. mg / kg: Nitrogen 2600, Phosphorus 100, Calcium 4000, Potassium 7900, Magnesium 3600
Can you sow petunias in coconut substrate?
Yes you can, for this: use coconut substrate instead of earth. Sold in shops for gardeners in briquettes for 35-37 rubles. brick. Fill it with 5 liters. boiling water and get 8 liters. an excellent seedling mixture - light, fluffy, nutritious. Does not form a crust. I have been using it for seven years now for any flower and vegetable seedlings. It is very convenient, it doesn’t get your hands dirty, you don’t need to feed at first. I put it in shallow bowls (it is convenient from purchased salads, they are with lids), or in halves from packages and under a film. I pour the seeds of petunia into a dry white saucer so that this little thing is visible, and evenly distribute it over the surface of the mixture. If the seeds are "thoroughbred", in granules, then they are clearly visible. I just lay them out on the surface. Further - under a lid or a film, but there is one secret - it is necessary to air several times a day for 5-10 minutes and remove condensation. I just turn the film over or wipe the lid. I do not water or spray, as there is a lot of moisture in the coconut substrate. The bowls should have holes to drain excess water. As soon as the first green dots appear, the film must be removed.The sprouts are very tender at the beginning, so even spraying them nails them. I water like this - I put the bowl in a dish with water for about 20 minutes, the water from below soaks the mixture. When the first leaf appears, before diving, I add a little phytosporin to the water for irrigation, which prevents all kinds of rot and black legs. When picking, I shorten the root by 1/3. I'm not sowing now, but a little later by March, or even in March, depending on the weather. Petunia grows very slowly at the beginning, feels that it is not yet spring. I was convinced for many years that very early planting does not justify itself.
Tell me, can you sow tomatoes in such a subtrate?
Not possible, but even necessary! Here are the advantages of coconut substrate for growing tomatoes: high and stable yield, very good quality vegetables (filling and coloring), fast plant growth (due to excellent conditions for the development of the root system), the first harvest occurs about one week earlier than other substrates , no problems with disposal, ease of preparation of the sown area, the possibility of recycling coconut fiber as an element of other substrates. Growing tomatoes in a coconut substrate is close to growing on mineral wool. The day before planting the plants in coconut mats - they must be supplied with starting solution.
Can you please tell me what "starting solution" means? How to cook it?
as far as I know, there is calcium in the coconut substrate, by the way its PH is neutral, closer to alkaline. Azalea the presence of lime, calcium, alkali) is fatally intolerant? And how can it (coconut peat) be used for azaleas? Three years ago, out of inexperience, I added coco peat to all soils for all indoor plants. So those plants that prefer moderately acidic and acidic soil, at best, simply did not develop and suffered, at worst they died out. Only when a small amount of coco peat was added to a slightly acidic soil (for Saintpaulias for example) did the plants feel normal. Therefore, I concluded that coco peat can only be added to neutral or alkaline soils, and, accordingly, can be used for rooting those plants that tolerate calcium well.