Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Coir Pots (coco pots): Why move from Plastic Pots?

Coir Pots: Why move from Plastic Pots?
CoirGreen™ Coir Pots or also known as coco pots are a natural, biodegradable alternative for plastic pots. Why are they deemed to be a biodegradable alternative? Well, they are made out of natural coconut fibres which are held together using natural latex. This product has been introduced as part of CoirGreen’s commitment to promote sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices in soil erosion control, horticultural and agricultural industries. The main thought behind this product is to add value to the lives of our customers, and employees.

Why should you switch?
The answer to that is transplantation. Remember that time you had to move a plant from one pot to a larger one, just because there was no space for the roots to grow? This was a meticulous task, wasn’t it? You had to make sure that this space constraint hadn’t caused the roots to spiral, twist or tangle which could stunt the plants’ growth. In addition to this, you had to ensure that the plant and its root will not be damaged during this transplantation, causing a ‘transplantation shock’.

When using coir pots this situation can be avoided as the roots are permitted to grow beyond the coconut fibre wall of the pot. Once the roots have penetrated the pot’s wall, the exposure to air will stop the roots from growing further. However, root buds will start to appear and secondary roots start to develop through the pot, which will reduce any deformity that can occur in the root system. This process known as ‘aerial root pruning’ will avoid the transplantation shock that occurs through the use of plastic pots.

What are the other benefits?
These biodegradable coco pots have a high permeability of water, which assists the plants in their osmosis process. Apart from this, these pots are also able to moderate the level of moisture of the pot and the plant. These qualities make coir pots the ideal choice to grow cucurbits and courgettes as their growth is quite often affected by the lack of water or excess moisture.

Coir pots also increase the microbial activity of the plant due to the lignin content in them. This activity, together with key nutrients like Zinc, Magnesium, Copper, and Iron that are acquired through these pots, will assist the plants’ growth. These coir pots allow even a planting enthusiast with a busy schedule to engage in planting, as constant care is not necessary. Furthermore, the rate of growth of plants in coir pots will be higher than in that made out of plastic. Therefore, the use of fertilizer can be reduced, as it is less likely for harmful weed to grow and hinder the plant.

These environmentally friendly pots remain stable above ground for a year, due to its Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS). Once this period passes, as mentioned earlier, the plant doesn’t have to be uprooted from the pot as the pot biodegrades in the soil after 2-3 months. Therefore, the plant including the degrading pot can be replanted together in a larger pot without any transplantation shock. The pots fibres and nutrients will be added to the soil in which it degrades, therefore adding texture to the soil as they degrade.

If the pot isn’t used in the transplanting process, then they can be used to manufacture compost. The composition of this biodegrading pot when added to the compost pile will act as a valuable source of carbon. This carbon will provide the microorganisms with the required energy break down the organic matter in the compost making process.

Therefore the use of CoirGreen™ Coir Pots can help horticulturists and other users as it avoids the effects of ‘transplantation shock’, allows ‘aerial root pruning’, has a high permeability of water, and nutrients, manages the level of moisture, and has other benefits as it degrades biologically. For more information regarding CoirGreen Coir Pots contact us on marketing@coirgreen.com or visit our website on www.coirgreen.com