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[INDOOR-GARDENING:55] Re: Coir vs. Peat

	I am a commercial grower who has been using coir on a normal basis for the
last year or so. It is a difficult medium to work with because it retains
water very well, even better than straight peat. I have found that a 1:4
ratio of coir to peat works best for plants which prefer to remain on the
drier side. For plants that prefer moisture on their roots at all times
(like Mimulus) I use almost 90% coir. In a 1 gallon container, the first 2"
can be dry, but the center of the container could still be sopping wet, so
definitely watch the watering. Coir will rot the roots of your plants
quickly without you even noticing. There can be a high salt content
depending on the manufacturer. Most Manufacturers rinse the coir during the
shredding process, so the salt content of those can be relatively low.
	It arrives in a compressed block which you literally have to chip away. The
easiest way to get it out of the bail is to soak it overnight in tepid water
(This also helps to remove some of the salt content). There has been a lot
of research done by a grower in Minnesota. This grower has been written up
in Greenhouse Product News (GPN) in a long article about coir. If you are
interested e-mail me back or post and I will try to dig up the issue.
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