Is Royal Gold’ s Coconut Fiber
Potting Soil The Future? by Nicco Reggente
I remember burning the husk off of a coconut as a kid. It was a tradition my father and I carried out right before we’ d crack open the hard shell for a taste of that succulent pulp and a sweet drink of its water. Turns out, we were wasting one of the latest and greatest growing mediums: coconut fiber.
Farmers have used that fibrous part of the husk, also known as coir, since ancient times. However, it started gaining popularity in the 1980s amongst growers looking for an alternative to rockwool, peat moss, or clay balls.
Coconut fiber’ s eco-friendly properties, impressive water retention, and reusability have many arguing that“ coco” based soil is the future of indoor and hydroponic gardening. Royal Gold, the first all coco based soil company in California, has been at the forefront of this movement— re-setting the standards for quality, consistency and performance for soils and soilless mediums.
Research over the years has highlighted the many advantages of using coconut fiber. For example, media-toroot nutritional transfer, measured commonly by cation exchange capacity, is particularly high when using coconut fiber in your growing medium. That means your nutrients are utilized to their full potential when you pot with coconut fiber. Additionally, since the coir is so fibrous, it doesn’ t compact as easily— leaving space for a healthy root system that encourages water uptake. Furthermore, the high concentration of support tissue in coir makes it perfect for immediate reuse.
Since 2006, Royal Gold has been working with clientele ranging from beginner growers all the way to advanced agricultural production masters. With as many as 50 employees during peak sow seasons, Royal Gold distributes their products internationally to some of the most reputable names in garden wholesale.
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