Guide to the Best Pots for Coco Coir

As an alternative to peat moss or potting mix, coco coir is a soilless growing substance that provides a similar experience to growing in soil. You can use a variety of different types of pots with coco coir depending on what you grow, but it won’t need as much water. Here is a guide to the best pots for coco coir.

Planter Trays

Use planter trays filled with coco coir to get your seeds started. Fill each section of the tray with either pure coco coir or a mixture of coco coir and perlite. Plant your vegetable seeds in the needed depth and water them until the coir is moist. When starting your seeds, a fine pith is often preferred over a more corse coco coir.

Grow Bags

For tomatoes, once you have started them in the starting trays, you can use coco coir in large 5-gallon grow bags to grow container tomatoes. Fill each container with 100% coir fiber or a mixture of coco coir and a potting mix or perlite, and plant two 6-inch vines in each bag. 

This type of grow bag is good for several types of tomatoes including Big Beef, and Trust tomatoes. To make sure that the bags don’t hold too much water, create holes in the sides about three inches from the bottom all the way around. This step will allow excess water to come out, so the roots don’t stay too damp. Make sure to water with a nutrient mix and give it up to six hours of sunlight every day.

Coco Coir Containers

Coco coir itself also makes excellent pots for growing vegetables and plants. These types of containers are made from the coconut husks and are sturdier than other types of pressed paper pots. Not only are they biodegradable, they are also eco-friendly and inexpensive. You can find them in a wide variety of sizes and shapes to fit any plant or flower, and you can even use them for hanging plants. 

Making Your Own Coco Coir Hanging Planters

If you want to create your own coco coir planters, you can get a wire hanging basket and long fiber coir. Push the coir liner into the basket, making sure to use a coir liner that fits snugly into the basket. Choose a size that won’t move around once you get it in there, and then fill the coir liner with a combination of potting soil and coco coir until you reach the top. Plant your seeds at the required depth, and then add water until you see it leaking through the bottom of the coir planter.

Hydroponics

Coco coir is an excellent growing substance for hydroponics, and it can even help make the whole process of transitioning from traditional gardening to hydro gardening much easier. You can use regular pots, and since coir has better water holding capacity than other mediums such as Rockwool, it will work much better.

You can use a variety of different pots with coco coir depending on what you want to grow, so there are not just a few best pots for coco coir. It works in small germination planters, large hanging pots, and even in large grow bags.