Problem Solving in Coco

Mastering Coco Cultivation with REIZIGER: Essential Insights and Solutions

Coco is fast becoming the preferred medium for high-performance crop production worldwide. Despite its growing popularity, it remains a relatively recent innovation in modern horticulture. Though first introduced to the Royal Horticultural Society in the 19th century, it wasn’t until the late 20th century—during the 1970s and 1980s—that it truly carved a niche for itself. This was primarily due to a lack of understanding of its unique chemical and physical properties. Once growers learned how to work with coco correctly, its use skyrocketed. However, as with any cultivation medium, coco presents challenges. Here, we explore the potential pitfalls of growing in coco and the solutions that ensure superior plant performance.

Understanding Coco’s Natural Properties

The coconut palm is a remarkable plant, capable of thriving in extreme conditions, even absorbing seawater. To survive, it has evolved to concentrate excess ions outside its cells, allowing osmosis to continue and water uptake to occur despite the high salinity. This unique trait gives coco its defining characteristics—both beneficial and challenging—when used as a growth medium.

These same natural properties make coconut husk tissue incredibly resilient, slow to decompose, and protective of the developing embryo inside. As a floating seed pod, the coconut is designed to travel across oceans for extended periods before germinating on distant shores. This durability means coco substrate has a predictable structure and decomposition pathway, making it a consistently effective medium when processed correctly.

Physical Characteristics of Coco

Coco substrates contain both fibrous materials and coco peat (or dust). After the edible portion of the coconut is removed, the husk is softened, and fibres are extracted. These long, stiff fibres are traditionally used for products like door mats and brooms. The shorter fibres provide structure to coco substrates, contributing to its characteristic porosity and aeration. Meanwhile, the finer coco peat particles act like micro-sponges, dramatically improving water retention. When aged correctly and properly processed, coco reaches its ideal consistency, offering stable chemistry and predictable performance for growers.

However, freshly harvested coco is not immediately suitable for plant cultivation. Without appropriate treatment, the material contains high concentrations of salts (such as potassium and sodium) that must be removed before it can support plant growth. Through precise composting, aging, rinsing, and buffering, these excess ions are neutralized, making the medium plant-ready.

The Critical Role of Buffering in Coco

Even after careful processing, raw coco continues to release ions as it decomposes, altering the nutrient balance over time. This is why coco requires an effective buffering process to stabilize its chemistry.

Key Considerations for High-Quality Coco Substrates:

• Consistency in chemistry and physical structure – Select coco that has undergone rigorous quality control to ensure batch-to-batch reliability.
• Proper aging and processing – Aged coco enhances both efficiency and crop performance.
• Thorough buffering – A tailored buffering process ensures the correct cation exchange capacity (CEC), preventing nutrient lockout.
• Nutrient compatibility – Use a premium coco-specific nutrient, such as REIZIGER COCO FOOD A&B, to maintain stability and counteract ongoing decomposition effects.

Without these essential processes, growers risk encountering deficiencies in calcium or excess potassium, leading to poor plant health and reduced yields.

Producing a High-Quality Coco Substrate

Creating a superior coco growing medium is an intensive process requiring months of preparation. The raw coco husks must be:

1. Aged – To allow natural decomposition to stabilize nutrient release.
2. Washed and Rinsed – To remove unwanted salts that could impact plant growth.
3. Buffered – To regulate the CEC and ensure nutrients remain available to plants.
4. Dried Properly – To maintain product integrity before compression and shipping.

Preventing Contamination During Drying

Drying is a crucial stage in coco processing, but weather conditions can significantly impact quality. Responsible producers stockpile sufficient pre-treated coco to last through rainy seasons, preventing delays and inconsistencies. Additionally, top-tier producers take steps to prevent contamination during drying and storage:

• Protective screening – Shields coco from airborne contaminants.
• Hygienic drying areas – Ensures no contact with soil, sand, or debris.
• Laboratory testing – Verifies purity and absence of harmful microbes.
• Secure storage facilities – Prevents exposure to weeds, pests, or unprocessed coco.

Contaminated coco can introduce unwanted pathogens, weed seeds, or mineral imbalances, leading to poor plant performance. Choosing a trusted brand like REIZIGER ensures that growers receive a thoroughly processed, contamination-free product.

Maximizing Plant Performance in Coco

When used correctly, coco substrates support rapid growth, strong root systems, and high-yielding plants. Research continues to uncover new benefits of coco, including its ability to promote beneficial microbial activity. However, growers must manage their irrigation and nutrition strategies properly to fully capitalize on these advantages.

The Challenge of Watering Coco

Coco behaves like a sponge, retaining water while simultaneously allowing excellent aeration. However, this means growers must carefully manage moisture levels. Overwatering can cause oxygen depletion in the root zone, while underwatering prevents proper nutrient uptake.

Best Practices for Watering Coco:

• Allow coco to dry to 50–70% before re-watering – This is Especially important during the first few weeks of root development.
• Use a tensiometer – This device measures substrate water potential, ensuring precise irrigation management.
• Weigh the containers—Weigh after watering and again at the wilt point. The difference represents the available water. Re-water when 50–70% of this water has been used.

The Chemical Balance in Coco

The decomposition of coco continuously alters nutrient availability, making proper buffering and nutrition management essential. Key factors include:

1. pH Stability – Coco’s natural pH is not ideal and must be adjusted.
2. Cation Exchange Sites (CEC) – Coco holds monovalent ions (such as sodium and potassium) loosely but binds divalent ions (such as calcium and magnesium) tightly, affecting nutrient availability.
3. Ion Release – As coco degrades, sodium and potassium can accumulate, disrupting nutrient balance.

REIZIGER COCO FOOD A&B contains carefully balanced calcium, magnesium, and iron to counteract these shifts and ensure nutrient availability remains optimal for plant growth.

The REIZIGER Advantage: Coco-Specific Nutrients

Using generic nutrients in coco will not maintain the buffer or stabilize pH effectively. Only coco-specific formulations ensure plants thrive in this medium. REIZIGER COCO FOOD A&B is precisely engineered to:

• Prevent nutrient lockout and deficiencies.
• Ensure stable pH and EC levels.
• Support vigorous plant growth and flowering.

By pairing high-quality coco substrates with a nutrient system explicitly designed for coco, growers unlock the full potential of this exceptional medium.

Conclusion: Trust REIZIGER to Perfect Your Craft

Coco is an outstanding growing medium, but success depends on proper preparation, buffering, and nutrition management. With over 30 years of pioneering research, REIZIGER remains the trusted name in high-performance coco cultivation. Our solutions are designed to help growers achieve: ✅ Faster, healthier plant development
✅ Increased yields and resin production
✅ Optimized nutrient uptake and pH stability

Don’t settle for inconsistent results—elevate your cultivation with REIZIGER COCO FOOD A&B.

Perfect Your Craft. Choose REIZIGER.