Coir Block - Coarse Grade (4.0 kg Dry Weight Makes Approx. 60 L)

Dimensions: 300 mm × 300 mm × 120 – 140 mm
Weight: 4.0 kg

This is a coarse grade of coir, in a handy carry-bag! Each of these highly compressed blocks is 4.0 kg dry weight, and expands to approximately 60 L on addition of about 24 L of water.

Quick wetting and storage tip: place one block directly into a 75 L container of some sort (for example a plastic version of the old-style metal garbage bins with lids), and add the water directly. All done in one spot, with a finished product at the ready for your convenience, with no mess or time wasted in transferring from one spot to another, and with a protective lid for long-term storage!

These blocks are too compressed to be able to break off small pieces to hydrate small volumes as you go, and are best hydrated as one lot. As the block swells and softens, you may need to break more stubborn clumps up with your hands to maximise absorption, especially with this coarser grade where you’ll find the core particularly stubborn.

Once hydrated, the coir darkens in colour, remains loose and friable, and will never return to its former excessively dry state. It is still best kept covered during storage for maximum long-term water retention, and even if not covered, only the very top will typically dry out anyway, unless you leave it baking over summer for months at a time. If you see a dryish top, you only need scrape away a few centimetres to see how moist it stays further down!

This coir is very open, with an air-filled porosity (AFP) of 30%. Because it is both open and a great holder of water, this medium is ideal for tomatoes and other vegetables, and for potted plants and for loosening soil in general. (Best incorporated into compost or potting mix, or otherwise fertilised — regard this as a water-retaining and loosening medium, and not as a nutrient-rich one.)