RIOCOCO Coconut Coir Bricks: You’re Still Using Perlite?

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Coco coir bricks are in extensive use by cultivators worldwide –  and not only for hydroponic cannabis production. RIOCOCO coco coir chip bricks are produced from mature coconut husks, byproducts of the palm industry. This sustainable resource is 100% organic, biodegradable, carbon-neutral, and is ideal for both organic, conventional and hydroponic agriculture. 

This efficient plant growth medium is  perfect in many ways for producing a greener environment. These premier quality and super-washed coconut coir bricks from RIOCOCO are fast becoming the aeration amendment of choice in organic cannabis production. Blending uniformly cut coco coir husks as an amendment with organic and living soils provides aeration and structure without the carbon footprint of perlite.

How Are Coir Bricks From RIOCOCO Different?

Perlite Production

The horticultural perlite industry has a significant carbon footprint. Perlite is mined using open pit methods such as ripping, or blasting, or both. Front-end loaders and excavators load it on trucks for transport to processing plants. These facilities house massive blast furnaces which, using raw energy from fossil fuels, expand the stone into the its final state by heating it to 1800°F. EPA studies prove these  furnaces are emitting a number of heavy metals including chromium, lead, and mercury. This in addition to the carbon footprint from burning fossil fuels in every step of the supply chain.

Coir Chip Brick Production

RIOCOCO sources its raw materials through an ever expanding networks of organic palm farms throughout inland Sri Lanka. The coconut husks are then individually fed through shredding and grading machines by RIOCOCO employees earning industry-leading wages.  The materials EC is then brought to <0.5EC with RIOCOCOs proprietary MAXXWASHED process. This water from this procedure is then re-used for irrigation by our in-house palm groves. Our team allows this flushed material to sun dry before compressing it into coco coir bricks. We then finish the process by using steam to sterilize the coco coir bricks before they are tested for heavy metals and pathogens. No chemicals are used at any stage in the production process, nor are they a byproduct.

Perlite Disrupts the Soil Food Web

Perlite is used widely use due to its cost and availability. However, growers producing high quality organic Cannabis should be aware of its lack of value in the soil food web. Sporting a cation exchange capacity of 0, perlite is inert. It is unable to bond with any cations necessary for healthy plant growth such as Calcium or Magnesium. Chunks of perlite absorb water while leaving behind elemental ion, creating root damaging pockets of high salinity throughout the substrate. Damaged roots stop producing root exudates, disrupting the balance of the soil food web.

Coco Coir Chips Enhance Living Soil

RIOCOCO coco coir chip bricks provide naturally occurring beneficial bacterial such as trichoderma. These micro-organism rich organic bricks are the perfect medium for adding structure and air to compacted organic soil blends. Lignins, natural polymers found in coconuts, provide optimal Air-Filled Porosity (AFP) and Water-Holding Capacity (WHC) for transpiration. Lignins contain a high percentage of complex oxygen-rich organic polymers, actively maintaining the substrate structure at a microscopic level, and creating a biologically active rhizosphere. This symbiotic relationship actively prevents pathogens and builds healthy roots, shoots, and fruits.

Final Verdict

Coconut coir bricks from RIOCOCO have many advantages over conventional soil amendments. Environmentally and socially responsible gardeners require a carbon neutral material for substrates, aeration mediums, and compost amendments. When building your soil for this years organic Cannabis crop, use a medium which adds to the life in your soil:  look no further than RIOCOCO – click here to request a quote today!