Peatmoss will also acidify your soil and bring down the ph. Great for blueberries!
I know peat moss is the ethical evil of evils...
- Thread starter raroo
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I hate to rain on the parade here, but coir isn't as eco-friendly as it's made out to be. Think about where coconuts grow........... And there are a lot of the same type issues as with coffee, workers treated badly, native habitats being destroyed to grow coconuts, and monocultures. I'm all for using by-products, but it seems like a personal choice-lesser of two evils.
That said, it won't acidify your soil, and it is relatively soft. Make sure you 'unpress' it in a VERY large container, otherwise it will expand and stick itself in like nothing else. Ask me how I know.
I have also had a difficult time with it blowing away, out of the pots and ground. If I were to use it again I would mix it with something heavier.
That said, it won't acidify your soil, and it is relatively soft. Make sure you 'unpress' it in a VERY large container, otherwise it will expand and stick itself in like nothing else. Ask me how I know.
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- #33
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LOL I don't mind steal away!
I welcome anyone to come and discuss things!
flakey chick I know what you mean about one veggie in particular thriving... our potatoes are growing like crazy and our carrots are so small you would never guess they have been growing for over a month now!
We are novice gardeners and still learning, I like to hear about other people's gardening experience!
One day we hope to live on our own veggies, we had better start getting it right!
morelcabin that's a good idea about using peat in the run. I think it would help with odors for sure, my coop smells fresh for so long! Let me know how it goes mixing it with shavings in your coop, that's an interesting idea too.
LOL I don't mind steal away!
flakey chick I know what you mean about one veggie in particular thriving... our potatoes are growing like crazy and our carrots are so small you would never guess they have been growing for over a month now!
We are novice gardeners and still learning, I like to hear about other people's gardening experience!
morelcabin that's a good idea about using peat in the run. I think it would help with odors for sure, my coop smells fresh for so long! Let me know how it goes mixing it with shavings in your coop, that's an interesting idea too.
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- #34
Quote:
Good info about the coir, something to think about!
Those are very good points, and so true, too.
Good info about the coir, something to think about!
- Mar 21, 2009
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I have been interested in coir for a long time. I know a lot of people are using as their only substrate for hydroponics. I am not sure where other people are seeing it cheap. Everywhere I have seen it, it has been a small fortune (hence why I haven't tried it yet).
I am using coir in my brooder....I have used it for reptiles, and I also use it for mice. I find it to have better odor control and absorbancy than ANYTHING else I have ever used for anything........mice are big waste producers, even when not crowded...and I've tried carefresh, pelleted bedding (which, while fabulous for absorbancy and odor control, doesn't have a texture the animals tend to like), soil, corn cob, shredded paper, shavings.....coir bedding beats everything out for its combination of traits. It doesn't stink, it has fabulous odor control, its highly absorbant, it's soft, and its not dusty. It does have its own kind of dust....but its not a regular dust....it doesn't stick to things and make everything look dirty and doesn't inhale as easily as other dusts. I have pure white mice on it and they always look pretty much spotless....when I used organic soil they always looked a little dirty. You can get big 10-15 lb bales (compressed like the bricks) of the stuff which is much less expensive than the individual bricks. I have had my chicks and ducklings (7 seramas and 3 calls) on it in their ~36x18" brooder...only about 1/2-3/4" deep (one brick) for about a week and a half (from about 3-4 days old) and only just today had to change it...had it been deeper I wouldn't have had to...but they slept all in one area and it started staying wet (didn't smell much though) in there. I love the stuff and plan on using it in my coop
It seems expensive...but when you factor in how much less often you have to change it, and just how far the compressed stuff goes (it is HIGHLY compressed)...it isn't bad.....plus when you factor in the benefits and convenience of it...I think its totally worth it.
It seems expensive...but when you factor in how much less often you have to change it, and just how far the compressed stuff goes (it is HIGHLY compressed)...it isn't bad.....plus when you factor in the benefits and convenience of it...I think its totally worth it.
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I am using coir in my brooder....I have used it for reptiles, and I also use it for mice. I find it to have better odor control and absorbancy than ANYTHING else I have ever used for anything........mice are big waste producers, even when not crowded...and I've tried carefresh, pelleted bedding (which, while fabulous for absorbancy and odor control, doesn't have a texture the animals tend to like), soil, corn cob, shredded paper, shavings.....coir bedding beats everything out for its combination of traits. It doesn't stink, it has fabulous odor control, its highly absorbant, it's soft, and its not dusty. It does have its own kind of dust....but its not a regular dust....it doesn't stick to things and make everything look dirty and doesn't inhale as easily as other dusts. I have pure white mice on it and they always look pretty much spotless....when I used organic soil they always looked a little dirty. You can get big 10-15 lb bales (compressed like the bricks) of the stuff which is much less expensive than the individual bricks. I have had my chicks and ducklings (7 seramas and 3 calls) on it in their ~36x18" brooder...only about 1/2-3/4" deep (one brick) for about a week and a half (from about 3-4 days old) and only just today had to change it...had it been deeper I wouldn't have had to...but they slept all in one area and it started staying wet (didn't smell much though) in there. I love the stuff and plan on using it in my coop
It seems expensive...but when you factor in how much less often you have to change it, and just how far the compressed stuff goes (it is HIGHLY compressed)...it isn't bad.....plus when you factor in the benefits and convenience of it...I think its totally worth it.
Where do you get the bales from? Is there a website or store?? I can't find anything where I'm at
It seems expensive...but when you factor in how much less often you have to change it, and just how far the compressed stuff goes (it is HIGHLY compressed)...it isn't bad.....plus when you factor in the benefits and convenience of it...I think its totally worth it.
Where do you get the bales from? Is there a website or store?? I can't find anything where I'm at
I haven't been able to find them locally...some garden supply stores *may* carry them.... You can find them online by searching "coir bale" or "coconut bale." The shipping gets expensive though....which is annoying...
- Dec 7, 2008
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Sphagnum moss can potentially harbour the chronic fungal disease, sporotrichosis. Sporothrix schenckii spores enter the skin via abrasions, scratches, and small puncture wounds as a result of unprotected contact exposure to Sphagnum moss.
I copied it from wikipedia.
Does peat moss mean no more shavings stirring?
I copied it from wikipedia.
Does peat moss mean no more shavings stirring?
- Dec 7, 2008
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Quote:
Where do you get the bales from? Is there a website or store?? I can't find anything where I'm at
can anybody post a pic of this stuff?
Where do you get the bales from? Is there a website or store?? I can't find anything where I'm at
can anybody post a pic of this stuff?
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