If you enjoy raising your plants from seed but hate the hassle, you might want to try coir pellets. For germination of seeds, pellets are an easy, fast and clean method. When compared to peat pellets, coir discs for seed planting are an eco-friendly option. Although peat is a natural material, it’s not considered a sustainable product. Peat is the decaying remnants of sphagnum moss.
It takes hundreds of years to form peat bogs and considerably less time to deplete them. On the other hand, coir pellets are made from the husk of coconuts. Once considered an agricultural waste, this coconut fiber is soaked and treated to remove excess minerals. It’s then formed into flat, round discs and sold as a seed starting product by various manufacturers. Benefits of Seed Starting in Coir In addition to being less messy, coir discs virtually eliminate the problem of damping off.
This fungal infection can be transmitted through soil and unsanitary starting trays. It most often attacks newly sprouted seedlings, causing the stems to weaken and the plants to die. Wet conditions and cool temperatures contribute to the problem.
