Chemically

In general, most grow bags are buffered, such as those used for growing tomatoes and peppers. For more delicate crops, such as strawberries, the experience shows, that the yield can be improved using Shakti Amla® coir grow bags, which are additionally pH stabilised. However, if your cultivation method allows you to buffer and wash the grow bag at your location, there is always the option of using unwashed or washed coir raw materials in grow bags.

Physically

Growbag mixes can be made with coir pith, coir crush and coir fibre. Most common are the mixes with coir pith and coir crush. Crush can be the standard 0-15 mm or the finer 0-7 mm. Equal mixing is essential for consistent growbags. The more crush being mixed in a growbag, the dryer the growbag which means a lower water content and a higher air content. Dry growbags need more frequent water during daytime but are easier to drain during nighttime.

Besides standard sizes a wide variety on sizes are available between:

• Up to 120 cm long
• Up to 40 cm wide
• Up to 20 cm high

Plant,- drain- and dripper holes

On request plant holes can be cut in the plastic for easy transplanting of planter blocks with young plants. If plugs are being used the plant holes can be drilled in the coir up to a diameter of 5 cm.
Dripper holes of 6 mm diameter can be drilled in the coir for easy placing of drippers in the dry material. Free drainage is at least as important as irrigation. Diamond-shape drain holes can be cut in the plastic.

Plastic

If not requested otherwise, plastic is white outside and black inside. The white outside reflects the sunlight and helps against excessive temperatures in the rootzone. The black inside keeps the rootzone dark as roots prefer the darkness for their best performance. Different types of plastic are available:

• 300 Gauge with 1 year UV-stability
• 350 Gauge with 1 year UV-stability
• 400 Gauge with 2 years UV-stability
• 500 Gauge with 3 years UV-stability