Why cocos products?
Due to increasing international demand for high-quality growing media, we are now expanding our range of cocos-based constituents. This allows a secure future supply to growers, especially for emerging markets in Asia, Africa and South America. Cocos products have proven to be a beneficial complement to the existing range of high-quality constituents. Cocos is deemed sustainable and provides positive technical properties for plant cultivation.
Coir is obtained from the husk of coconuts, the mesocarp. Various coir materials can be extracted from this husk: coir pith, coir fibre and coir crush or chips. Different fractions are produced by cutting or screening. The combination of the different coir materials and grades determines the physical properties of the final product. Specific treatments to adjust its chemical properties ensure safe use in plant cultivation.
Quality aspects
SA8000 certification
The manufacturing of our coir products is certified to the SA8000
standard. This internationally accepted management standard encourages organisations to develop, maintain and apply socially acceptable practices in the workplace.
RHP certification
Our treated coir products carry the RHP quality label, confirming their suitability as a substrate constituent for commercial horticulture. All production facilities are certified to the strict RHP standards, a guarantee for consistently high quality (www.rhp.nl).
Our products
Coir Pith
The husk of the coconut consists of the soft coir pith which is interspersed with coir fibres. By separating the fibres and the pith, two different raw materials are extracted. Screening the coir pith produces different grades suitable for different applications. Most common is the 0 – 6 mm (¼”) screened material with an air capacity of approximately 25 vol.-%.
Coir Crush
Coir crush consists of larger grades of coir pith from which fine particles have been removed by screening. Coir crush increases the air capacity and drainage of growing media. Depending on the amount of crush in a substrate, the air capacity can be increased by 10 to 40 vol.-%. In addition, the naturally present coir fibres improve the water transport in the substrate.
Coir Fibre
A large part of the husk consists of coir fibres which are mainly used in products such as mats, brooms, mattresses and geo-textiles. Cutting the fibres allows a use in substrates. Coir fibres improve the water transport in the growing media. This applies to both, transport from top to bottom for a better drainage and from bottom to top for a better water capillarity, e. g., in ebb and flood systems or on irrigation mats.
Coir Mixes
To achieve the required physical properties for any specific crop or growing situation, different coir materials are combined to adjust the water and air capacity of the final product. Typical mixes e. g. are Coir Mix 80/20 with 80 % coir pith and 20 % crush or Coir Mix 70/30, which is used when increased air capacity and drainage properties are required. Our coir mixes are also available as growbags.
Klasmann-Deilmann distributes the high-quality coir product Shakti Amla® by Shakti Cocos. Shakti Amla® is a unique coir product specifically developed to ensure a stable and low pH value in growing media. Therefore, the pH value in a substrate can be adjusted to any desired level by adding lime. The organic ion exchange complex in this product is properly buffered to support safe fertilisation. Shakti Amla® provides a base level of nutrients.
All coir products from Klasmann-Deilmann are available as buffered coir, washed coir or with the specific Amla® treatment. In general, all our coir products are subject to an important ageing and stabilisation process in clean concrete bunkers. For the ecological cultivation of plants, organic coir carrying the ecolabel IMO is available on request (www.ecocert-imo.ch).
Our coir products are available in compressed 5 kg blocks, 50 litre bags, easy fill bags, growbags, as well as customised packaging and dimensions.
Deliverability and quality in harmony
Regardless of current crises and disrupted supply chains, the latest forecasts assume that the demand for growing media and the required raw materials will increase significantly internationally in the future.
Klasmann-Deilmann successfully ensured at an early stage that the increasing demand for horticultural products could be met with a stable supply of raw materials and supplier infrastructure.
