Coco coir, or the layer of pith that envelops the husk of a coconut, is the raw material used to make coco peat. Due to its eco-friendly qualities, coco peat has become increasingly popular in recent years as a plant fertiliser. Bricks are made of coconut fibres that have been crushed and compressed. The bricks are simple to handle, package, advertise, and store. Before utilising it, the product must be reconstituted. There are 650 grams and 5 kilograms of coco peat. To use coco peat bricks in your garden is quite easy, you just have to follow some steps:
- When reconstituted, compacted coconut coir or peat swells and can increase in volume by up to five or six times. Break off only the amount you intend to use.
- Bricks should be broken up into pieces and thrown into a big pail. Add enough water to completely submerge the brick.
- For it to become loose and absorb the water, let the dried coco peat soak in the water for a while.
- After 10 to 15 minutes, fluff and stir the coco peat using a garden trowel. If it seems dry, add extra water. If it’s loose, stop.
- After a few minutes, stir and fluff it once more to make sure it has all been saturated. If necessary, add additional water until it is loose. The coco peat is prepared for use in the garden once it is visible as damp and loose.
Coco peat bricks production
The byproduct of extracting coconut for coir fibres is coco peat/coir pith. A flexible natural material known as coco peat is frequently utilised as soilless grow media, soil amendments, and potting mix. A plentiful source, coco coir is accessible everywhere at any time. Coco coir has been produced and extracted for several centuries. With the aid of cutting-edge technology, the method of producing coco coir has changed during the previous few decades. The primary source of coco peat is coco coir, which has undergone numerous processing steps. And those significant stages are listed as:
Collection
Loads of coconuts are obtained from the distributors in the country of freshwater reservoirs and are kept in the spacious storage room.
Dehusking
Dehusked mature coconuts are used to make coco peat bricks, which are then sent to curing for roughly six weeks. Based on the fibre grades, the fibre is sorted in this procedure.
Washing
For more than 18 months, the coco peat is spread throughout the cement floor. Additionally, it is rinsed in fresh water to bring the pH and EC values of the coco peat to the required levels.
Testing
The coco peat is examined for the ideal pH and EC value after being washed with fresh water. Later, the contaminants and fibre fragments are removed during the sieving process. It then went on to dry off the dampness.
Drying
On a cement floor, the coco peat dries naturally in the sun. It is forwarded for final screening when the moisture has been decreased to 18% of its original level.
Screening
With the aid of automated screeners, this is the last screening technique used to remove any contaminants or sand. The coco peat is rigorously examined during this procedure.
Compression
The coco peat is eventually compressed into blocks of a specific size (often 650gm or 5kg blocks) using automated hydraulic compressors that have the proper compression ratio.
Packing
Once the compressed block has been released. It is packaged per customer request or in a standard-size container with a suffixed label indicating the brand name, the size of the block, and its clear purpose. With this technique, coco peat bricks are made.
