Back to the Roots Organic Coir, 51 Quart Expanding Soil, Great for Seeds and Potting

I used several bricks of coco coir to add organic matter to a 10x12sqft garden plot that was previously hard, compacted Arizona clay soil and sand. It works beautifully with our soil- coco coir soaks up moisture but releases it slowly, and by doing this, it also soaks up tons of excess minerals and locks them up, which I am confident will help prevent caliche buildup. Tilling the first few inches and mixing with a rough 1:1 coir-to-clay ratio, then covering with a top layer of a denser, 1:2 coir-to-clay mixture, resulted in firm beds that are a little spongy when compressed down by hand, which is exactly what I wanted for starting seeds in situ.This stuff is fantastic- it works exactly how you expect it to, and you can just drench it with your hose, so hot water is not required, it’s just slightly faster. I was able to hydrate a whole brick in about 20 minutes this way. It is an excellent soil amendment, especially if excess minerals or fertilizer are a concern. It also works somewhat as a mulch, and I regularly dust a thin layer on top of my plant beds to ensure their roots remain fully covered. I go through it extremely quickly whenever I need fresh soil, so if you have plans beyond a few pots, having one or two extra bricks will not hurt, and you can store it indefinitely until you need it.I will note here that using this alone will be sufficient for some plants, but you should have a source or clay, sand, or some other inorganic substrate to blend with coco coir most of the time. It is not prone to rotting quickly, but like any organic matter it will begin to decay once moist. In my experience (I’ve planted a few separate greenhouses and plots with it) it tends to pick up the odors already coming from your garden. This is probably because the coir becomes a host to the bacteria and fungi that are currently living around you, so keep that in mind if you’re concerned about odor- it actually smells kind of fresh and woody when first hydrated, but that will change after a few days or weeks once it’s been colonized by local bacteria and fungi. If the odor becomes a serious problem, it is likely you have a larger microbial issue with your garden, and it is not directly the coir, but it could potentially add to that problem. I would argue that, over time, it may improve your soil health, and by extension reduce unpleasant odors once a new microbial equilibrium is reached- but definitely test it in a small area or pot if you want to be sure. I have never had a major issue with odor that didn’t resolve itself after some amount of time, but allowing it to dry out will almost certainly be effective.Overall, it’s a low risk soil amendment, and I’ve never encountered any serious issues with it. If you’re new to gardening, it is extremely forgiving and easy to use, compact for storage, and can be used for pretty much any project. I’ve successfully used varying amounts in soil for tomatoes, herbs, plants native to the Sonoran desert, cacti, wildflowers, and roots.

This is the best planting medium I've found, and this item is fairly priced and rehydrates into a bag of soil that is as big as the largest bag that you can get at a home improvement store. The rehydrated medium is very fine and works well for planting seeds or transplanting seedlings. Whereas potting soil these days contains a lot of large twigs and bark, this is a consistent fine "soil" that makes it easier for planting very small seeds that cannot be set very deep.This will be my new go-to medium for starting seeds and seedlings. I've even mixed it with potting soil to increase the nutrients for my seedlings.

I am very pleased with this coconut coir. I appreciate the size and weight of this block and how quickly it fluffed up in my wheelbarrow with some water. It has been helping me have great success with seedings and transplants into the garden. Purchasing many bags of quality potting soil was getting out of hand while filling my planters. I used a 3-part coconut coir, 2-part compost, 1/2 part perlite, and 1/2 part vermiculite mix, and am very impressed.There is a lightness to my potting soil, so it is not compacting down too tightly for things like potatoes. The coconut coir is fine enough to start seedlings, and I like its water retention. I am not having to water the mix with coconut coir as much as my other pots with store-brand potting soil. I do recommend that you fertilize about every other week since this mix is not soil. It is great for structure for roots and moisture retention, but isn't a long-term solution for vital nutrients. As a final comment, I highly recommend this product for seed starting, transplants, and improving your garden soil mix.

I really liked this product. Mixed it in a wheelbarrel and then laid it down in a new flower bed with topsoil.Easy to use and certainly hwlped to enrich the bed.I just bought several more blocks.

Will never buy another BAG of soil again! Made a mix of 3-2-1. 3 parts coco coir, 2 parts mushroom compost and 1 part mixed with perlite and ventricular. Great product! 18 tomato plants, 6 peppers, 18 bush green beans,18 bush lima beans potato bag and half dozen other (multiple blocks) and EVERY plant and flourishing and producing! Buying more for next spring to expand garden as this is reusable, and can't wait! Love the product: easy to work with, fantastic results and store able in totes for future use! WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER BAG OF GAREN SOIL OR POTTING SOIL!

I LOVE this stuff. It expands enough to fill and entire flower bed (smaller one). My plants have taken off, the ones from seeds even better than the pre-starter plants I bought. Way better than potting soil and worth the price.