When you think of a basic coconut (Cocos nucifera), you may visualize scooping out the tasty interior or drinking its sweet juice. The exterior portion of the coconut, however, has an important function: It can be used to create coconut mulch. For many gardeners, adding peat moss to the soil is a common choice to shore up the nutrients and water absorption within the dirt, but coconut fibers offer a more sustainable choice in soil engineering, both as a surface mulch and a soil additive.
Components and Processing
Commonly exported from India and Sri Lanka, coconut mulch begins as fibers from the outside of the coconut shell. Each shell has a mixture of long, medium and short fibers across the surface; a long-term soaking in fresh water strengthens their durability factor during traditional mulch preparation. Whether cured through traditional or factory processing, most of the fibers are transported globally through large fibrous bales, much like common hay.
The coconut fibers, or coir, are mixed into your soil just like peat moss; you can sprinkle the coir across the garden and till it into the ground as a soil additive. The fibers interspersed with the soil create an effective sponge for surrounding water. In addition, the coir can also be used in a traditional mulch application; sprinkling the fibers across the soil's surface creates a fine protective layer for the ground below. As a result, the soil will retain its moisture for a longer period of time while reducing the chances of nutrients flowing away from the soil and surrounding garden. Weeds will also be deterred by the use of coir since its strong fibers will prevent the weed roots from stretching outward into the garden's soil structure and prevent new weed seeds from germinating on the surface.
Mulching with coir has also helped the environment. Because peat bogs are declining rapidly, gardeners from around the world are looking for a more sustainable soil additive and topsoil protector. Seen as garbage in some countries, the coconut shell and attached fibers can be easily packaged and shipped worldwide to mix with any soil type, especially in the application of controlling soil erosion. Companies that move earth for construction projects can use the coconut fibers to retain the soil's nutrients and structure on sloping banks.
Unlike weaker soil additives, coconut fibers degrade very slowly when mixed into the garden. The strong fibers expand and contract with water absorption numerous times; hidden within the soil, the sun cannot break the fibers down easily. As a result, you do not need to add excessive amounts of mulch to the soil. This allows the garden to remain partially self-sufficient over a long period of time. Coconut mulch that resides on the topsoil may need to be replaced more often since it is exposed to the elements, but it does have a long lifespan compared to other mulch types.
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