Growing Xerophytes (Cacti & Succulents) in Cocopeat

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Now, if a commercial grower can grow hundreds and thousands of xerophytes aka cacti & succulents which are called water sensitive plants, in cocopeat where it is not easy for him/her to give individual attention to a single plant, surely it is quite possible for any grower/hobbyist with limited plants to grow in cocopeat and NOT shower (literally!) them with love to the extent of killing them.

So, why is there a resistance to use cocopeat as a media for growing not only xerophytes but foliage plants as well? Quite difficult to say, but it appears that in a vast country as India, the resistance comes more from ‘assumptions’ and ‘unverified passed information’ rather than from trials or personal experience. Having personally visited several plant nurseries in India, East Asia, Middle East and having interacted with ones in North America and Europe; it is quite surprising to understand that cocopeat usage has not increased significantly to grow Xerophytes by hobbyists.

In India, there is a big trade that happens in ‘media’ for xerophytes. Yes, it is great for ones that do not want to go into the rigors of preparing media or wanting to make the extra effort of understanding what might actually be better for their ‘domesticated’ plants than just getting home delivered media which paid for online with a click of a button, ‘put’ the plant in that media and expect it to thrive and become what garners many likes on social media or get oohs and aahs from friends when they visit their homes. However, unlike any other hobby, owning plants is just as big a responsibility as owning pets. Only when this is relatable by hobbyists, would they truly enjoy the spectacle of owning a healthily thriving plant.

As an experiment, a few years back, we had ordered xerophyte and foliage plant growing media from a seller on one of the top marketplaces in India. And trust us, it did not come cheap – about INR 1200 for a 1 KG packet. When we received it, the packet said the ingredients contained cocopeat, perlite, vermiculite, neem khali, bone meal, etc. And then of course, there is a big business in the procurement of waste from thermal plants, breaking it down, washing it and selling it as cinder – an ideal media for xerophytes. And then there are additives like perlite, pumice, vermicompost, bone meal, etc that are added to the media to make it more ‘saleable’.

Based on our experience of growing xerophytes – Agave, Aloe, Cacti, Caudiciforms, Haworthia, Gasteria, Sansevieria, Euphorbia, etc for more than a decade; we share our understanding of why cocopeat is one of the best media to grow xerophytes and also discuss its advantages and disadvantages.

Lets first see what we have experienced are the clear advantages of using cocopeat:

• Cheaper and Ease of Procurement

Cocopeat will cost on an average 3 times less than cinder and about 20 times less than media available on any of the top marketplaces in India. Even if you add about 20% perlite or pumice to this media, it would still cost significantly less than any other comparable media. Cocopeat is as easily available today in offline (nurseries, garden centres, plant shops) and online stores as any other media.

• Less Maintenance

Maintenance wise cocopeat is significantly less effort-consuming in terms of watering (both frequency and quantity), weeding and shifting (weight of a 12-inch diameter pot is one-third compared to the weight of a pot having cinder based or soil based media). In fact, one needs to come back and check for water requirement only after 10-12 days in winters and 2-3 days in summers for a cocopeat based media grown xerophyte. Specially in summer months and in cities where water availability gets seriously impacted, cocopeat-based media is a boon for hobbyists.

• Porosity and Aeration for Roots

If not better than cinder-based media, cocopeat based media provides similar porosity and aeration for roots. Our personal experience has led us to observe better fibrous root growth in cocopeat-based media than cinder-based media and definitely much better than soil-based media. Do remember that the water/moisture and nutrient intake by the plants happens through the fibrous parts of the roots.

• Sparkling Nails

No, not really. 😁 But then, cocopeat-based media is least dirtying media to handle bare handed. Most often, the cinder-based media comes laced with either chemicals or other harmful additives or is not properly washed and still contains dust necessitating careful handling of cinder-based media.

• Anti-fungal Properties

Though many online articles and research papers show that cocopeat has anti-fungal properties, we haven’t found any significant difference in cinder-based media and coco-peat media to this effect. Although, it is pertinent to mention that since coco-peat is in itself a sterile media with negligible bio-activity, the chances of any fungal or bacterial spores to be present in it are minimal.

• Neutral pH

Cocopeat has been found to have a pH in the range of 6-7 which suits the growing needs of most of the xerophytes.

• Cation Exchange Capacity

Since this involves a few scientific terms and the measurement would actually have to be scientifically determined, this is obviously not based on personal experiences. However, a lot of published research and data shows that cocopeat has higher cation exchange capacity (CEC) which gives it higher propensity to make available the nutrients to the plants. CEC is a useful indicator of media’s ability to make available three important plant nutrients: calcium, magnesium and potassium. For more information on CEC, you can refer to this link: https://bit.ly/3uXw5AV

• Easily Reusable and Recyclable

Uprooting a plant from cocopeat-based media and planting it in a bigger pot is a whole lot easier than any other media. Just tap the pot gently on all sides and lift the plant. The plant along with the cocopeat comes up completely and you can just put the entire thing in a bigger pot, covering the empty portions of the bigger pot with additional cocopeat and voila, your plant is transplanted in a matter of seconds. This way the plant undergoes least transplantation shock and chances of any growth retardation of mortality are minimised.

Same cocopeat can be used for 4-5 years without any hassles. So, in case the pot size is not a constraint for the xerophyte, it would not require repotting for upto 4-5 years. Also, we normally try to remove all the fibrous roots from the existing potted cocopeat and repurpose it by drying under direct sun for a week in case we need to reuse the same cocopeat to plant other xerophytes in it.

• Ecologically Perfect

Cocopeat is a renewable media and is the least ecology hurting than any other media. In an age where we must take our carbon footprint extremely seriously, cocopeat is a wonderful alternate for xerophyte enthusiasts. By embracing coco peat, we contribute to a greener future and reduce the demand for unsustainable alternatives. Easily available from source, no chemical processing and its disposal only adds to the fertility of the soil. Sustainable, biodegradable and compostable makes it near perfect in our opinion even if other benefits are considered debatable.

• Supporting a Chemical-Free Gardening Approach

Coco peat’s natural resistance to pests and diseases makes it an excellent choice for those who prioritize chemical-free gardening. By minimizing the use of harmful chemicals, you create an environment that is beneficial for plants and ecosystem health.

• Excellent for Seed Germination

Cocopeat provides a good balance of moisture and aeration that is of utmost importance in good seed germination. Its moisture-retaining capacity ensures that the seeds are consistently hydrated and at the same time its porosity allows good aeration in root formation thereby ensuring healthy seedling development.

Coco-peat’s ability to retain moisture coupled with good aeration allows to ensure consistency that results in prevention of any serious fluctuations in soil moisture levels which could otherwise create shock for seedlings and impede their survival.

Rehousing seedlings from their initial growing place which is often covered to ensure higher moisture levels, becomes almost hassle-free in cocopeat. The softness and ease of pulling up seedlings in cocopeat significantly reduces root damage during transplanting.

• Insulation from Temperature Fluctuation

Cocopeat is a natural temperature insulator that helps in ensuring no sudden increase or decrease in the media specially in comparison to cinder based media. Stability of media temperature is another critical aspect of ensuring healthy roots and thereby healthy plants. Even in plastic pots kept in direct sun, cocopeat based media would heat up extremely slowly.

Are there any disadvantages of cocopeat? Yes, of course! These are:

• Creep

Creep is a phenomenon in which the compressed cocopeat particles sometime lose their elasticity thereby not expanding fully when hydrated. Creep results in loss of air porosity, loss of water holding capacity and also loss of volume that takes away the biggest advantages of cocopeat. Hence, it is advisable to buy cocopeat from a trusted source that can ensure the cocopeat you get is quite fresh.

• Poor Initial Support

For plants that are planted freshly in cocopeat, the lack of grip specially for tall plants is an issue. Since the fibrous roots will take a few weeks to emerge and form a grip inside cocopeat, the taller plants need to be provided support till such time. Once the roots start to take grip, the support can be removed.

• Coco-fibre and coco-peat

Cocopeat is referred to the coco-dust that is extracted from coconut husk and does not contain any coco-fibre. However, to build volumes and extract more profits, a lot of cocopeat suppliers add coco-fibre to cocopeat sold in the market. For newbies, a simple way of selecting, if buying offline, is to see for themselves that they cocopeat brick (dried and compressed cocopeat in a brick form for ease of transportation) does not contain any coco-fibre.

Pro-tip: Before you decide to move to a new type of growing media for your expensive and cherished xerophytes, we recommend that you try 2-3 plants from various genus for about six-month encapsulating summers and winters. Observe and get acclimatised to watering routine as per your climate. Once comfortable you can slowly move onto cocopeat based growing that offers numerous advantages over other media.

Disclaimer: We do not sell any xerophyte or foliage plant growing media neither do we have any association with any commercial entity doing so.

Support: If you still have any questions or observations to share with us or get more insights, do reach out to us and we would be happy to share our experiences to help you. Moreover, we welcome you to come over to our farm and view the cocopeat growing under 100% indirect sunlight, 50% indirect sunlight and fully exposed to all climatic elements of North India – extreme summers, extreme monsoon and extreme winters.

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