--- salt in coco coir

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greenfig

Registered:1359790036
Posts: 3,182

Posted 1415657223 · Edited	Reply with quote #1

I stopped by at my local hydroponics store to get some coarse perlite (they had #4, the size of a cherry) and noticed the coco bricks they had for sale. We started chatting about them and he mentioned that 2 out of 3 are “very salty”. I asked how they measure the salt and his answer was with a current meter. Basically, they drop a coco brick in a bucket with water and measure the water with a multimeter. More salt corresponds to the higher current measured. Now to my question. Do the cuttings care about higher salt in the coir if I want to root them there? As a side note, “saltier” coir is cheaper. Do the grown up figs care about the higher salt content (in mix of coco coir, soil, bark chips, compost)? __________________ wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal

figherder

Registered:1378804761
Posts: 237

Posted 1415666189	Reply with quote #2

I would think the figs would not enjoy the higher salt content. The salts clog the roots basically. See if they carry the bagged coco. Bcuzz is a good brand. Canna is also decent. The coco that is bagged versus in brick form is more fibery or fibrus. The bricked coco seems to have finer coco as in smaller particles. __________________ Jeff in zone 5b Wish list St rita,Vista,Sal's G,De la Reina, preto, Sport and pops purple red from Bellaclare, Planera Malta Black, Navid Unk Dark Greek,

indestructible87

Registered:1368407095
Posts: 548

Posted 1415668960	Reply with quote #3

I'm also wondering if soaking it a few times would remove a lot of the salt and still be usable for cuttings. __________________ Travis Pittsburgh, PA

drphil69

Registered:1390113240
Posts: 803

Posted 1415675214	Reply with quote #4

Quote: Originally Posted by indestructible87 I'm also wondering if soaking it a few times would remove a lot of the salt and still be usable for cuttings. I would think the same, but I have never used the stuff. __________________ Phil - Zone 7A - Newark, DE Newbie fig lover just trying to learn.

greenfig

Registered:1359790036
Posts: 3,182

Posted 1415678679 · Edited	Reply with quote #5

Coco coir is a great stuff for rooting and I have been using it since the Spring but soaking and washing it makes this business messy. I would rather pay extra for the cleaner coco than to start washing it. Hence my question, how much figs care about the increased salinity? The figs grow in Israel, near the Red Sea which is very salty. I do not know if the soil there has an increased salinity levels, would be curious to find out. __________________ wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal

bigbadbill

Registered:1357527109
Posts: 376

Posted 1415684247	Reply with quote #6

This is interesting as I use coconut coir bricks and never had a problem with salinity. The hydroponic shop is measuring overall conductivity with their probe. Any free ions available will conduct a charge and therefore register. However, there are many other ions in coconut coir at relatively high ppm- Ca, K, ( Na obviously), NO3, and Cl. Even Fe, and Mg have about 1mg/L concentration. So I think the results seem to point to "high salinity" meaning Na, but since all of these minerals are completely dissociated and therefore conduct a charge the meter registers " high salinity". All of these ions cumulatively can't be optimal, though, because they could-at high enough concentrations-create a hypertonic solution with water and pull water out of the cutting ( high conc to low) and desiccate it. I just don't think overall it is that extreme. __________________ SE Pa, zone 6b https://www.facebook.com/offthebeatenpathnurseries

greenfig

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Posts: 3,182

Posted 1415688021	Reply with quote #7

Bill, I totally agree with you I just do not have the numbers associated with Na and the rest of the ions to say if the ppm numbers registered for the “saltier” coco is to worry about. I also do not know the fig's salt tolerance and that is why started the thread. It seems the answer is out there but most of the people have never worried about this stuff. __________________ wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal

andreas

Registered:1401724296
Posts: 372

Posted 1415688521	Reply with quote #8

i have planted a fig tree in ground to my cousins from florida vacation greeck house. (the tree is there for the last 4 years)the tree is at 40 meters from the sea. i would guess that the soil is full of salt... i have no idea what salt will do to cuttings or small trees __________________ andreas-patras Patra Peloponnisos Greece zone..9a

greenfig

Registered:1359790036
Posts: 3,182

Posted 1415688631	Reply with quote #9

Nice! Have you seen worms in that soil? __________________ wish list: Violeta, Calderona. USDA z 10a, SoCal

andreas

Registered:1401724296
Posts: 372

Posted 1415688822	Reply with quote #10

i cant remember... its not my land... i am just his fig guy ;-)) __________________ andreas-patras Patra Peloponnisos Greece zone..9a

FMD

Registered:1309800590
Posts: 1,327

Posted 1415708512	Reply with quote #11

Andreas, when we were in Katakolon a few months ago, there was this beautiful healthy fig tree growing a few meters from the ocean in front of a small cafe. It had green figs but none were ripe. We sat there having some ouzo looking at it and wondering how the tree would do in Florida. I asked the daughter of the owner of the cafe what the figs tasted like and she said the figs never ripened because of the salinity. After conversing for a while she proceeded to pull off a short thick branch and handed it to me. Nice person, good ouzo, great memory! __________________ Frank Tallahassee, FL Zone 8b North Florida Figs

andreas

Registered:1401724296
Posts: 372

Posted 1415709520	Reply with quote #12

Frank i have 2 cousins in Fl both dentists. one of them just moved closer to you... jacksonville and the other is in the tampa bay area. they have built a summer house here and have some land. 4 year ago the house was finished so they got some landscape trees and i got them a tree that was their childhood favorite. we have gotten fruit from the tree every year. they only visit for about 15- 20 days so the rest of the fruit just falls down. __________________ andreas-patras Patra Peloponnisos Greece zone..9a

FMD

Registered:1309800590
Posts: 1,327

Posted 1415740345	Reply with quote #13

Andreas, do your cousins grow fig trees in Florida? __________________ Frank Tallahassee, FL Zone 8b North Florida Figs

andreas

Registered:1401724296
Posts: 372

Posted 1415743856	Reply with quote #14

Frank, sad to admit they do not. __________________ andreas-patras Patra Peloponnisos Greece zone..9a

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