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Coir Fabric

Sep 16 2019

Biodegradable Fabric: Best Uses in Your Garden

Avid personal or professional gardeners know that water retention — especially in the summer — is a constant concern. If you leave your plants untended, they’ll die; if you overwater them, they’ll fail, as well. Without timed irrigation, you’re forced to rely on a neighbor to properly water your plants, which doesn’t always work out in your favor.

Luckily, there are new products on the market to help improve your garden and take the guesswork out of watering. While peat moss has been traditionally used to aid in plant growth, coir mats and biodegradable fabrics are much more sustainable products. Coir mats have become a go-to for gardening as they’ve become more available and improved in quality. 

What Is Coir?

Coir is a fiber extracted from coconut shells, commonly called the ‘golden fiber’ because of the golden hue it develops when cleaned. It’s fungus-resistant, retains water well, is durable, and provides excellent insulation for your plants. It’s also popular among pet owners, as it’s non-toxic and doesn’t attract their attention the way cocoa mulch might. It’s available in many forms, including woven and nonwoven mats perfect for gardening.

Preventing Erosion

Coir mats are great tools for preventing erosion, serving much the same purpose as straw wattles but with the added benefits of being both biodegradable and not harmful to wildlife. If you have sloped garden beds, coir matting can absorb excess rainwater and provide a safe space for your plants to grow. These mats generally come in both woven and nonwoven varieties and are available in several thicknesses. You can use the biodegradable mats on slopes above your garden, as well, to help control water and sediment flow.

Conserving Water

In addition to being more sustainable than peat moss, coir helps with water conservation efforts. In areas where drought is an issue, biodegradable fabrics such as coir mats can help reduce water usage in gardening and landscaping projects. Properly maintained coir mats require watering only once every week to 10 days due to their ability to retain moisture.

Germinating Sensitive Seedlings

If you want to make sure germinating seedlings have appropriate water and nutrients, a coir mat can help. Because they’re nontoxic and resistant to mold, bacteria, and fungus, coir mats provide a safe, stable environment for your seedlings to grow. They also offer natural nutrients as they decompose, invigorating your soil and extending the life of your garden plot. 

Coir mats can also be custom-sized, meaning you can fit them to your needs. They’re suitable for everything from small window plots that need help growing to large backyard gardens. 

Encouraging Sustainable Gardening

Coir mats, pots, and other biodegradable fabric products are smart options for amateur and professional gardeners alike. Their sustainability gives them a considerable advantage over peat products, as coconut trees only take six to eight years to mature and produce enough fruit to easily handle the demands for coir. Peat moss grows very slowly, and its harvest is monitored carefully. Coir is much more eco-friendly.

If you’re considering taking on a new landscaping project or improving your garden, look into coir mats and other biodegradable fabrics. Choose from the variety of products available to find something that will fit with your needs while being eco-friendly and pet-safe.

Written by soilerosionst · Categorized: Erosion Control, Geotextile, Landscaping · Tagged: Biodegradable Fabric, Coir Fabric, Erosion Control

Sep 11 2019

Wood Excelsior vs Coco Coir

When it comes to controlling erosion, erosion control mats, netting, and blankets provide ample protection for soil in areas that are vulnerable to damage from wind and water erosion. These erosion control mats and blankets are manufactured using many types of materials, including wood excelsior, coco coir, other natural fibers, and synthetic materials. This review will examine wood excelsior and coco coir specifically, as well as uses and applications for erosion control mats and blankets.

Wood Excelsior

Wood excelsior erosion control mats are biodegradable and help maintain areas heavily affected by erosion. Wood excelsior (also known as wood wool) mats are natural products made from tiny slivers of wood fiber. Providing soil stabilization to hills, banks, and shores, wood excelsior mats are an effective means of controlling and alleviating the effects of wind and water erosion. The wood excelsior erosion control mats have short life spans, so once the vegetation begins to grow and flourish, the mat will degrade without interfering with its growth.

Coco Coir

Coco coir erosion control mats and blankets are made from coconut fibers found between the outer coconut shell and the seed within. Coconut fibers are incredibly strong, which enables the coco coir erosion control mats to be durable and nearly indestructible. Coco coir mats can be used repeatedly, so they will last season after season. In addition, coconut fibers are natural products. Thus, coco coir erosion mats are biodegradable and eco-friendly. Coco coir erosion control mats protect, support, and secure the soil, allowing young seedlings to grow unrestricted.

Uses and Applications

Both wood excelsior erosion control mats and coco coir erosion control blankets are used for a variety of gardening, landscaping, agricultural, and large-scale construction projects. Both the wood and coir types of erosion control mats are held together with netting and must be anchored with staples or stakes to the soil during installation. Wood excelsior and coco coir erosion control blankets can be used in any climate or environment.

Wood excelsior erosion control blankets are typically used on slopes to help with slope stabilization as well as hill stabilization. Additionally, wood excelsior erosion control blankets can be used to assist with the growth and support of vegetation in areas affected by erosion. The erosion blanket helps protect the soil and surrounding vegetation from not only wind and water elements but also animals that feed on the plant seeds.

Coco coir erosion control blankets are used for slopes, wetlands, protected environmental areas, and shorelines. Coco coir erosion control blankets help mitigate the effects of erosion by holding the soil in place. This prevents the dirt and vegetation from getting swept away by water or wind.

Whether an erosion control mat or blanket is made of wood excelsior or coco coir, it will help protect the soil and defend against erosion in almost any situation. Wood excelsior and coco coir fibers are similar, and both provide their own set of benefits when used as a method of erosion control in a garden, landscape, or construction site.

Written by soilerosionst · Categorized: Erosion Control, Geotextile, Landscaping · Tagged: Coir Fabric, Wood Excelsior

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